In the most recent edition of the Derby della Capitale, Lazio defeated Roma in a choppy, disjointed 1-0 win. Both defenses played remarkably well, with the difference coming from a terrible mistake on the Roma backline. For Lazio, Alessio Romagnoli was in outstanding form, while Roma’s best players were Bryan Cristante and Chris Smalling.
Roma
Rui Patricio – 7
Lazio only managed to put three shots on target, but Rui Patricio saved one with a top notch diving save to keep his side in the match.
Chris Smalling – 7.5
Early on, Smalling made two poor errors, playing a careless a back-pass to Provedel and getting away with handball just outside the box. However, he improved as the match went on and was one of the better defenders on the field.
Gianluca Mancini – 6.5
Oddly, Mancini was taken off at halftime after receiving an early yellow card. Overall, the defender played decently, despite Jose Mourinho’s surprising decision.
Roger Ibanez – 4
After a strong start to the match when he looked liked Roma’s best defender, Ibanez committed an atrocious error in the defensive third. With Pedro pressuring, Ibanez took too long to clear the ball and gifted an easy goal to Felipe Anderson. The error cost Roma the game in what should have been a scoreless draw.
Rick Karsdorp – 5
Unlike his left-sided counterpart, Karsdorp struggled to become involved in Roma’s attack. His distribution was poor, and his play meant Roma struggled to attack from the right wing.
Nicola Zalewski – 7
On the right wing, Zalewski was hugely important to Roma’s build-up play and provided Roma’s best attacking chances of the night. He sent in a number of pinpoint crosses, but his strong play was not enough to change the result.
Bryan Cristante – 7.5
Cristante is really the only Roma central midfielder who should be proud of his performance. He distributed the ball well, won several key challenges and helped solidify the backline.
Mady Camara – 6
Playing higher than Cristante, Camara played a decent match while distributing the ball well. However, like the rest of his team, he struggled to create genuine attacking chances against Lazio’s compact midfield.
Nicolo Zaniolo – 5
Despite looking dangerous in the first half, Zaniolo was unable to find much of the ball. The young attacking midfielder did not play well against Alessio Romagnoli and Adam Marusic, who effectively shut him out of the match.
Lorenzo Pellegrini – 6
Pellegrini had a few decent moments and provided fairly good service, but he left the match with a muscular injury without making much of a difference.
Tammy Abraham – 4
The Englishman’s goal drought continues in what was a poor showing from the striker. His only attempt on target was an easy save for Provodel, and he missed a wide open Zalewski in the box late in the first half.
Substitutes
Mehmet Zeki Celik – 6
At halftime, Celik replaced Mancini in a like-for-like swap. The substitute did decently on the backline and recorded a quality 94% passing completion percentage.
Cristian Volpato – 6.5
The young attacking midfielder came on for Lorenzo Pellegrini, who left with an injury. He did well in relief of the captain, providing an occasional spark on the right wing.
Stephen El Shaarawy – N/A
Andrea Belotti – N/A
Nemanja Matic – N/A
Rome is blue ?
Lazio win the first of two derbies in back to back seasons ↔️ pic.twitter.com/7FsBs7VSM9
— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) November 6, 2022
Lazio
Ivan Provedel – 6
Roma’s struggling offense failed to consistently challenge the goalkeeper, but he still kept them off the scoreboard.
Alessio Romagnoli – 8.5
Perhaps the best player on the pitch, Romagnoli was in electric form during a great performance from the Biancocelesti backline. The centre-back won five aerial battles, four tackles and kept the defense organized and compact throughout the affair.
Nicolo Casale – 8
It was a brilliant match from the former Verona man. He effectively dealt with crosses in the air and neutralized the hapless Abraham.
Adam Marusic – 7
With Karsdorp and Zaniolo both encroaching into Marusic’s defensive zone, the defender played rather conservatively. Along with Romagnoli, he greatly limited their involvement in a strong showing.
Manuel Lazzari – 7
For much of the match, Lazzari played a typically advanced role and was engaged in a fascinating battle with Zalewski. He was one of Lazio’s more dangerous players and played well in the aggressive press.
Danilo Cataldi – 8
From his defensive midfield postion, Cataldi played a crucial role in front of the two centre-backs. His deep position allowed Romagnoli and Casale to play with more flexibility as Pellegrini and Zaniolo rotated to different areas of the pitch.
Luis Alberto – 6.5
Alberto did not add much to Lazio’s attack, but he contributed effectively to the defensive effort. Alongside Cataldi and Matias Vecino, he restricted Roma’s space in the midfield while his line played fairly deep.
Matias Vecino – 6.5
In the midfield, Vecino had a quiet match, effectively playing as a second defensive midfielder alongside Cataldi.
Mattia Zaccagni – 6
Against Mancini and Karsdorp on the right wing, Zaccagni failed to create many chances, but he passed the ball well. Luka Romero replaced the winger with 15 minutes remaining.
Pedro – 8
Lazio’s high block worked to perfection, and Pedro was a significant reason why. He was dynamic and relentless when pressuring from the front, forcing a turnover in the first half to create the opening goal.
Felipe Anderson – 7
The Brazilian was not at his best, but he converted an easy goal when it mattered most for the visitors.