In a tightly contested match, Lazio edged past an out-of-form Bologna to secure their place in the Coppa Italia semifinals. Last Wednesday, Lazio traveled to Bologna for the quarterfinal clash, with a matchup against Atalanta awaiting the winner in two weeks.

After a disappointing run of form in recent months, Bologna saw the cup as their final opportunity to salvage the season and defend their title. Lazio, meanwhile, have endured a stop-start campaign marked by inconsistent performances and results, complicating their push for Champions League qualification.

In this post, I will analyze the key tactical trends that emerged during the match, as well as the adjustments made by both managers.

In terms of formations, both teams lined up in their customary systems, with Bologna setting up in a 4-2-3-1 and Lazio in a 4-3-3. The only real surprise on either team sheet came from the visitors, as Maldini was deployed up front instead of Dia. Typically operating as a central attacking midfielder, Maldini played as the lone striker but was clearly instructed to drop into deeper areas and function as a false nine.

Early in the match, Maldini found pockets of space between the lines where he was able to turn and face goal, though he was unable to capitalize on these promising situations. Bologna manager Vincenzo Italiano quickly recognized the danger and instructed Vitík to step out aggressively and engage Maldini higher up the pitch, limiting his time and space in central areas.

Another notable tactical feature from Lazio was the fluidity on the left flank. Pellegrini, Pedro, and Taylor frequently interchanged positions, creating uncertainty for Bologna’s right side and disrupting their defensive structure. This contrasted sharply with Lazio’s right flank, where Isaksen and Marušić were tasked with maintaining width and holding their positions as a traditional winger and full-back pairing.

However, after Pedro was forced off early through injury, the rotations on the left diminished, and Lazio’s structure became more symmetrical, mirroring the more rigid setup on the right.

Out of possession, Maldini led the press by applying pressure to Bologna’s two center-backs, while the wingers dropped deeper alongside the midfielders to form a compact midfield five. This created a 4-5-1 defensive shape, allowing Lazio to remain compact centrally and limit Bologna’s ability to progress through the middle.

Bologna, meanwhile, made a subtle but important adjustment to their structure in possession. Rather than operating as a traditional holding midfielder, Ferguson pushed higher up the pitch and functioned more as a number eight. This created a 4-1-5 shape in build-up, with Moro acting as the lone number six at the base of midfield.

Bologna placed clear emphasis on progressing play through the wide areas, with many of their attacking sequences originating from Cambiaghi and Orsolini. By stretching the pitch horizontally, they aimed to isolate Lazio’s full-backs and create crossing or cut-back opportunities from advanced wide positions.

Out of possession, it was evident that Italiano had identified Rovella as Lazio’s primary orchestrator in build-up. Moro was instructed to closely man-mark him high up the pitch, limiting his ability to dictate tempo and distribute from deep. At the same time, Ferguson was tasked with tracking Dele-Bashiru, preventing Lazio from establishing central control through midfield.

Interestingly, Bologna’s front three did not apply strict man-marking responsibilities. Instead, they operated with a zonal pressing approach, focusing on blocking central passing lanes and preventing vertical balls into Lazio’s attacking midfielders and front line. This compact central coverage forced Lazio to circulate possession wider and limited their ability to combine effectively through the middle.

Very little of note occurred during the first half, as both teams adopted a cautious, low-risk approach. Bologna did manage to take the lead from a corner, capitalizing on a set-piece opportunity, but overall the game lacked sustained attacking momentum from either side.

Bologna struggled to break through Lazio’s compact and disciplined midfield five, which effectively closed central spaces and limited combinations between the lines. In response, they attempted to bypass the midfield by playing longer balls in behind Lazio’s defensive line, though these efforts rarely resulted in clear-cut chances.

Lazio, for their part, also found it difficult to create meaningful opportunities. Their best chance of the half came when Dele-Bashiru made a well-timed run in behind the defense, exploiting the space left by Vitík, who had stepped out of the back line to press Maldini higher up the pitch.

At the start of the second half, neither side made substitutions, but both introduced subtle tactical adjustments. Bologna, who had already emphasized wide attacks, altered their build-up structure by inverting their full-backs. This movement created clearer interior passing lanes and allowed quicker access to the wingers.

Instead of circulating the ball out to the full-backs and then playing short combinations down the line, Bologna were now able to bypass the full-backs entirely and play more direct passes into Cambiaghi and Orsolini. This sped up their attacking transitions and forced Lazio to shift across the pitch much more rapidly in order to support their full-backs in one-versus-one situations.

At times, Lazio’s defensive shifting was slightly delayed, which allowed Cambiaghi and Orsolini to receive in advantageous isolation scenarios. From these positions, they were able to deliver several dangerous crosses into the penalty area, increasing Bologna’s threat from wide areas.

On the other hand, Lazio were forced to find a new attacking solution after Noslin replaced Pedro. Unlike Pedro, who is comfortable drifting inside and combining in tight spaces, Noslin is more of a traditional winger and does not naturally offer the same interior creativity. As a result, Sarri needed to identify a different route to goal.

He appeared to build on the one clear-cut opportunity Lazio had created in the first half. Dele-Bashiru was again instructed to make late, penetrating runs in behind Bologna’s back line. However, in the second half, Taylor was given similar instructions, adding another vertical threat from midfield.

With Noslin and Isaksen holding high and wide positions, Bologna’s full-backs were pinned deeper to track them. At the same time, Vitík continued to step out aggressively to engage Maldini. This created significant space in the channels and centrally between Bologna’s defensive line, often leaving Lucumí isolated as the primary cover defender.

Taylor and Dele-Bashiru repeatedly exploited this space with well-timed runs beyond the back line. The adjustment proved highly effective, as Lazio’s most dangerous moments stemmed from these vertical movements, culminating in their equalizer — a goal that originated from another late Dele-Bashiru run in behind Bologna’s defense.

As the final 15 minutes approached, the tempo noticeably dropped. Both sides appeared cautious, prioritizing defensive stability over risk-taking, seemingly content to let the match drift toward penalties rather than expose themselves in the closing stages. The substitutions reflected this mindset. Lazio introduced Dia, whose role was to operate as a reference point up front — holding the ball up, linking play, and allowing teammates to make supporting runs around him. Bologna’s changes, meanwhile, suggested preparation for a potential shootout, with Italiano bringing on players he likely trusted from the spot.

Ultimately, those adjustments proved insufficient for the hosts. Bologna fell short in the penalty shootout, while Lazio held their nerve to secure qualification for the semifinals of the competition.