Isaksen Finally Fulfilling His Promise by Becoming Lazio’s Ultimate Star – Opinion
After spending three years in the shadows of others, Gustav Isaksen may have finally become the main driving force behind this Lazio team.
Gustav Isaksen Initially Struggled for Relevance at Lazio
In his first summer transfer campaign in the Italian capital, Lazio sporting director Angelo Fabiani raised eyebrows by spending €15 million on a relatively unsung young winger from Denmark. The Hjerk native was an unknown quantity in the Italian peninsula, so cracking into Maurizio Sarri’s then-studded attack was always going to be a challenging task.
Hence, Isaksen’s first season in Italian football was almost an apprenticeship. On the contrary, his second campaign saw him elevated in status following the departures of longtime senators Ciro Immobile, Luis Albert, and especially Felipe Anderson, who left a big vacancy on the right wing.
Player Ratings: Lazio 2-1 Cagliari – Isaksen Punishes The Islanders
Since Loum Tchaouna never truly found his footing in Rome, Isaksen’s starting berth was almost uncontested during the 2024/25 campaign. The Danish player certainly had his moments under Marco Baroni, including a stunning winner against Napoli and a late strike against Victoria Plzen in the Europa League Round of 16 when Lazio were reduced to 10 men.
But despite his automatic starting role, Isaksen wasn’t considered a star player at the Stadio Olimpico. He was simply too inconsistent for this tag. Last season, his campaign started on the wrong foot due to a summer bout of illness, and it turned out to be an underwhelming campaign, as he and Matteo Cancellieri kept swapping places in Sarri’s lineup.
Isaksen Has Made Leaps & Bounds Recently
The start of the current season suggested more of the same, especially after a few lukewarm showings on his return from groin surgery. Nevertheless, Isaksen has been a different beast since his return from the international break, netting four goals in five games. His latest was an absolute pearler for the equaliser against Cagliari.
Watch: Isaksen & Pinamonti Complete Lazio Comeback Against Cagliari – The Highlights
Aesthetics aside, the winger’s sensational goal on Sunday demonstrated his growing ability to pull a rabbit out of the hat when the Aquile are crying for a hero. And when Mattia Zaccagni left the pitch with a knock, Isaksen knew he had to step up once more.
He came very close to scoring his second of the afternoon with a trademark cut from right and shot with the left, but he wound up instigating Andrea Pinamonti’s winner, before placing the final nail in Cagliari’s coffin by causing Adam Obert’s second yellow card.
Why Isaksen Might Be Lazio’s Main Man
Although Gennaro Gattuso takes pride in the collective as he turned Lazio into a well-oiled machine, every team needs a go-to star, and at this stage, Isaksen might be the closest thing the capital club has to a Lautaro Martinez or a Kenan Yildiz.
After all, Zaccagni remains the club’s most creative force, but he doesn’t always produce the magical moments, as evidenced by his modest scoring stats in recent campaigns. Tijjani Noslin has been hitting bangers recently, but he’s more appreciated for his work off the ball. As for Kenneth Taylor, he has been a gift from the Dutch football gods, but we cannot expect a central midfielder to pull off goals week in, week out.
So while deducing a conclusion might be slightly immature at this stage, Isaksen may have cemented himself as the ultimate star of the show for the Serie A leaders, at least if he can carry this hot form beyond the November international break.
