Nobody will forget Arthur Atta for a while. Not in Rome, anyway.
He came into this game as a name on a teamsheet. He left it having scored twice in the final seven minutes to turn a 1-3 deficit into a 3-3 draw. Lazio were winning comfortably. Then they weren’t.
The first half was mostly Udinese’s, weirdly. Lazio had the ball — 47% is not much to shout about but they were comfortable in possession and passing cleanly. None of it led anywhere. Udinese, sitting deeper, were sharper on the break. Kingsley Ehizibue finished in the 18th minute, top right corner from the right side of the box, and that was your first half. 0-1. Lazio had 88% passing accuracy and one goal against them at the break.
Second half was different. Pellegrini got one back just after the restart. Pedro scored. Then scored again on 80 minutes. 3-1, ten minutes left, Olimpico finally happy.
What happened next is hard to explain without sounding dramatic. Atta scored in the 86th. Fine, that’s what substitutes do sometimes. But then in the 93rd minute — three minutes into stoppage time, when Lazio were already thinking about the final whistle — he finished again. 3-3. Full time.
The numbers showed Udinese were the more dangerous team all along. Sixteen shots. Seven on target. xG of 1.91. Lazio had 1.25. When a team that wins this many stats draws 3-3, something has gone right for them and badly wrong for the other lot.
Sarri was already dealing with a long injury list. Rovella out. Provedel out. Gila picked up an ankle injury in the Coppa Italia semi. Furlanetto also gone for the season. The defence that took the pitch in the second half looked fine until it stopped looking fine.
Udinese had problems too — Karlstrom suspended, Bertola injured, Zanoli injured, Zemura doubtful, Davis out. But Atta was fit. And available. And very, very good on a Monday night in Rome.
Lazio’s record against Udinese at home in Serie A stretches back to December 2019 without a win. That was before Sarri. Before half the current squad. Still going. Still unbeaten here at the Olimpico against these lot.
The Coppa Italia final is coming up. Lazio beat Atalanta on penalties to get there. Beat Napoli 2-0 before that. Confidence was high coming into this week. It is a bit lower now after letting a two-goal lead go in ten minutes.
Three points felt like a formality at 3-1. Atta made sure it wasn’t.
Lazio stay ninth. 48 points. Udinese up to 44, eleventh. Nothing dramatic in the table. The drama was all on the pitch.
For more Serie A coverage visit fawanews.org.uk — and full standings are at legaseriea.it.
Lazio 3-3 Udinese Serie A, Round 34 | Monday, 27 April 2026 Stadio Olimpico, Rome | Referee: Kevin Bonacina (ITA)
Goals: LAZ: Luca Pellegrini 50′, Pedro 80′, Pedro 80′ UDI: Kingsley Ehizibue 18′, Arthur Atta 86′, Arthur Atta 90+3′
Lazio (4-3-3): Edoardo Motta; Manuel Lazzari, Alessio Romagnoli, Oliver Provstgaard, Luca Pellegrini; Toma Basic, Patric, Kenneth Taylor; Matteo Cancellieri, Boulaye Dia, Tijjani Noslin
Udinese (3-5-2): Maduka Okoye; Thomas Kristensen, Christian Kabasele, Oumar Solet; Kingsley Ehizibue, Jurgen Ekkelenkamp, Jakub Piotrowski, Arthur Atta, Hassane Kamara; Nicolò Zaniolo, Idrissa Gueye
Half-time: 0-1 | Possession: Lazio 47% — Udinese 53% | Shots on target: 5-7
