Lazio went into Lazio vs Cagliari top of Serie A on 25 points, and the night immediately became a test of whether they could stay there alone. Cagliari struck first through M'Bala Nzola in the 21st minute, before Gustav Isaksen answered with a curling left-footed equaliser in the 36th. Lazio had also arrived on a five-match league winning run.
Lazio's place at the top
Gattuso said, "I am not used to standings like this," after Lazio's rise to the top of the table. The quote fits the mood around this game. Top spot was real, not theoretical, and the pressure was obvious as soon as Cagliari got in front.
The standings add to that. Lazio were top after nine matches on 25 points, while Cagliari were 11th with 13. That gap would normally point to a comfortable home evening, but the opening goal from Nzola made it anything but routine.
Nzola and Isaksen change the rhythm
Nzola's finish gave Cagliari the first punch, and it came after he had already scored against Roma in midweek. He has been finding the net in successive matches, which is a handy burst for a side trying to unsettle the leaders.
Isaksen's response was the better strike. His equaliser bent under the opposite angle and was the kind of finish that stops a home crowd from thinking too far ahead. He already has three league goals this season, and this was his cleanest reminder that he is a real attacking outlet for Lazio.
The game was level at half-time, 1-1, and that was enough to turn a title chase into a proper pressure game at the Olimpico. Gattuso can talk about unfamiliar standings all he wants, but the football on the night showed why the margin at the top is already being tested.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
