Three Things We Learned From Lazio vs Parma: Sarri Can Solve Two Issues in One Fell Swoop | OneFootball

Tijjani Noslin has now cemented himself as the ultimate bogeyman in Parma, but his exploits only earned Lazio a single point this time.

The Dutchman who famously scored a historic last-gasp winner for the nine-man Aquile at the Ennio Tardini in December proved to be Maurizio Sarri’s winning card in the second half once more. The versatile attacker replaced Pedro on the left wing, and his clever movement made all the difference, as he snatched the equaliser that cancelled out Enrico Del Prato’s early opener in the 1-1 draw.

While it wasn’t the most inspiring performance or the most eventful contest, here are some of the conclusions we deduced after the full-time whistle.

Smaller Clubs Have Figured Out Lazio

After three straight wins over clubs residing in the top half of the table, Lazio were expected to prevail over 12th-placed Parma. Nevertheless, the outcome was hardly surprising, as the Biancocelesti have been struggling to break down smaller opposition who are happy to sit back and absorb the pressure. We had already witnessed a similar pattern in Lecce and Cagliari.

Unfortunately for Lazio, they have become a technically limited team that almost exclusively relies on counterattacks. While Sarri’s men are capable of imposing their will in the middle of the park, they lack the flair and creativity to penetrate tight defences. Despite being on the back foot for the bulk of the contest, they were only able to forge seven shots, only four on target.

In fairness, the Aquile have been deprived of their most creative midfielder in Nicolo Rovella all season, but they must also replace the deadwood, like Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Reda Belahyane, with more forward-thinking midfielders.

Stubborn Sarri Pounding his head Against the Wall

We have already mentioned this issue on several occasions, but Sarri appears determined to shoot himself in the foot by fielding Daniel Maldini as a striker, in a move that hasn’t been doing the player or the team any favors.

Curiously, the 24-year-old was essentially brought on to replace Mattia Zaccagni when required, so one would imagine that Maldini would be placed on the left wing in the absence of the injured captain.

But instead, Sarri wants the Atalanta loanee to lead the line, with 38-year-old Pedro darting down the flank, and both decisions have backfired for the second match in a row, with both players looking ineffective in their respective roles. The most puzzling aspect of the whole equation is that the solution feels too obvious, yet unlikely to be adopted by the stubborn manager.

Simply put, Sarri can kill two birds in one stone by moving Maldini to the left wing (and relieving Pedro from his exhausting duty) and allowing Petar Ratkov the opportunity to learn the ropes in Italian football, especially with Lazio having little to play for in Serie A.

However, the 67-year-old has never been convinced by the Serbian striker, whom he didn’t even know prior to his arrival, and he once again insisted that he still needs to adapt to his new surroundings and learn the language before being deeply integrated into the club’s plans.

Manuel Lazzari Deserves Better

After a poor first half, at least Lazio were able to create a few more dangerous chances in the second period, and this is partially thanks to Manuel Lazzari, who set the dormant right flank ablaze. The 32-year-old has recently become an afterthought at the Stadio Olimpico, with Adam Marusic consolidating his role as Sarri’s undisputed first choice at right-back.

The former SPAL man was a key player during Simone Inzaghi’s reign, and he was also appreciated by Marco Baroni last season, but he was never a favorite of Sarri, who had always preferred defensively-leaning options like Marusic and Elseid Hysaj.

The manager confirmed his theory once more, insisting that Nuno Tavares’ presence on the left flank is impeding Lazzari’s chances of earning playing time, as he considers Marusic a more reliable option to preserve defensive balance.

But as we mentioned above, the Biancocelesti are currently starving for creativity, and while Lazzari’s presence certainly wouldn’t solve this damning issue, at least it would offer the team an extra attacking weapon against a compact defence, unlike Marusic, who, aside from his occasional late winners, has been offering little to nothing in the final third.