Serie A

Football Italia

·24 November 2024

Serie A | Lazio 3-0 Bologna: Zaccagni pounces after Pobega madness

Mattia Zaccagni scored one and assisted another as Lazio finally broke down 10-man Bologna to stay in joint second place, but Tommaso Pobega’s moment of madness was costly.

The Biancocelesti hoped to keep their impressive recent form going in Italy and Europe, but while Nuno Tavares was out injured and Boulaye Dia not fully fit after a malaria scare, Pedro started despite a muscular issue. Bologna had won their last three Serie A games, but Lukasz Skorupski had flu with Nicolò Cambiaghi, Dan Ndoye, Michel Aebischer, Martin Erlic and Oussama El Azzouzi on the treatment table.

OneFootball Videos

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Taty Castellanos spotted the goalkeeper off his line and attempted a lob from midfield that was not far off target, then tried a back-heel flick on Manuel Lazzari’s assist that Nicola Ravaglia smothered from six yards.

Santiago Castro drilled wide from the edge of the box after Riccardo Orsolini step-overs and Matteo Guendouzi’s touch let him down when sent clear by Castellanos, but the game changed on 35 minutes.

Tommaso Pobega was the only player on a yellow card and he was over-enthusiastic on the high press as Lazio played out from the back, scything down Guendouzi from behind for a second booking.

Lazio poured forward and almost scored when Matias Vecino pulled back from the by-line for a Castellanos back-heel flick, which Luca Pellegrini was about to tap in at the far post until a desperate Orsolini block.

ROME, ITALY – NOVEMBER 24: Samuel Gigot of Lazio (L) scores his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and Bologna at Stadio Olimpico on November 24, 2024 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

Alessio Romagnoli went off at half-time with a fitness issue, but Lazio wasted a golden opportunity when Castellanos nodded the Vecino cross wide of an open goal at the back post.

Boulaye Dia came on and had the ball in the net on 65 minutes with a header from point-blank range, but Castellanos was in an offside position when putting in the cross from the right.

Lazio took the lead moments later, as this time Samuel Gigot was onside when crouching at the back post for the diving header on an in-swinging Mattia Zaccagni corner.

A second followed quickly, as Luca Pellegrini started the move from his own half, feeding Zaccagni to cut inside from the left and curl right-footed into the far bottom corner from 14 yards.

With the last kick of the game, everyone assumed it was a penalty for Lazio as Manuel Lazzari rolled across and Ravaglia caught Gustav Isaksen’s ankle, but Fisayo Dele-Bashiru put the loose ball into the empty net before the referee could interrupt play.

This seals a seventh consecutive victory in all competition for the Biancocelesti.