A goalless draw between Lazio and Cremonese brought neither joy nor satisfaction to the home fans at the Olimpico Stadium.
Lazio starting lineup
Maurizio Sarri is missing eight players from the Azzurri for various reasons, but at least he can rely on Mario Guira again after serving a one-match suspension. The Spaniard started at the back alongside Alessio Romagnoli, Adam Marusic and Luca Pellegrini.
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Matias Vecino replaces the suspended Toma Besic in midfield, alongside Matteo Guendouzi and Danilo Cataldi. The attack was lackluster, led by Taty Castellanos with Pedro and Matteo Cancellieri on the wings.
Tragic football first half
The first 45 minutes brought no joy to fans of either side, and certainly no joy to the neutral teams, as neither side was able to create any real scoring chances. Neither Ivan Providel nor Emile Odero were tested in the first half.
Federico Bonazzali was able to catch two poor passes from Geundouzi and Marusic, but hasty long shots squandered both opportunities. At the other end of the pitch, Marusic launched a counterattack on the right wing, but Canselleri lost his footing when crossing the ball, causing Lazio’s only “chance” of the first half to be ruined.
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A promising start to the second half
The second half started positively, with the home team picking up the pace. Castellanos had a great chance to score from a corner kick, but he headed the ball straight at the goalkeeper. Cremonese responded with a more dangerous chance when Bonazzo met Jamie Vardy with a brilliant cross, but the Leicester legend’s header went wide.
Lazio awarded a penalty
Last weekend’s hero Tijjani Noslin almost won a penalty after coming on, but VAR decided to clear Filippo Terracciano of any wrongdoing after a quick check. Lazio failed to create many chances after that, although Marusic tested Odero with a powerful low shot.
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10 Cremonese survive Cataldi panic
There was some drama in the final minute of stoppage time when Guendouzi’s inspiring run found Cancellieri on the edge of the box. But when the latter was about to take a shot, he was brought down by Federico Ceccherini and was sent off directly. Cataldi nearly found the winner from the ensuing free kick, but his shot went just over the crossbar.
In the end, the Blue Sky had to suffer a disappointing draw at home, which is likely to widen the gap between them and the European zone.
