Lazio’s opening six rounds have produced a shared lead in Serie A with Inter, but the most revealing feature of Rino Gattuso’s side is not a single outstanding scorer. Eleven league goals have come from eight different players, giving the Biancocelesti a collective edge at the start of a season in which responsibility in the final third has been spread widely.
A shared burden in front of goal
Davide Frattesi is Lazio’s leading scorer so far with three goals, each arriving in the first three matchdays and each proving decisive. It is a familiar contribution from a midfielder with a strong scoring record: he has nine goals in 38 appearances for Italy.
Tijjani Noslin follows on two goals, both scored in Lazio’s final two fixtures before the international break. Six other players have scored once: Cancellieri, Gudmundsson, Isaksen, Pinamonti, Tavares and Zaccagni.
That distribution means all six of the club’s forwards have already found the net at least once, alongside Frattesi in midfield and Tavares from defence. There is no player carrying the attack in the manner of a traditional high-volume centre-forward; Lazio’s early position has instead been built on contributions from across the pitch.
Gattuso’s work from pre-season
- Gattuso made collective involvement a principle from the beginning of the summer training camp, asking every player to take an active role both with and without the ball.
- The forwards are expected to contribute defensively, while midfielders and defenders are encouraged to arrive in attacking areas when the situation permits.
- Tavares illustrates that change. He still provides width and deliveries from the flank, but he has also been given licence to move inside and attack shooting positions.
- That movement brought his first Lazio goal of the campaign against Monza last Sunday, ending his wait to appear on the scoresheet.
The team’s attacking approach has created numerous chances in each match, helping explain why the goals have been shared. There is also a cost: Lazio have occasionally exposed themselves to danger during periods when their concentration and control have dropped.
Further scorers may yet emerge
The current list need not be final. Taylor has yet to score this term, despite having produced goals throughout his career and registering three during the second half of last season with Lazio.
Dele-Bashiru, who returned from injury against Monza, also has a record of contributing from midfield. He scored five goals in his first Lazio season and two in his second. Rovella is still seeking his first goal in Biancoceleste colours, and Tavares’ breakthrough against Monza may offer encouragement to another player waiting to open his account.
Among the defenders, summer arrivals Doekhi, Leite and Sutalo have all scored during their previous club careers. Provstgaard has not yet done so, although this is his first campaign as a regular starter.
The next step: turning chances into more goals
Lazio are scoring at close to two goals per game, a healthy return over six rounds, but Gattuso’s next task is to improve the conversion of the chances his side are producing. The feeling within the season’s opening chapter is that the attacking output could be higher.
Greater efficiency would not only strengthen Lazio’s position near the summit. It would also give the side more protection on those afternoons when a brief blackout has allowed opponents back into the contest. For now, however, the table and the goalscoring spread tell the same story: Lazio’s early momentum belongs to the group rather than one headline striker.
