Lazio return to the Olimpico after the international break with the chance to protect an unbeaten start and record a second consecutive Serie A victory. Monza arrive for the sixth round encouraged by their home win over Sassuolo, seeking the sort of positive result that can give shape to their own early-season recovery.
An Olimpico afternoon after the break
- The match is scheduled for a 15:00 kick-off in Rome, with both sides resuming their league campaigns after the long pause for international football.
- Lazio coach Gennaro Gattuso named a 4-3-3, with Mandas in goal; Floriani, Doekhi, Provstgaard and Tavares in defence; Frattesi, Belahyane and Taylor in midfield; and Isaksen, Nsolin and Zaccagni across the forward line.
- Ivan Juric set Monza up in a 3-4-2-1: Tornqvist; Kouadio, Lucchesi and Carboni; Birindelli, Akinsanmiro, Folorunsho and Mangas; Ngonge and Zeballos behind Varela.
- As the warm-ups began at the Olimpico, Lazio marked Mattia Zaccagni’s 200th appearance for the club by presenting him with a commemorative shirt.
Gattuso asks for urgency
Gattuso’s message before kick-off was built around intensity and attention. He described Monza as a young, forceful and awkward opponent, warning Lazio not to be caught unprepared.
“We have to go hard,” Gattuso said. “We must move, attack and create passing options.”
The Lazio coach also reflected on a change in his own approach to managing players. He said that, just as he and his wife had needed to step back in order to understand their children better, he has learned to find the right way into the minds of his squad.
Gattuso admitted he used to become angry too easily, but said experience has taught him which issues deserve a reaction and which should be allowed to pass.
Isaksen, meanwhile, urged restraint over Lazio’s league position. “It is too early to look at the table,” he said. “We take one match at a time and keep looking forward.”
Monza’s work during the pause
Juric used the break to bring players closer to full condition and reinforce the principles his side have been working on since the start of the campaign. He singled out Ngonge and Zeballos, saying both had reached a good physical level ahead of the trip to Rome.
The Monza coach praised Lazio’s athleticism and their ability to turn defence into attack quickly. He called Gattuso’s side mentally free and said they had earned their place at the top end of the early standings.
Ricardo Mangas said Monza had worked extensively over the three-week period and were ready to show their improvement.
Available substitutes
| Lazio | Monza |
|---|---|
| Motta, Renzetti, Sutalo, Diogo Leite, Lazzari, Pedraza, Cataldi, Dele-Bashiru, Przyborek, Farcomeni, Serra, Pinamonti | Thiam, Strajnar, Goglichidze, Maye, Antov, Ondoa, Cutrone, Colombo, Bakoune, Colpani, Robinson, Mota, Mout |
For Lazio, the afternoon is another test of whether their encouraging opening can become a stable part of the season. For Monza, fresh from defeating Sassuolo, it is an opportunity to show that the work done during the pause can travel beyond their own stadium.
