Best match of the season so far

Season 2025-26

Game 12, Serie A

Sunday, November 24, 2025

 Previous Match Next  

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Lecce 2-0

Lazio play really well, but take a lot of time to close the game

Official SS Lazio photo

The team

Finally, one of the long term injured made his appearance back in the squad even it was just on the bench: Nuno Tavares. Maurizio Sarri awaits the others to come back but in the meantime, he continued with the usual eleven but making the frequent Luca Pellegrini-Manuel Lazzari change compared to the previous game.

Official SS Lazio photo

First half

The stadium was virtually empty as the Lazio fans deserted the match in protest against the club decision not to allow the grandchild of Vincenzo Paparelli on the pitch in the previous home game. So they were not able to see the flight of the new mascot, Flaminia.

In the 6th minute Lecce scored. A first foul on Toma Basic was ignored by the referee, a second foul on Gustav Isaksen was also seemingly not taken into consideration, Riccardo Sottil tried a shot which hit Mario Gila and went in. Fortunately, the referee disallowed it for the second foul.

Lazio started playing well, with speed and precise passes. In the 9th minute Basic from the left on the counter attack crossed low for Matteo Guendouzi but his shot was too weak. In the 26th minute Guendouzi crossed low from the right into the box, Boulaye Dia tried a shot, well saved by Wladimiro Falcone. Four minutes later Basic on the left looked as if he had lost the ball but on the by-line he managed to cross it to the centre. Guendouzi, with an acrobatic volley, made it 1-0 for the Biancocelesti. So far, he had been the worst player on the pitch.

Lazio pressed hard for a second goal. Basic with a volley from outside the box in the 36th minute gave Falcone work to do, another Guendouzi shot in the 42nd minute went slightly wide and a minute later the Lecce keeper just managed to anticipate Basic.

Very positive first half performance.

Second half

Sarri was forced to leave Danilo Cataldi in the changing rooms and in came Matias Vecino. Lecce also made two changes: Lameck Banda and Nikola Stulic for Medon Berisha and Francesco Camarda.

In the 50th minute Lazio scored with Dia but VAR saw a foul and it was disallowed. In the 56th minute Basic put in a splendid cross from the left, Adam Marusic tried a header which Falcone saved with his foot, the ball arrived to Isaksen who hit a shot that the Lecce keeper again managed to parry.

Santiago Pierotti substituted Sottil and then Lecce were dangerous with a Tiago Gabriel shot from outside the box which Ivan Provedel saved comfortably.

In the 71st minute a double chance for the Biancocelesti. First Guendouzi hit the woodwork with a shot from outside the box, the ball reached Isaksen who crossed into the middle, Mattia Zaccagni with an acrobatic volley hit the same post again.

A few more changes: Lazzari in place of Pellegrini for Lazio, Konan N’Dri and Mohamed Kaba for Tete Morente and Lassana Coulibaly for Lecce. Shortly after, Pedro, Patric and Tijani Noslin substituted Isaksen, Gila and Dia.

Lecce pressed and the Biancocelesti were forced to defend, perhaps with the fear of not winning this game despite the numerous chances to make it two nil. In the fifth minute of injury time, Provedel gave the ball a big whack towards Noslin who beat the Lecce defenders for speed and in front of Falcone tried a shot. The Lecce keeper saved but it spun up in the air and he could then do nothing on the Dutchman's headed tap in.

Official SS Lazio photo

Game over and it was a good one.

Who played for Lazio

Provedel; Marusic, Gila (87’ Patric), Romagnoli, Pellegrini (74’ Lazzari); Guendouzi, Cataldi (46’ Vecino), Basic; Isaksen (82’ Pedro), Dia (87’ Noslin), Zaccagni

Substitutes: Mandas, Furlanetto, Nuno Tavares, Belahyane, Hysaj, Provstgaard

Manager: Sarri

Who played for Lecce

Falcone; Danilo Veiga, Gaspar, Tiago Gabriel, Gallo; Coulibaly (75’ Kaba), Ramadani; Tete Morente (75’ N'Dri), Berisha (46’ Banda), Sottil (64’ Pierotti); Camarda (46’ Stulic)

Substitutes: Früchtl, Samooja, Ndaba, Siebert, Alex Sala, Pérez, Helgason, Kouassi, Kovac, Maleh

Manager: Di Francesco

Referee: Arena

Goals: 29’ Guendouzi, 90+5’ Noslin

Booked: Guendouzi (La), N’Dri (Le)