Lazio had to come up big against Atalanta without their talismanic striker Ciro Immobile and they did just that in Bergamo, securing an important 2-0 win.
The Biancocelesti lost the 32-year-old Italian star to a hamstring injury in the 0-0 draw with Udinese earlier this month, leaving them anxious in a tough period of the season. Maurizio Sarri’s side have often struggled to put on a good show without Immobile leading the line, but things were different in their clash against Gian Piero Gasperini’s side yesterday.
Sarri deployed Felipe Anderson in the centre of the front three as a false nine and the Brazilian rose to the task, having a great game and driving the team to victory.
Lazio took the lead after just 10 minutes following some decisive passing play, which saw Pedro’s quick ball across the box being perfectly met by Mattia Zaccagni, who made no mistake as he gave his side a 1-0 lead.
The away side continued to frustrate Atalanta, who were left scratching their heads just after half time when Lazio doubled their advantage. A fast break saw Adam Marusic lay off a pass to Felipe Anderson, who deftly controlled the ball before slotting it past Marco Sportiello, putting Lazio 2-0 up.
Despite Atalanta’s efforts, the Biancocelesti remained solid and controlled the game well in the second half, doing enough to keep a clean sheet and secure all three points in Bergamo.
It was an important response from Lazio, who needed to show that they could still put on a good show even without Immobile carrying the torch up front. The victory will give them confidence ahead of a key Europa League clash against FC Midtjylland later this week.
