Lazio gained revenge for their Coppa Italia quarter-final defeat, inflicting Atalanta’s first Serie A loss of 2021 including a stunning Adam Marusic curler and classic counter-attacks.
There have been 21 goals in the last four competitive meetings between these sides, including Wednesday’s Coppa Italia quarter-final, in which La Dea won 3-2 despite going a man down and seeing a penalty saved. Both teams rotated for that tie, but Robin Gosens was suspended, Hans Hateboer injured and Cristian Romero ruled out by COVID. Luis Alberto returned for the first time since having his appendix out on January 19, but Felipe Caicedo, Luiz Felipe Ramos and Thomas Strakosha were injured.
It took just over two minutes to break the deadlock from an unexpected source, as Adam Marusic gathered 25 metres out and curled an absolute stunner of a right-foot strike into the far top corner. It bent wickedly at the end to go around Pierluigi Gollini’s fingertips, and his vision was also impaired by bright sunshine.
Atalanta had more possession, but Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s free kick whistled wide, while Manuel Lazzari to his credit immediately assured the referee he had tripped when sprinting into the box and wasn’t fouled.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic thought he’d surely scored with a free header on the splendid Immobile floated pass, but Gollini just managed to fingertip it onto the upright.
Atalanta kept more of the ball, with Josip Ilicic nutmegging Milinkovic-Savic, but Lazio had all the chances, Gollini rushing outside his area to clear from Immobile. Patric was already booked, so Simone Inzaghi hauled him off before half-time for the debut of exMilan defender Mateo Musacchio.
Luis Alberto’s lob had to be fingertipped out from under the bar, the sun again making it tricky for Gollini, while Duvan Zapata’s header was too close to Pepe Reina.
Ruslan Malinovskyi came on for the restart, switching Joakim Maehle to the left and seemingly adopting a four-man defence. Maehle immediately volleyed over the bar, but Lazio doubled their lead with a classic counter.
Reina’s long ball was flicked on by Immobile in midfield, so Joaquin Correa could sprint away, dribble round Gollini and score from the tightest of angles.
Lazzari was sent sprinting onto a Milinkovic-Savic pass, but a combination of Maehle and Gollini parried at the near post.
Immobile had the ball in the net, but it was ruled offside on another Milinkovic-Savic pass, then the striker managed to dribble past two defenders in the box only to eventually see his shot charged down.
Atalanta did eventually get one back, as Luis Muriel twisted through the entire Lazio defence with wonderful skill, his finish bouncing off the post and into the path of fellow substitute Mario Pasalic.