Matias Soule’s stunning second-half strike earned Roma a hard-fought 1-1 draw in a fiery Rome derby against Lazio, stretching their unbeaten Serie A run to 16 matches.
In a pulsating clash at the Stadio Olimpico, boyhood Lazio supporter Alessio Romagnoli opened the scoring for the hosts just after the break. But Soule responded with a moment of brilliance, curling home an equaliser that kept Roma’s European hopes alive.
The opening 45 minutes belonged to Lazio, who pressed relentlessly. Roma keeper Mile Svilar was called into action early, denying Romagnoli and Gustav Isaksen with impressive reflex saves. Lazio’s persistence finally paid off two minutes into the second half, when Romagnoli rose to head home a pinpoint free-kick from Luca Pellegrini, silencing the Roma section of the stadium.
Roma nearly equalised immediately through Gianluca Mancini, but his header was miraculously saved by Christos Mandas, making only his third league start for Lazio.
The Giallorossi turned the tide from there, and the breakthrough came in the 69th minute. Soule met Alexis Saelemaekers’ pass on the edge of the box with a sublime first-time effort that rattled the underside of the crossbar and bounced over the line.
Tensions flared in the second half with multiple heated exchanges and hard tackles, mirroring the fierce rivalry between the two Roman giants. Off the pitch, clashes between police and Lazio ultras led to the use of tear gas, with over 2,000 officers deployed around the stadium.
As the clock ticked down, both sides had chances to snatch a winner. Svilar again stood tall to deny Boulaye Dia twice in quick succession, while Soule came inches away from a second stunning goal at the other end.
The result keeps Lazio in sixth, two points ahead of Roma. Both sides remain in the hunt for European qualification, with Roma surging back into contention after a sluggish start to the season.
Meanwhile, in Bergamo, Atalanta bounced back from three consecutive defeats with a 2-0 win over Bologna, moving them back into third place.
Serie A Table – Top 7
- Juventus – 71 pts
- Inter Milan – 68 pts
- Atalanta – 61 pts
- Milan – 59 pts
- Bologna – 57 pts
- Lazio – 55 pts
- Roma – 53 pts
With just a handful of games remaining, the race for Europe is heating up—and in the Eternal City, pride and points are still very much up for grabs.
