Serie A | Lazio 0-1 Roma: Pellegrini the hero on Derby della Capitale return

Lorenzo Pellegrini made a triumphant return to Roma with the only goal in the Derby della Capitale, as Lazio saw Rade Belahyane sent off and Danilo Cataldi hit the upright.

Both teams were coming off defeats and dealing with injury problems. Matias Vecino, Samuel Gigot and Manuel Lazzari missed out, with Nicolò Rovella passing a fitness test, but Pedro and Boulaye Dia were surprisingly preferred to Taty Castellanos and Matteo Cancelleri. The Giallorossi were without Paulo Dybala, Leon Bailey and Wesley, plus Mario Hermoso carrying a knock, so Zeki Celik, Devyne Rensch and Lorenzo Pellegrini stepped in, the former captain getting his season debut.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It was a rough start for Lazio, as Fisayo Dele-Bashiru limped off after just 14 minutes with a suspected strain to the right thigh, making way for Reda Belahyane.

Pedro and Nuno Tavares blasted just over from the edge of the area, before Mile Svilar struggled to palm a dangerously looping Mattia Zaccagni curler out from the far top corner. Alessio Romagnoli headed over from the resulting set play.

Rovella’s roll across from the right was beyond both Dia and Mattia Zaccagni, but Roma took the lead with their first real scoring opportunity of the match.

Nuno Tavares was robbed by Rensch playing out from the back and it was rolled across by Matias Soulé for Lorenzo Pellegrini to sweep home the opener from just inside the box. It was Pellegrini’s fourth goal for Roma in the Derby della Capitale and he seemed genuinely moved by the moment.

They almost went 2-0 up in stoppages, as Ivan Provedel made a big reaction save on the Rensch half-volley at the back post from a deflected Angelino cross.

Rovella went off injured at half-time, but Roma kept pushing with Provedel fingertipping the Angelino chest and half-volley onto the side-netting.

Just as the Giallorossi were dominating possession, Gianluca Mancini gave it away to send Boulaye Dia clear on goal, only to blast over one-on-one with Svilar.

Taty Castellanos came on and immediately tested Svilar at the near post, then curled inches wide of the far post from a Mario Gila assist.

Tommaso Baldanzi also flashed a solo effort across the face of goal after hooking the Kostas Tsimikas cross, but Lazio went down to 10 men.

Rade Belahyane went in very late with studs up on Manu Kone’s calf long after the ball had gone, spotted by the referee for a straight red card.

Nobody could get on the end of a Castellanos scorpion heel flick on a free kick, then Artem Dovbyk hit the side-netting, while Svilar ran a big risk under pressure from Castellanos on the edge of the area.

Svilar also got down for a one-handed save on Castellanos after Zaccagni robbed Mancini to pull back from the by-line, but the Roma goalkeeper could only stand and watch in stoppages as a sensational Danilo Cataldi curler bounced off the top of the far post.

After Tommaso Baldanzi’s effort skimmed the upright and the final whistle, Matteo Guendouzi also saw red for dissent.

Lazio 0-1 Roma

Pellegrini 39 (R)

Sent off: Belahyane 85 (L), Guendouzi 96 (L)