Roma edged Lazio 1-0 in the Derby della Capitale, leaving Maurizio Sarri and his players bitterly disappointed after a game in which the Biancocelesti felt they deserved more.
Sarri: “We lost because of a huge mistake. It hurts for our fans.”
Speaking to DAZN after the match, Lazio head coach Sarri expressed his frustration over the defeat and sympathy for the supporters:
“We had four or five clear chances to equalize,” Sarri said. “We lost because of a huge mistake – we’ll see if it was technical or just carelessness. It’s a bad way to lose because overall we played a good game. I feel sorry for our people; they came out in numbers and believed in us. I also feel sorry for the team because they didn’t deserve to lose.”
Sarri explained some of his tactical decisions, including the introduction of new signing Dia and managing minutes for players like Taty Castellanos and Nicolò Rovella:
“The idea was to avoid giving them reference points and to exploit our midfielders’ runs,” he added. “In the first half, we did it twice with Rovella and Guendouzi, and both were big chances. Dia trained well this week, and giving him 30 minutes was good for him and for Taty, who came on with great energy. Rovella was asked to play seven tough minutes so we didn’t waste a substitution slot.”
Looking back at the flow of the match, Sarri highlighted the decisive moment:
“We deserved a draw. Up until the 38th minute, there was no sign we were going to lose. After their goal, we wobbled for a few minutes and could have conceded a second. It’s the usual anger and sadness after losing a derby,” he said.
Zaccagni: “We have to regroup and bounce back.”
Lazio winger Mattia Zaccagni echoed his coach’s frustration, admitting that the team let the game slip away:
“We conceded from a stupid mistake,” Zaccagni told DAZN. “We had the game in our hands, but after their goal, we dropped too deep. We had chances to equalize but just couldn’t score, and that’s disappointing. Having only three points after four matches is starting to weigh on us. Now we have to regroup and start again. The only positive we can take is the fighting spirit we showed after going down to ten men. That’s what we have to build on, starting against Genoa.”
