Maldini opens early, Laurienté equalizes for Sassuolo, but Marusic’s 93rd-minute goal seals Lazio’s victory at the Olimpico on Serie A Matchday 28.
Lazio left it until the very last moments, but Adam Marusic’s stoppage-time goal secured a dramatic 2–1 win over Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico, closing out Serie A Matchday 29.
In a match that rarely reached high intensity and produced few clear chances, Lazio found the decisive moment deep into added time. The win allows the Biancocelesti to slightly reduce the gap to seventh place, keeping their faint hopes of a European push alive.
The game started quickly. Lazio struck after just two minutes when Gustav Isaksen burst forward following a throw-in and forced a defensive block from Sassuolo. The rebound fell perfectly to Daniel Maldini, who calmly finished to give the hosts an early lead.
Lazio controlled possession after the opener and gradually grew in confidence, but their attacking moves rarely troubled Sassuolo goalkeeper Amir Muric. Despite struggling to create clear chances, the visitors managed to stay in the match and eventually found the equalizer in the 35th minute. Kristian Thorstvedt threaded a pass to Armand Laurienté, who finished past the young Lazio goalkeeper Motta to make it 1–1.
The second half offered little in terms of excitement. Both teams played cautiously, with most of the action concentrated in midfield and very few attempts on target. Substitutions from both benches failed to change the rhythm of the game, which appeared destined to end in a draw.
Lazio also had to deal with injury concerns. Danilo Cataldi was forced off in the first half with a muscle issue, while Alessio Romagnoli did not return after halftime and will be evaluated in the coming days.
Just when the match seemed headed for a stalemate, Lazio found the breakthrough. In the third minute of stoppage time, Muric misjudged his exit and Matteo Cancellieri delivered a precise assist for Marusic, who took advantage of the opportunity and scored the winner.
The late goal woke up the Olimpico and handed Lazio three valuable points in an otherwise uneventful match.
Match Report
Lazio 2-1 Sassuolo
Goals:
2’ Maldini (Lazio), 35’ Laurienté (Sassuolo), 90+3’ Marusic (Lazio)
Lazio (4-3-3):
Motta; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli (46’ Provstgaard), Nuno Tavares; Dele-Bashiru, Cataldi (38’ Patric), Taylor; Isaksen (79’ Cancellieri), Maldini (65’ Dia), Zaccagni (79’ Pedro).
Coach: Maurizio Sarri
Sassuolo (4-3-3):
Muric; Coulibaly (68’ Walukiewicz), Idzes, Muharemovic, Ulisses Garcia (69’ Doig); Thorstvedt, Lipani (46’ Matic), Koné (83’ Bakola); Berardi, Nzola (69’ Moro), Laurienté.
Coach: Fabio Grosso
Referee: Arena
Yellow Cards: Lipani, Ulisses Garcia, Laurienté, Walukiewicz
Red Cards: None
