Luka Jovic put away Eintracht Frankfurt's third of the night with a sublime chip after a counter-attack to give them a deserved victory over Lazio in the UEFA Europa League. - © © gettyimages / Marco Rosi
Luka Jovic put away Eintracht Frankfurt's third of the night with a sublime chip after a counter-attack to give them a deserved victory over Lazio in the UEFA Europa League. - © © gettyimages / Marco Rosi

Eintracht Frankfurt breeze past Lazio in the UEFA Europa League

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Eintracht Frankfurt made it two wins from two in the UEFA Europa League with a comfortable victory at home to Italian giants Lazio in Group H.

Eintracht Frankfurt 4-1 Lazio

Goals: 1-0 Da Costa (4’), 1-1 Parolo (23’), 2-1 Kostic (28’), 3-1 Jovic (52’), 4-1 Da Costa (90'+4)
Red cards: Basta (45’+3), Correa (58’)

Playing their first European home game since February 2014, the Eagles got off to a flying start in front of a raucous sold-out crowd at the Commerzbank Arena when Danny da Costa volleyed home the opener from a corner with less than five minutes on the clock. Lazio did get themselves level, however, when Marco Parolo slotted home on the counter, but it took Frankfurt less than five minutes to restore their lead when Filip Kostic blasted home unmarked at the far post. Things got even better for Eintracht moments before half-time when Dusan Basta was sent off for a second bookable offence, meaning Frankfurt would be up against 10 men for the second half.

The reigning DFB Cup champions immediately capitalised on that man advantage. Luka Jovic came close just moments after the restart, but made no mistake shortly after when he finished off a sweeping Eintracht counter with a sumptuous chipped finish to put the hosts two goals to the good. Lazio were then hit by another blow when Joaquin Correa was shown a straight red for a tackle from behind on Jonathan de Guzman, reducing the visitors to nine men. Da Costa got a late brace deep into injury time to add some deserved gloss to the scoreline. Frankfurt now lead Group H with a 100 per cent record ahead of Lazio on three points, while Marseille and Apollon Limassol trail with just a point apiece.

Match stats

    This was the first competitive meeting between these two sides.Frankfurt have also now won 12 of their last 15 European home games.   Jovic has two goals in two Europa League outings for Eintracht this season.Lazio had won six of 12 matches against German opposition coming into the game, but only once in Germany, away at Stuttgart in the 2012/13 Europa League.Frankfurt boast impressive European pedigree, having won the UEFA Cup (precursor to the Europa League) in 1979/80 and finishing as runners-up in the 1959/60 European Cup (precursor to the Champions League). They also won the Intertoto Cup in 1967.This is Eintracht’s second Europa League campaign. In 2013/14 they were knocked out by Porto in the last 32.

Line-ups

Frankfurt: Trapp – Da Costa, Hasebe, Russ (c), Falette – Gacinovic, De Guzman (Stendera 87'), Torro, Kostic (Tawatha 78') – Jovic (Rebic 67'), Haller
Unused subs: Rönnow, N’Dicka, Fernandes, Müller
Absentees: Chandler (knee), Fabian (ineligible), Paciencia (meniscus), Salcedo (ankle), Willems (suspended)
Coach: Adi Hütter

Lazio: Proto – Luis Felipe, Acerbi, Wallace – Basta, Parolo (c), Lucas (Luis Alberto 76'), Milinkovic-Savic (Berisha 64'), Durmisi (Lulic 18') – Correa, Immobile
Unused subs: Guerrieri, Rossi, Bastos, Badelj
Absentees: Lukaku (knee)
Coach: Simone Inzaghi

As it happened

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