Beat Lecce 2-0 with goals from Guendouzi and Noslin at an empty Olimpico due to fan protests
Third consecutive win at home, seventh game in twelve without conceding: Lazio beat Lecce 2-0, partly atoning for the defeat in May against the Salento side that knocked them out of Europe and up in the standings. Guendouzi called the shots early and Noslin late in a well-played game by a team on the rise. In the midst of so much bad luck, two goalposts, a goal was disallowed by the young referee who couldn’t perform. Sarri can be satisfied with his group, it is not easy to take to the field in an unreal atmosphere and even drown. On the other hand, his performance was convincing even though it was facilitated by a beating opponent. When the whistle sounded for the start of the match, the Olimpico was almost completely empty (around 10,000 spectators). The response to Curva Nord’s request to leave the stadium for this championship match against Lecce was very clear: the match will be played behind closed doors, we are at the lowest point in the already highly conflictual relationship between fans and the club managed by president Lotito. There is still a match to be played and Lazio is trying to do it with dignity despite the external environment full of tension and tension.
We started with the players with red markings on their faces for the day against violence against women and special numbers on the t-shirts with the female names of girlfriends, mothers or daughters. Sarri’s team tried to control the game, Lecce kept their defense high but did not sting. First Falcone was superb in Dia’s finish, then he had to concede to Guendouzi’s shot on an assist from Basic at the end of a flurry of action: 1-0. Lazio emphasized that the Croatian midfielder again challenged the Giallorossi goalkeeper with a shot from outside. We entered the first half with a one goal lead despite total domination. After the break, Vecino immediately came on to replace the injured Cataldi, Di Francesco tried to turn things around through Strulic and Banda. Var Serra made the referee on the pitch disallow a boundary goal made by Dia (a foul on Gabriel), then Falcone’s save and two posts by Isaksen and Zaccagni made us fear a mockery that will be written in the club’s history books. But Lecce are small, they don’t pose any danger if you exclude a few long-range shots, Sarri didn’t believe it and brought on Lazzari, Patric, Pedro and Noslin. The Dutch centre-forward scored the second goal in the sixth minute of a seven-minute goal conceded by Torre del Greco’s Alberto Ruben Arena (an unjustified addition). The game finished 2-0, rightly so: at least on the pitch, Lazio responded well to a toxic week.
Now three important tests to try to raise the bar, Saturday night away game at San Siro against Milan, then a double at the Olimpico again against the Rossoneri in the last 16 of the Italian Cup, finally the championship game against Bologna again at home. Eight fateful days to understand the ambitions of a team that does not want to give up on a season without a name. And Commander Sarri’s hand is starting to become more visible every day.
