Lazio routs Sassuolo 6-2 at Mapei Stadium as Romano Floriani Mussolini nets first Serie A goal

Lazio beat Sassuolo 6-2 at the Mapei Stadium in a Serie A fixture on Tuesday, a game notable for Romano Floriani Mussolini’s first goal in the Italian top flight and for 10,000 travelling Lazio supporters who made the 300km trip.

The turnout illustrated the ongoing boycott of Lazio’s home matches, a protest by organised supporter groups against owner Claudio Lotito that the club and fans have carried for years. Attendances at the Stadio Olimpico have fallen from the mid-40,000s earlier this decade to less than 30,000 last season and barely over 10,000 so far this year, and thousands of supporters have instead travelled to away fixtures and preseason friendlies in Ascoli and Frosinone.

Kenneth Taylor opened the scoring in the second minute with a side-foot finish after a half-clearance, a goal confirmed following a video assistant referee check. Kristian Thorstvedt levelled for Sassuolo almost immediately after an off-target attempt was deflected in off the shoulder of Josip Sutalo, and Lazio regained the lead in the 13th minute when Mattia Zaccagni cut in from the left and set up Gustav Isaksen.

Moments later Romano Floriani Mussolini added Lazio’s third goal, his first in Serie A; the player wears ‘Romano’ on his shirt. He is the great-grandson of Benito Mussolini and his mother, Alessandra, is described in the match report as a right-wing politician who has defended her grandfather’s legacy. The column recalls his only previous professional goal, for Juve Stabia in 2024, when he wore ‘F. Mussolini’ on his shirt and some supporters were reported to have responded with fascist salutes.

Sassuolo were reduced to 10 men in the 31st minute when Thorstvedt planted his studs into Zaccagni’s ankle, yet Sebastiano Esposito pulled a goal back before half-time. Zaccagni then doubled Lazio’s lead with a header from an Isaksen cross, and the second half became more one-sided as Tijjani Noslin added two long-range strikes to complete the 6-2 scoreline.

Sassuolo goalkeeper Stefano Turati saved two penalties during the match, first from Zaccagni and then from Davide Frattesi; a detail in La Gazzetta dello Sport’s fantasy football system meant Turati avoided a negative score despite conceding six. Lazio’s victory was their eighth in nine games, the sole slip being a 2-2 home draw with Milan, and briefly put them top of Serie A before Inter pulled level with an away win at Venezia on Wednesday.

Lazio’s manager Gennaro Gattuso reflected on the supporters’ presence: “I closed my eyes and imagined we were in a full Stadio Olimpico,” he said. He also addressed the club-owner standoff: “Of course I’ll talk to him,” said Gattuso on Tuesday. “He’s a very intelligent person, but the choices are his. I would love to see lots of fans at the stadium, but I can’t change their minds or the president’s. That’s a question for them.” The report notes Gattuso’s previous managerial exit after failing to qualify Italy for the World Cup in April and that his contract contains a clause guaranteeing an extension if Lazio finish as high as twelfth.

Individual narratives underlined the result: Taylor, who also scored the opener in the weekend win over Parma, has been singled out by Gattuso for improved pressing after a summer incident in which the coach removed him from a training session for speaking out of turn. Zaccagni was reportedly persuaded to remain at the club by a phone call from Gattuso, and Noslin was described as adapting well to a centre-forward role; fans were also amused when Davide Frattesi briefly broke a ritual of posting how many points remained to reach 40 on his Instagram stories.

The round’s other results listed in the report were: Roma 4-2 Cagliari, Torino 1-3 Como, Parma 0-0 Udinese, Venezia 0-2 Inter Milan, Milan 2-4 Bologna, Genoa 2-0 Juventus and Monza 1-4 Napoli, with Lazio’s win temporarily lifting them to the top of Serie A before Inter’s victory restored parity.