Nuno Tavares has begun to look like a central figure again at Lazio, restoring the energy and attacking intent that made his 2024/25 campaign so promising. After a previous season interrupted by injuries and limited to 17 league starts, the Portuguese full-back has quickly earned the trust of Gattuso and has become one of the more encouraging stories in the early weeks of the championship.
Gattuso has made his admiration clear, describing Tavares as a player with the potential to play for Real Madrid. The former Arsenal man has appeared four times so far, starting each of Lazio’s last three matches against Genoa, Udinese and Milan. His first outing brought a satisfactory performance, followed by three consecutive match ratings of seven.
The most decisive of those displays came against Genoa, when Tavares supplied the assist for Davide Frattesi’s winning goal in a 1-0 result. It was his first assist of the season and underlined the value he can bring when Lazio are able to release him down the flank.
A renewed role for club and country
His rising influence has also been reflected in his fantasy-football valuation, which has climbed to 21 credits, five more than at the start of the season. More importantly for Lazio, the early evidence suggests that Tavares is again capable of offering consistency after a difficult, injury-affected year.
The 2000-born defender has also returned to Portugal’s squad after missing out on the World Cup. With his place under Gattuso increasingly secure and an international recall now in hand, Tavares has the chance to turn a promising opening into a season in which he matters on more than one front.
