Lazio squeezed past Parma 2-1 with Marco Parolo and Vedat Muriqi headers, but also hit the woodwork twice, as they set up a Coppa Italia quarter-final with Atalanta on January 27.
Both sides were missing numerous players, as Luis Alberto and Luiz Felipe only just had surgery, while the Ducali were without practically all their first choice forwards and defenders.
Muriqi was unlucky not to score his first goal in the Lazio jersey, at full stretch turning an angled drive onto the inside of the far post.
Lazio squeezed past Parma 2-1 with Marco Parolo and Vedat Muriqi headers, but also hit the woodwork twice, as they set up a Coppa Italia quarter-final with Atalanta on January 27.
Both sides were missing numerous players, as Luis Alberto and Luiz Felipe only just had surgery, while the Ducali were without practically all their first choice forwards and defenders.
Muriqi was unlucky not to score his first goal in the Lazio jersey, at full stretch turning an angled drive onto the inside of the far post.
Parma threatened too, Juan Brunetta’s strike on the counter deflected wide, but Muriqi was denied by Simone Colombi with a save at the near stick.
Lazio rattled the woodwork for the second time, this time with Andreas Pereira’s effort, but they took the lead moments later with a Marco Parolo free header from 12 yards on the former Manchester United midfielder’s cross.
Colombi beat away a Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akpro half-volley, but the best news for Lazio was the return of Senad Lulic after 11 months out of action due to injuries.
There was a huge double opportunity for Parma on 73 minutes, as first Thomas Strakosha parried a Juan Brunetta header from close range, then Valentin Mihaila turned the rebound onto the crossbar.
A Jasmin Kurtic free kick then hit the side-netting, skimming the upright, and the pressure did pay off for the equaliser.
The offside trap failed on a through ball, Mihaila went clear on goal down the left and beat Strakosha one-on-one.
Not for the first time this season, Lazio lost intensity as the game wore on and Mihaila tested Strakosha again from distance.
It looked as if this too would go to extra time, but Muriqi finally made an impact for the first time. He hit the woodwork this time as well, a header from 12 yards that bounced in off the inside of the upright, but as it hit Colombi on the way in, it was registered as an own goal.
Lazio 2-1 Parma
Parolo 23 (L), Mihaila 83 (P), Colombi og 90 (L)
Lazio: Strakosha; Parolo (Vavro 92), Hoedt, Acerbi; Lazzari (Marusic 71), Milinkovic-Savic (Patric 59), Escalante, Akpa-Akpro, Fares (Lulic 71); Pereira (Correa 59), Muriqi
Parma: Colombi; Busi, Kurtic, Dierckx (Camara 76), Ricci; Sohm, Cyprien (Brugman 62), Dezi (Hernani 62); Brunetta, Sprocati (Traore 93), Mihaila (Adorante 93)
Ref: Ayroldi