Late drama saw Lazio and Atalanta share the spoils in a thrilling 2-2 Coppa Italia first-leg encounter at the Stadio Olimpico.
The Coppa Italia clash at Stadio Olimpico on March 4, 2026, was a high-stakes affair. Both Lazio and Atalanta, typically strong Serie A contenders, sought an advantage in this crucial knockout tie. The match promised an end-to-end battle between two tactically astute sides.
Atalanta thought they had taken an early lead in the 8th minute. Nikola Krstovic found the net, but VAR quickly intervened. The goal was disallowed for offside, keeping the score level in Rome.
The first half remained tightly contested with neither side able to break the deadlock. Atalanta received the first booking of the game when Marten De Roon was shown a yellow card in the 23rd minute for a tactical foul.
Just after the restart, Lazio seized the initiative. In the 47th minute, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru opened the scoring for the home side. Daniel Maldini provided the assist, calmly setting up Dele-Bashiru to slot the ball home.
Atalanta responded swiftly to going behind. Only four minutes later, in the 51st minute, Mario Pasalic found the equalizer. The Croatian midfielder finished with precision, bringing his team back into the game.
The pace intensified as both managers looked to gain an edge. A flurry of substitutions followed around the 64th and 76th minutes, introducing fresh legs. The referee also brandished yellow cards for Lazio's Maurizio Sarri and Atalanta's Raffaele Palladino in the 66th minute, highlighting the growing tension.
With just three minutes remaining in regular time, substitute Boulaye Dia appeared to seal a dramatic win for Lazio. Dia, brought on earlier, showed a striker's instinct to drill the ball past the Atalanta goalkeeper in the 87th minute, sending the home crowd into raptures.
However, the drama was far from over. Just two minutes later, Yunus Musah snatched a crucial equalizer for Atalanta. Kamaldeen Sulemana delivered the assist, allowing Musah to score in the 89th minute, silencing the Olimpico faithful once more.
Statistically, Atalanta edged possession with 51% to Lazio's 49%. Atalanta also registered more total shots, with 10 attempts compared to Lazio's 6, though both teams managed 3 shots on target.
The captivating 2-2 draw sets up a finely poised second leg, with everything still to play for. Both sides showed attacking intent, promising another thrilling clash to decide who advances in the Coppa Italia.
