Lazio delivered the clearest statement yet of their emerging title challenge, beating Sassuolo 6–2 at the Mapei Stadium on Tuesday, October 27, to move provisionally to the top of Serie A.
Gennaro Gattuso’s side have now taken 25 points from their opening nine matches, winning eight and drawing one. It is the strongest start to a league season in the club’s history, and it places Lazio three points above Inter before the defending champions’ visit to Venezia on Wednesday.
Confirmed: six goals and a chaotic first half
The match exploded into life almost immediately. Kenneth Taylor gave Lazio the lead in the second minute, but Kristian Thorstvedt answered for Sassuolo five minutes later. Gustav Isaksen restored the visitors’ advantage in the 13th minute before Romano Floriani Mussolini added a third, his first goal for Lazio and his first in Serie A.
Sassuolo’s task became much harder after Thorstvedt was sent off just past the half-hour mark for a foul on Mattia Zaccagni. Even with ten men, the hosts briefly found a way back when Sebastiano Esposito made it 3–2 late in the first half. Zaccagni responded in added time, heading in Isaksen’s cross to send Lazio into the interval with a 4–2 lead.
The visitors could have won by an even wider margin. Sassuolo goalkeeper Stefano Turati saved second-half penalties from Zaccagni and Davide Frattesi, but Tijjani Noslin struck twice from distance to complete the scoring. Lazio finished with six goals from six different phases of pressure despite failing from the spot on two occasions.
The result extended Lazio’s winning run to five Serie A matches and preserved the only unbeaten record in the division after nine rounds. Their balance has been as important as the headline score: the Biancocelesti possess the league’s second-best attack and second-best defence at this stage.
Confirmed: the lead remains provisional
Lazio are top on 25 points, with Roma one point behind after their 4–2 victory over Cagliari. Inter began the day three points off the lead and can draw level if they win away to Venezia. That means the table may change before the round is complete, but Lazio’s position is already secure as evidence of a remarkable opening run rather than a one-night rise.
Gattuso has quickly built a side that plays with aggression and directness. Lazio attacked Sassuolo before the hosts could settle, scoring three times inside the opening 18 minutes. Even after conceding twice and missing two penalties, they continued to create chances instead of protecting the score.
FootyTactix analysis: a title challenge now demands attention
One emphatic win does not decide a championship, and Sassuolo’s red card heavily shaped the final hour. The more important signal is the body of work around it. Eight wins from nine, five consecutive league victories and 25 points from a possible 27 show a level of consistency that can no longer be treated as an early-season curiosity.
There are still questions. Lazio must prove they can control difficult matches when the first breakthrough does not arrive, and their two missed penalties underline an area that could become costly in tighter contests. The response to Sassuolo’s equaliser and later second goal, however, showed composure as well as attacking force.
The wider title race is also becoming crowded. Inter remain positioned to answer, Roma are only one point behind, and several established contenders have time to recover ground. Lazio’s advantage is momentum. Gattuso’s players are combining defensive stability with a growing range of scorers, reducing their reliance on any single forward.
For now, the confirmed picture is straightforward: Lazio are unbeaten, top of Serie A pending Inter’s result, and enjoying the best nine-game start in their league history. After scoring six away from home, their title credentials have moved from intriguing to impossible to ignore.
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