Lazio have moved alongside Inter at the top of Serie A after a sixth-round victory over Monza that brought a new club landmark, but Rino Gattuso will know the afternoon also exposed the balance his side must still find.
The Biancocelesti have taken 16 points from a possible 18, scoring 11 goals and allowing four. Five wins from their opening six league fixtures is the best start in Lazio’s history, better even than the early records set by the teams of Tommaso Maestrelli and Sven-Goran Eriksson.
For much of the first half at the Olimpico, played amid a largely empty stadium, Lazio looked entirely at ease with their new position. Their football was forceful, open and ambitious, and Monza struggled to contain a side playing with the confidence of a leading team.
Nuno Tavares scored his first Lazio goal with a fierce strike, while Andrea Pinamonti also opened his account for the club. Both scorers went to celebrate with Gattuso, an image that reflected the connection the coach has quickly developed with a squad that has exceeded the modest expectations surrounding it before the season.
A win that also carried a warning
The result was not as straightforward as Lazio’s opening spell suggested. As had happened against Milan, the team produced one outstanding half before allowing the contest to drift towards the opposition after the interval.
Gattuso accepted that Lazio had been fortunate to come through the difficult spell, saying, “It went well for us.” Monza wasted chances, while goalkeeper Christos Mandas made two crucial saves to protect the lead.
Monza’s response was all the more notable because they were reduced to 10 men in the 35th minute, when Nicolo Lucchesi was sent off. Rather than retreating, Ivan Juric’s side found greater urgency after Dany Mota entered the match. The Portuguese forward unsettled Lazio’s defending and gave the visitors a focal point that had been missing from the starting line-up.
Juric’s decision not to begin with Dany Mota, Andrea Colpani or Patrick Cutrone will invite scrutiny, given the influence those players can bring to Monza’s attack. Yet the visitors’ second-half spell showed that Lazio remain vulnerable when they lose control of a game.
The home side eventually restored order over the final 10 minutes. Gustav Isaksen struck the post and Monza’s goalkeeper made major stops from the Danish winger and Mattia Zaccagni before Pinamonti sealed the outcome.
Juventus will test the early promise
The next Sunday offers Lazio a more revealing examination. They travel to Juventus for their first away match against one of the division’s established title contenders, with their unexpected place at the summit now certain to command attention.
It will be a test not only of nerve but of the individuals who have shaped this start. Tavares has provided powerful forward running, Reda Belahyane has brought authority in midfield, Tijjani Noslin has linked the attacking moves, and Isaksen appears refreshed after his time with Denmark.
Lazio have earned the right to enjoy a historic opening to the campaign. But six matches do not settle a season, and Gattuso’s central task is clear: preserve the freedom and aggression that have lifted his side while preventing the swings in control that almost changed the Monza match.
At Juventus, the leaders will have the chance to show whether this is merely a remarkable opening or the beginning of a more lasting place in Serie A’s conversation.
