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Fabio Firmani snatched a fortunate last-minute winner on an emotional day for Lazio.
Both these sides were challenging for the title not too long ago, but the gravity of the situation became clear when Lazio defender Guglielmo Stendardo dubbed it "a relegation dogfight." The Biancocelesti may be in the Champions League, but they had lost four of their last five domestic games and continued to deal with an injury crisis ruling out Luciano Zauri, Valon Behrami, Mobido Diakhite', Simone Del Nero and suspended duo Massimo Mutarelli and Gaby Mudingayi. Lazio old boy Fernando Couto returned from a ban to face his former club, but Ferdinand Coly was suspended and Domenico Morfeo frozen out for disciplinary reasons.
Before kick-off Cristian De Silvestri - a friend of the deceased DJ - laid flowers in honour of Gabriele Sandri, the Lazio supporter accidentally killed by a stray policeman's bullet on November 11. In protest at the incident, the Biancocelesti supporters went 'on strike', emptying the curva nord for the opening 20 minutes.
Parma's last victory here in Serie A was an entertaining 3-2 result in September 2003, but they had failed to score in their next three visits.
Sebastiano Siviglia nodded inches wide of the target from Cristian Ledesma's corner kick, while Luca Bucci was at full stretch to parry Goran Pandev's effort.
Former Lazio man Bernardo Corradi attempted an audacious backheel flick from Reginaldo's cross and Andrea Gasbarroni's lob soared over the bar.
De Silvestri went off with a knee injury to make way for Lionel Scaloni, adding to Lazio's already serious fitness worries. They were also unlucky on 33 minutes to see substitute Scaloni gather Tommaso Rocchi's assist and his shot fingertipped on to the base of the upright by Luca Bucci.
Just five minutes later Lazio hit the woodwork for a second time, as Fabio Firmani's missile from the edge of the box cracked against the bar and Rocchi was offside when he tried to turn in the loose ball.
Rocchi should have done better on an acrobatic volley and especially the free header on 62 minutes, while Francesco Parravicini fired over for Parma.
It looked to be going towards a stalemate, but a stroke of luck gave Lazio the winner in the final minute. Stephen Makinwa cut back for Firmani, whose shot took a double deflection off Zenoni to dribble past a stranded Bucci. In celebration, Firmani and the players rushed to the curva nord to embrace the image of Gabriele Sandri.
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