Maurizio Sarri has lauded goalkeeper Edoardo Motta’s “amazing” performance following Lazio’s penalty shootout victory over Atalanta in the Coppa Italia semi-finals. The Lazio coach also expressed his desire for the club’s fans to suspend their ongoing boycott for the Coppa Italia Final against Inter Milan on May 13.
The semi-final clash was a tense affair, with Atalanta never leading. Lazio twice surrendered their advantage in the first leg, and then repeated the pattern in Bergamo. Alessio Romagnoli’s volley was quickly cancelled out by Mario Pasalic’s deflected shot, leveling the score at 1-1 on the night and 3-3 on aggregate. After a goalless extra time, the match was decided by penalties, where Edoardo Motta emerged as the hero by saving four consecutive spot-kicks. Prior to the shootout, his crucial fingertip save that pushed Gianluca Scamacca’s header onto the post had forced the game into extra time.
Sarri Believes Lazio Earned Their Place in the Final
Speaking to Sport Mediaset, Sarri described the match as “extremely complicated,” highlighting the strength of their opponent and the difficulty of playing at Atalanta’s stadium. He reflected on their journey to the final, noting that they eliminated last season’s finalists, Milan and Bologna, before overcoming a “wonderful opponent” in Atalanta. Sarri emphasized that this had been a “tough, complicated campaign,” and reaching the final was a significant satisfaction.
This Coppa Italia run has the potential to salvage Lazio’s season. Beyond reaching the final against Inter Milan at their home ground, the Stadio Olimpico, the victory guarantees qualification for the Supercoppa Italiana Final Four. Furthermore, winning the trophy would secure direct entry into the Europa League for the next season.
Sarri acknowledged the team’s persistent problem with scoring goals throughout the season. “We’ve had a problem all season, which is that we struggle to score goals,” he stated. “The team has become solid and tough to play against, but we don’t find it easy to get the ball in the back of the net.”
Despite his earlier disagreement with the club’s decision to sell Christos Mandas in January, Sarri was full of praise for the 21-year-old mid-season signing, Motta, who stepped up remarkably after Ivan Provedel suffered a season-ending injury. “He is amazing on penalties,” Sarri beamed. “He saved four out of five in the shoot-out, plus one in Serie A against Bologna, so that’s five out of six in the Lazio shirt.”
The coach also noted Motta’s potential for growth, particularly in his distribution with his feet, stating, “Motta has margin for improvement, especially playing the ball with his feet, but he has important prospects. He must have in his mind the desire to keep improving.”
The Coppa Italia Final, though nominally held on neutral territory, is scheduled for the Stadio Olimpico, Lazio’s home stadium. However, the attendance of the fans remains uncertain due to their ongoing boycott of home games in protest against President Claudio Lotito’s strategy. When asked if he would appeal for them to suspend their protest for the final, Sarri responded, “I always said that I respect people’s decisions, so if our fans made this choice, I respect that. Having said that, if they were to attend, I and the team would be overjoyed. Yesterday, they came to the airport to encourage us, so if they came, I’d be the happiest coach in the world.”
Sarri was observed looking for someone in the stands after the penalty shootout. He explained, “A friend of mine was in the stands, someone who historically brings good luck. He’s been telling me since yesterday that we’d go through, so I was looking for him.”