Strikers Romelu Lukaku and Paulo Dybala both had a lackluster performance as Roma drew 0-0 with Lazio in the 12th round of Serie A.
On the evening of November 12 at the Olimpico Stadium, both teams were missing key players. Lazio was without midfielder Mattia Zaccagni following their Champions League win against Feyenoord midweek, while Roma was without Lorenzo Pellegrini, Chris Smalling, Marash Kumbulla, and Tammy Abraham due to long-term injuries.
Roma started actively and seemed to want to dominate their opponents. In the 5th minute, Bryan Cristante delivered a ball into the box, but Lukaku’s header went over the crossbar. In the 13th minute, Rick Karsdorp’s close-range shot was blocked by goalkeeper Ivan Provedel, and Cristante’s follow-up from a tight angle found the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside. One minute later, Karsdorp missed another opportunity with a close-range volley that went wide.
After a bright start, Roma returned to a more pragmatic style of play, a familiar approach under Jose Mourinho. Lazio took advantage and created more opportunities in the remaining part of the first half. In the 25th minute, midfielder #10 Luis Alberto took a one-touch shot from around 25 meters, beating Rui Patricio but hitting the post. Three minutes later, Alberto’s free-kick found Alessio Romagnoli’s low header, but Patricio made a crucial save.
A similar scenario unfolded in the second half, with Roma starting better, including a headed attempt by Paulo Dybala. In the 57th minute, Lukaku made a powerful run from near the center of the field, closing in on the penalty area and taking a left-footed shot, but a Lazio player blocked it.
The most notable incident was Ciro Immobile’s fall while taking a shot inside the penalty area in injury time. Roma players protested, claiming that the Italian forward had simulated a foul, leading to a confrontation between the two teams. However, referee Davide Massa opted not to issue cards to calm the situation.
In contrast to the midweek verbal exchange, the two managers had more friendly exchanges after the match. Mourinho stated, “Roma played to win. One point is positive, better than a loss, especially against an opponent with similar goals.” He added, “I am very demanding of myself. That’s my nature. I am never satisfied.”
Meanwhile, when asked about his relationship with Mourinho, Sarri replied, “I don’t like working with Mourinho in front of the media, but in reality, he is a great person.”
The goalless draw yesterday didn’t change the positions of the two teams. Roma stands seventh with 18 points, one point ahead of Lazio in tenth place. At the top, Inter returned to the summit with 31 points after a 2-0 win against Frosinone, leading second-placed Juventus by two points. After a two-week break for the national team fixtures, Roma will face Udinese, while Lazio will play against Salernitana.
The Lineup:
Lazio: Provedel, Marusic (Hysaj 82), Romagnoli, Patric, Lazzari, Alberto, Cataldi (Vecino 65, Rovella 75), Guendouzi, Pedro (Isaksen 65), Anderson (Kamada 82), Immobile.
Roma: Patricio, N’Dicka, Llorente, Mancini, Spinazzola (Kristensen 90), Karsdorp (Celik 86), Bove (Sanches 82), Paredes, Cristante, Dybala (Azmoun 82), Lukaku.
