[Serie A] Cagliari - Lazio = 1 - 2

On Monday night, Cagliari hosted Lazio to wrap up the 23rd day of Serie A. Lazio needed to respond after Juventus and Fiorentina overtook them, causing Baroni's side to drop from fourth to sixth in the standings.

Their response came in the form of a hard-fought and well-deserved win, thanks to goals from Zaccagni and Castellanos. The impressive teamwork and spirit on display highlighted the group's strength as they returned to winning ways following a series of lackluster performances.

With this victory, Lazio earned three points, moving them up to fourth place with 42 points and pushing Juventus down to fifth. In contrast, Cagliari remains in 17th place—just above the relegation zone—with only 21 points from 23 matches, according to the official Italian League website.

After suffering defeats in their previous games against Fiorentina and SC Braga, Lazio showed a more assertive approach in this match. They even had a goal from Boulaye Dia disallowed by VAR for a handball incident.

Lazio broke the deadlock in the 41st minute when Elseid Hysaj made an overlapping run down the right and delivered a pull pass that found Zaccagni, who finished from close range to give Lazio a 1-0 lead.

Cagliari responded promptly in the second half. Their pressure paid off in the 56th minute when Nicolas Viola’s corner found Roberto Piccoli, whose sharp header equalized the score.

Lazio, however, maintained their composure. Gustav Isaksen created a promising opportunity for Castellanos, and despite a save from Cagliari’s goalkeeper Elia Caprile, the visitors managed to score in the 65th minute. Boulaye Dia headed the ball to Castellanos, who comfortably fired it in from close range, restoring the lead at 2-1—a margin that lasted until the final whistle.

Unfortunately, the win came at a cost, as Elseid Hysaj had to be substituted after suffering a thigh injury. His exit adds to the growing list of injured Lazio players, including Nuno Tavares, Patric, Matias Vecino, and Manuel Lazzari.

Lazio (4-2-3-1): Provedel 5.5; Hysaj 7 (62' Gigot 6), Gila 6.5, Romagnoli 6.5, Marusic 6; Guendouzi 6.5, Rovella 6.5; Isaksen 7 (87' Noslin n/a), Dia 6.5 (87' Pedro n/a), Zaccagni 7.5 (87' Dele-Bashiru n/a); Castellanos 7

Bench: Mandas, Furlanetto, Zazza, Ibrahimovic, Tchaouna

Coach: Del Rosso 7

Goalscorers: 41' Zaccagni (L), 55' Piccoli (C), 64' Castellanos (L)

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