Roma and Lazio players involved in colossal

Things got rather out of hand between AS Roma and Lazio as both teams and their substitutes got into each other's faces after an interesting coming together in the later stages

Posted Monday, November 07, 2022 by Dailystar.co.uk

Roma and Lazio players could not control their emotions and their anger in Rome

Tempers flared in spectacular fashion during the Rome derby.

Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio only just secured a tense 1-0 victory over Jose Mourinho’s inconsistent AS Roma. Former West Ham United forward Felipe Anderson grabbed the only goal of a very scrappy, stop-start, and at times, feisty match.

However, in true derby fashion, the most significant moment of the contest came in the later stages of the second half when Stefan Radu and Rui Patricio found themselves at each other’s throats. In true derby fashion, their little coming together soon involved everybody on the pitch and those on the benches and technical areas.

Both benches and both players on the pitch got invovled

A routine long hoof up the pitch suddenly gave way to a raucous coming together of both sides and the substitutes. There was pushing, shoving, pulling, and plenty of colourful language.

Sarri himself did his best to try and calm the situation, but the former Chelsea boss looked like a child floundering in the deep end of a swimming pool. Lazio substitute Stefan Radu lit the flame provoking the melee between the two rivals when he caught the ball as it went off the pitch and held it behind him.

Patricio successfully snatched the ball out of his arms before shoulder-barging him to the floor. Both players were given yellow cards for their roles in instigating the argey-bargey on the pitch. However, there may be graver problems for Mourinho’s side, who have struggled to overcome against the sides above them in the pecking order.

"Roma lost those games, in my opinion, undeservedly,” Mourinho said, when asked about their defeats to Napoli, Atalanta, and Lazio. "Atalanta made one shot on goal and won 1-0, Napoli had difficulties like never before and won with a great goal from [Victor] Osimhen, and Lazio won with a half-goal.

"I think the game they played was the consequence of being 1-0 up, in a low block, compact. In our cultures, it is said that this was a cynical, intelligent game. In England, people would go home after 20 minutes.

"The playing time was definitely very low, the intensity and continuity of the game was very low. We dominated, but there was a lack of creativity."