Lazio had their most brilliant showing of the season against Atalanta, as they completely outplayed a worthy opponent thanks to their technique, ball possession, and airtight defense. Felipe Anderson thrived as a false-nine, filling in for the injured Ciro Immobile, and bagged a gem.
While the Biancocelesti haven’t been shabby offensively, as they have scored the third most goal in Serie A, their solidity in the back has made the difference, La Repubblica relays. They have conceded just five times so far, two fewer than the closest team in such stat, Juventus. Only Barcelona have done slightly better across Europe. They have been night and day compared to last season, as they had given up 19 goals at this point.
Thanks to the impeccable Lazio defense, Ivan Provedel hasn’t been beaten in 569 minutes. It’s the fourth-longest streak in the history of the club behind Luca Marchegiani (745), Ferdinando Orsi (733), and Claudio Bandoni (580). They have kept six straight clean sheets. They have gotten to seven consecutive ones just once, with Sven Goran Erikson at the helm in 1998.
The Biancocelesti overhauled their rearguard in the summer, signing two new goalies and three center-backs. The ex-Spezia shot-stopper has been a revelation, also for his passing ability. Alessio Romagnoli has been a day-one starter replacing Francesco Acerbi, and he’s been steady. Nicolò Casale recently supplanted Patric and fared well against Udinese and La Dea. Mario Gila has gotten chances in Europa League.
The composition of the midfield is helping the Lazio defense as well. Luis Alberto generally comes off the bench, with the sturdier Matias Vecino and Toma Basic routinely getting the nod. And the technical Marcos Antonio hasn’t supplanted muscular Danilo Cataldi yet.
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