Lazio defeat Venezia 2-0 to move level with Roma and Inter at top of Serie A

First-half penalty save at the Penzo

Lazio traveled to Venezia on Saturday evening for the fifth round of Serie A, aiming to capitalize on a direct draw between Roma and Inter. The match opened with defensive tension for the visitors as manager Giovanni Stroppa searched for Venezia's opening points of the campaign. In the 17th minute, Venezia earned a penalty when Lazio goalkeeper Christos Mandas fouled Felix Correia in the box, following an inaccurate headed backpass by defender Romano Floriani. Kelvin Yeboah took the spot kick, but Mandas pushed the strike away to keep the contest scoreless. Lazio gradually established control through the midfield, with Kenneth Taylor seeing a shot blocked after a cross from Nuno Tavares, and defender Bosko Sutalo intercepting an attack from Che Adams. Matteo Cancellieri then curled a left-footed effort inches wide of the post before the break.

Second-half breakthrough by Zaccagni and Noslin

The visitors elevated their tempo immediately after the restart and unlocked Venezia's defense within six minutes. In the 51st minute, Yeboah committed a foul on Taylor inside the penalty area, resulting in a spot kick for Lazio. Team captain Mattia Zaccagni stepped up and sent a right-footed finish past Venezia goalkeeper Filip Stankovic. Lazio extended their advantage in the 60th minute through a coordinated move on the left flank. Tavares linked up with Zaccagni before delivering a cross into the box, where Tijjani Noslin directed a header into the net for his side's second goal. Venezia could not generate a response during the final half-hour, leaving the pitch under loud chants of protest from their home supporters as they remained at zero points.

Lazio join Roma and Inter at the Serie A summit

The 2-0 away result lifted Lazio to 13 points, moving the club level with Roma and Inter at the top of Serie A ahead of the international break. The result represents the best start to a top-flight season in Lazio's history. Prior to the fixture, Gennaro Gattuso warned his players against complacency, pointing to an earlier loss against Mantova and a late drop in performance against Milan as reminders of their vulnerabilities.

“If we reached where we are, it is because we had the venom, playing as a team and wearing the helmet.”

Gattuso also dismissed external commentary concerning Lazio's ownership and dismissed speculation about signing free agents such as Mauro Icardi, emphasizing that the summer recruitment of Andrea Pinamonti and Albert Gudmundsson finalized the squad.

“We must prepare for matches by training; as long as the salary arrives, we must think about doing our job.”

Lazio13

Roma13

Inter13

Venezia0

Lazio

13 points

Roma

13 points

Inter

13 points

Venezia

0 points

Data from the article text