Partial redemption
Updated: 11 hours ago
Game 1, Serie A
Monday, August 24, 2026
Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, Bologna
Bologna Lazio 0-1
Frattesi’s first goal for Lazio gives the Biancocelesti an unexpected win
The team
For reasons nobody could fathom, Rino Gattuso decided to confirm the same team that had disgracefully lost against Mantova for the opening game of Serie A.
So there was no Davide Frattesi, who probably did not have 90 minutes in him having played fairly little for Inter over the previous year. Boulaye Dia was preferred to Petar Ratkov, while Matteo Cancellieri started on the right of the front three, probably because Gustav Isaksen was not completely match fit either.
Josip Šutalo, just signed by the club, was still recovering from the injury he had suffered after the World Cup, so there was not much choice when it came to the rest of the starting eleven.
Lazio were called upon to show some kind of response after a week in which even the most optimistic fans were feeling rather low on optimism. Despite the difficult moment, 3,500 Biancocelesti fans travelled to Bologna, as the supporters were only boycotting the home games.
First half
A completely different approach was needed compared to the Coppa Italia game, and it was immediately clear that this was exactly what was happening.
In the eighth minute, Dia found Mattia Zaccagni on the left inside the box. The Lazio captain tried one of his trademark curling efforts, which went narrowly wide of the far post.
Bologna were struggling and Lazio put their foot on the accelerator. Cancellieri tried a couple of tame efforts as the Biancocelesti took control of the game.
After 19 minutes, Adam Marušić was forced to leave the pitch through injury and Romano Floriani came on for his Lazio debut.
The Biancocelesti were giving Bologna absolutely nothing defensively. No gaps, no mistakes, no opportunities for the Rossoblu to create anything. There were a few half-chances, but little else.
Second half
At half-time Isaksen replaced Cancellieri, who once again looked far from his potential.
Bologna returned slightly more determined after the break. In the 48th minute, Lewis Ferguson crossed from the left and Jens Odgaard, completely unmarked in the centre of the box, had an easy chance to score. His header was almost perfect, but Christos Mandas produced an incredible save to keep Lazio in the game.
In the 54th minute, Gattuso finally sent Frattesi on, replacing the injured Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.
Five minutes later, Lazio scored.
Floriani took a throw-in and found Frattesi inside the penalty area. The midfielder did not control the ball particularly well, but it reached Dia, who produced a marvellous back-heel to return it to Frattesi. The newcomer made no mistake, beating Lukáš Skorupski to score his first goal for Lazio.
Lazio were ahead, and to a certain extent deservedly so.
Bologna were now forced to come forward. In the 76th minute, Federico Bernardeschi had a good opportunity from a free kick just outside the box, slightly to the right. He went for the goalkeeper's corner, and Mandas was perhaps not quick enough going down, but somehow managed to get a hand to the ball. It hit the post and went behind for a corner.
A minute later, Bernardeschi crossed towards the far post. Torbjørn Heggem headed the ball back towards the middle, where Eivind Helland's volley was cleared almost off the line by Frattesi.
Another Bologna corner followed in the 77th minute. Bernardeschi delivered, the Lazio defence failed to clear and Jonathan Rowe looked ready to pounce, but Mandas courageously dived forward and managed to save.
In the final minute, Bologna threatened again on the counter-attack. Odgaard played the ball to Bernardeschi on the right, and his low cross found Artem Dovbyk, but Floriani and the Lazio defence stopped him twice before finally clearing the danger.
A great win for Lazio.
Some may say they were lucky, and there was certainly an element of that, but there was an obvious step forward in every aspect of the game — not only compared with the Coppa Italia defeat, but also compared with last season's performances and attitude.
It was a completely different Lazio: more compact, more aggressive, more disciplined and, above all, much more willing to fight.
Can the optimists be optimistic?
Perhaps it is still too early. But after the disaster against Mantova, this was certainly a start.
Who played for Bologna
Skorupski, Zortea (69' Holm), Helland, Heggem, Miranda, El Azzouzi (79' Amondarain), Ferguson, Orsolini (60' Bernardeschi), Odgaard, Cambiaghi (60' Rowe), Piccoli (60' Dovbyk)
Substitutes: Pessina, Happonen, Pobega, Moro, Libra, Alhassane, De Silvestri, Vitik
Manager: Tedesco
Who played for Lazio
Mandas, Marusic (19' Floriani), Doekhi, Provstgaard, Pedraza (78' Nuno Tavares), Dele-Bashiru (54' Frattesi), Rovella, Taylor, Cancellieri (46' Isaksen), Dia (78' Noslin), Zaccagni
Substitutes: Motta, Renzetti, R. Bordon, Romagnoli, Lazzari, Przyborek, Belahyane, Farcomeni, Ratkov
Manager: Gattuso
Referee: Maresca
Goal: 59’ Frattesi
Booked: Floriani (L), Dia (L), El Azzouzi (B), Cambiaghi (B), Cancellieri (L), Odgaard (B), Heggem (B), Provstgaard (L)
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