Serie A

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·16 March 2024

Serie A | Frosinone 2-3 Lazio: Castellanos starts post-Sarri era

Taty Castellanos came off the bench and scored twice for the 3-2 comeback win away to Frosinone, on Giovanni Martusciello’s only Lazio match after Maurizio Sarri quit.

Following Sarri’s resignation and with Igor Tudor in the wings ready to start Monday, Martusciello was on the Aquile bench trying to stop the rot of four consecutive defeats. Ivan Provedel was out with a sprained ankle, plus Mario Gila, Patric and Nicolò Rovella not fully fit, but Matteo Guendouzi returned as his two-match ban was halved on appeal. The Canarini were struggling too, slipping into the relegation zone after one win and three draws in 15 rounds. Abdou Harroui, Kevin Bonifazi, Anthony Oyono, Riccardo Marchizza, Mateus Lusuardi and Sergio Kalaj were still out of action.

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It was an aggressive start from the hosts, as Walid Cheddira failed to keep his header down and Luca Mazzitelli tested Christos Mandas from the edge of the area.

They took the lead when Nadir Zortea whipped in a cross from the left and Mattia Zaccagni allowed Pol Lirola a free header at the far post. That was an historic moment, the 100th goal Frosinone have scored in Serie A.

Ciro Immobile turned wide after combining with Felipe Anderson, then Francesco Gelli failed to get the tap-in on a Marco Brescianini assist.

Lazio equalised when Luis Alberto found Guendouzi down the right, his cross was swept in by Mattia Zaccagni from six yards, getting away from Caleb Okoli. It was the Italian’s first goal of 2024.

They nearly turned it around before half-time, but Stefano Turati used his leg to parry the Ciro Immobile angled drive at the near post.

After the restart, Matias Soule tested Mandas and Immobile hit a fresh-air shot on the Manuel Lazzari cross.

Taty Castellanos replaced Immobile and scored with his first touch, leaping over Zortea to nod in the Luis Alberto free kick.

He nearly got another with a sensational volley on the Matias Vecino dinked assist over his shoulder, but Turati made a great save on both that and the follow-up from Luis Alberto.

On the resulting corner, Nicolò Casale’s deflected attempt rolled onto the base of the upright, with Castellanos quickest to react on the rebound for another goal.

It was not over, as Frosinone got back into it when Gelli’s corner was nodded down by Okoli, then Cheddira used the bounce to go into an overhead kick from seven yards.

Cheddira had the ball in the net again moments later, but this time he was offside when Soule intercepted an awful Mandas back-pass.

Turati kept Frosinone in it with a stunning reaction save to fingertip the Luis Alberto curler onto the far post when it seemed impossible not to score.

It remained wide open in stoppages, with Manuel Lazzari firing wide on the counter and Soule back making a decisive block on Castellanos.