Rome has not filled the Olimpico, but Lazio have filled the opening weeks with a result few expected. Sunday’s 3-1 win over newly promoted Monza gave Gennaro Gattuso’s side their finest start to a Serie A campaign in the club’s 126-year history.
Lazio are level at the summit with Inter Milan on 16 points after six matches, having won five times. The scale of the turnaround is striking after three flat league seasons and an early Coppa Italia exit that had deepened the anger around the club.
Quick facts
- Lazio beat Monza 3-1 at the Olimpico on Sunday.
- They have five victories from their first six Serie A fixtures.
- The Biancocelesti share first place with Inter Milan on 16 points.
- Nuno Tavares scored from distance in the third minute against Monza.
- Davide Frattesi has three league goals following his August loan from Inter.
- Lazio visit Juventus next Sunday.
The empty seats remain a reminder that the recovery is not yet complete. Only 11,500 spectators were present in a stadium with a capacity of 70,000, as supporters continue their boycott in protest at president Claudio Lotito’s running of the club.
There had been little cause for optimism two months ago. Lazio were beaten 2-0 by Serie B side Mantova in their first Coppa Italia match, while the team had finished seventh, seventh and ninth over the previous three Serie A seasons.
For a club with two Scudetti, won in 1974 and 2000, seven Italian Cups and two European finals in its history, the recent drift had been hard to accept. Lazio have also been home to figures such as Alessandro Nesta and Ciro Immobile, yet this current group has accelerated without an obvious superstar.
Frattesi has become a key contributor after arriving on loan in August, having previously been a substitute at Inter. Gattuso has found a functioning balance in a squad short of established elite names, although the early fixture list has helped.
Against Monza, Lazio were dominant before the break, with former Marseille player Tavares opening the scoring with a fine long-range effort after three minutes. Their second-half display was far less convincing, however, and Gattuso used his post-match remarks to dampen the rising noise around the table.
“We must not focus on the standings; we simply have to work hard in training,” said the 48-year-old coach.
Gattuso’s own start has also overturned expectations. His spell at Marseille, from September 2023 to February 2024, ended unsuccessfully, and he had previously failed to take Italy to the last World Cup.
The coach knows Lazio’s only setback so far came in the 2-2 draw with AC Milan on September 12. Apart from Milan, their opponents have largely come from the lower end of the division, making next Sunday’s trip to Juventus a sharper measure of how far this unexpected revival can go.
