You can't fight destiny

Season 2025-26

Game 4, Serie A

Sunday, September 21, 2025

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Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Roma 0-1

A goal by out of favour Lorenzo Pellegrini back after four months out decides the Roman derby

Official SS Lazio photo

The team

Lazio had a few certain absences; defenders Manuel Lazzari and Samuel Gigot plus midfielder Matias Vecino. They also however had several players who had niggling injuries and were in doubt for today, these included midfielder Nicolò Rovella and forward Taty Castellanos. In the end Rovella started while Taty sat on the bench and  Boulaye Dia played centre-forward. In the attacking trio Pedro was preferred to Matteo Cancellieri.

For Roma the main absences were Paulo Dybala and Wesley who were replaced by Lorenzo Pellegrini and Devyne Rensch. Pellegrini was playing his first game since May, had almost been offloaded in the summer transfer market and had already grabbed three goals in previous derbies ... warning signs for Lazio.

Official SS Lazio photo

First half

The game started like a lot of derbies, cagey, physical but without much goal action.

In the 13th minute Lazio were already forced into a substitution as Fisayo Dele-Bashiru went off injured and on came Reda Belahyane.

In the 18th minute Pedro failed to find the target with a shot from outside the box.

Five minutes later Nuno Tavares tried his luck but it went wide.

In the 26th minute came a cooling break, a 12.30 kick off on a sunny day with 30 degrees was a stroke of genius by the authorities..

In the 28th minute Roma stirred and Evan Ferguson had an effort but it was saved by Ivan Provedel.

A minute later Mile Svilar did the same on a curling Mattia Zaccagni lob and on the subsequent corner Alessio Romagnoli headed over the bar.

In the 35th minute Rovella went down after a knock, he would continue but not for long. He had been carrying an injury into the game and he had what appeared to be a relapse.

In the 38th minute the Giallorossi scored when Lorenzo Pellegrini took advantage of a Nuno Tavares blunder. The Portuguese was naively dispossessed on the right and the ball was played to the Roma midfielder centrally in the area from where he beat Provedel with a low shot to the keeper's right. A self inflicted goal by Lazio.

Lazio found themselves undeservedly trailing but did not react. Roma saw out the half going forward and had a shot by Rensch and a freekick by Matias Soulé both saved by Provedel plus an Evan Ferguson header go wide.

Halftime Lazio 0 Roma 1. Lazio had been the better side until Roma's goal but then showed a worrying lack of reaction.

Second half

Rovella could not go on and on came Danilo Cataldi while Tavares was replaced by Luca Pellegrini. Two Roman Lazio fans coming on to hopefully inject some fire into Lazio.

Lazio went forward but as before this season seemed to lack attacking ideas. A huge chance however presented itself to Dia in the 55th minute but the Senegalese, one-on-one with the keeper, missed a sitter and blasted it over into the Curva Nord.

Lazio then took off Dia and put on Castellanos. The Argentine immediately had a good effort but Svilar was safe.

In the 66th minute Ferguson's first derby came to an end and on came Artem Dovbyk.

Lazio continued to attack but all they could muster was a Cataldi shot off target.

In the 70th minute there was another water break.

The game went on with several more substitutions (Lazio's last card was Tijjani Noslin for Pedro in the 79th) and Lazio's sterile attempts to grab an equaliser.

In the 85th minute Lazio were reduced to ten men as Belahyane was given a red card for a foul on Manu Koné. Some theatre followed with Koné rolling around as if he had been shot and some pushing and shoving among the players.

Despite the numerical inferiority the Biancocelesti still played mainly in Roma's half.

In the 95th minute came the sign it was not their day as Cataldi hit the post with a curling long range shot.

Lazio's last hope was a VAR check for a potential penalty but these things don't happen to Lazio in derbies.

After the final whistle there was still time for Matteo Guendouzi to be sent off too for dissent (the referee gave and insulting amount of injury time). More a problem for the following games then for today as Roma celebrated a derby win despite not really doing much to deserve it.

A disappointing derby for Lazio. The Biancocelesti were a touch unlucky but continued to be flat and without much attacking spark. The return of Gustav Isaksen and a lot of work by Maurizio Sarri will hopefully soon improve things.

Who played for Lazio

Provedel, Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Tavares (46' Pellegrini), Dele-Bashiru (14' Belahyane), Rovella (46' Cataldi), Guendouzi, Zaccagni, Dia (62' Castellanos), Pedro (79' Noslin)

Substitutes: Mandas, Furlanetto, Patric, Hysaj, Provstgaard, Pinelli, Isaksen, Cancellieri Manager: Sarri

Who played for Roma

Svilar, Çelik, Mancini, Ndicka, Angeliño (81' Tsimikas), Cristante (81' El Aynaoui), Koné, Rensch, Pellegrini (73' Pisilli), Soulé (73' Baldanzi), Ferguson (66' Dovbyk)

Substitutes: Vásquez, Gollini, Ziolkowski, Sangaré, Ghilardi, El Shaarawy

Manager: Gasperini

Referee: Sozza

Goal: 38' Pellegrini (Roma)

Bookings: Ndicka, Gila

Sendings off: 85' Belahyane, 90+7 Guendouzi