Maurizio Sarri believes Lazio just about did enough to deserve the victory over Fiorentina and urges everyone to have patience with Ciro Immobile after injury.
It was becoming a frustrating evening for both teams at the Stadio Olimpico, as in the first half Lucas Beltran had a goal disallowed for handball and hit the woodwork, then after the break Pietro Terracciano made a series of big saves.
With the last move of the game, Matias Vecino’s header hit Nikola Milenkovic’s arm from point-blank range and Immobile, who had come off the bench in the final stages, kept his cool to convert the penalty.
“It was a tough match, which was easy to predict. Fiorentina did a little more than us in the first half, but I think we legitimised the result with a very strong second half performance where we created three or four big chances. It was a game on a razor’s edge, but we deserved it with that second half,” Sarri told Sky Sport Italia.
Taty Castellanos had started in the centre-forward role and wasted a couple of sitters before making way for Immobile.
“I said before the game that we are waiting for Ciro and nobody is doubting him. Castellanos is doing well at the moment and it is only right to use him, while it is important for Immobile to get some regular training in, seeing as he has not had that opportunity over the last month. His last two training sessions seemed better, I just hope he can do that consistency and then he’ll be back to 100 per cent soon.”
Lazio struggled to get many counter-attacking moves going today, as they tended to hesitate.
“We wasted a lot in the first half and I think we made it a little easier for Fiorentina with the lack of movement off the ball.”
Sarri famously is no fan of squad rotation, but he has rather been forced to embrace it with Lazio in the Champions League and new alternatives that can come off the bench to shake things up.
“I think football is going in this direction. The fixture list is packed and 90 minutes in these conditions are tough for everyone. My sensation is that the squad is stronger than last season, but now we must prove that we are stronger or at least as good in the starting XI.”
This result puts Lazio in seventh place, only one point behind Fiorentina and three points adrift of Atalanta in fourth position.