More refereeing controversy
- Simon Basten
- Dec 8
- 3 min read
Updated: 17 hours ago
Game 14, Serie A
Sunday, December 7, 2025
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Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio Bologna 1-1
A good Lazio were forced to a draw thanks to more weird refereeing decisions
The team
Without Luca Pellegrini, who had permission to be by his partner’s side as she was giving birth, Maurizio Sarri gambled on putting Nuno Tavares on the left, based probably on the decent few minutes he had put in recently including an assist for Mattia Zaccagni’s goal in Coppa Italia against Milan. Taty Castellanos back full time as was Danilo Cataldi.
First half
For the first time Ciro Immobile was back in Rome. And he was obviously welcomed like the hero and legend he is for the Biancocelesti.
The game started at a good rhythm but there was the need to wait until the 15th minute for the first goal scoring opportunity and it was a massive one. Nicolò Casale made a awful pass to Castellanos who advanced and once just in the box gave a splendid assist to Gustav Isaksen who tried a low shot instead of a high whack and Federico Ravaglia made his first save. Adam Marusic in the 30th minute then imitated Casale with a bad pass to the centre of the box but it was too short for Alessio Romagnoli, in came Jens Odgaard who tried a shot but Ivan Provedel parried. In the 33rd minute Riccardo Orsolini to Tommaso Pobega, good shot but the Lazio keeper saved.
In the 38th minute Matteo Guendouzi to Marusic on the right, cross towards the far post to Zaccagni who stopped the ball and shot. Ravaglia saved but could do nothing on the Isaksen rebound and Lazio were ahead. Bologna were forced to take off Casale and replace him with another former Biancoceleste player Lorenzo De Silvestri.
The lead did not last long. Orsolini to Nadir Zortea who easily went past Nuno Tavares and took a shot, Provedel deflected the ball onto the post but Odgaard stretched out and scored.
On the waves of enthusiasm, Bologna continued to attack. Zortea crossed from the right into the box, the ball reached Juan Miranda who tried a lob which went over Provedel and just before Orsolini could head the ball in, Mario Gila saved the situation.
Second half
In the interval Sarri took off Nuno Tavares and sent in Manuel Lazzari plus unfortunately Isaksen had to leave the field injured and was replaced by Matteo Cancellieri. Fifteen minutes into the second half Tijani Noslin came on for Castellanos.
In the 62nd minute Toma Basic crossed from the left, Miranda cleared towards Marusic whose shot was walled, in came Guendouzi but his attempt was parried into corner by the keeper.
Three substitutions for Bologna: Lewis Ferguson, Federico Bernardeschi and Jonathan Rowe for Nikola Moro, Orsolini and Nicolò Cambiaghi.
In the 63rd minute another chance for the Biancocelesti. Guendouzi put a high ball into the box, Cancellieri attempted a header, another great save from Ravaglia. In the 73rd minute, Guendouzi from outside the box, his shot was deflected but Ravaglia managed once more to get a hand to it and save into corner. At that point Sarri took off Cataldi and in went Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.
In the 78th minute came the Michael Fabbri show He booked Gila for a foul, the Spaniard said “sei scarso”, in other words you are useless, out came the red card and Lazio were in ten men. Basic was immediately substituted by Patric and a few minutes later Thijs Dallinga came on for Santiago Castro.
The Biancocelesti managed to hold on and Bologna were never dangerous.
A real pity for Lazio. Without that red card they could have had two more points in the table.
Who played for Lazio
Provedel, Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Nuno Tavares (46’ Lazzari), Guendouzi, Cataldi (75’ Dele-Bashiru), Basic (80’ Patric), Isaksen (46’ Cancellieri), Castellanos (59’ Noslin), Zaccagni
Substitutes: Mandas, Furlanetto, Provstgaard, Vecino, Belahyane, Pedro, Dia
Manager: Sarri
Who played for Bologna
Ravaglia, Zortea, Heggem, Casale (39' De Silvestri), Miranda, Moro (64' Ferguson), Pobega, Orsolini (64' Bernardeschi), Odgaard, Cambiaghi (64' Rowe), Castro (84' Dallinga)
Substitutes: Pessina, Franceschelli, Holm, Immobile, Lykogiannis, Lucumi, Dominguez, Sulemana, Fabbian
Manager: Italiano
Referee: Fabbri
Goals: 38’ Isaksen, 40’ Odgaard
Booked: Nuno Tavares (L), Moro (B), Cambiaghi (B), Lazzari (L), Gila (L), Miranda (B)
Red card: Gila (L)