Milan (AFP) – Roma and Lazio settled for a 1-1 draw in Sunday’s Rome derby in a dramatic Serie A encounter that saw both teams were denied a total of six times by the woodwork.
Lazio missed four chances to seal a second win on their two opening games only to be denied by the post with Roma rattling the frame of the goal twice.
Aleksandar Kolarov put Roma ahead after 17 minutes in the Stadio Olimpico with a well-taken penalty, but Luis Alberto grabbed the equaliser just before the hour mark to leave Paulo Fonseca without a win in as new Roma boss.
Simone Inzaghi’s Lazio are second in the Serie A table behind champions Juventus, who are on maximum points following their thrilling 4-3 win over Napoli on Saturday, while Roma languish in mid-table after two straight draws.
“We offered an extraordinary show for the public, and a great thrill for me as a coach, at my first Rome derby,” said Fonseca.
“They created so many scoring opportunities, buts it’s difficult to play against a team like Lazio that presses in every area.”
The derby took place amid heightened security after the murder of former Lazio ultras chiefs Fabrizio Piscitelli, nicknamed “Diabolik”, who was shot dead in the capital last month.
Piscitelli was for almost 30 years the boss Lazio’s hardcore Irriducibili (“Die Hards”) fan group, which is notorious for its far-right politics.
Lazio fans unfurled a banner in his honour before the match with “Rest in peace Fabrizio”.
Roma took the early lead after Edin Dzeko pressured Sergej Milinkovic-Savic into a handball, with the referee pointing to the spot.
Lazio’s Lucas Leiva, Ciro Immobile, Tucu Correa and Marco Parolo all hit the woodwork, while Roma’s Nicolo Zaniolo was denied by the post twice in the first half hour.
New Roma goalkeeper Pau Lopez also proved decisive, diving to deny a Immobile header before the break and Joaquin Correa from close range in the second half.
Alberto found a way through after 58 minutes following good work from both Milinkovic-Savic and Immobile, to put Lazio just behind champions Juventus.
