Gattuso gets 1st Lazio win as Frattesi sinks Bologna in tight Serie A opener

After the embarrassment of their early Coppa Italia exit to second-tier Mantova Lazio badly needed a response. This was not a sparkling display. It was at least a much steadier one.

Match highlight

Mattia Zaccagni dragged an effort wide from a promising position after 8 minutes. Then Matteo Cancellieri produced the shot on target of the match with a surprise long-range effort inside the opening quarter-hour.

Bologna were quieter at first. Not completely absent. Their first real attacking warning came a minutes later when Roberto Piccoli reacted instinctively from a corner and sent his effort narrowly wide. It was enough to remind Lazio that this was not going to be an evening.

After the half-hour mark the visitors thought they had found the breakthrough.

Boulaye Dia finished calmly when put through with the goalkeeper to beat but the celebrations were cut short immediately by the offside flag. This left the travelling Lazio supporters frustrated.

From there the rest of the half drifted a bit. Neither side managed to take control. The game flattened out into an even contest before the break.

Bologna then had the big chance of the second half. 3 Minutes after the restart Christos Mandas had to produce an excellent save to keep out a close-range header from Jens Odgaard. This moment could easily have changed the tone of the night.

Instead it was Lazio who found the blow just before the hour. Davide Frattesi had only been on the pitch for 5 minutes after replacing Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.. He made an immediate impact. Dia produced a backheel pass inside the area. Frattesi took advantage finishing low into the corner past Lukasz Skorupski.

Bologna tried hard to force a way. They came close with around 15 minutes to go. Federico Bernardeschi curled a footed free-kick against the post after Mandas got fingertips to it. After Eivind Helland saw a close-range effort brilliantly cleared off the line by Frattesi.

Lazio did not dominate,. They were more decisive in both boxes when it mattered. That was enough to carry them over the line.

For Bologna boss Domenico Tedesco, the wait for a Serie A win in charge goes on. The next assignment will not be easy either. It is a trip to Atalanta. Lazio meanwhile can head into their game, against Genoa with a bit more calm. They got the kind of away win they needed to steady the mood early.