MOTTA: An incredible evening. He started out intimidated, misplacing every pass, even controlling the ball seemed a problem, then the mental turning point came in the action of Atalanta’s goal that was later disallowed.
The save on Scamacca is truly stratospheric. Talking about the penalties is difficult because it was a spectacle of rare beauty, like the post-match interview where it’s impossible not to be moved. RATING 10.
MARUSIC: Grits his teeth, never gives up, and until he goes off the defending on Atalanta’s wing-backs also works well. He physically collapses before leaving the pitch. RATING 6.
LAZZARI (from 67′): Comes on focused, suffers little, only beaten by Zappacosta’s header which then proved futile as it was offside. RATING 6.5.
GILA: It’s absurd that he isn’t considered one of the top three defenders in Italy. He doesn’t put a foot wrong and almost always nullifies whoever comes near him. A recovery tackle on Kristovic when he was through sends all the Biancocelesti supporters into a frenzy.
Awkward intervention on the possible penalty, but perhaps by raising his leg he had the right reflex to avoid a penalty that would have been blatant and incontrovertible. RATING 7.5.
PROVSTGAARD (77′): Comes on for Gila at the worst possible moment, but still proves ready and cool-headed in handling all the moments of a very complicated match, especially when Atalanta start filling the box with important forwards. RATING 6.5.
ROMAGNOLI: A goal that takes you, like it or not, to the final; a goal that, given the club’s choices, shouldn’t have existed since the centre-back was allowed to leave in January like the most dispensable of players.
He embodies Lazialità in its purest state: sacrifices himself, holds firm and finds the net like a true centre-forward (something that is increasingly rare at Lazio these days).
At the back he is reliable like few others in Serie A, and with Sarri he has, in our view, reached the state of the art of his performances. RATING 8.5.
TAVARES: Limited spaces and a match of sacrifice. Honestly, I didn’t think him capable of such important matches in terms of concentration, a step forward towards consecration as a top-level full-back. A shame about the penalty, which wasn’t struck too badly anyway. RATING 6.5.
BASIC: The sense of a relay with Dele Bashiru is clear to everyone from the moment the line-ups are read. He puts in an orderly performance, focused above all on solidity in midfield.
Not bad the ball for Noslin that came to nothing with a weak shot; he nonetheless comes off tired. RATING 6.
DELE BASHIRU (77′): Tries to push, keeps the ball and tries accelerations. The feeling is that he is now more in tune with the coach’s mentality. In my view, he gets sucked in too much on Atalanta’s goal, a shared mistake with all the midfielders, but perhaps also the result of a delay in reorganising after Gila’s injury. RATING 6.
PATRIC: A lot of mistakes last night. The gaps from not playing in his natural role were all felt, perhaps emphasised by an opposing midfield much more dynamic than the Rossoneri one.
He holds up quite well in the defensive phase, but he gets a lot wrong in build-up play, appearing distracted at times. The mitigating factor is always that it’s not his role, but it still seemed an emotional problem above all in certain moments. RATING 5.5.
CATALDI (84′): He takes the penalty well in my opinion, there’s a big dose of bad luck. For the rest, he comes on at a time when Lazio are completely out of energy and focused on the defensive phase, so even playing vertical balls becomes more difficult than normal. RATING 6.
TAYLOR: For me he is the top player of this team. Absolutely nothing can be said against his signing, and if Lazio now ticks over both in terms of neat play and dynamism, much of the credit is his (I admit, I rave about him so I’m biased).
He runs even with cramps up to the 130th minute, scores a penalty with a coolness that at that moment seemed unknown in the Biancocelesti ranks. RATING 7.
CANCELLIERI: He starts to get going and create something just when it’s time to come off. A match more devoted to holding firm defensively than to attacking (and for someone who has always had big deficiencies, that’s a plus). He also comes off because of a yellow card that weighed heavily as the ball started to get heavy. RATING 6.5.
ISAKSEN (66′): A very difficult match in my opinion, he produces nothing during his game. He gets a passing grade only because he scores a crucial penalty in an emotionally difficult moment (before the kick he is visibly emotional and it comes after two missed penalties in a row). RATING 6.
NOSLIN: Call me crazy, but for me one of his best matches. He links the play, tussles and battles the whole match, and it’s only natural he might arrive short of energy on some occasions after such an exhausting game.
He is moving in the right direction to become the forward Sarri wants and needs. I am confident. RATING 6.5.
ZACCAGNI: By now the downward spiral of his season is hard to change, another difficult performance in terms of quality.
The snapshot of his season, in my opinion, is a misplaced ball in transition to Isaksen that could have led to an immediate 2-on-1 in our favour. A shame he delivers the ball like a 90s defensive midfielder rather than one of the most technically gifted attacking midfielders in this squad. The only positive note is the corner, but there the play is made more by Romagnoli than by him. RATING 5.5.
PEDRO (103′): Comes on at the end to provide a spark. Honestly, he too gives the idea of struggling with the whole team sitting deep. He doesn’t get to take a penalty. In May, however, he will have his chance to win a title with this shirt, which has been his dream since he’s been here. RATING 5.5.
COACH SARRI: A team drawn up defensively with artistry, as if commanded with a gamepad by the Tuscan coach. In my view, this final reached is all his.
A mammoth manager, who deserves to bring home a trophy to brand a Lazialità that must remain in the history of our club. RATING 7.
