August 16, 2025: Lazio Atromitos 2-0
- Simon Basten
- 1 day ago
- 8 min read
Lazio End Pre-Season with Victory Over Atromitos
A chaotic first half gives way to a composed second as Noslin and Pedro secure a 2-0 victory and bring Lazio's pre-season to a positive conclusion.
The season so far
The previous season had ended in disaster as Lazio failed to reach a European qualification in the final game after falling at home to Lecce. Marco Baroni subsequently resigned so Claudio Lotito asked Maurizio Sarri to come back and he happily accepted. But there was a problem.
Everybody knew that Lazio would need to sell in order to buy since they were quite a long way from the necessary liquidity index (0.8). The liquidity index is the ratio between the current assets and the current liabilities. This favours the clubs which are highly indebted since the owners continually inject cash to cover the deficits. Lazio have always had this problem.
But there was a further problem. Lazio had not reached the indebtedness ratio (total debt divided by equity) nor the extended labour cost ratio (wages + social charges + amortization of transfers divided by operating revenue). The consequence was a complete transfer freeze, in other words no incoming transfers were allowed until at least September 1, 2025. A re-evaluation was set for September 30, 2025. If Lazio passed the test they could theoretically sign players on a free transfer starting from October or wait until January 2026 when they would have a free hand.
What happened? Apparently there was a bookkeeping mistake. A certain amount was added to the accounts on March 31 instead of April. The end of March was taken as a reference point for the analysis of the club’s accounts.
In the beginning this was not considered an error. The Italian Football Federation had inserted new parameters and rules plus a new commission to look at the accounts starting from July 1. Since the transfer window began at the same time, the club was not worried. It would be logical to open the transfer window with the new regulations. But then the head of the football federation Gabriele Gravina, certainly not a friend of Lazio's, declared that the new rules would be effective from January 2026. The Biancocelesti were in trouble.
Initially there was speculation that Sarri would resign, but, as he explained in his press conference in July, resignation never entered his mind.
So a quiet summer as far as transfers were concerned with just Loum Tchanouna being sold to Burnley, Nicolò Casale sold to Bologna and a few other minor operations.
Lazio, who had decided to do the pre-season training directly at Formello, had so far played four friendlies plus a training match with the Primavera. They had won at Avellino and Burnely, lost with Fenerbahçe, and drawn with Galatasaray. Today’s game was the last one.
The match: Saturday, August 16, 2025, Stadio Centro Italia, Rieti
Lazio brought their pre-season to a chaotic but ultimately positive conclusion, defeating Atromitos 2-0 at the Stadio Centro d'Italia-Manlio Scopigno in Rieti. The final score, however, told only part of the story. What began as a relatively routine friendly descended into an ugly brawl midway through the first half, before the Biancocelesti regained their composure and produced a much-improved second-half performance to secure victory.
The match had been intended as Maurizio Sarri's final test before the start of the competitive season, but the opening 45 minutes were overshadowed by an extraordinary confrontation involving players from both teams. Two goals in the second half, from Tijjani Noslin and Pedro, eventually gave Lazio a deserved victory and allowed them to end their preparations on a positive note.
Sarri began with Christos Mandas in goal, behind a defence of Manuel Lazzari, Mario Gila, Oliver Provstgaard and Luca Pellegrini. Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Danilo Cataldi and Matteo Guendouzi formed the midfield, while Matteo Cancellieri, Taty Castellanos and captain Mattia Zaccagni made up the attacking trio.
Lazio initially attempted to establish control through possession, moving the ball patiently and looking to create openings against an Atromitos side that was largely content to defend. The Biancocelesti struggled to create clear chances, however, and the match gradually became increasingly physical.
The tension finally boiled over after half an hour.
The first confrontation involved Guendouzi and Ismahila Ouedraogo following a midfield challenge. Guendouzi was accused of striking the Atromitos player on the leg while he was on the ground, prompting a reaction from Marin Ruiz. The two players became involved in a confrontation, with several teammates quickly joining the altercation.
The situation deteriorated further shortly afterwards. Lima Santos then committed a dangerous challenge from behind on Castellanos, catching the Lazio striker on the calf with a high foot. The Argentine reacted and the two players became involved in a fight.
Referee Francesco Fourneau was forced to stop the match for around five minutes as players, substitutes and staff from both sides became involved. The confrontation even continued towards the tunnel leading to the dressing rooms, with police eventually intervening.
Castellanos and Lima Santos were both shown red cards, while Guendouzi and Marin Ruiz were booked. It was an ugly episode that had little place in a pre-season friendly and completely disrupted the rhythm of the match.
When play resumed, both teams had to adapt. Lazio effectively abandoned the original 4-3-3, with Zaccagni moving into a false-nine role following Castellanos' dismissal. Dele-Bashiru moved higher on the left and Cancellieri operated on the right, with the team taking on a 4-2-3 shape in possession and a 4-4-1 when defending.
Atromitos also made a tactical adjustment, replacing striker Van Weert with defender Tsakmakis.
The first half ended goalless, but the match changed considerably after the interval. Sarri introduced Ivan Provedel, Adam Marusic and Boulaye Dia, with the latter joining an increasingly fluid Lazio attack. Nuno Tavares, Nicolò Rovella, Pedro, Noslin, Alessio Romagnoli, Elseid Hysaj and Toma Basic would also enter during the second half as Sarri used the game to give his squad extensive playing time.
Lazio gradually began to take control.
The Biancocelesti moved the ball with greater speed and precision, producing the kind of football Sarri had been trying to establish. The contrast with the chaotic events of the first half was striking.
The breakthrough arrived in the 76th minute, and it was the product of an excellent team move.
Lazio patiently worked the ball through a sequence of 14 consecutive passes before Marusic delivered the decisive cross. Noslin arrived at the right moment and headed the ball into the net to give Lazio the lead.
The Biancocelesti continued to press for a second, and it arrived in the final minute of normal time.
Dia, who had entered during the second half, combined with Pedro to create the opportunity. The Spanish veteran finished the move to make it 2-0 and score his second goal of pre-season, becoming Lazio's leading scorer during the summer preparations.
The goal was another example of the improved attacking football Lazio had produced after the break. Having been frustrated by Atromitos during the opening half, the Biancocelesti eventually found the spaces they needed through patient possession and movement.
The final whistle brought an end to an unusual evening in Rieti. The 2-0 victory ensured that Lazio finished their pre-season with a positive result, but the match also highlighted areas that Sarri would have wanted to address before the competitive campaign began.
Who played for Lazio
Mandas (46' Provedel), Lazzari (46' Marusic), Gila (86' Hysaj), Provstgaard (73' Romagnoli), Pellegrini (57' Nuno Tavares), Dele-Bashiru (46' Dia), Cataldi (57' Rovella), Guendouzi (86' Basic), Cancellieri (65' Pedro), Castellanos, Zaccagni (73' Noslin)
Substitute: Furlanetto
Manager: Sarri
Who played for Atromitos
Choutesiotis (46' Koselev), Stavropoulos, Michorl (80' Karamanis), Van Weert (37' Tsamakis), Palmezano Reyes, Marin Ruiz, Ouedraogo (80' Tsiloulis), Uronnen, Baku (80' Tsingaras), Lima Santos, Tzovaras (77' Jubitana)
Substitutes: Athanasiou, Ozegovic, Mountes, Papadopoulos, Tsantilas, Batos
Manager: Vokolos
Referee: Forneau
Goals: 76’ Noslin, 90’ Pedro
What happened next
It was a dismal season. The team was built for a 4-2-3-1 formation but Sarri did not see it that way and insisted on a 4-3-3 which in the end brought close to nothing. Never in contention for anything in the league, the Biancocelesti arrived ninth. The main problem was that the team was unable to create anything dangerous and scored very little.
In January Lazio was able to buy players and in came midfielder Kenneth Taylor from Ajax, forwards Daniel Maldini, on loan from Atalanta, and Petar Ratkov from Red Bull Salzburg plus keeper Edoardo Motta from Reggiana. Sacrifices were made as Taty Castellanos was sold to West Ham United and Matteo Guendouzi to Fenerbahçe. Christos Mandas also left for Bournemouth on loan.
Things went decisively better in Coppa Italia where Lazio managed to reach the final only to be thoroughly beaten by Inter.
Marusic topped the appearances (38), Isaksen, Noslin and Pedro were top scorers with a miserable five goals each.
Let’s talk about Nicolò Rovella
Nicolò Rovella was born in Segrate, near Milan, on 4 December 2001. A midfielder, he began playing football with Accademia Inter before moving to Alcione and subsequently joining the youth system of Genoa in 2017.
Rovella made his professional debut for Genoa in the Coppa Italia against Ascoli in December 2019, before making his Serie A debut later that month against Inter. He gradually established himself in the Genoa midfield and became one of the most highly regarded young Italian midfielders of his generation.
In January 2021, Rovella was signed by Juventus, although he remained at Genoa on loan for the rest of the season and continued with the club during the 2021–22 campaign. He made 21 Serie A appearances that season before returning to Juventus in the summer of 2022.
Rovella began the 2022–23 season with Juventus, making three Serie A appearances, before moving to Monza on loan. He became an important player for Raffaele Palladino's side, making 25 Serie A appearances and scoring his first goal in the Italian top flight.
In August 2023, Rovella joined Lazio on a two-year loan from Juventus with an obligation to make the transfer permanent if certain sporting objectives were achieved. The agreement valued the permanent transfer at €17 million, payable over three financial years. He made his Lazio debut during the 2023–24 season and gradually established himself in the centre of the Biancocelesti midfield.
Rovella's first season in Rome saw him compete for a regular starting position, while his ability to play as a holding midfielder or deeper central midfielder made him a useful option in the squad. During his second season, he became a more consistent presence in the Lazio midfield. His third was marred by two serious injuries which limited his time on the pitch.
At international level, Rovella represented Italy at several youth levels. He was part of the Italy Under-17 team that finished runners-up at the 2018 European Championship and later captained the Under-19 side. He subsequently became a regular member of the Under-21 team before making his senior Italy debut in November 2024.
Rovella's development has seen him progress from the Genoa academy to Serie A, Juventus and Monza before establishing himself at Lazio. As a midfielder, he has primarily been used in a deeper role, where his responsibilities include helping to protect the defence, recovering possession and supporting the team's build-up play.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Champions League | Europa League | Super Coppa |
2023-24 | 30 | 23 | 3 | 3 | - | 1 |
2024-25 | 44 | 33 | 2 | - | 9 | - |
2025-26 | 13 | 11 | 1 | - | - | - |
Total | 87 | 67 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 1 |
Sources
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