Lazio Manager Sarri ‘Hurt’ by Roma Derby Defeat, Reveals Potential Midfield Solution

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The Laziali

·21 September 2025

Lazio Manager Sarri ‘Hurt’ by Roma Derby Defeat, Reveals Potential Midfield Solution

Lazio head coach Maurizio Sarri was left devastated by the outcome of the Derby della Capitale, with his team ‘gifting’ the winner to Roma.

Lazio Suffer Painful Loss in Roma Derby

After two defeats in the first three Serie A rounds, the Biancocelesti were desperate for a positive result in their most significant fixture of the season. But while they had a host of chances to score, they all went begging. On the other hand, Nuno Tavares’ ill-advised dribbling inside his own box allowed the Giallossori to net the solitary goal of the contest courtesy of Lorenzo Pellegrini.

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In his post-match press conference (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Sarri admitted that the Portuguese left-back’s blunder was indeed the main reason behind his team’s defeat in the Derby, albeit he saw several other aspects that must be addressed, especially on the psychological level.

Has Nuno’s mistake cost us the Derby? I think so. Up until that point, we hadn’t even allowed any shots on target. We’d been dangerous on two or three occasions, with Rovella, Guendouzi, and Romagnoli. Then we slumped for ten minutes after the goal and regained control of the game afterwards. We wasted four or five clear chances. We’re left with a huge disappointment; for the second game in a row, we conceded very little and lost due to banality. That’s our limitation right now. Today, we even seemed more dangerous than usual. We also got two red cards. This team’s limitations are evident; we have to rid ourselves of anarchy, superficiality, and banality.

Maurizio Sarri Left With Depleted Midfield

The 66-year-old is hoping that his players share the same pain with him, while discussing the midfield crisis.

The repercussions are material, not mental. On Sunday against Genoa, we only have one midfielder available [Cataldi]. Losing a derby hurts me. You turn around and glance at the stands, the Curva, and you realize you’ve let the fans down. I hope it hurts the players too.

Nicolo Rovella’s Condition

Lazio already entered the fixture without Matias Vecino who has been struggling with an injury. While Matteo Guendouzi and Reda Belahyane will be serving bans, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Nicolo Rovella picked up knocks, leaving Sarri with a completely decimated midfield department.

Rovella wasn’t 100% fit. The run he made worsened his condition. He had indicated his willingness to finish the first half; playing the second period was always going to be difficult. He seemed to be suffering from a small, two-millimeter-wide tendon, with no involvement in any muscle areas. Let’s see what happens.

Will Lazio Resort to Toma Basic?

The Lazio boss is allowed to make two changes to his Serie A squad list between now and January, so this could be the right time to reinstate Toma Basic.

We’ll see which midfielders we’ll have available this week. Basic? It’s definitely possible. I think we have two available slots. It’s a possibility worth considering.

Sarri Sees Lazio Improvements Even in Derby Defeat

Finally, Sarri still managed to pick up some positives despite the abysmal situation he finds himself in.

There are some aspects that this team is still adapting to, like the use of midfielders. Our deepest midfielders (Rovella and Cataldi) have Jorginho-like numbers; I didn’t have those numbers in my previous Lazio team. We’re also relying on the players’ characteristics. We still aren’t attacking the space with the right consistency; when we did today, we were dangerous. Something is emerging; the team didn’t create dangerous chances for 70 minutes against Sassuolo, but they did so against Roma. In four games, we’ve conceded four goals: one from a corner, one from a free kick, and one from a mistake today, so we’re conceding little.