Genoa 0-2 Lazio: Three Things We Learned – Castellanos & Dia Magical Combo | OneFootball

Following a tumultuous week for Lazio, Marco Baroni’s men unleashed their fury on Genoa on Wednesday.

Patrick Vieira’s men had a promising start in front of their home supporters at the Luigi Ferraris, but they were impeded by Sebastian Otoa’s mistake, as he got himself sent off on his debut for stopping Mattia Zaccagni in his tracks while being the last defender.

Taty Castellanos then put Lazio ahead with a mesmerizing scissor kick, and Boulaye Dia made it 2-0 in the second half. The Biancocelesti were later able to preserve their two-goal lead when Reda Belahyane deprived them of their numerical advantage. So here are a few things we learned from the Aquile’s timely win on the road.

Taty Castellanos & Boulaye Dia is the Secret Recipe for Lazio in Attack

When Marco Baroni decided to pair Castellanos and Dia upfront at the start of the season, several eyebrows were raised, with many fans and observers fearing this could upset the team’s balance. But as highlighted by the stats, Lazio are significantly more successful when these two team up in attack, and they have once again proved it on Wednesday.

Since the turn of the new year, the Argentine and the Senegalese have only played side-by-side on limited occasions due to injuries, and this has coincided with a major decline in terms of results. Whether this is a mere coincidence or a decisive factor, perhaps the coming weeks will offer some answers, as Baroni will certainly be betting on this winning combo.

A Learning Experience for Reda Belahyane vs Genoa

At this stage, we can comfortably say that Belahyane is far from a finished product. The 20-year-old was introduced in the middle of the second half to see out the match and earn some valuable experience, but he needlessly lunged into Morten Thorsby’s shin, earning himself his marching orders.

Nevertheless, this is absolutely no reason to write off the young Algerian, as we’ve already seen older players like Nicolo Rovella and Tijjani Noslin committing similar, if not worse, blunders earlier in the season. Hence, we expect the combative midfielder to learn from his mistake and return sharper and wiser after serving a ban.

Luca Pellegrini Rising to the Occasion In Nuno Tavares’ Absence

With Nuno Tavares reportedly out for the season, Luca Pellegrini has chosen the right time to step up to the plate. The Italian certainly had an eventful campaign, and mostly for the wrong reasons, but since his return from exile, he has looked sharp, composed and determined.

The left-back produced a solid showing at the Marassi, providing Castellanos with the assist for the opener. At the age of 26, it is past time for the Italian to mature, but as they say, better late than never. Therefore, it remains to be seen if Pellegrini’s positive run can extend until the end of the season, and whether it will be enough to salvage his stint at his beloved Lazio.