Lazio and Roma shared the points in the Derby della Capitale within the 12th round of the Serie A campaign on Sunday evening, as neither side managed to break the deadlock throughout a very tough contest.
The game
Maurizio Sarri deployed his Lazio team in a 4-3-3 formation, with Patric and Alessio Romagnoli standing guard in front of Ivan Provedel’s goal, flanked by Adam Marusic on the left and Manuel Lazzari on the right. Danilo Cataldi was at the base of midfield, with Matteo Guendouzi and Luis Alberto in box-to-box roles. Upfront, captain Ciro Immobile was flanked by former Roma winger Pedro, and Felipe Anderson.
It was a hard battle between the two city rivals in the Italian capital. Lazio mostly dominated possession in the first half, but without creating much. It was actually Roma who threatened first, but Lukaku failed to head a fine Cristante cross on target in the fifth minute. They came close again in the 13th, when Cristante himself reacted to a rebound to put the ball in the net, but the goal was rightly ruled out for offside. Karsdorp was the next to get a chance two minutes later, but the wingback flashed his shot from inside the box wide.
Lazio tried their luck from distance a few times, but the closest they got to scoring was on the stroke of 24 minutes when Alberto let one fly from around 20 yards, hitting the post. Some five minutes later, Romagnoli hit a good header on target, forcing a fantastic save from Patricio. Alberto tried again in the 44th minute, missing the target from a promising position a yard or two inside the box.
The second half saw a change in possession percentages, with Roma now mostly holding the ball, but it meant very little in terms of goalscoring opportunities. The first and arguably only notable moment after the break came in the 73rd minute, when Lazio substitute Matias Vecino took a shot from around 25 yards, but only for Patricio to add another save to his personal stats.
The game was expectedly difficult for both sets of players, as well as for referee Davide Massa who dealt out eight yellow cards, four for each team including Lazio boss Sarri, and had to deal with a particularly challenging situation just as minute 37 expired. Immobile had just committed a foul on the edge of Roma’s box and Pedro took a shot after the whistle had gone, narrowly missing Mancini lying on the ground. Pedro’s actions prompted a strong reaction from Paredes and both sets of players engaged in an aggressive altercation, but Massa controlled the situation well, booking only Immobile for the foul on Mancini.
The passion of a real derby was there, but those who enjoy good football were left rather disappointed by a game of such renown. It was a rather forgettable affair.
Reactions
Neither of the two coaches seemed too disappointed with the result, though Mourinho did say his team played to win but acknowledged they had earned a “good point” instead.
“We played to win, but this point is still a positive point,” the Portuguese tactician told DAZN.
“For when you play against a team with the same objectives as you and you don’t lose it means that you don’t lose points against your direct opponent.
“The late substitutions? Those who felt better physically got to play tonight. The midfield three were in good condition. We played with 3 players who had the pace, heart and soul to play a match of this level.
“With the referee giving us two yellows in 20 minutes to two centre-backs, we were in trouble. We played a good match with personality and decent possession. We failed to score. We had some opportunities.
“If Bove had been fresh he would have scored, I’m sure. Rui Patricio practically didn’t touch the ball but when he did he was good. He played an extraordinary game.
“Dybala? He did a great job for us. He didn’t lose the ball, he helped us switch up the play. I could have taken him off before but his confidence and class is something the team needs.
Sarri, on the other hand, says he’s satisfied with the way his team is developing, but he also pointed out that they need to start scoring more goals.
“I am satisfied because the team is growing from a tactical and character point of view,” he said.
“We need to rediscover the offensive danger of last year, we need to start scoring more goals. This is a particular match, the most popular derby in Italy. Difficult to play and manage. When you can’t win you can’t afford to lose.”
“The clearest scoring opportunities were ours but that’s okay. It’s unfortunate that the pitch is in this condition, it’s not up to the standards of these two teams. It’s difficult especially for us who want to play from the back.”
Table rankings
In terms of the situation in the Serie A table, Mourinho and Roma are probably happier about the point won than their opponents. It leaves them in seventh place with a tally of 18, just three less than Napoli in fourth, and with Atalanta and Fiorentina (both on 20) in between. The Giallorossi will have a chance to do better when they host 16th-place Udinese after the upcoming international break.
As for Lazio, having finished second last season, they certainly won’t be happy with sitting 10th at the moment, though there’s just one point and two teams, Bologna and Monza, between them and their city rivals. Their next match is away to last-place Salernitana, and like Roma, they’ll be looking to make that one count for more than this one.
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