Lazio coach Gennaro Gattuso has praised his players’ determination after they secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Juventus, with Super Eagles midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru completing the win with a superb solo effort, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
The Biancocelesti claimed the victory at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday to reach 19 points from seven Serie A matches, drawing level with leaders Inter and recording the best start to a league campaign in the club’s history.
Oliver Provstgaard opened the scoring in the 37th minute, heading home Mattia Zaccagni’s delivery following a corner kick.
Gustav Isaksen doubled Lazio’s advantage in the 66th minute with a left-footed finish before Dele-Bashiru, introduced three minutes later for Kenneth Taylor, put the result beyond doubt in the 89th minute.
The Nigerian midfielder collected the ball inside his own half, drove forward into the Juventus penalty area and calmly finished low past the goalkeeper to complete an impressive individual effort.
The goal was Dele-Bashiru’s first of the season and came just a week after he returned from a hamstring injury sustained against Bologna on August 24.
Lazio’s victory was also a rare achievement, marking only the third time they had beaten Juventus away from home by a margin of at least three goals, following similar results in March 1964 and May 1995.
Gattuso, meanwhile, became the first coach in Lazio’s history to win six of his first seven Serie A matches.
Reflecting on the result, the Italian tactician said his players had remained committed to their approach despite criticism and doubts about the team’s prospects earlier in the campaign.
“People were writing us off as dead and saying we would be fighting relegation. But our path was the right one, and the players believed in it,” Gattuso said.
He also praised the squad’s work ethic and the progress made in building a strong collective spirit.
“Congratulations to the lads. It’s been an incredible journey, and the credit belongs to them because they work seriously.”
Gattuso added that the team had developed a close bond despite the club’s limited spending during the summer transfer window.
“We push hard in training, but we’ve created a real family unit here.”
Despite Lazio’s impressive position in the standings, the coach warned his players against becoming distracted by the prospect of challenging for the top spot.
“We must not look at the table right now. We’ll enjoy this marvellous victory, but then it’s heads down and back to work ahead of Parma,” he said.
“We’re not accustomed to being up there, and maybe we’re not ready to be there either, but if we take it one game at a time, we can surprise people.”
Lazio will host Parma on Saturday, with victory potentially taking them to the top of the table before Inter face Fiorentina the following day.
Dele-Bashiru, who has earned 19 caps for Nigeria, is also expected to begin discussions over a new contract with Lazio in December.