Lazio 2-1 Cagliari: Pinamonti’s Late Winner Puts Aquile on Top
Lazio completed a remarkable comeback against Cagliari to seize the top spot in the Serie A table, much to the delight of the growing crowd at the Stadio Olimpico.
Lazio & Cagliari Starting Lineup
Gennaro Gattuso resorted to the same starting lineup that beat Parma last weekend by reintroducing Oliver Provstgaard, who was replaced by Diogo Leite against Sassuolo on Tuesday.
The rest of the lineup remained intact, with Josip Sutalo, Nuno Tavares, and Romano Floriani completing the backline, Kenneth Taylor, Reda Belahyane, and Davide Frattesi in midfield, and Tijjani Noslin leading the line, supported by Gustav Isaksen and Mattia Zaccagni.
Cagliari head coach Fabio Pisacane went for a 4-2-3-1 formation spearheaded by the experienced M’Bala Nzola, with Jacobo Fazzini, Maldini, and Alieu Fadera acting as his support crew. Alessandro Romano and Michel Adopo combined in the double pivot.
Cagliari Take the Lead Through Nzola
After an uneventful 15 minutes, Lazio finally created a chance when Noslin set up Frattesi, who took the ball first-time while on the run, but his effort was too tame to trouble Elia Caprile, who also collected a similar attempt from Zaccagni a minute later.
But while the hosts were seemingly building up for the opener, it was the visitors who scored the first goal of the game. Frattesi gave the ball away cheaply in the middle of the park, allowing Cagliari to burst forward in numbers.
Fadera’s initial square ball from the right wing was blocked by Belahyane, but the ball awkwardly bounced back in the Gambian’s direction, and he was able to pick up Nzola on his second attempt. The big striker’s connection wasn’t the cleanest, but he managed to wrong-foot Christos Mandas, as the ball crept into the bottom corner.
Gustav Isaksen Restores Parity With Lovely Goal
While the Isolani threatened to add a second goal with a few half-chances, Lazio restored parity in the 36th minute. Noslin played a delightful give-and-go with his Dutch compatriot Taylor, before teeing up Isaksen, who cut to the middle. The Dane had a crowd of defenders in front of him, but somehow managed to find the far corner with an astonishing lob that sailed past the stranded Caprile.
Lazio Dominate The Action in the Second Half
Despite losing Zaccagni to injury, the Biancocelesti were the better side after the break, coming closing to taking the lead on several occasions. Provstgaard almost scored with a towering header, but his attempt sailed just over the bar.
Afterwards, Taylor should have finished off a slick passing play, but couldn’t hit the target from close range. Then it was Isaksen’s turn to pull off his trademark cut from the right side to the middle. The winger expectedly tried to find the far corner with a left shot, but the ball whistled past the post.
Andrea Pinamonti Scores Crucial Lazio Winner
In the 83th minute, a venomous strike from Dele-Bashiru hit Alessandro Deiola in the face. But despite the head injury, the referee allowed the action to continue, and it resulted in a huge goal for Lazio.
Isaksen ran down the right channel before playing a ball across the box. Alfonso Pedraza took it on the volley, and it pounced off the ground before finding Andrea Pinamonti, who displayed his striking instinct by heading it past Caprile, kicking off wild celebrations on the pitch and in the stands.
The Rossoblu then received another massive blow, as Adam Obert left the pitch with a second yellow card after tripping Isaksen.
Therefore, Lazio have overtaken Inter Milan in the league standings, so they now find themselves alone at the Serie A summit after 10 rounds. However, a big test awaits them next weekend, as they take on Napoli before heading to the November international break.
