Sebastiano Esposito 43'Kenneth Taylor 2'
Gustav Isaksen 13'
Romano Floriani Mussolini 16'
Mattia Zaccagni 45+1'
Tijjani Noslin 55'
Tijjani Noslin 65'
Lazio scored four times before half-time on Tuesday evening in Reggio Emilia and could have reached eight, missing two second-half penalties. Gennaro Gattuso’s side led after 2 minutes through Taylor, and Sassuolo played the last hour with ten men after Thorstvedt was sent off for a serious foul in the 31st minute.
The win was Lazio’s fourth in a row in all competitions. It also leaves them unbeaten in Serie A after 9 matches, with 8 wins and 1 draw.
Zaccagni’s 9.53 rating sets the tone at the Mapei Stadium
Sassuolo were level within 5 minutes of Taylor’s opener, when Šutalo turned the ball into his own net in the 7th minute. Lazio’s response was quick. Isaksen restored the lead in the 13th minute from a Zaccagni pass, and Floriani Mussolini added a third in the 16th, converting Taylor’s assist, with the goal confirmed after a VAR check.
Taylor was booked in the 28th minute and played only the first half. Thorstvedt’s red card followed 3 minutes after that booking, yet Sassuolo still found a way back into the game when Esposito scored in the 43rd minute, set up by Cinquegrano. That goal mattered only briefly. In first-half stoppage time, Zaccagni scored himself after Isaksen returned the favour, making it 2-4 at the break.
Zaccagni finished with 1 goal, 2 assists, 5 shots and 4 key passes, earning a rating of 9.53, the highest on the pitch. Isaksen, rated 8.59, contributed a goal and an assist in 63 minutes.
Two missed penalties and a Noslin double after the break
A VAR review in the 47th minute confirmed a penalty for Lazio, but Zaccagni missed it in the 50th. Berardi was booked for dissent in the 54th minute. A minute later Noslin made it five, again from a Zaccagni pass.
Frattesi then failed from the spot in the 61st minute. Noslin settled the scoring in the 65th, finishing from Dele-Bashiru’s assist, and was rated 8.83 for his 71 minutes.
The numbers were lopsided. Lazio had 58% of the ball, 16 shots to 9 and 8 on target to Sassuolo’s 1, with expected goals of 3.59 against 0.8. Sassuolo’s two goals came from one shot on target and an own goal.
Lazio three points clear of Inter at the top of Serie A
Lazio are top with 25 points and a goal difference of 15. Inter, second on 22 points, have played a game fewer. AS Roma are third with 21.
Sassuolo are 14th on 8 points with a goal difference of -8. This was their third straight defeat in all competitions, after losses to Frosinone and Como, and their only win in their last 6 games came against Juventus.
The result also extends Lazio’s recent edge in this fixture. Before Tuesday they had won 3 of the previous 5 league meetings, including a 2-1 home win on 9 March 2026, while Sassuolo’s 1-0 victory on 14 September 2025 was their only success in that run.
Lazio host Cagliari on Sunday 1 November. Sassuolo are back at home a day later, on Monday 2 November, against Fiorentina, who are 18th on 4 points.
