Spectacular First Half, Awful Second, But Three Points
Updated: 13 hours ago
Game 6, Serie A
Sunday, October 11, 2026
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio Monza 3-1
Lazio dominated the first 45 minutes and scored twice, but suffered badly after the break as ten-man Monza came close to equalising before a late goal secured the points.
The team
The international break proved rather unlucky for Lazio, with Matteo Cancellieri and Albert Guðmundsson both picking up injuries. Rino Gattuso was therefore forced to deploy Gustav Isaksen on the right and opted for Danilho Doekhi in central defence instead of Josip Šutalo. Tijjani Noslin was again preferred up front.
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, back from injury, was the only real alternative in midfield, as Danilo Cataldi was not fully fit and Nicolò Rovella was still recovering.
First half
Lazio made a lightning start. In the third minute, Davide Frattesi dispossessed Michael Folorunsho and played the ball to Noslin, who spotted Nuno Tavares in space just outside the box, slightly left of centre. The Portuguese international unleashed a surface-to-air missile into the top-right corner to put the Biancocelesti ahead. It was Tavares's first goal for Lazio.
Two minutes later, Frattesi set up Noslin, but the striker's shot lacked power. In the 18th minute, Mattia Zaccagni crossed from the left and Frattesi tried a header, which went wide.
Lazio doubled their lead in the 23rd minute. Kenneth Taylor found Noslin outside the box on the right. The Dutchman spotted Isaksen making a run on the opposite side of the penalty area and delivered a superb pass. The Dane met it with a beautifully struck curling volley to make it 2-0.
Night fell on Monza, and things got even worse for the visitors in the 35th minute when Lorenzo Lucchesi was sent off for a last-man foul on Noslin. Monza manager Juric responded by bringing on defender Saba Goglichidze for Cyril Ngonge.
Lazio had slowed down considerably by the end of the half, but Monza had offered little up to that point. The Biancocelesti went into the break two goals ahead and playing splendidly, just as they had against Milan.
Second half
During the interval, Monza replaced Andrea Carboni, Exequiel Zeballos and Folorunsho with Yvan Maye, Dany Mota and Manga Foe Ondoa.
It was immediately clear that the visitors had stepped up their game, and they reduced the deficit just a minute after the restart. Samuele Birindelli took a corner, Dany Mota flicked the ball on at the near post, and Goglichidze rose between Oliver Provstgaard and Doekhi to head past Christos Mandas.
Lazio were still asleep, and Monza came agonisingly close to an equaliser. In the 50th minute, Ricardo Mangas broke down the left on the counter-attack and crossed for Dany Mota, whose shot Mandas did well to turn behind for a corner.
Gattuso sent on Diogo Leite for Doekhi, hoping to shore up the defence, but Lazio continued to struggle. In the 55th minute, Dany Mota found Birindelli unmarked inside the box, slightly to the left, but the wing-back's shot went wide. It was a huge chance.
Two minutes later, Monza won another corner, again taken by Birindelli. Dany Mota got ahead of the Lazio defenders and sent a header towards goal, only for Mandas to produce a magnificent save. It was another extraordinary opportunity for Monza, despite being down to ten men.
Gattuso made further changes, introducing Šutalo and Dele-Bashiru for Provstgaard and Frattesi, respectively, before bringing on Alfonso Pedraza for Tavares and Andrea Pinamonti for Noslin.
Only towards the closing stages did Lazio finally get their act together and start playing again, following half an hour of complete blackout. In the 83rd minute, Zaccagni forced Noel Törnqvist into an excellent save.
Three minutes later, Mandas launched a long ball forward and Pinamonti headed it on, sending Isaksen through on goal. The Dane tried to beat the advancing goalkeeper with a volley, but his effort struck the woodwork.
Lazio finally made the game safe in the 88th minute. Zaccagni played the ball to Pedraza, who reached the byline and delivered a low cross into the middle. Pinamonti met it with a volley and beat Törnqvist to make it 3-1.
In the 90th minute, Isaksen had another chance, but his header was cleared off the line by Eddy Kouadio. Frankly, another goal for Lazio would have been harsh on Monza, who had produced an excellent second-half performance despite being a man down. Perhaps Dany Mota should have started the game.
Another two-faced performance from Lazio: a superb first half followed by a dreadful second, just as against Milan. They remain top of the table, but they need to show greater consistency over the full 90 minutes.
Who played for Lazio
Mandas; Floriani, Doekhi (53' Diogo Leite), Provstgaard (60' Šutalo), Nuno Tavares (75' Pedraza); Frattesi (60' Dele-Bashiru), Belahyane, Taylor; Isaksen, Noslin (75' Pinamonti), Zaccagni
Manager: Gattuso
Who played for Monza
Törnqvist; Kouadio, Lucchesi, Andrea Carboni (45' Maye); Birindelli, Folorunsho (45' Ondoa), Akinsanmiro, Mangas (70' Bakoune); Ngonge (36' Goglichidze), G. Varela, Zeballos (45' Dany Mota)
Substitutes: Thiam, Strajnar, Antov, Cutrone, Colombo, Colpani, Robinson, Mout.
Manager: Juric
Referee: Collu
Goals: 3' Nuno Tavares, 23' Isaksen, 46' Goglichidze, 88' Pinamonti
Booked: Carboni (M), Doekhi (L), Provstgaard (L), Diogo Leite (L)
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