Lazio’s early momentum under Gennaro Gattuso has brought more than an unexpected place at the top of the table. It has also reopened the cases of players who appeared to have lost their place in the club’s plans, with Nuno Tavares becoming the clearest symbol of a side being rebuilt from within.
Tavares finds a new route to goal
Tavares’ strike against Monza was the moment that gave his revival its sharpest image: a left-footed effort from 29 metres, hit from a wide area around the edge of the final third and driven beyond the goalkeeper. It ended a long wait for a goal.
- It was Tavares’ first goal since 2023.
- He had gone 64 appearances without scoring.
- He had never previously scored for Lazio.
- Before finding the net against Monza, he had supplied two assists.
The Portuguese defender had previously looked most convincing when Lazio were flying under Marco Baroni, while his influence was far less consistent during Maurizio Sarri’s spell. Under Gattuso, he still begins as a full-back but is increasingly invited to move inside, extending the areas in which he can affect matches.
The same idea had appeared against Milan. In that move, Christos Mandas found Tavares through a central channel, Tavares released Mattia Zaccagni, and Zaccagni created the finish for Matteo Cancellieri. Tavares remains able to carry the ball down the flank, but his inward movement has offered Lazio another attacking option.
Gattuso’s demand: talent must be used
The improvement has not come without friction. Gattuso has acknowledged that there were tense moments with Tavares at the beginning of their work together, saying he struggles to accept players who possess ability but fail to make proper use of it.
After leaving Tavares on the bench, the coach delivered a blunt assessment. Gattuso compared the player’s potential to a valuable inheritance from Real Madrid that had been squandered, adding that Tavares knows how strong he is and that the challenge is to reach his mentality.
That approach reflects a wider principle in Gattuso’s Lazio: systems are meant to serve the players available, rather than obscure their best qualities. His changes have involved movement between roles and exchanges of position, especially when Lazio have the ball and seek ways around man-to-man marking.
New responsibilities for Belahyane and Noslin
Tavares is not the only player whose role has been enlarged. Reda Belahyane and Tijjani Noslin have both been given clearer functions after struggling to establish themselves under Sarri.
- Belahyane has operated as a ball-winning midfielder and as a deeper organiser. He can drop toward the centre-backs, often on the right side, allowing Floriani to push forward and a midfielder to move wider.
- Noslin has been used both as a conventional centre-forward and as a roaming false nine. He scored as a number nine against Milan and Venezia, then played a more withdrawn role against Monza.
- Against the man-marking associated with Ivan Juric, Noslin did not remain fixed against his marker. He dropped as far as midfield to connect Lazio’s play and created space through his movement.
Gattuso has brought a more individualised emphasis to a squad that had seemed short of certainty and definition. His own team can press and mark man for man, but his attacking work has also looked for rotations that prevent opponents from turning those duels into a cage.
A revival with consequences beyond Sunday
The benefits extend to Lazio’s boardroom as well as the pitch. Gattuso has given Claudio Lotito an unlikely first-place position at this stage of the season, but the rehabilitation of players already at the club may be equally valuable.
With the possibility of another restricted transfer window hanging over Lazio, improving the value and usefulness of the current squad is a significant outcome. The club’s latest accounts showed how record capital gains had helped limit losses, underlining the importance of assets that can either contribute on the field or protect the club financially.
A return to European competition remains an important ambition. Looking further ahead, Lazio will face the cost of making loan arrangements permanent in 2027, with the commitments estimated at between €30 million and €40 million. The task for Lotito will be to retain enough of the rebuilt group to create continuity rather than begin another cycle of dismantling.
For now, Lazio’s season has acquired a more encouraging rhythm. Tavares’ challenge is to make his latest surge last, rather than allowing a promising spell to fade again. Gattuso’s broader challenge is to turn these individual recoveries into a team capable of sustaining its position over the full course of the championship.
