Avellino-Lazio 0-1: Guendouzi's penalty decides the Sandro Criscitiello memorial.

Frosinone, July 26, 2025 - Lazio's first high-level friendly of the season, following a 3-0 home win against the Primavera team. They faced a newly promoted Serie B side, but a team with the solidity and freshness to challenge all the top-flight sides. In this third Sandro Criscitiello memorial , the Biancocelesti prevailed, thanks first to the inventiveness of Noslin , who won a penalty in injury time, and then to Guendouzi , who was immaculate in converting the penalty at the end of a less than stellar performance from Sarri 's men. Much of this was also thanks to the tenacious Avellino team, expertly led by Biancolino on the bench and with midfielder Palmiero named MVP of the match.

First half

For the match against the Biancocelesti, Biancolino is relying on a very young lineup in terms of average age. Iannarilli in goal is defended by a back four of Manzi and Enrici in the center, with Milani on the right and Cancellotti on the left. Palmiero dictates the tempo in midfield, flanked by Palumbo and Sounas . Russo operates behind the two strikers Crespi and Favilli . On the other side, Sarri has Mandas back after some health problems and chooses him between the posts, protected by the two central defenders Gila and Provstgaard , with Hysaj and Nuno Tavares on either flank. Rovella in midfield is flanked by Vecino and Dele- Bashiru . Up front, the classic Sarri trident of Pedro , Castellanos , and Zaccagni .

The Irpini applied heavy pressure in the opening minutes, slightly challenging the Lazio defense in possession. There was intense competition on the pitch, further heightened by the wonderful spectacle put on by both sets of fans in the stands of the Benito Stirpe stadium in Frosinone. Lazio 's attacking trio was lively from the start, with all three forwards making their mark at different times in the first ten minutes. The first real chance of the match came in the 10th minute, with Zaccagni executing a fine right-footed strike from Nuno Tavares , but the green-and-white defense covered well and blocked the ball.

In the opening minutes, Lazio's technique and the Biancocelesti's superior quality emerged, causing problems for an otherwise well-positioned Avellino . The Irpini, on the other hand, were very lively and vibrant, and whenever they had the ball, they bravely turned the front, looking for runs down the flanks. In the 25th minute, Castellanos did everything right, breaking down the center-left and heading in Vecino 's cross, which bulged into the back of the net past Iannarilli . The referee, however, saw a push from the Argentine while freeing himself and ruled out Taty 's goal. There were many doubts about the decision: the Biancocelesti striker's arm was wide to keep his marker at bay, but he didn't appear to be pushing forward when jumping.

The fear of a possible goal seemed to wake Avellino . For five minutes, the green-and-whites seemed to have the game under control. Milani , a product of the Biancocelesti youth team on loan to the Irpini, was unleashed on the left, repeatedly causing Hysaj to spin his lane. Provstgaard and Gila , however, denied the Biancocelesti the luxury of the heart of the penalty area, thus avoiding problems for Mandas ' goal. Towards the end of the half, however, a final burst of energy came from Lazio , always very active down the left flank. The best chance of the period came with the last ball played in the first half. Following a corner, Gila , still on the edge of the area, collected the rebound and fired a first-time right-footed shot towards goal. Iannarilli flew, but would have been beaten anyway; fortunately for him, the crossbar blocked the Spaniard's attempt. A very close first half between Avellino and Lazio ends 0-0.

Second half and penalty kicks

There are several changes on both sides. For Avellino, Roberto Insigne comes on in place of Russo in the attacking midfield, with Panico and Lescano up front replacing Crespi and Favilli . In midfield, Kumi replaces Palmiero , while Daffara replaces Iannarilli in goal for the green and whites. The list of substitutions for Lazio is very long. Maurizio Sarri changes the entire defense, including goalkeeper Mandas, who is replaced by Provedel . Along with the goalkeeper, Lazzari , Marusic , Romagnoli , and Pellegrini enter the fray, replacing Hysaj , Gila , Provstgaard , and Nuno Tavares . Only Vecino remains in midfield, with Cataldi and Guendouzi replacing Rovella and Dele-Bashiru . Up front, Pedro changes flanks, while Zaccagni comes off for Cancellieri .

The first to knock on the green-and-whites' door was Castellanos, who, following a Lazzari cross, attempted a beautiful flying effort. However, the ball soared and went wide. The biggest chance, however, came in the 52nd minute, and it once again belonged to Lazio. Following a corner, after an initial blocked cross, Pellegrini delivered a truly impressive turn, finding Vecino at the far post. The South American midfielder controlled the ball, but failed to direct it correctly, striking it wide of the target. Avellino also had a chance on the hour mark. From a free kick, Palumbo tried to catch Provedel in a very difficult position, but the goalkeeper punched away the danger.

Sarri is not satisfied on the bench and in the 60th minute, Lazio make their second set of substitutions. Noslin takes the reins of attack in place of Castellanos , with Basic on the left for Pedro . Belahyane also comes on for Vecino , essentially completing a new starting eleven compared to the one from the first half. Avellino also makes changes: Frascatore , Todisco , Gyabuaa and Besaggio come on; Enrici , Milani , Palumbo and Sounas leave the field. Of the starting 22, only Cancellotti remains on the pitch.

Lazzari was undoubtedly one of the liveliest players on the pitch. The arrival of the 1993-born player brought a lot of energy up front to the Roman side, and the Italian full-back created two distinct chances. In the 65th minute, his individual foray led to a powerful but wide shot to the right of the Avellino goal; then again in the 71st minute, a powerful right-footed shot, this time deflected for a corner by a struggling Avellino defense. Roberto Insigne 's match lasted just twenty minutes, being replaced by D'Andrea . Two more substitutions for Avellino as the match entered its final ten minutes: Campanile and Marchisano came on, replacing Panico and Cancellotti .

The Irpini performed better in the final minutes, even coming close to scoring the winning goal through Lescano . Lazzari, after a cross from the right, failed to clear the far post, leaving the Italian-Argentine striker alone behind him. However, perhaps caught off guard, the striker was unable to coordinate his shot and fired high over the crossbar. These would have been the final whistles of the match before the final whistle that would have sent the game to penalties, but Noslin had a technical breakthrough on his final move: he outpaced all the defenders and was brought down by an opponent in the penalty area. The referee had no doubts and blew the penalty in front of the Irpinia fans. Guendouzi was cool from the spot, wrong-footing Daffara and sealing the last-minute victory for the Romans.

The match report

Avellino-Lazio 0-1: 90+2' Guendouzi penalty.

Avellino (4-3-1-2): Iannarilli (Daffara 46'), Cancellotti (Marchisan 79'), Manzi (Armellino 46'), Enrici, Milani; Palumbo, Palmiero (Kumi 46'), Sounas; Russo (R. Insigne 46'; D'Andrea 73'); Crespi (Panico 46'; Campanile 79'), Favilli (Lescano 46'). Coach: Raffaele Biancolino.

Lazio (4-3-3): Mandas (46' Provedel); Hysaj (46' Lazzari), Gila (46' Marusic), Provstgaard (46' Romagnoli), Tavares (46' Pellegrini); Vecino (61' Belahyane), Rovella (46' Cataldi), Dele-Bashiru (46' Guendouzi); Pedro (61' Basic), Castellanos (61' Noslin), Zaccagni (46' Cancellieri). Coach: Maurizio Sarri.