Gennaro Gattuso made a winning start as Lazio head coach in Serie A as the Biancocelesti edged past Bologna 1-0 away from home, with substitute Davide Frattesi providing the decisive moment.

The opening 45 minutes were closely contested, with neither side able to establish control. The game was repeatedly interrupted by fouls, resulting in five yellow cards between the two teams before the interval.

Bologna came close to breaking the deadlock shortly after the restart when goalkeeper Christos Mandas produced an outstanding save to deny Jens Odgaard's header.

The turning point arrived when Davide Frattesi was introduced from the bench. The new Lazio signing needed just four minutes to make his mark, finishing first-time after a pass from Boulaye Dia to beat Lukasz Skorupski and put the visitors ahead.

Bologna pushed for an equaliser and came agonisingly close when Federico Bernardeschi struck the post with a dangerous free-kick. However, the hosts could not find a way through a disciplined Lazio defence.

The match also featured another debut, with Ukrainian striker Artem Dovbyk coming on for Bologna in the 60th minute. His arrival added another attacking option for the hosts, but it was not enough to prevent Gennaro Gattuso from celebrating victory in his first Serie A game in charge of Lazio.

2026-27, Italy - Serie A

Bologna - Lazio 0:1 (0:0)
Goals: Frattesi, 59 (0:1)

Bologna: Skorupski; Helland; Heggem; Zortea (Holm E., 69); Juan Miranda; El Azzouzi Ous. (Amondarain, 79); Ferguson L.; Cambiaghi (Rowe J., 60); Orsolini (Bernardeschi, 60); Odgaard; Piccoli R. (Dovbyk, 60)
Substitution: Dovbyk (from 60); Bernardeschi (from 60); Rowe J. (from 60); Holm E. (from 69); Amondarain (from 79)
Bench: Pessina; Alhassane; De Silvestri; Vitík; Pobega; Moro N.
Yellow Cards: El Azzouzi Ous. 34; Cambiaghi 41; Heggem 83; Odgaard 83

Lazio: Mandas; Doekhi; Dele-Bashiru F. (Frattesi, 54); Pedraza A. (Tavares N., 78); Provstgaard; Rovella; Zaccagni; Taylor Ke.; Marušić (Floriani Mussolini, 19); Dia B. (Noslin, 79); Cancellieri (Isaksen G., 46)
Substitution: Floriani Mussolini (from 19); Isaksen G. (from 46); Frattesi (from 54); Tavares N. (from 78); Noslin (from 79)
Bench: Motta Ed.; Renzetti; Romagnoli; Belahyane Reda; Lazzari M.; Przyborek; Ratkov
Yellow Cards: Floriani Mussolini 22; Dia B. 34; Cancellieri 44; Provstgaard 90