Lazio opened their Serie A campaign with a 1-0 victory over Bologna, with Davide Frattesi scoring the only goal of the match in the second half.
The result continued Bologna’s recent difficulty in overcoming their Rome-based opponents. The two teams met twice last season, but Bologna failed to win either encounter. They were beaten at home by Lazio, while the return fixture in Rome ended in a draw.
Bologna went into this meeting hoping to claim all three points on home soil, but their efforts ultimately came to nothing. Although both sides created opportunities during the opening 45 minutes, neither could find a way through before the interval.
The decisive moment arrived shortly after half-time. In the 59th minute, Boulaye Dia supplied the pass that allowed Frattesi to break the deadlock. The Lazio midfielder finished the move to put the visitors ahead and give his side control of the contest.
Bologna responded by pushing forward in search of an equaliser, but they were unable to convert their opportunities into a goal. Lazio defended their advantage during the remaining stages and held on to secure victory.
The outcome means Lazio leave the fixture with the three points, while Bologna begin the new Serie A season without a win. The hosts will reflect on a match in which they had chances before and after the interval, but could not produce the final finish required to change the result.
For Lazio, Frattesi’s second-half strike proved sufficient to settle a closely contested opening-round encounter. A goalless first half had suggested that the match might end level, yet the visitors made the most of the opportunity created after the break.
Bologna then had the task of recovering from the setback on their own ground. Their attempts to restore parity were not enough to breach Lazio’s defence, and the Rome club preserved its narrow lead until the final whistle.
The three points also gave Lazio an early advantage in the season’s standings and maintained their unbeaten record against Bologna from the previous campaign. For Bologna, the immediate disappointment was compounded by the fact that home support had expected a stronger start and a chance to end that run against their opponents.
In the end, one well-taken move separated the sides. Dia’s pass and Frattesi’s finish provided Lazio with the breakthrough, while Bologna’s failure to take their chances left them empty-handed after a match in which the score remained goalless for much of the contest.
