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Lazio and Sampdoria fought out a 1-1 Serie A draw in a boisterous match that saw both sides reduced to 10 men.

Giampaolo Pazzini put the visitors ahead with a header on 40 minutes, but Matuzalem levelled two minutes later and either side could have won it late on as the red cards opened the game up.

Lazio started better, with Matuzalem firing wide on 11 minutes after good work from Mauro Zarate on the left.

The visitors, who are second in the Serie A standings, improved as Antonio Cassano, Giampaolo Pazzini and Daniele Mannini forced smart stops from Fernando Muslera in the Lazio goal.

Samp took the lead five minutes before half-time, thanks to clever play from Pazzini.

After good work from Cassano played him in, former Fiorentina striker Pazzini spread the ball wide to Marco Padalino and, as the Swiss winger prepared his cross, he checked his run back to appear unmarked on the penalty spot and head the hanging ball into the bottom right.

The lead was short-lived though as, with the next attack of the match, Matuzalem raced on to Tomasso Rocchi's flick-on and fired low past Lica Castellazzi.

The second half started with Lazio the more likely as, in quick succession, Rocchi fired into the side netting and then shot over from a good position.

Samp's afternoon took a turn for the worse when, 10 minutes into the second half, the previously impressive Padalino was shown a second yellow card for hacking down left-back Aleksandr Kolarov.

It was all Lazio from that point, as Matuzalem, Zarate and Stefano Mauri all went close to putting them ahead.

But the game took another twist on 72 minutes when Roberto Baronio was dismissed for a second caution, harshly shown for catching Cassano's ankle after he won the ball.

Reto Ziegler forced a good stop from Muslera with the resultant free-kick, and he whistled a shot just off target two minutes later.

Samp were now dominant, and Cassano almost grabbed a spectacular winner when he smashed a rising drive just beyond the top right.

Ziegler had a late penalty claim waved away after he was barged by Modibo Diakhite, but the final minutes belonged to Lazio, with Kolarov and Mauri denied injury-time winners by superb saves from Castellazzi.

The result means Samp stay second, two points behind leaders Internazionale, while Lazio stay in mid-table.

Christian Maggio's late goal gave Napoli a 2-1 win over Bologna in Walter Mazzarri's first game in charge.

Maggio converted a cross from Argentina striker Ezequiel Lavezzi, who angered Mazzarri by only arriving back from international duty on Saturday.

Colombian centre back Nelson Rivas hit his head after falling awkwardly in bottom side Livorno's 2-1 home defeat by Palermo.

After being rushed to hospital, officials said he had recovered consciousness and was not in danger.

Udinese, who had to start with Serie A top scorer Antonio Di Natale on the bench because of a knock, lost 3-1 at home as Antonio Conte's Atalanta won their first game of the season.

In other results, Catania beat Cagliari 2-1, Bari won 2-1 at Chievo and high-flying Parma overcame Siena 1-0.

Reda MAHER / Eurosport