Lazio Remains Perfect: Udinese Suffers a Late Home Loss
Lazio also sits atop Serie A with a perfect record, alongside Roma and Inter. The Biancocelesti also came away with a win on Udinese’s home turf, defeating them 2-1 in the closing moments of a match that was anything but straightforward. Leading early in the second half thanks to a goal by Karlstrom, Udinese saw their lead erased and then overtaken in the final quarter-hour by goals from the ever-reliable Frattesi and—just moments before the 90th minute—Gudmundsson. The last time Lazio won the first three games of a Serie A season was 14 years ago; it happened again in 2026, with Gennaro Gattuso at the helm.
In the first half, it was clear that the match was wide open and any outcome was possible. In fact, Nuno Tavares had the first real chance, but on the other end, Mandas made two crucial saves—first against Davis and then on Kamara’s immediate follow-up attempt. Lazio, however, was the more aggressive side, with Zaccagni taking a free kick and then Isaksen heading the ball. Udinese escaped unscathed even after a defensive blunder by Vojvoda and Okoye, with Miller making a miraculous sliding save to prevent Zaccagni from scoring into a completely empty net. And the home team also had to do without Piotrowski and then Solet, both of whom were forced to leave the game due to injury.
After all the drama, the goals finally came in the second half. In the 49th minute, Udinese scored on a splendid, vertical attack capped off by Davies’ assist to Karlstrom, who was ruthless at the near post. There was another injury, this time affecting Gattuso’s team: Pinamonti went out, and Noslin came in. But Lazio once again found the strength to pull out a win. The equalizer came from the true star of this early season: Davide Frattesi, who in the 76th minute capitalized on Zaccagni’s move down the left flank, burst into the box, and slammed the ball into the net. There’s no shortage of chances for the Biancocelesti (including a great shot off the post by Zaccagni), then in the 88th minute comes yet another cross from the left—this time by Doekhi—and Gudmundsson’s winning header.
This was Frattesi’s third goal in three league games, confirming an extraordinary start to the season for the Roman midfielder. This performance comes as no surprise to those who know him well: “I’d go to war for Gattuso,” Frattesi had declared on the day of his official presentation. “It’s something that goes way back—I’ve always been a Lazio fan, and when the opportunity arose, I didn’t think twice; money isn’t everything.” These words are being proven true on the field, game after game.
The victory in Udine comes at a time when Lazio is dealing with a long list of players sidelined. In addition to Pinamonti’s injury sustained in Monday night’s match, Gattuso must currently do without Rovella and Cataldi in midfield, while Patric’s recovery remains a longer-term issue. The Calabrian coach has, however, proven his ability to manage the crisis, building a team capable of winning even in difficult circumstances.
On the opposing side, Runjaic’s Udinese came away with a loss but put up a respectable fight. The Friulians, who had started the season with four points in the first two matchdays thanks to a draw against Como and a win on the road against Monza, have proven themselves to be a well-organized and tough team to face. Their qualification for the Coppa Italia round of 16—achieved a few days ago with a 2-1 comeback victory over Venezia—shows that this is a group with a solid foundation to build upon. Their next match in the competition will pit them against Atalanta.
