Chievo 1-2 Lazio

Julio Cruz scored twice as 10-man Lazio came from behind to beat Chievo in Verona.

Lazio coach Davide Ballardini handed Cruz his first league start since the Argentinian's summer move to Rome from Inter Milan and it paid dividends.

Cruz earned a penalty, which he then converted before half-time to cancel out Sergio Pellissier's 16th-minute opener.

The South American then tapped in the winner eight minutes into the second half.

The Roman club held on for their second win of the new campaign despite playing with a man less for the last 20 minutes after Emilson Cribari was dismissed for his second yellow card.

The visitors had the first chance of the game early on with Matuzalem's strike from distance going just wide of the near post.

Chievo, looking for their first triumph of the season, reacted with Erjon Bogdani surging inside the area only to fire way off target.

Lazio were unlucky not to take the lead in the 12th minute as Mauro Zarate's curled free-kick rebounded off the far post.

However, it was the Flying Donkeys who took a surprise lead in the 16th minute.

Michele Marcolini whipped in a corner from the left which Mario Yepes headed over the pack into the path of Pellissier and he nodded the ball into the back of the net.

Yepes almost made it 2-0 after 36 minutes but his header went wide with Lazio goalkeeper Fernando Muslera already beaten.

But Lazio were given a route back into the game four minutes before the interval when Cruz was bundled over by Santiago Morero in the box.

The referee pointed to the spot and Cruz fired home the resulting penalty for Lazio's equaliser.

The goal inspired the Biancoceleste, who almost went ahead on the stroke of half-time.

Aleksandar Kolarov's stinging drive from distance stunned Chievo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino only to hit the crossbar.

Chievo showed more initiative after the break and Muslera was forced to come off his line to anticipate an unmarked Pellissier, who was ready to fire on target after a fast counter-attack by the hosts.

But it was Lazio who took the lead soon after.

Sorrentino failed to hold onto Zarate's right-footed strike from the edge of the area and Cruz made no mistake from close range to score his second of the evening.

Lazio suffered a setback with Cribari was handed his marching orders for a foul on Pellissier as Chievo went in search of the equaliser.

Their efforts almost paid off in the 72nd minute when substitute Simone Bentivoglio beat Muslera, only to see his right-footed strike denied by the crossbar.

The hosts never gave up and they almost levelled the scores in injury time after Muslera failed to clear Pablo Granoche's header towards an unmarked Pellissier, whose close-range effort went wide.