Lazio continued their perfect start to the new Serie A season, pulling off a late turnaround to earn a 2-1 win over Udinese.
Despite a fan revolt that saw fans boycott home matches at the Stadio Olimpico in protest at the way club president Claudio Lotito was managing, Lazio started the season in good style under Gennaro Gattuso.
Having kept clean sheets in 1-0 wins over Bologna and Genoa, it looked as if Lazio would stumble at Udine when the hosts broke the deadlock four minutes into the second half.
Lazio conceded for the first time in the league this season when Keenan Davis passed the ball accurately for Jesper Karlstrom to score into the bottom left corner.
However, Davide Fratesi scored the equalizer after a low cross from Mattia Zaccagni 15 minutes from time to equalise.
Albert Gudmundsson completed the conversion 13 minutes later, curling in a stunning header from Danilo Dojkhi’s pass from the left.
Lazio is one of the three teams that have perfect records over three matches in the Italian League. He joins his traditional rivals Roma and defending champion Inter Milan with nine points.
Asked what impressed him about his team, Gattuso told Sky Sports: “The mentality and the desire. We’ve dismantled everything compared to last year, when there was a master 4-3-3, and we’re trying to do something different.”
He added, “The players are doing things well. What we are trying to do is not easy, but the team is alive.”
Lazio will next face Gattuso’s former side AC Milan at the Stadio Olimpico as they look to make it four wins from four.
The other match, which was held on Monday in the Italian League, saw Cagliari beat Lecce 1-0 to achieve its second victory this season. Daniele Maldini scored the only goal of the match, his first with the club, with a header from a corner kick in the 29th minute.
Socic is the champion of Sociedad
In La Liga, Luka Socic was the hero for Real Sociedad as they secured a 3-2 win over Elche in a head-to-head encounter.
Job Ochieng scored in the 11th minute to put the visitors ahead, and Sociedad doubled the lead after exploiting a defensive error by Elche.
Pedro Bigas failed to control goalkeeper Matias DeToro’s pass from behind, allowing Ochieng to pass a cross to Yangel Herrera, whose shot passed into DeToro’s hands.
Sučić appeared to make it 3-0 after an hour of play, but the goal was disallowed after the VAR reviewed the presence of a handball during the build-up of the attack, with Sociedad’s John Martin sent off for the violation.
Thomas Lemar took advantage of reducing the deficit for Elche to score his first goal for the club with a wonderful long-range shot, and the hosts were hoping to snatch the three points when Ver Lopez equalized 16 minutes before the end of normal time.
Lopez headed home from close range after Tite Morente turned in Germán Valera’s deep cross in front of goal, but in the end it was Sučić who had the final say.
Elche received a counterattack when Croatia national team player Sučić made a brilliant individual run, which he culminated in with a quick shot from his left foot to decide an entertaining match.
Like Elche, Celta Vigo remained winless after drawing 1-1 with Getafe.
Celta had plenty of time to find a winner after Getafe’s Zaid Romero was sent off for a second yellow card in the 67th minute, but their failure to do so means they have just three points from their first five games.
