Mattia Zaccagni Flourishing with Bigger Responsibility at Marco Baroni’s Lazio
Lazio are enjoying a resurgence this season under new coach Marco Baroni and are sitting in fifth in the Serie A standings just one point behind Napoli, and level with Atalanta, Inter and Fiorentina on 28 points from 13 matches. One of the main players leading the spotlight in Lazio return into form is club captain Mattia Zaccagni.
Wearing the club captain and the Number ten shirt of Lazio, Mattia Zaccagni is flourishing this season under new Lazio coach Marco Baroni. The ex-Lecce and Hellas Verona coach has deployed a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 set up and that is getting the best out of the players and the results are showing. Lazio form at the start of the season is turning heads, things are looking up for the blue side of Rome.
Mattia Zaccagni is taking on the mantle as the club captain and to be the leader on the pitch. With the departures of Ciro Immobile to Türkiye to Besiktas and Luis Alberto who left for Qatar to play in the Qatar Stars League for Al-Duhail. With the departures of two key components to Lazio side for the last few years, Mattia Zaccagni has had to step up this season and be the main guy for Lazio going forward.
Lazio defeated Bologna in Matchday 13 on Sunday night in Rome at the Stadio Olimpico 3-0. All goals came in the second half after Bologna went down to ten men after Tommaso Pobega’s sending-off for two yellow cards. Samuel Gigot gave Lazio with a header from a Zaccagni set piece which was deflected into the path of Gigot by Remo Freuler. Zaccagni got the goal he deserved with a lovely effort from the left-hand side of attack. Fisayo Dele-Bashiru added the gloss with his first goal for Lazio in stoppage time.
After scoring on Matchday 13, Zaccagni has scored in three successive games for the third time in his Lazio career, having previously done so in 2023. He’s found the back of the net in his last three matches vs. Cagliari, Monza and Bologna to give Lazio nine points from nine and take his tally to five goals and two assists in 11 Serie A games, while he also scored in the opening day victory over Venezia and the home win over Empoli before the October international break.
The two assists were in a victory at home against his and his coach Marco Baroni’s old team in Hellas Verona. Zaccagni assisted both Boulaye Dia and Taty Castellanos. In the UEFA Europa League, it was one goal from four games where he scored from the penalty spot in a 4-1 win over French side OGC Nice.
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After the victory away at Monza where the club captain scored the winner at the U-Power stadium, he was very candid with an interview with La Lazio Siamo Noi where he gives a lot of credit to head coach Marco Baroni and his relationship with Nuno Tavares who is also enjoying a wonderful start to the season. Zaccagni credited the head coach for the team excellent start to the season and his great start to the season.
Zaccagni was quoted as saying: “It was a fantastic victory perhaps we arrived tired, but we gave everything we had and displayed our character. I am really happy with this team. I get along with the coach and his game plan, as he leaves me free to interpret my role in my own way”.
On his relationship with Nuno Tavares, who arrived on loan with an option to buy from Arsenal this past summer: “I get along very well with Tavares; we often switch positions. But perhaps I’m less mobile than him. These are all solutions that the coach gives us, but he leaves us free to interpret them.”
Lazio are enjoying a purple patch in the opening third of the Serie A season, with a team that had to rebuild in the summer after key players departed for pastures new. Mattia Zaccagni stood up and is now flourishing and giving the freedom to express himself on the pitch, and he’ll be looking to continue his sensational form for a Lazio side that is riding high on confidence and making a strong push for Champions League football.
By: Scot Munroe / @scot_munroe
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / NurPhoto