SS Lazio came out on top in a thrilling Derby della Capitale against AS Roma on Sunday with Maurizio Sarri’s men 3-2 victors at the pair’s shared Stadio Olimpico home. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Pedro Rodriguez gave the “hosts” a two-goal lead before Roger Ibanez halved the deficit just before halftime.
Felipe Anderson restored Lazio’s two-goal cushion just after the hour mark before Jordan Veretout ensured that it would be a nervy finish in the capital with a penalty for Jose Mourinho’s side. However, the Biancocelesti held on to edge all three points and handed the Giallorossi their second defeat of the season.
Here are some takeaways from Sunday’s derby. You can catch Serie A action all season long on Paramount+.
1. Derby delivers
We promised goals and plenty of fiery passion and we were not disappointed. Five goals and seven yellow cards were registered on a memorable night in the capital for Lazio fans. Do not expect Mourinho to take this lying down either as this rivalry will likely grow with each result given his and Sarri’s explosive characters.
2. Pedro punishes
In a twist of fate befitting such a grudge match, one of Lazio’s scorers was deemed surplus to requirements by Roma this summer and has now come back to haunt them. Sarri has given the Spaniard a new home and the 34-year-old is now off the mark on the other side of the capital. A funny little sidenote is that Pedro’s last goal came in a 2-0 win over Lazio with Roma.
3. Sarri style
A five-goal thriller with plenty of high-octane soccer on display and lots of passion to match is exactly what we have come to expect from Sarri’s teams in Serie A and this result suggests that the wily Italian’s methods are starting to take hold. Can his players build on it in the coming weeks? This result will certainly help as their style develops with each match.
4. Mourinho misery
This is not how the former UEFA Champions League-winning Inter Milan boss will have wanted his first Roman derby to go. A first-ever loss to Lazio for him will likely have seen some very fierce language exchanged in the Giallorossi camp between the Portuguese boss and his players. Expect a reaction between now and the international break and they will not be allowed to forget this loss when the next derby rolls around.