Colombian soccer star Radamel Falcao scored twice as Atletico Madrid took a 3-1 lead in the first leg of the their Europa League last-32 game against Italian side Lazio in Rome, Thursday.
The $58 million striker, who moved to the Spanish club in August 2011, scored in the 37th and 63rd minutes to complete 3-1 comeback victory for his team, after they had gone 1-0 down through a Miroslav Klose tap-in the 19th minute.
Adrian had drawn Atletico level in the 25th minute, before Falcao took advantage of creative play from Brazilian Diego to give his team the lead. Midway through the second half Adrian became provider, bursting down the flank to set up Falcao’s second.
The seecond leg will be staged in Madrid on February 23, with Atletico’s three-goal away victory placing them in a strong position to advance to the last-16.