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Serie A round-up: Keita Balde nets winner for Lazio as they climb to fifth

Keita Balde celebrates after scoring at Empoli
Image: Keita Balde celebrates after scoring at Empoli

Keita Balde stepped off the bench to clinch Lazio a 2-1 win at relegation-threatened Empoli and lift them up to fifth in the Serie A table.

Empoli went ahead in spectacular fashion through midfielder Rade Krunic's rising shot midway through the second half, but Ciro Immobile equalised within a minute for Lazio and substitute Balde fired home the winner from inside the box in the 80th minute.

Lazio leapfrogged Inter Milan into fifth place and stretched their unbeaten run in all competitions to four matches, while Empoli have lost three of their last four league games.

Atalanta registered their third straight league win and extended their unbeaten run to five matches thanks to a 1-0 home victory against relegation battlers Crotone.

Defender Andrea Conte struck the game's only goal early in the second half and that was enough to lift Gian Piero Gasperini's side up one place to fourth in the table, three points behind third-placed Napoli.

Alejandro Gomez went close to adding a second for Atalanta when his angled shot hit the crossbar.

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Second-bottom Crotone slipped to a fourth straight defeat and are without a win on the road in Serie A this season.

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