Lazio used the international break to protect the momentum that has carried them to the top of Serie A, beating Arezzo 2-0 in a friendly at the Stadio Fresini. Andrea Pinamonti and Diogo Leite scored for Gennaro Gattuso’s side, while the coach also handed minutes to members of the Primavera group after a demanding first phase of work.
The result mattered less than the rhythm Lazio can retain during an unusually long pause in the calendar. Gattuso had first given his players five days away from training before bringing them back into a more intense programme, conscious that a break of around 20 days can drain the competitive edge built up in league football.
“It is unusual,” Gattuso said of the long stoppage. “When you have 20 days without matches, you can train as much as you want and organise friendlies, but the adrenaline drops. We have to make sure our temperature does not drop.” He said the rest period had been necessary for both minds and bodies, before Lazio resumed strong work the previous day.
The coach described the Arezzo fixture as useful after two significant training sessions and praised the academy players involved. Lazio will return to Serie A action on 11 October, when Ivan Juric’s Monza are due to provide the next test of whether this early-season pace can be sustained.
Fitness concerns alongside a promising start
Gattuso’s update on the squad brought one fresh concern. Danilo Cataldi suffered a quadriceps problem midway through training on the previous day, despite having spent several days back with the main group. Lazio will carry out further checks within the next 48 hours to establish the extent of the issue.
There was more encouraging news on other recovering players. Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is continuing his individual work and is expected to rejoin team training next week. Adam Marusic has made substantial progress, while Nicolo Rovella has also improved on medical scans and has begun low-intensity running work.
The break arrives with Lazio on 13 points from five league matches, level at the Serie A summit with Roma and Inter. Gattuso attributed that position to the players’ willingness to work and endure difficult moments, rather than allowing early praise to distract from the demands ahead.
He pointed to the match against Mantova as a lesson for the group, saying it showed that Lazio cannot approach their ambitions halfway after already paying a price for doing so. The manager sees a squad arriving at training with smiles, accepting the hard work asked of them. If that mood survives the interruption, he believes Lazio can pursue “many satisfactions” over the season.
