A penalty from Domenico Berardi has given Sassuolo a 1-0 lead at the halfway stage of their Serie A match against Lazio this afternoon.

The Neroverdi were given an early chance to take the lead when the referee awarded a penalty after Senad Lulic was adjudged to have tripped Paolo Cannavaro inside the box.

Despite Lazio's protests, Berardi eventually stepped up and fired the resulting spot kick beyond the reach of Federico Marchetti and into the top corner.

Within minutes the visitors had a chance to test the keeper, but Mauricio could only head wide of the far post from Antonio Candreva's corner.

It was the hosts who were next to threaten as Nicola Sansone fired in a strike which failed to cause any problems for Marchetti.

Lazio soon began to increase the pressure on their opponents goal, as Sergej Milinkovic-Savic saw his low strike saved at the near post, before Candreva lashed a powerful volley inches wide from the edge of the box.