Liverpool welcomed new boys - El-Hadji Diouf and Bruno Cheyrou - and hailed the return of Markus Babbel after a year out through illness, but were still behind at the break.
Rodriguez Cesar got the credit as a cross-shot squeezed past Jerzy Dudek a minute before the interval.
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Senegal hitman Diouf, nicknamed the "serial killer" at Lens, has tremendous pace and worried the slowing Fernando Couto as well as Jaap Stam - who was afforded the expected hostile welcome Anfield reserves for Manchester United old boys.
Diouf, at £10million, not only had the touch and skill, he also had the toil and appetite to run and run, and the Kop were impressed.
Cheyrou, confident enough to risk white boots before the fans had learned his name, had two excellent early long-range shots to worry Luca Marchegiani, while Diouf was a constant threat in the air.
But Lazio stole ahead on the stroke of half time when Claudio Lopez's pass was slipped home by Cesar.
But Liverpool, in front of a 44,677 crowd, made five half time substitutions and Michael Owen continued to probe until he was replaced by Milan Baros.
Stephane Henchoz went close and Cheyrou showed more class with neat control, a shuffle and then a chip inches wide, all in the blink of an eye.
Liverpool should have had a penalty on 72 minutes when Baros jinked round goalkeeper Marchegiani and appeared to be tripped by Couto, but referee Mark Halsey saw nothing wrong with the challenge.
It was a siege from then on, with the Italians treating the game as if it was a crucial Champions League game, with an array of late substitutions to delay the action.
But Liverpool, who withdrew Cheyrou with 15 minutes left to allow local boy Neil Mellor a crack - one frightening tackle from him on Alessandro Nesta enraged the Italians - could not find the equaliser they deserved.
Boss Gerard Houllier will not be too concerned - just delighted his £14million summer investment in Diouf and Cheyrou made an early impression.