After the Derby della Captiale, Lazio followed up with another impressive performance versus FC Lokomotiv Moscow at the Stadio Olimpico.
Goals from Toma Basic and Patric earned Lazio a 2-0 win versus the Russian side to pick up their first win in the Group Stage in this year’s edition of the UEFA Europa League.
The Biancocelesti currently sit in second place with three points and trail Galatasaray by one point, who occupy first place with four points. The win keeps Lazio within distance of finishing top two in the group with four matches remaining.
So, what did we learn from Lazio’s 2-0 victory over Lokomotiv?
Toma Basic Makes His Start for Lazio in Fashionable Way
It had been a long time coming for Basic to make his first start this season for Lazio. The midfielder was acquired this past summer transfer market and had been highly touted by numerous football experts. The Croatian finally had the chance to showcase his talents against the Russian side as he made his first start for the club.
This will be a memorable match for Basic as he scored his first goal as a Laziale in the 13th minute. He made a great run into the box where he was left unmarked and converted a pass from Pedro. Throughout the match, he had a few good attempts, created chances, showed excellent movement and his read for the game was impressive. As the match progressed, the Croatian started to settle in.
Basic showed encouraging signs in his first start with Lazio and is definitely a player to look out for. He finished the match with one goal, one key pass, one aerial duel won, one successful dribble, and a pass accuracy rate of 95.4%.
Time for Vedat Muriqi to Step Up
Although it was an impressive performance from Lazio, one negative from this match was that their talisman, Ciro Immobile, exited late in the first half due to an injury.
The extent of his injury is unknown, but a few reports have surfaced that it is not that serious. As it stands, it is probable that Immobile could be rested against Bologna in their next fixture.
In the meantime, Vedat Muriqi would take his place and would need to step up for Lazio. The striker would finally have his chance to prove himself after a disappointing first season with the club.
So far this season he has made a few appearances off the bench where he has been impactful and contributed in positive ways. He came on in place of Immobile versus Lokomotiv and fared quite well. He made a few impressive runs, had some chances on goal, and executed some timely passes.
Muriqi looks destined for his first start this season and will aim to impress to slowly win back the trust of fans.
Great Response From Thomas Strakosha
It was uncertain how Thomas Strakosha would perform versus Lokomotiv. The Lazio goalkeeper came off a disappointing performance versus Galatasaray in the Europa League where his costly error led to a 1-0 loss.
Lazio manager Maurizio Sarri started Strakosha and the Lazio goalkeeper did not disappoint. He responded well in this match as he did not look nervous, was confident, and provided a calm presence in the backend.
Although he was rarely tested versus Lokomotiv, he made the key save when called upon. He finished the match with three saves and his passing out from the backfield was decent.
It was the perfect response from Strakosha who definitely regained the trust of his manager after his previous performance.
