Atalanta 0-0 Lazio: Maurizio Sarri’s Men Survive Late Onslaught | OneFootball

At the New Balance Arena in Bergamo, Lazio seemed content to escape with a draw, as they somehow managed to deny Atalanta for 90+ minutes.

Atalanta & Lazio Starting Lineups

Ivan Juric adopted his usual 3-4-2-1 formation, with Ademola Lookman spearheading the lineup, supported by Charles De Ketelaere and Kamaldeen Sulemana, while Ederon and Mario Pasalic combined in the double pivot.

On the other hand, Maurizio Sarri brought back his favorite 4-3-3 thanks to the return of Matteo Guendouzi, who joined Danilo Cataldi and Toma Basic in midfield. Mattia Zaccagni’s inclusion was a pleasant surprise, as the captain was reported to be unfit to start. Nevertheless, he slotted on the left side of an attacking trident that also featured Boulaye Dia and Matteo Cancellieri.

Listless First Half

Atalanta had the lion’s share of possession, as Lazio were happy to sit back and try to harry their hosts on the counterattack. This made for a cringey showing in Bergamo, as the Orobici weren’t able to penetrate their visitors’ penalty box, while the Biancocelesti’s attackers were left to feed on scraps.

Toma Basic was behind Lazio’s best opportunity of the first half, as he tested Marco Carnesecchi with a long-range freekick. On the opposite end of the pitch, Ivan Provedel comfortably dealt with Davide Zappacosta’s effort.

Atalanta Come Extremely Close in the Second Half

After the break, the hosts entered the pitch with a more determined attitude, and they almost scored after a few minutes had Lookman managed to hit the target with his close-range free header. La Dea’s chances kept coming, especially as the minutes progressed, while Lazio weren’t able to forge a single goal-scoring opportunity for the entire second half.

Nevertheless, Mario Gila put on a defensive clinic at the back, stopping Sulemana in his tracks on several occasions, while Provedel had to earn his clean sheet the hard way, producing a host of spectacular saves, including a jaw-dropping stop to deny Lookman’s low drive. Moreover, Zappacosta was denied by the post on one occasion.

Lazio Come Earm Hard-Fought Draw

In the end, Lazio seemingly achieved their goal by returning to the Italian capital with a point in hand on the back of a goalless draw. Sarri’s men have raised their tally to eight points from seven fixtures, as they currently lie 12th in the Serie A table.

Atalanta 0-0 Lazio

Atalanta (3-4-2-1) : Carnesecchi; Djimsiti, Hien, Ahanor (66′ Scalvini); Zappacosta, Ederson, Pasalic (66′ De Roon), Bernasconi; Sulemana (66′ Krstovic), De Ketelaere; Lookman (82′ Maldini).

Lazio (4-3-3) : Provedel; Marusic (86′ Lazzari), Gila, Romagnoli, Tavares (86′ Provstgaard); Guendouzi, Cataldi, Basic (75′ Vecino); Cancellieri (22′ Isaksen), Dia, Zaccagni (75′ Pedro).

Referee: Collu; Linesmen : L. Rossi – Politi; 4th Official: Colombo; VAR: Gariglio; Avar: Meraviglia

Yellow cards: 29′ De Ketelaere (A), 40′ Sulemana (A), 53′ Pasalic (A), 62′ Hien (A)