Gattuso frustrated with Lazio despite 3-1 Monza win: ‘Like the second half against Milan’

Lazio are joint-top of the Serie A table after six games thanks to their 3-1 victory over Monza on Sunday afternoon, but head coach Gennaro Gattuso was still not best pleased with what he saw from his players after half-time: “It felt like we were watching the second half against Milan again.”

Lazio maintained their winning start to the 2026-27 Serie A season with a 3-1 victory over Monza thanks to goals from Nuno Tavares, Gustav Isaksen and Andera Pinamonti in an empty Stadio Olimpico.

ROME, ITALY – OCTOBER 11: Gustav Isaksen of SS Lazio celebrates a second goal with his team mates during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and AC Monza at Stadio Olimpico on October 11, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

This leaves them with 16 points from their first six matches of the season, made up of five victories and one draw, the same record as reigning champions Inter.

You can see how the action from Lazio 3-1 Monza and all of Sunday’s other Serie A matches unfolded on the Read Liveblog.

Gattuso: ‘Felt like watching the second half against Milan again’

ROME, ITALY - OCTOBER 11: SS Lazio head coach Gennaro Gattuso during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and AC Monza at Stadio Olimpico on October 11, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi - SS Lazio/Getty Images)
ROME, ITALY – OCTOBER 11: SS Lazio head coach Gennaro Gattuso during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and AC Monza at Stadio Olimpico on October 11, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

Gattuso was pleased with what he saw from his players during the first period against Monza after claiming a 2-0 lead, but accused his players of trying to see the game out from that point.

He claimed that the second half display felt like Lazio’s recent 2-2 draw against Milanwhen they had taken a 2-0 first-half lead only to end up drawing 2-2 after a poor second-half display.

“We can’t afford to play like that in the second half. It’s not the first time that this has happened,” Gattuso told DAZN after the 3-1 win over Monza (via TMW).

“It felt like we were watching the second half against Milan again. I congratulated the boys for the first half, but after that, the concepts were wrong.

“We weren’t there on second balls, we were non-existent for the first 25 minutes of the second half.

“Well done to the guys for their first-half performance, but the second half was the same as the one against Milan. We have to go and do the things we know how to do, not try and manage the game.”

VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 19: Head coach of SS Lazio Gennaro Gattuso looks on during the Serie A match between Venezia FC and SS Lazio at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo on September 19, 2026 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images)
VENICE, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 19: Head coach of SS Lazio Gennaro Gattuso looks on during the Serie A match between Venezia FC and SS Lazio at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo on September 19, 2026 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images)

He continued: “It’s a matter of mentality and attitude. We were poor on second balls, Romano and Belahyane were always getting crushed. We have to do better at that, otherwise you end up running more if you don’t get there. You start getting into difficulty if you start making meaningless passes.

“We were good in the first half, but of course we’re going to make mistakes if we start trying to manage the game from 2-0 up. We have to improve on that.”

Still, Lazio sit at the top of the standings with an impressive 16 points after six matches.

“We have to take things day by day,” Gattuso insisted. “You know as well as I do what it’s like playing in a stadium like this. It’s not easy, but we’re following our own path and we’ll see where we end up.”

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