Gattuso lauds Dele-Bashiru, Lazio fine start

File photo: Super Eagles midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru

Lazio coach Gennaro Gattuso has praised his players’ mentality after a 3-0 win at Juventus in which Super Eagles midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru scored a late solo goal, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The Biancocelesti won at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday to move to 19 points from seven games, level with leaders Inter, the best start in their Serie A history.

Oliver Provstgaard headed Lazio in front in the 37th minute from a Mattia Zaccagni delivery after a corner. Gustav Isaksen made it 2-0 in the 66th minute with a left-footed finish.

Dele-Bashiru came on in the 69th minute for Kenneth Taylor and sealed it in the 89th.

The 25-year-old picked up the ball inside his own half, ran into the box and slotted a low finish past the Juventus goalkeeper. It was his first goal of the season, and it came a week after he returned from a hamstring injury suffered against Bologna on August 24.

It was only the third time Lazio had won by three goals or more away at Juventus, after similar wins in March 1964 and May 1995. Gattuso became the first coach in Lazio’s history to win six of his first seven Serie A games.

“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 said the players had finally shown the mentality they lacked in earlier games, and he said the credit belonged to them.

• Iheanacho extends historic scoring streak to 11 games
• Iwobi among most underrated players – Sherwood
• Renard agrees with Chelle on AFCON two-year cycle

“Congratulations to the lads. It’s been an incredible journey, and the credit belongs to them because they work seriously.”

The coach was equally pleased with the group’s spirit, noting the club had little money to spend in the summer.

“We push hard in training, but we’ve created a real family unit here.”

Gattuso, however, refused to get carried away.

“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 host Parma on Saturday, and a win would take them top of the table before Inter play Fiorentina the next day. Dele-Bashiru, who has 19 caps for Nigeria, is due to start contract talks with the club in December.