Lazio coach Marco Baroni tells his players to ‘watch Pedro’ in every detail after a winning goal against Empoli, but the key to their success is in ‘the collective.’
The Aquile had plenty of doubters in pre-season, to the degree that ultras staged a protest against the appointment of Baroni following the departure of Maurizio Sarri and then Igor Tudor.
However, they are eating their words now with four consecutive victories in all competition, including results that put them on top of the Europa League table.
Pedro scored in Thursday’s 4-1 win over OGC Nice and found the net again today, sealing the comeback win over Empoli following the Mattia Zaccagni equaliser and early Sebastiano Esposito header.
Taty Castellanos also wasted the opportunity to score when his penalty was parried by Devis Vasquez.
“Pedro is an extraordinary guy, a constant reference point for everyone,” Baroni told DAZN.
“I always tell the players to watch him, even when he’s just in the locker room putting his boots on. We are happy that he’s in good shape and are eager to hold on to him tight.”
Baroni calling on all Lazio resources
The game had started on the wrong foot – literally – when Ivan Provedel slipped and couldn’t make the save on Esposito’s header.
“We conceded the first goal thanks to the state of the pitch, because otherwise Empoli never really had a shot on goal. It was the last game in a run of fixtures close together, the team showed hunger, determination and sentiment, this is what I want to see and what the fans need. This is how we create a winning group.”
Considering Lazio are top of the Europa League and flying high in Serie A too, how ambitious is Baroni?
“We are ambitious as a club, as a city, it has to be about the collective, a strong united identity. If you start looking at the table, it’s a mistake,” replied the former Verona coach.
“Enthusiasm around us is pleasing, but I know that I have to keep the players on their toes so they can keep putting in these performances and pay attention to the details.”
For someone unaccustomed to preparing three games a week or being involved in European football, Baroni is managing the squad rotation impressively well.
“My squad is not of 11 players, but of 24, and all the lads know what to do when they step on the pitch. With so many games, you cannot use the same players all the time. I don’t like generally talking about squad rotation, mind you.
“We know that after the break for international duty, we’ve got another mini run of seven matches in 21 days. Now is the time to rest and recuperate, then we’ll get back on track.”