Three Things We Learned From Lazio vs Parma: Sarri Can Solve Two Issues in One Fell Swoop
Three Things We Learned From Lazio vs Parma: Sarri Can Solve Two Issues in One Fell Swoop Tijjani Noslin has now cemented himself as the ultimate bogeyman in Parma, but his exploits only earned Lazio a single point this time. The Dutchman who famously scored a historic last-gasp winner for the nine-man Aquile at the Ennio Tardini in December proved to be Maurizio Sarri’s winning card in the second half once more. The versatile attacker replaced Pedro on the left wing, and his clever movement made all the difference, as he snatched the equaliser that cancelled out Enrico Del Prato’s early opener in the 1-1 draw .
While it wasn’t the most inspiring performance or the most eventful contest, here are some of the conclusions we deduced after the full-time whistle. Smaller Clubs Have Figured Out Lazio After three straight wins over clubs residing in the top half of the table, Lazio were expected to prevail over 12th-placed Parma. Nevertheless, the outcome was hardly surprising, as the Biancocelesti have been struggling to break down smaller opposition who are happy to sit back and absorb the pressure.
We had already witnessed a similar pattern in Lecce and Cagliari. Unfortunately for Lazio, they have become a technically limited team that almost exclusively relies on counterattacks. While Sarri’s men are capable of imposing their will in the middle of the park, they lack the flair and creativity to penetrate tight defences.
Despite being on the back foot for the bulk of the contest, they were only able to forge seven shots, only four on target. In fairness, the Aquile have been deprived of their most creative midfielder in Nicolo Rovella all season, but they must also replace the deadwood, like Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Reda Belahyane, with more forward-thinking midfielders. Stubborn Sarri Pounding his head Against the Wall We have already mentioned this issue on several occasions, but Sarri appears determined to shoot himself in the foot by fielding Daniel Maldini as a striker, in a move that hasn’t been doing the player or the team any favors.
Curiously, the 24-year-old was essentially brought on to replace Mattia Zaccagni when required, so one would imagine that Maldini would be placed on the left wing in the absence of the injured captain. But instead, Sarri wants the Atalanta loanee to lead the line, with 38-year-old Pedro darting down the flank, and both decisions have backfired for the second match in a row, with both players looking ineffective in their respective roles. The most puzzling aspect of the whole equation is that the solution feels too obvious, yet unlikely to be adopted by the stubborn manager.