Cancellieri conquers Turf Moor

Dag Jenkins
Aug 9, 2025
4 min read

Season 2025-26

Pre Season Friendly

Saturday, August 9, 2025

Turf Moor, Burnley

Burnley-Lazio 0-1

An unspectacular but solid performance gives Lazio win in Lancashire

Lazio had played four summer friendlies: Lazio Primavera (U19s) 3-0, Avellino 1-0, Fenerbahçe 0-1 and Galatasaray 2-2.

Lazio's Serie A campaign would start on August 24 away at Como.

Burnley were newly promoted to the Premier League. The Clarets had finished 2nd in the Championship under manager Scott Parker. The top scorer was captain Josh Brownhill with 18 league goals.

This season Parker had been confirmed.

Burnley had so far played five pre-season friendlies: Fleetwood Town 1-0, Wolves 1-1, Huddersfield Town 2-0, Shrewsbury Town 2-2 and Stoke City 0-1.

The Premier League would start on August 16 away at Tottenham.

Today was a step up in level for both sides, in a friendly connected to the Tchaouna deal.

The match

A 3 pm kick off brought 11,000 to Turf Moor. The stadium is one of the oldest in existence and dates back to 1883. It now holds just over 22,000 spectators.

Despite their old style ground, today Burnley became the first club in history to live stream a game in immersive virtual reality. The broadcast offered viewers a virtual seat inside the ground with a panoramic view of the pitch, live commentary, ambient crowd noise and real time visuals including club branding and player kits. A taste of the future?

Lazio were missing defender Patric, midfielder Matias Vecino and Danish winger Gustav Isaksen but otherwise fielded a strong line-up.

Burnley's main absences were goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka, midfielders Florentino Luís and Lesley Ugochukwu plus forwards Zian Flemming and recent signing Armando Broja.

Burnley were on top in the first half. The Clarets were very tight and conceded very little to Lazio who were often forced to go back to Ivan Provedel. Burnley played on the break, using the width of the field well with Oliver Sonne and Quilindschy Hartman.

Lazio kept their order and positioning but Burnley had at least three chances to take the lead. First Provedel denied Jadon Anthony, then he slapped a Josh Cullen lob onto the crossbar and finally he was beaten by a Sonne header but saved by the crossbar.

The first 45 minutes ended goalless but Burnley would have deserved to be in front. Lazio played with discipline but lacked creativity in midfield where Nicolò Rovella and Matteo Guendouzi lacked the inspirational vertical pass.

At half time Lazio made three changes: Mario Gila for Manuel Lazzari, Luca Pellegrini for Nuno Tavares and Oliver Provstgaard for Alessio Romagnoli. The hosts only made one, replacing keeper Vácpav Hladky with Max Weiß.

Soon after the restart the home side hit their third post of the afternoon. Anthony was left unnmarked on the far post but his attempt came back off the woodwork.

In the 52nd minute Lazio had a huge chance to score as they were awarded a penalty for a foul on Boulaye Dia. Mattia Zaccagni stepped up but his poor effort was saved by Wei§.

In the 59th minute Lazio made five substitutions all at once, off went Provedel, Adam Marusic, Rovella, Zaccagni and Dia for Chrīstos Mandas, Elseid Hysaj, Danilo Cataldi, Pedro and Taty Castellanos.

The game then slowed down but in the 62nd minute Lazio struck a crossbar of their own. Pellegrini took a corner and Matteo Cancellieri rose up in the area but his header hit the woodwork.

In the 69th minute it was Burnley's turn to make significant changes: out went Kyle Walker, Hartman, Lyle Foster, Anthony and Sonne and in came Marcus Edwards, Lucas Pires, Loum Tchaouna, Luca Koleosho and Jacob Brun Larsen.

The pace of the game and all the substitutions appeared to favour Lazio and Cataldi and Castellanos also seemed to link up better than Rovella and Dia.

In the 75th minute Lazio scored. Fisayo Dele-Bashiru won a challenge in defence and fed Pedro who sent a perfect through ball to Cancellieri in space, the Roman ran forward, waited for the keeper to come out and coolly tucked it away with his left-foot, 0-1.

Lazio then made their last two substitutions, Toma Bašić for Dele-Bashiru and Tijjani Noslin for Cancellieri.

Burnley then attempted a final forcing but with fading energy were unable to threaten Lazio's well organized setup. Final score: Burnley 0 Lazio 1.

A good win for Lazio against Premier League opposition. A solid, compact and tactically organized performance. Hopefully with the return of Gustav Isaksen from injury and a match fitter Zaccagni they would be able to add some inventiveness to their game. Positive signs had come from Cancellieri and Dele-Bashiru who with the market block would have to step up and perform this season.

Burnley had played with energy and determination in the first half but then showed a worrying lack of quality once they tired. New signing Tchaouna had not impressed which hardly came as a surprise to Lazio fans.

Lazio had one more friendly, against Greeks Atromītos while for Burnley it was already Premier League time.

Who played for Burnley

Hladky (46' Weiß), Walker (69' Edwards), Hartman (69' Pires), Estève, Foster (69' Tchaouna), Anthony (69' Koleosho), Ekdal, Sonne (69' Larsen), Cullen, Hannibal, Laurent

Substitutes: Morrall, Barnes

Manager: Parker

Who played for Lazio

Provedel (59' Mandas), Lazzari (46' Gila), Marusic (59' Hysaj), Romagnoli (46' Provstgaard), Nuno Tavares (46' Pellegrini), Rovella (59' Cataldi), Dele-Bashiru (77' Basic), Guendouzi, Zaccagni (59' Pedro), Dia (59' Castellanos), Cancellieri (77' Noslin)