Forced revolution pays off

Season 2025-26

Game 5, Serie A

Monday, September 30, 2025

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Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa

Genoa Lazio 0-3

Despite being forced to change completely due to the numerous absences in midfield, Lazio crush Genoa thanks to Cancellieri, Castellanos and Zaccagni.

Official SS Lazio photo

The team

The list of players not available for this match was very long: Manuel Lazzari, Samuel Gigot, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Nicolò Rovella and Matis Vecino injured, Reda Belahyane and Matteo Guendouzi suspended. The entire midfield and some of the reserves. Maurizio Sarri had to re-invent the team and the 4-3-3 was probably not possible to play with. He hence came up with a 4-2-3-2 or 4-4-2 hybrid, resurrecting Toma Basic who had not played a game for almost 18 months and placing him next to Danilo Cataldi. The rest of the team was as expected, with Luca Pellegrini taking the place of Nuno Tavares after the serious mistake which cost Lazio the derby.

Official SS Lazio photo

First half

Four minutes and the Biancocelesti already ahead. Matteo Cancellieri in the Lazio half on the right passed in the middle to Taty Castellanos and ran forward. The Biancoceleste centre forward gave him back the ball in an empty space and the winger raced towards the goal and deposited the ball in the back of the net. His first goal for Lazio.

In the 16th minute the Biancocelesti could have doubled the score. Long ball to the centre of the pitch, Cancellieri headed for Castellanos, Nicola Leali came out of his penalty area anticipating Taty, ball to Cancellieri who attempted a shot but it hit the keeper.

Genoa tried to organise a response but all they could muster was a Vitinha shot in the 20th minute that went too high.

Ten minutes later Lazio scored again. Adam Marusic and Vitinha were fighting for the ball, Cancellieri came in and passed to Castellanos in a similar position to the one which set up the Biancocelesti lead. This time it was Marusic surging forward and Taty passed him the ball. The Montenegro international on the edge of the box passed to the centre where Taty with a difficult shot beat Leali.

Unfortunately, on the cross Marusic got injured and had to be substituted by Elseid Hysaj.

Genoa had three chances to reduce the deficit. In the 41st minute Aaron Martin on the left, long vertical ball towards the Lazio penalty area, Mikael Ellertsson was alone in the box but Ivan Provedel had run out and when the Swede tried to shoot he parried with his body. Two minutes later again Martin on the left with a long ball into the Lazio penalty box finding once more a Genoese player in front of Provedel. This time it was Lorenzo Colombo who tried a volley which the Lazio keeper saved into corner. The Genoa player was very likely in off side and had he scored it would probably have been disallowed. On the corner Ruslan Malinovskyi tried a shot parried by Provedel.

Second half

Genoa increased the pressure and in the 57th minute were awarded a penalty much to everyone's surprise. Alessio Romagnoli in jumping to challenge Colombo hit the ball with his arm and the referee indicated the spot kick. Fortunately, VAR overturned the decision. The arm was very close to the body and no way was it a penalty.

In the 63rd minute free kick for Lazio. Pellegrini crossed into the box, Cancellieri tried a header which hit the post and bounced off the keeper, Johan Vasquez and Morten Frendrup messed up in trying to avoid Boulaye Dia’s tap in and it was very simple for Mattia Zaccagni only thirty centimetres from the goal to smash the ball in.

Genoa radically changed their forwards substituting Martin, Patrizio Masini, Malinovskyi and Vitinha with Nicolae Stanciu, Jeff Ekhator, Valentin Carboni and Caleb Ekuban while Sarri was forced to take off Pellegrini due to another injury and throw in Nuno Tavares.

Lazio had two chances to make it four. In the 72nd minute Cancellieri missed a sitter on a Castellanos assist and a minute later Zaccagni tried an improbable bicycle kick taking the ball away from Dia, much better positioned, on a Cancellieri cross.

Great victory for Lazio in difficult circumstances. The team seemed more cohesive, tighter than ever and with good attitude. Very good games from Basic, Cataldi and Cancellieri.

Who played for Genoa

Leali, Norton-Cuffy, Ostigard, Vasquez, Martin (84' Venturino), Masini (69' Stanciu), Frendrup, Ellertsson, Malinovsky (69' Ekhator), Vitinha (69' Carboni), Colombo (69' Ekuban)

Substitutes: Siegrist, Sommariva, Thorsby, Erlykke, Sabelli, Marcandalli, Martinez, Otoa, Fini, Cornet

Manager: Viera

Who played for Lazio

Provedel, Marusic (32' Hysaj), Gila, Romagnoli, Pellegrini (69' Tavares), Basic (84' Basic), Cataldi, Cancellieri, Dia (84' Pedro), Zaccagni, Castellanos (84' Provstgaard)

Substitutes: Mandas, Furlanetto, Noslin, Isaksen, Pinelli, Farcomeni

Manager: Sarri

Referee: Ayroldi

Goals: 4’ Cancellieri, 30’ Castellanos, 63’ Zaccagni

Booked: Vasquez (G), Norton-Cuffy (G), Cataldi (L), Masini (G), Malinovsky (G), Ostigard (G)