Lazio-Cagliari 2-0: Isaksen and Zaccagni bring the Biancocelesti to within two points of the Europa League zone.

Rome, November 3, 2025 – Lazio struggled, still lacking in finishing form, but managed to secure three crucial points to continue their league climb. At the Olimpico, the Biancocelesti defeated Cagliari 2-0 thanks to goals from Isaksen and Zaccagni , both coming in the second half, moving them to within two points of seventh-place Como and back into the Europa League spot. The Sardinian side, however, suffered a second consecutive defeat and missed the chance to decisively move away from the red zone.

First half

Sarri 's pre-match predictions for the lineup have been almost entirely confirmed. In front of Provedel, the Gila and Romagnoli pairing has been confirmed, while on the right Lazzari is starting from the start, with Marusic deployed as a left-back. Guendouzi , Cataldi , and Basic are the three in midfield for the Biancocelesti, while up front Dia is the central attacking point, supported by Isaksen and Zaccagni . Cagliari have made some changes, with the choice of a back four where Mina and Luperto will be the central defenders in front of Caprile , while Palestra and Zappa will operate in the flanks. Adopo , Prati , and Folorunsho make up the midfield of Pisacane 's team. Up front Gaetano operates behind the two strikers Esposito and Borrelli .

Cagliari bravely attempted to control the ball in the opening minutes of the match, applying some pressure in the Lazio half, but the initial phase of the match was very tense. The first duels were won by the rossoblù players, but the pace didn't pick up. The first real attempt on either goal was seen after the 15-minute mark. The visitors performed well, before Borrelli passed the ball long to a teammate. Gaetano made a fine pass to Folorunsho, who had moved in on the center-left. The Roman midfielder fired first-time, but his effort stayed central, with Provedel having no problem blocking the ball.

Lazio gradually grew in strength, gaining more and more confidence in the game. Isaksen 's runs began to become increasingly intimidating, creating a bit of disarray in the highly organized Sardinian defense. However, Cagliari once again made their presence felt, when in the 20th minute Esposito squandered a golden opportunity, firing high from the edge of the box after Palestra 's fine run down the left. The home side, however, began to gain control, and between the 28th and 31st minutes, three huge chances came for the Romans. The first came from Basic 's left-footed shot, fed low by Zaccagni , but the Croatian's left-footed shot was wide. A minute later, a similar move occurred on the opposite side: Lazzari found Zaccagni , and this time the number 10 struck low but wide of the Sardinian goal. The last chance fell on Marusic 's right foot, who tried to surprise Caprile with a powerful, well-aimed curling shot: the Cagliari goalkeeper flew to deflect the ball out for a corner.

The game was livelier towards the end of the half, but there were still few chances to break the deadlock. The ball changed sides frequently, but Cagliari was the better player. In the 44th minute, the visitors had two chances to close out the first half. Folorunsho 's first attempt from a tight angle was blocked, and Luperto attempted the rebound, but a defender sacrificed himself to block it. The first half thus ended 0-0 at the Olimpico.

Second half

The second half began with a change for Lazio. Romagnoli suffered a physical problem while returning to the locker room and was replaced by Provstgaard , while Pisacane 's team returned with the same eleven from the first half. The match resumed at a much faster pace than the first half, and the Rossoblu players tried to exploit the open spaces. Gaetano received the first yellow card of the match, but it was he who created the first chance of the second half. The Rossoblu midfielder launched a brilliant counterattack following Adopo 's recovery, but once inside the Lazio penalty area, he failed to angle his shot, striking it straight at Provedel .

Cagliari's first substitution came in the 57th minute, when Felici came on for Gaetano , forming a 4-4-2 formation for the Sardinians. The same player, who had just come on, was also shown a yellow card shortly after coming on, bringing down Zaccagni with a tactical foul. Substitutions also came for Lazio five minutes later, when Vecino came on for Basic . The game seemed deadlocked, requiring an individual breakthrough, and Isaksen 's came to break the deadlock. The Dane received the ball in his usual position on the center-right and attacked the center of the pitch. He beat two men, and curled his left-footed shot into the bottom corner to beat the helpless Caprile . The 65th minute was the final minute, and the score at the Olimpico was 1-0 in favor of the Biancocelesti.

Cagliari tried to react immediately, and Pisacane did so with substitutions. Kiliçsoy and Luvumbo came on for Esposito and Borrelli . Sarri responded by bringing on Luca Pellegrini for Lazzari . Moments later, the Cagliari coach ran out of substitutions, bringing on Pavoletti and Idrissi for Folorunsho and Palestra : the visitors now had a super-attacking lineup with three real strikers. This formation significantly unbalanced the Rossoblu's play, as they attempted to launch a full-blown siege in the opposition's half.

Lazio struggled in the final minutes, forcing Sarri to make his final substitutions. Pedro and Noslin came on, while Isaksen and Dia came off, the latter receiving some boos from the Biancoceleste fans. The visitors showed desire and determination, but a great deal of disorganization and numerous small errors allowed the home team to breathe and gain momentum. In a move similar to the opening goal, but on the opposite side, Zacccagni had a chance to knock the ball out, but his back-foot shot sailed over the crossbar . It was no big deal for the Lazio captain, who had a chance to try again at the start of injury time and was unforgiving. Prati misplaced his pass, giving the ball to the Roma number 10, who shifted the ball to his right foot and placed it in the top corner to make it 2-0, sealing the match. Sarri 's team won and moved to within two points of the European qualification zone thanks to goals from their wingers, while for Cagliari it was their third defeat in the last five.