Lazio returns to wear the party dress and overwhelms a Bologna that appeared shy and renouncing, very far from the grit professed by Sinisa Mihajlovic. The 3-0 is almost close to the hosts who, in addition to the goal from the spot by Ciro Immobile and the brace from Zaccagni, build as many scoring chances. Maurizio Sarri wanted to understand which is his ‘real’ team: the one fearful of the blackout with AC Milan in the Italian Cup or the other, solid and technical, which he won in the league in Florence? The 90 ‘with Bologna certainly reassured him, especially for how beautiful they showed Zaccagni, Lazzari, Milinkovic-Savic and Luis Alberto (who, after being booked, will be disqualified).
What is certain is that Ciro Immobile cannot be ignored and in fact the fulcrum of the biancoceleste attack is on the pitch from the beginning, despite the ailments remedied at San Siro. Lazio have a strong start, high blood pressure and aggression across the board. An attitude that soon pays off. It was only 13 ‘when with the right flat Immobile transformed the penalty whistled by Piccinini for a swing by Soumaoro against Zaccagni. So there are 19 goals for the already top scorer, 142 in Serie A, -1 from the Lazio record of Silvio Piola. Bologna struggles to pass half the pitch. Even if Lazio loses the ball immediately starts with suffocating doubles. Arnautovic in front is too lonely, not supported by a limping midfield. Mihajlovic’s screams spur his team to take some courage and towards the end of the first half (39 ‘) Bologna is seen in the opponent’s area, with a nice cross which Dijks, under pressure from Lazzari, kicks at side.
Disappointed from the first half, the Serbian coach removes Dijks and Soriano for Barrow and Kasius. And the latter’s cue, at 1 ‘of the second half, puts Arnautovic in a position to engage Strakosha in the first real save. From possible 1-1 to 2-0, he missed in a few minutes, when Immobile’s shot from the center of the area just flies over the crossbar. Goal only postponed because at 8 ‘Luis Alberto sees a millimeter corridor in the Bologna area. Zaccagni slips in and with a precise diagonal beats Skorupski. Speed and quality of the Biancoceleste advanced line put Bologna in constant trouble, forced to discover themselves in an attempt to recover.
At 18 ‘Lazio drops the trio along the Luis Alberto-Lazzari-Zaccagni chain, which finalizes a masterfully constructed action in the right lane. Having secured the result, Sarri removes Pedro and Leiva (also warned, he will be absent in Udine) for Felipe Anderson and Cataldi. Zaccagni first, then Milinkovic came out to applause. At 40 ‘, when Lazzari stops on the umpteenth sprint due to a problem in his right thigh, Sarri has finished the substitutions. Not even in 10 Lazio suffer. A weak shot by Barrow in the recovery, controlled by Strakosha, is the last feeble Rossoblù attempt that does not scare a newly found Lazio.