Game 24, Serie A
Sunday February 9, 2025
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Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio Monza 5-1
Lazio crush a very weak Monza with five goals that could have been many more
The team
Finally Marco Baroni was able to play with Nuno Tavares now free from injury. Manuel Lazzari was also back and sat on the bench. With the end of the winter transfer window Lazio had signed midfielder Arijo Ibrahimovic from Bayern Munich and Reda Belahyane from Verona plus Danish defender Oliver Provstgaard from Vejle. The three new players sat on the bench today but were not part of the roster for the Europa League.
In a surprise move, Baroni did not include Luca Pellegrini in the squad for Serie A. Apparently the left back had not been giving 100% in training and was hence excluded. In his place Baroni put Toma Basic on the list.
First half
Lazio started slowly and patiently and their first chance to score came in the 11th minute when Taty Castellanos decided to go for the shot, Semuel Pizzignacco parried into corner. Two minutes later Alessio Romagnoli tried a volley in a crowded area but Silvère Ganvoula managed to clear almost on the line. In the 16th minute Gustav Isaksen crossed from the right, Mattia Zaccagni tried a header which was only just wide.
It was a Lazio monologue. Nuno Tavares in the 26th minute crossed a slow ball from the left, Castellanos’ header was too high. Around the half hour Zaccagni tried a shot saved by Tomas Palacios. The goal was clearly on its way and it arrived a minute later. Isaksen from the left passed to Matteo Guendouzi, high ball in the box on the far post, Taty headed it back central and Adam Marusic who had followed the move and knew where the ball would land, headed it in.
At this point manager Salvatore Bocchetti decided to change Kevin Martins, in great difficulty on the left wing, with Georgios Kyriakopoulos. A few minutes later Boulaye Dia went off injured and Pedro came on in his place. Lazio tried to make it two but always made a mistake in the last pass so the first half ended just 1-0.
Second half
The Biancocelesti continued from where they left off and had a number of chances to make it 2-0. Pedro tried a shot in the 50th minute but it was too central, Isaksen too 60 seconds later but it went only just wide, Marusic in the 55th minute but the keeper parried. Finally even Monza appeared in the Lazio penalty box, with a Palacios header off a free kick but it went wide.
In the 57th minute the Biancocelesti scored again. Romagnoli to Castellanos in the Monza half, splendid ball for Pedro who made no mistake.
Monza substituted Kacper Urbánski and Patrick Ciurria with Stefano Sensi and Gaetano Castovillari in his first appearance for his new team. But in the 63rd minute Lazio made it three. Zaccagni went into the box from the left, ball to Castellanos who volleyed it in.
Time for subs for Lazio too: out went Nuno Tavares and Isaksen, in came Manuel Lazzari and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru. The Nigerian had a chance in the 70th minute when after a foray into the Monza box he tried a shot from favourable position but it went wide. Two more changes for Lazio: Loum Tchaouna and Tijani Noslin for Zaccagni and Castellanos. The new arrivals took no time at all to create another opportunity. In the 77th minute one-two between them, ball to Pedro who scored his first brace in Serie A.
Monza sent in two more players: Kevin Zeroli for Alessandro Bianco and Samuele Vignato for Dany Mota. Out of the blue in the 85th minute the referee gave a penalty to Monza. Pedro Pereira crossed into the box, Ganvoula had been anticipated by Lazzari who alas had done so with his arm. Sensi took the spot kick and beat Ivan Provedel who did manage to get a hand to it but it was not enough.
In the 88th minute Lazio closed the game. Nicolò Rovella gave a splendid ball to Dele-Bashiru, big whack, 5-1.
Great game for Lazio, terrible match from Monza. Not really that surprising since in the winter transfer window they lost Daniel Maldini and Warren Bondo, their two best players. But the attitude was rather negative and the sacking of Bocchetti with the recall of Alessandro Nesta seemed an obvious choice for the club to at least try to salvage something from this season.
Who played for Lazio
Provedel; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Tavares (65` Lazzari); Guendouzi, Rovella; Isaksen (65` Dele-Bashiru), Dia (35` Pedro), Zaccagni (76` Tchaouna); Castellanos (76` Noslin)
Substitutes: Mandas, Furlanetto, Gigot, Provstgaard, Belahyane, Basic, Tchaouna, Ibrahimovic
Manager: Baroni
Who played for Monza
Pizzignacco; Izzo, Lekovic, Palacios; Pereira, Urbanski (60` Sensi), Bianco (79` Zeroli), Martins (32` Kyriakopoulos); Ciurria (60` Castrovilli), Mota (79` Vignato); Ganvoula.
Substitutes: Vailati, Mazza, Brorsson, Forson, Petagna, Carboni, Colombo
Manager: Bocchetti
Referee: Aureliano
Goals: 31’ Marusic, 57’ Pedro, 63’ Castellanos, 77’ Pedro, 85’ Sensi (pen), 88’ Dele-Bashiru
Booked: Bocchetti, Pedro Pereira
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