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By Eduard Banulescu

Marco Baroni’s tactics and, above all, the team’s results inspire many Laziali fans. It’s about time, as the famous Roma club has had a long period of general mediocrity.

The recent victory over Antonio Conte’s Napoli and Ajax showed that, with a bit of luck, Baroni’s Lazio can develop into a challenging team in the Euriopa League and the Scudetto.

Today I look at Baroni’s tactics, where Lazio are in this situation and what’s next on the horizon.

Remember that all of this information is available for use in the free fantasy football game FootballCoin. The game hosts games from Serie A as well as top leagues from around the world.

Career before managing Lazio

Marco Baroni is a Footballer whose resume includes nearly two dozen teams. Baroni was a skilled defender. He represented teams such as Napoli and Bologna, but also played in the lower divisions of Italian football.

As manager, Baroni maintained the same wandering spirit. This career path began in 2000. In 2009, Baroni got his first chance to briefly manage Siena in Serie A. His career highlights included promotion with Novarra in 2016 and a brief spell as coach of Frosinone and Hellas Verona.

Many thought Maurizio Sarri was the man who would usher in a new period of success at Lazio. All the pieces seemed to be in place. However, for most of his tenure, Lazio was one of the least talked about players big Italian clubs. Sarri resigned in March 2024.

The appointment of Marco Baroni was a surprise. Few expected Lazio to move to a relatively inexperienced coach in Serie A, especially after being coached by Simone Inzaghi and Maurizio Sarri. However, so far the appointment appears to have been a success.

Tactical philosophy

Marco Baroni’s tactical philosophy is largely shaped by the many years he spent as a manager in Serie B and Baroni’s playing time as a no-nonsense defender. However, his time in Rome shows that Baroni has become accustomed to simply having greater resources at his disposal for the first time.

Baronis Lazio is a strong counter-attacking team in which the attacking full-backs play an important role. The team creates many scoring chances, mostly by exploiting the wings. In addition, they are a well-coordinated team that takes advantage of standard situations and defends well against free kicks and corners from the opponent.

The Italian coach was also praised for his leadership style. This has helped bring out the best in players like Mattia Zaccagni or Matteo Guendouzi, who had struggled for consistency in the past.

Formations and adaptability

Marco Baroni has adopted a modern, standard tactical formation for Lazio, the 4-2-3-1. This can easily be adapted to a 4-3-3 or even a 4-4-1-1 formation depending on the opponent and their strengths.

The use of this tactic also shows that Baroni has real football know-how. While this 4-2-3-1 counterattack has produced results across the board, Baroni has often used a 4-5-1 or 4-4-1-1 in the past, playing in a low block and attempting to attack the central overloading areas.

These changes are simply a result of better attacking players and new targets.

Lazio in defense

Lazio plays with a back four. Typically, Mario Gila and the experienced Alessio Romagnoli form the central defender pairing. The two players will sit back while the full-backs move further and further.

Baroni’s team usually operates in a compact middle block. Usually one of the two key players, Guendouzi or Nicolo Rovella, is placed between the two defenders. This essentially creates a back three and allows the team to play by pressing as they build up.

Since Lazio wants to play on the counterattack, a high work tempo is required. Players like Rovella, Gila and Nicolo Casale are known for committing to tackles. Defensive midfielder Rovella averages 3.1 tackles per game and 1.3 interceptions.

Lazio likes to apply pressure from the front. The striker and attacking central midfielder will resort to aggressive tackling whenever the opposing centre-backs try to strengthen.

When Lazio defends, it often happens that the center forwards double the full-backs. This means that the opponent either has to find a way to pass him or risk running into heavy traffic when he moves to the middle of the pitch.

Ivan Provedel remains Lazio’s main goalkeeper. It’s not just his shot-stopping ability that’s become more impressive. Lazio can rely on Provedel for long, precise passes forward. Although it is riskier to lose the ball this way, this approach allows the Laziali to move past the pressure of an experienced opponent.

Lazio in attack

Lazio has a strong squad and players with unique individual characteristics. These often come into play. However, the standard attack plan for Baroni’s Lazio is to pounce on the counterattack, move the ball through the flanks and cross towards the attacker(s).

In fact, heatmaps from recent games show exactly this. Lazio plays with width. And Much of his accumulation occurs on the right flank. A great partnership develops between Adam Marusic and Gustav Isaksen.

In fact, when facing tougher opponents, it is not uncommon for the right full-back to go on the attack while the left-back remains in a more defensive position. Together with the central defenders and the defensive midfielder who are further down the field, you essentially create a flat four-man shape.

Lazio’s formation often resembles a 3-5-2 or 4-4-2. Typically, left winger Pedro will act as a shadow striker. This was shown in the recent performance against Ajax, when Pedro and Castellanos played so well together.

Speed ​​and efficiency are crucial for Biancocelesti’s attack plan to work. Opportunities arise from quick counterattacks. Castellanos averages 3.9 shots on goal per game and excels at playing quick one-twos.

However, Lazio’s attacks also rely on shots from outside the penalty area. Almost a third of the team’s chances arise this way. Zaccagni, Tavares and Castellanos are particularly strong in this department.

Former Arsenal left-back Nuno Tavares also provides width. Lazio averages almost 19 crosses per game. And although neither Castellanos nor Boulaye Dia are particularly tall players, their well-rehearsed routines often put the team in dangerous scoring situations.

What’s next for Marco Baroni and Lazio?

Marco Baroni was an unexpected choice for Lazio. But it proved to be an inspired choice. The manager has clearly gained a lot of experience over the years and is excited about the opportunity to work with a group of highly skilled and talented players.

The excitement rubs off on the team. There is a lot of excitement about what Lazio could achieve in the next few seasons. And obviously a lot of that success depends on Baroni’s tactics and attitude.

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