Too slow, too static, bad ref, defeat inevitable

Season 2025-26

Game 3, Serie A

Sunday, September 14, 2024

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Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia

Sassuolo Lazio 1-0

Lazio played only slightly better than at Como, but if they play so slow defeat will always be on the cards

Source Lazio Wiki

The team

Maurizio Sarri welcomed back the return of Alessio Romagnoli in defence following his suspension and took out Oliver Provstgaard. Nicolò Rovella, Mattia Zaccagni and Adam Marusic overcame their slight injuries and were put in the first eleven. First bench for Gustav Isaksen after the illness which kept him out of training for the entire summer.

First half

Lazio started well and were aggressive but slowly petered out by the end of the first half leaving space for Sassuolo.

Only three things of interest happened in the first 45 minutes. Aster Vranckx was sent off in the 24th minute for a foul on Zaccagni but VAR called the referee and the colour of the card was changed to yellow. A correct decision. In the 27th minute Andrea Pinamonti had the only chance of the first 45 minutes. He beat Romagnoli for speed, entered the box, tried to surprise Ivan Provedel on his front post but the Lazio keeper managed to put his foot in the right direction and save. In the 40th minute Rovella was forced off and in came Danilo Cataldi.

That was it for the first half.

Second half

In the interval Sarri changed Fisayo Dele-Bashiru with Reda Belahyane and Sassuolo put in Woyo Coulibaly for Sebastian Walukiewicz. Lazio tried to attack but the team was split in half between attack and defence, as a consequence there was more space for the hosts to move in and they took advantage even if they were never really dangerous.

In the 60th minute out went Taty Castellanos and Matteo Cancellieri (a very poor match from him) substituted by Boulaye Dia and Pedro. Sarri hoped that the Spaniard would invent something and he did. Ball to Matteo Guendouzi in the 62nd minute, cross into the box, Zaccagni tried a header which Arijanet Muric miraculously managed to save over the bar for a corner. Already a serious candidate for the best keeper's save of the season.

Two more substitutions for Sassuolo: out went Aster Vranckx and Armand Laurienté and in came Cristian Volpato and Alieu Fadera. Three minutes and the latter scored. Corner for the hosts, Tarik Muharemovic headed towards the goal, Zaccagni did not move fast enough to put Fadera into offside and the Gambian tapped the ball in.

The Biancocelesti put their foot on the accelerator and Dia had a chance in the 75th minute but his shot was saved by Muric into corner. In the 79th minute Isaksen on for Guendouzi with Pedro moved to midfield. But Lazio were always too slow and Sassuolo did not have to sweat too much. In the 81st minute Walid Cheddira and Kristian Thorstvedt substituted Pinamonti and Domenico Berardi.

The Biancocelesti should have scored in the 90th minute with Mario Gila, completely alone on a Nuno Tavares corner, but his header went wide.

In the dying seconds even Provedel went forward and on the last corner kick there was a blatant foul on him but the ref did not have the courage to indicate a penalty and the game was over.

Lazio were too slow and too static. Sassuolo covered the pitch well and the Biancocelesti did not have the quality to create anything dangerous apart from a couple of chances.

A word on the referee Tremolada. If you continually gesture that you will recuperate any time wasting and then only give five minutes injury time, you are really mocking the team that is trailing. The five minutes was a joke. Sassuolo constantly collapsed on the ground after they had scored. One could even have expected ten minutes. Having said that, Lazio did not do enough to win a game which in the end they lost. Not good a week before the derby.

Who played for Sassuolo

Muric, Walukiewicz (46' Coulibaly) Idzes, Muharemovic, Doig, Vranckx (64' Volpato), Matic, Koné, Berardi (81' Thorstvedt), Pinamonti (81' Cheddira), Laurienté (64' Fadera)

Substitutes: Satalino, Turati, Candè, Boloca, Pieragnolo, Romagna, Moro, Lipani, Iannoni, Pierini

Manager: Grosso

Who played for Lazio

Provedel, Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Nuno Tavares, Guendouzi (80' Isaksen), Rovella (40' Cataldi), Dele-Bashiru (46' Belahyane), Cancellieri (60' Pedro), Castellanos (60' Dia), Zaccagni

Substitutes: Mandas, Furlanetto, Pellegrini, Noslin, Hysaj, Provstgaard

Manager: Sarri

Referee: Tremolada

Goal: 70’ Fadera

Bookings: Vranckx (S), Rovella (L), Marusic (L), Muharemovic (S), Doig (S), Pinamonti (S), Belahyane (L), Matic (S), Volpato (S)