Feyenoord have netted 34 times across their last nine matches, and confidence was clearly high as they flew out of the traps here.
Igor Paixao’s early curling cross found Gimenez in the six-yard area, but the Eredivisie’s top scorer sent his resulting header into the side netting. The hosts continued to threaten and thought they had taken the lead when Gimenez’s deflected shot looped over Ivan Provedel, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.
Gimenez wouldn’t be denied a maiden UCL goal though, and the Mexican striker opened his account in style just six minutes later by shrugging off Lazio defender Nicolp Casale, turning into space on the edge of the area and lashing an unstoppable strike into the bottom left corner.
As Lazio appeared to be edging back into the contest, with Luis Alberto testing Justin Bijlow with a powerful header, Feyenoord stunned the Eagles with a second goal when Calvin Stengs dribbled into the area, cutback to Ramiz Zerrouki and the midfielder curled a first-time shot into the top corner.
Feyenoord resumed control of proceedings once more after the interval, yet fewer chances came against a more organised Lazio. Maurizio Sarri’s men kept things tight and tried to hit the hosts on the break, which almost paid off when Bijlow failed to clasp Mattia Zaccagni’s stinging shot and dropped the ball straight at Valentin Castellanos’ feet, but the substitute couldn’t hold his composure and fired over the crossbar.
That miss proved especially costly, as Feyenoord struck a third to put the game beyond the Italian outfit. Leading marksman Giménez was on target again, tapping home a rebound after Provedel parried Quinten Timber’s shot straight to the Mexican forward.
A late lapse in concentration from Marcos Lopez gifted Lazio a penalty as the defender felled Castellanos in the penalty area, and Pedro duly converted from 12 yards to reduce the arrears, but it was too little too late for the underwhelming visitors. Feyenoord assumed temporary control of Group E with a dominant victory, while Sarri’s side were left to lick their wounds after a fourth defeat from their last six visits to the Netherlands.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Santiago Gimenez (Feyenoord)
