Super heroes Provedel and Gila help Lazio survive

Season 2025-26

Game 7, Serie A

Sunday, October 19

Previous Match Next  

Stadio Gewiss, Bergamo

Atalanta-Lazio 0-0

A hard-battling game by the Biancocelesti and amazing performances by the keeper and centre-back bring back useful point to Rome

Source Lazio Wiki

The Teams

Lazio still had several absences. The injury list, already made up of Nicolò Rovella, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Luca Pellegrini and Samuel Gigot, during the week had been updated with Argentine forward Taty Castellanos. The good news was the speedy return of Mattia Zaccagni and Adam Marusic after their muscular problems.

Maurizio Sarri went for the predicted defensive line-up with Mario Gila and Alessio Romagnoli in the middle and Nuno Tavares and Marusic at their sides. In midfield the choices were limited so it was Danilo Cataldi, Matteo Guendouzi and Toma Bašić. Up front the Tuscan coach chose in form Matteo Cancellieri and Zaccagni on the flanks and Boulaye Dia in the middle.

Atalanta had a few regulars back in the side. An important return was that of Charles De Ketelaere. They also had Ademola Lookman in attack, the Nigerian who in the summer had tried to force a departure from Bergamo was only playing his second league game. The Nerazzurri fielded a strong side, their only real absences were defenders Raoul Bellanova and Sead Kolašinac.

A difficult game for Lazio and the odds were heavily in favour of the home side.

First half

A dry day, good pitch and a big crowd, with a large away support from Rome, for this evening's game in Bergamo.

Lazio had an early potential chance but in the first minute Dia's first touch was poor while a defter one could have sent him racing towards goal.

Lazio defended and looked to strike on the counterattack. Neither side managed to cut out any clear chances as Atalanta had more possession and territorial control but came up against a solid Lazio defensive setup.

Lazio were unlucky in the 22nd minute as Cancellieri, who had been playing well recently, pulled up with a muscular injury. In his place Gustav Isaksen took charge of the right flank.

Atalanta collected a few corners but it was Lazio who had a couple of chances. In the 31st minute Basic took a freekick from the edge of the box but Marco Carnesecchi dived to his left and parried. In the 39th minute Guendouzi found himself in a good shooting position but his effort flew over the bar.

The Dea's only shot at goal came in the 43rd minute when Davide Zappacosta drilled a low shot towards goal but Ivan Provedel was safe and blocked. Halftime 0-0.

A stalemate so far. Atalanta attacking more but Lazio not suffering much at the back.

Second half

The second half was a different story. Atalanta started to push with more conviction and Lazio continued to defend but without even having the occasional potential threat at the other end.

In the 50th minute Lookman rose up undisturbed in front of goal but put his header over the bar.

In the 57th minute Ederson tried his luck from the edge of the box but it was weak and Provedel was not worried.

In the 61st minute the Nerazzurri were more dangerous when Honest Ahor met a cross on the far post but from not even a metre from goal poked his shot wide.

In the 64th minute Lazio eased the pressure and had an inviting freekick from just outside the box. Nuno Tavares' execution was awful and looked more like a rugby penalty.

In the 67th minute the hosts decided it was time for changes. Off went Ahanor, Mario Pasalic and Kamaldeen Sulemana and on came Giorgio Scalvini, Marten De Roon and Nicola Krstovic.

In the 71st minute Ivan Provedel produced an amazing save. Lookman freed himself just outside the area and sent a low, precise shot towards the far post but the keeper from Pordenone sprung to his left and palmed the ball out for a corner. A sensational reflex especially as he had plenty of bodies in front of him.

On the following corner Krstovic jumped up and put a looping header over towards the far post but again Provedel, with the help of the post/ crossbar, managed to save.

After more shots blocked by the Lazio defence, Sarri made two substitutions. In the 75th minute he took off a tiring Zaccagni and Toma Basic and put on Pedro and a finally match fit Matías Vecino.

The Uruguayan midfielder immediately had a shot, on a rare Lazio appearance in Atalanta's half, but it was blocked by a defender.

The hosts' onslaught then continued. The Orobici forced a few corners and then in the 81st minute went extremely close to taking the lead. Zappacosta on the right side of the area drove a low, left-footed shot which beat Provedel but came back off the post. It was not finished as on the rebound De Roon smashed the ball low towards the right corner but again Provedel was unbeatable as he dived low to his left and saved. The play continued and on the second rebound the last attempt hit the side netting.

The home side then replaced Lookman with Daniele Maldini, the son of the great Milan defender Paolo. A few minutes later Lazio took off exhausted duo Marusic and Tavares and threw on Martin Provstgaard and Manuel Lazzari.

Lazio seemed to have weathered the storm and even had a late corner to try to steal the game but nothing came of it.

At the end of the three minutes of injury time the Biancocelesti with Isaksen forced another corner but much to their irritation the referee did not let them take it. Final score 0-0.

A precious point for Lazio considering the moment and the calibre of the opposition. In the first half Lazio had been untroubled but in the second they had to dig deep to resist the Bergamaschi's constant attacks. A hard battling, solid and clean performance (not even one yellow card), albeit almost exclusively defensive, had earned them a satisfactory away draw.

It obviously would not have been possible without two players in particular; Provedel and Gila. The goalkeeper had pulled off some outstanding saves and the Spanish central defender had been almost heroic at the back, closing down attacks left, right and centre (at one point he even took on the Atalanta curva...)

Atalanta felt a bit hard done by but one of the most basic rules of football is, if you don't score you can't win or, a new version, if Provedel is at the top of his game you can't win...

Who played for Atalanta

Carnesecchi, Djimsiti, Hien, Ahanor (67' Scalvini), Zappacosta, Pasalic (67' De Roon), Ederson, Bernasconi, De Ketelaere, Lookman (82' Maldini), Sulemana (67' Krstovic)

Unused Substitutes: Rossi, Sportiello, Brescianini, Musah, Obric, Samardzic, Scamacca, Zalewski

Manager: Juric

Who played for Lazio

Provedel, Marusic (86' Lazzari), Gila, Romagnoli, Tavares (86' Provstgaard), Guendouzi, Cataldi, Basic (75' Vecino), Cancellieri (22' Isaksen), Dia, Zaccagni (75' Pedro)

Unused Substitutes: Mandas, Furlanetto, Hysaj, Patric, Belahyane, Noslin

Manager: Sarri

Referee: Collu

Yellow Cards: De Ketelaere, Sulemana, Pasalic, Hien