Cagliari scared Lazio, despite playing for over an hour with a numerical inferiority, coming close to equalizing on two occasions. Claudio Ranieri clarifies his reactions on the bench at the end: «I wasn't nervous», he is keen to point out at the end of the match. «I encouraged my players because, being one less, we wanted to get to the last ten minutes to go all out. I put the second attacker on, playing with three defenders: we had two scoring opportunities and he didn't want to come in. Too bad about the red."
Namely the expulsion of Makoumbou in the 27th minute, which the referee Dionisi (who had issued a yellow card on the pitch) gave after reviewing the foul on Guendouzi on the monitor, deeming it a clear scoring opportunity. «I don't understand why VAR went into that red: what does it have to do with it? The referee whistled for the foul and I don't want to talk about whether it was there or not, otherwise we would also have to blow the whistle on Hatzidiakos in the first goal, but why did VAR come in? What do we know about distance? He just blew the whistle, VAR absolutely shouldn't have come in. I won't have Makoumbou in the next match either, after this one: these things must also be evaluated, the VAR must not help the referee to make mistakes."
The satisfaction
Down a goal from the 8th minute and a man down from the 27th minute, Cagliari came close to equalizing twice in injury time. For Ranieri there are positive notes despite the defeat: «I'm happy with the performance, which I always ask my team to do. We were always in the game, we were creating difficulties for Lazio and it's not easy. Down by a goal and a man, we had to be very concentrated and we were: I'm disappointed with how the match went, but satisfied with what my boys did ." On the attackers: «We have players with different characteristics, knowing when one is fit and when the other is fit. We have Petagna in good form and Lapadula who is not yet 100% and needs to play, which is why I chose him. Luvumbo has made a good start to the season."
