Lazio played against Udinese on March 10, 2025, resulting in a tense 1-1 draw at the Stadio Olimpico. This match marked Matchday 28 of the 2024-2025 Serie A season, with significant stakes as Lazio aimed to surpass Juventus for fourth place following Juventus's surprising 4-0 loss to Atalanta just the day before.
The stage was set for Lazio to capitalize on their local rivals' misfortune, and initially, it looked promising. The match kicked off at 3:45 PM ET but started sluggishly for both teams with few early chances to show for it. Udinese, boasting three consecutive victories leading up to this match, slowly found their rhythm and took the lead midway through the first half.
Florian Thauvin was the architect of Udinese's opener after capitalizing on the broken defense of Lazio. Following his explosive run, Thauvin had his initial shot saved by Lazio's goalkeeper Ivan Provedel. Nevertheless, Lorenzo Lucca was quick to redirect the rebound back to the front of the goal, where Thauvin, reacting quickest, smashed it home for the opening goal, putting the visitors up 1-0.
Just as it seemed Udinese might take control of the match, Lazio responded impressively. Their captain, Alessio Romagnoli, leveled the score with his first goal of the season. Romagnoli found success from a corner delivered by Matías Vecino, craning his neck to poke the ball home from close range after Vecino’s header flicked the ball on to him. This goal arrived just 10 minutes after Udinese's initial strike and injected new life and urgency back to the home side.
Despite both teams creating opportunities, neither could secure the winning goal, and the match ended 1-1, leaving Lazio still perched at fifth place, now one point behind Juventus. Marco Baroni, Lazio's coach, expressed pride over his team's performance, but highlighted the missed chance to claim the fourth position. "I am proud of the boys’ performance tonight, but we believe we could have won," Baroni said, reflecting on their efforts.
Injuries plagued Lazio with significant players including Luca Pellegrini, Elseid Hysaj, and Nicolò Rovella remaining unavailable for the match, putting additional strain on the squad’s capabilities. The absence of players like Taty Castellanos—a key striker—left gaps for Lazio, who struggled to find their offensive rhythm at times throughout the match.
On the other side of the pitch, Udinese played without Isaak Touré and Razvan Sava, but Maduka Okoye was back between the posts, successfully defending against multiple early attempts from Lazio. Despite their missed chances and the pressure exerted late by the home team, Udinese remained defensively organized and resilient, managing to maintain their spot at 10th place, which is commendable considering their form throughout the season.
Both coaches made adjustments during halftime. Baroni replaced Loum Tchaouna with Tijjani Noslin, whose impact only heightened Lazio's momentum to seek the winning goal. Lazio controlled much of the second half, and even with the introduction of seasoned forward Pedro, they could not convert their chances effectively.
Udinese, too, had their moments, with notable attempts including Jordan Zemura's shot saved late by Provedel. The closing ten minutes were intense, with both sides pressing for the victory, but the defense held strong on both ends, leading to the final whistle with the score locked at 1-1.
The match statistics reflected the evenly matched nature of the game with significant key contributions from both sets of players. Hassane Kamara for Udinese had notable defensive interventions, including preventing late attempts from Lazio's Zaccagni moments from risking goals.
While Lazio missed the chance to challenge Juventus for Champions League qualification with this draw, the upcoming fixtures will provide them with opportunities to improve their standing. Their next challenge lies just around the corner as they prepare to face Viktoria Plzen again, hoping to maintain their edge after previously defeating them 2-1, even under tough conditions.
With Lazio needing to capitalize on each chance moving forward, the stakes could not be higher as they face the possibility of slipping from contention for European football if they are unable to find their form. On the opposite end, Udinese can take heart from their performance and look to build upon it as they head forward through the rest of the season.
The tension and excitement remain palpable as Serie A heads toward the final weeks, with teams striving for every possible advantage as they fight for their ultimate goals—be it securing European slots or simply confirming league safety. Lazio and Udinese both seemed to prove they have the grit to contend based on their performance on the pitch last night.