A brilliant second-half goal from Matías Soulé helped AS Roma earn a hard-fought 1-1 draw against rivals Lazio, keeping their impressive unbeaten run in Serie A going at 16 matches.
Lazio came into this 162nd Serie A Derby della Capitale with only one win in their last six games, so they needed a strong start. Marco Baroni’s side started well, and Alessio Romagnoli forced a great save from Mile Svilar with a close-range header. Roma slowly grew into the game, but Svilar had to make another smart stop to deny Gustav Isaksen’s powerful effort.
Lazio kept pushing before half-time, with Isaksen again going close, only to be denied by Svilar. The pressure continued after the break, and just two minutes into the second half, Lazio took the lead when Romagnoli headed in Luca Pellegrini’s well-placed free-kick – a goal against his former club.
Roma, who had won five league games in a row away from home, looked for a quick reply. Christos Mandas made a fine save to keep out a low header from Gianluca Mancini. But Roma didn’t give up, and in the 69th minute, Soulé equalised with a stunning long-range shot that hit the underside of the bar on its way in – his fourth goal of the season.
The game had a lively finish, with Svilar once again saving Roma by stopping a shot from Pedro. Both teams tried to find a late winner, but the match ended in a draw. Lazio are now three points behind the top four, while Roma, despite drawing their last two league games, have not lost in Serie A since mid-December.
