Game 28, Serie A
Saturday, March 16, 2024
Stadio Benito Stirpe, Frosinone
Frosinone Lazio 2-3
After all this week’s chaos following Sarri’s resignation, Lazio win giving some breathing space to the team and the new manager, Igor Tudor.
The Team
Giovanni Martusciello was manager today, stepping into Maurizio Sarri’s shoes even if just for one game. The media were predicting changes, but quite rightly the former assistant manager kept things simple. With Ivan Provedel, Nicolò Rovella and Patric out due to injury, Martusciello opted for Christos Mandas in goal, Luca Pellegrini left back and Danilo Cataldi playmaker.
First half
At the start the Biancocelesti still felt the effects of the difficult week and basically it was a no show for the first half an hour. Frosinone as a consequence took advantage of the situation and after five minutes Mandas was forced to parry a Luca Mazzitelli shot. In the 13th minute, Nadir Zortea crossed from the left, Pol Lirola jumped to head the ball, Mattia Zaccagni didn’t, and the Spaniard with a great header gave Frosinone the lead.
The hosts tried to double the score but they then seemed to sit back and wait for Lazio’s reaction which took a long while to come. In the meantime lots of confusion, mistakes, wrong passes until the 38th minute. Luis Alberto deep in the box on the right with his back to the goal passed to the wing for Matteo Guendouzi. Cross into the box and Zaccagni, inexplicably left completely alone, volleyed into the net.
The Biancocelesti got a new wave of enthusiasm and in the 43rd minute Adam Marusic from the right crossed into the box, Luis Alberto headed the ball down to Ciro Immobile who controlled and from a difficult position tried a shot which Stefano Turati parried.
Second half
In the interval, Martusciello was forced to substitute Pellegrini with Manuel Lazzari. The Lazio left back had taken a hard knock in the first half.
In the 56th minute there was a free kick on the right outside the box. Before Luis Alberto could try a cross, Taty Castellanos and Matias Vecino substituted Ciro Immobile and Danilo Cataldi. Luis Alberto then took the free kick, cross into the box, Taty jumped higher than the others and headed the ball in.
In the 60th minute a fantastic acrobatic volley from Castellanos, great save from Turati who repeated himself on a Luis Alberto shot immediately after, saving into corner. On the corner, the ball arrived to Alessio Romagnoli who tried a shot which was walled by the defence. Nicolò Casale tried a second, ball deflected onto the post, in came Taty (already with a smile on his face) who tapped the ball in. Frosinone 1 Lazio 3.
The Biancocelesti in complete control but they let the hosts get back into the game. In the 70th minute, Matis Soulé took a corner, Caleb Okoli tried a header that Walid Cheddira with an overhead kick extended into the net, reducing the deficit.
The ghosts of the past matches came back to haunt Lazio and Frosinone even managed to equalise when Mandas mistakenly passed the ball to Soulé who in turn passed to Cheddira who scored but was offside. In the 81st minute Felipe Anderson on the counter attack, ball to Castellanos who saw Luis Alberto sprinting into the box, so he passed to him, great curling but predictable shot, magnificent save by Turati. In the 89th minute Mandas saved the result with a great save off an Emanuele Valeri shot.
Despite the pressure and Lazio nerves, the Biancocelesti won. A much needed breather.
Who played for Frosinone
Turati, Zortea, Okoli, S. Romagnoli, Lirola (80' Valeri), Mazzitelli (62' Seck), Barrenechea, Brescianini (90' Reinier), Soulé, Cheddira (90' Cuni), Gelli (80' Kaio Jorge).
Substitutes: Frattali, Cerofolini, Baez, Garritano, Kvernadze, Ibrahimovic, Ghedjemis, Monterisi.
Manager: Di Francesco.
Who played for Lazio
Mandas, Marusic, Casale, A. Romagnoli, Pellegrini (46' Lazzari), Guendouzi, Cataldi (56' Vecino), Luis Alberto, Felipe Anderson (82' Isaksen), Immobile (56' Castellanos), Zaccagni (86' Kamada).
Substitutes: Sepe, Renzetti, Pedro, Hysaj, A. Anderson, Gila.
Manager: Martusciello
Referee: Rapuano
Goals: 20' Lirola, 39' Zaccagni, 57' Castellanos, 62' Castellanos, 70' Cheddira
Booked: Pellegrini (L), Barrenechea (F), Lazzari (L), Castellanos (L)