Lazio Make Short Work of Real Sociedad To Reach Europa League Round of 16 | OneFootball

Lazio have officially booked their place in the Europa League Round of 16 by comfortably beating Real Sociedad at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

The Starting Lineup

Marco Baroni often rotates his team in Europe. but this time, he opted for the strongest available starting lineup, spearheaded by Taty Castellanos who was supported by Gustav Isaksen, Boulaye Dia and Mattia Zaccagni. Meanwhile, Matteo Guendouzi and Nicolo Rovella kept their roles in the double pivot.

Lazio Take Early Lead

It only took the home five minutes to snatch the lead when Mario Gila pounced on a goalmouth scramble following a freekick to smash a powerful shot in the top corner. Taty Castellanos thought he made it 2-0 with a solid header, but goal-line technology revealed the ball was cleared off the line, while Gila’s rebound hit the post.

Aihen Munoz Sees Red

The Spaniards tried to reply, but Luka Susic’s curler smashed against the post, while Sheraldo Becker couldn’t beat Christos Mandas in a one-on-one chance. But while Sociedad was trying to build some momentum, Aihen Munoz left them with a man down after earning his second yellow for blocking Isaksen’s run.

Mattia Zaccagni Doubles Lazio Lead

The Biancocelesti quickly pounced on their numerical advantage by adding two more goals before half-time. Isaksen latched onto Nuno Tavares’ square ball, although he wasn’t the intended receiver. The Dane made a run towards the byline before cutting it back to his captain Zaccagni who coolly slotted it past the goalkeeper.

Taty Castellanos Joins the Party

A few minutes later, Tavares sent a sublime outswinger towards the box, and Castellanos managed to put enough power and precision behind it to beat Alex Remiro. However, the first half ended on a concerning note for the Italians, as the Portuguese left-back succumbed to injury, leaving his place on the pitch to Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.

Consolation Goal for Real Sociedad

The second half proved to be a boring affair for obvious reasons, with Lazio only launching half-hearted attempts while sieging Sociedad deep in the areas. Only Pedro came close but was denied by the post. Against the run of play, the visitors poached a consolation goal late in the match when Ander Barrenetxea latched on the rebound.

Lazio Qualify Directly for the Round of 16

With another impressive win in the bag, Lazio extended their superb Europa League run, preserving their spot on top of the 36-team table with 19 points from seven matchdays while securing a Top 8 finish with one match to spare.

Lazio 3-1 Real Sociedad

5′ Gila (L), 32′ Zaccagni (L), 34′ Castellanos (L), 82′ Barrenetxea (S).

Lazio (4-2-3-1):  Mandas; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Nuno Tavares (42′ Dele-Bashiru); Guendouzi, Rovella; Isaksen (55′ Tchaouna), Dia (77′ Balde), Zaccagni (55′ Noslin); Castellanos (46′ Pedro).

Real Sociedad (4-3-3):  Remiro; Aramburu; Zubeldia, Aguerd (70′ Pacheco), Munoz; Kubo (46′ Barrenetxea), Zubimendi (46′ Elustondo), Mendez (35′ Lopez); Oyarzabal (46′ Marín), Sucic, Becker.