Mattia Zaccagni has been in fine form for Lazio under Maurizio Sarri this season, and the tricky forward again played a pivotal role for the club from the Italian capital as he helped his side to a huge 2-1 win over Juventus on Matchday 29. His starring performance has earned him our Serie A Player of the Week award.
Eyebrows were raised all over Italy and by any fans of Italian football during the most recent international break when Azzurri coach Roberto Mancini opted to leave Zaccagni out of his squad. Having arguably been his country’s most in-form attacking option, the forward could well have been deflated by his omission. Instead, Zaccagni has picked up where he left off before the break, and his boss Sarri even came out and admitted that he was relieved to see his star man afforded some rest.
Zaccagni shines for Sarri’s Lazio
Zaccagni terrorised a Juventus side who had been looking hard to stop in recent weeks, and who would have been second and above Lazio in the Serie A table had they not been hit with a 15-point deduction. Not only did Zaccagni claim the assist for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s opening goal in the first half, but he grabbed what proved to be the winner early in the second after being beautifully assisted by teammate Luis Alberto.
With that second-half strike, Zaccagni’s tally for the season moved into double figures – a feat that is a first in his career.
Now, Zaccagni and Sarri will want to tighten their grip on second place in Serie A and finish as the best of the rest behind champions-to-be Napoli. Having been the difference maker against both AS Roma and Juventus, he has shown his ability to change big games, and will want to play as key a role in securing second for the Biancocelesti.
