Filip Djordjevic's first goals in Serie A lifted Lazio away from the bottom three and into the top half of the Serie A standings as they won 4-0 at Palermo on Monday evening.
The Serbian forward netted a hat trick - and wasted his easiest chance of the night - with Marco Parolo also on target to relieve the pressure on coach Stefano Pioli and earn the capital club only their second win of the season.
Palermo were wasteful in front of goal and paid the price with a heavy home defeat which, with a bit more luck, could have been a different story
The first half belonged to the hosts, with the tricky Franco Vazquez proving a constant threat to the Lazio defence.
He did well to turn inside his defender in the 13th minute, but his low shot was saved by Federico Marchetti.
Vazquez again did all the hard work in the 40th minute, holding off one defender before dribbling expertly past Stefan De Vrij only to drag his shot just wide of the far post.
Paulo Dybala was then denied by Marchetti before, completely against the run of play, Djordjevic tapped in Antonio Candreva's cross from close range to open his Lazio account.
Three more excellent chances came and went for Palermo with Dybala, Zouhair Feddal and Luca Rigoni all failing from excellent positions.
They should have been punished 20 minutes from time when Djordjevic tried to be fancy and back-heel a cross in when a more orthodox approach would most likely have finished the hosts off.
Pioli reprimanded him from the touchline and he responded with the best possible apology, cutting inside before shooting into the far corner to double Lazio's lead in the 75th minute.
A touch of class from the former Nantes player, now fully pardoned for his earlier miss, made it three in the 83rd minute as he placed his shot in off the far post from a tight angle.
Parolo then completed the rout deep in stoppage time, compounding Palermo's woes and leaving the Sicilians rooted to the foot of the table.
ends