Serie A | Lazio 2-1 Cagliari – Headless with two red cards in 10 seconds

Lazio suffered a major setback in their pursuit of a Champions League spot after losing 2-1 at home to relegation-threatened Cagliari on Saturday.

The match was marred by two red cards in the space of 10 seconds in the second half, with Lazio's Francesco Acerbi and Cagliari's Charalampos Lykogiannis both sent off for violent conduct.

The defeat leaves Lazio in sixth place in the Serie A standings, six points behind fourth-placed Juventus.

Lazio took the lead in the 33rd minute through Ciro Immobile, but Cagliari equalized in the 54th minute through Joao Pedro.

The match turned on its head in the 65th minute when Acerbi and Lykogiannis were both sent off for a clash that saw both players headbutt each other.

Cagliari took advantage of the extra man and scored the winning goal in the 72nd minute through Gaston Pereiro.

The defeat is a major blow to Lazio's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. With just three games remaining in the season, they now need to win all three and hope that other results go their way.

Cagliari, meanwhile, moved up to 16th place in the standings and are now six points clear of the relegation zone.