[WATCH] Lazio vs Atalanta: Fisayo Dele-Bashiru scores audacious lob as Eagles fail to secure first-leg lead

Super Eagles midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru netted a spectacular opening goal. Still, Lazio repeatedly squandered their lead as substitute Yunus Musah rescued a dramatic 2-2 draw for Atalanta in their Coppa Italia semi-final first leg.

Staged at a sparsely populated Stadio Olimpico in Rome, where only 5,000 fans attended amidst a protest by Lazio ultras against President Claudio Lotito, this Coppa Italia semi-final first leg presented a crucial opportunity for both sides to inch closer to domestic silverware. 

Dele-Bashiru and Boulaye Dia both seemingly gave the hosts the upper hand at different stages, but resilient equalisers from Mario Pašalić and Musah ensured the tie remains perfectly poised ahead of the decisive second leg in Bergamo next month.

The visitors began the game on the front foot and thought they had taken an early lead in the 9th minute when Nikola Krstovic powered a header past Ivan Provedel from a Davide Zappacosta cross, but VAR intervened to correctly disallow the goal for offside.

 Atalanta continued to dominate a tense first half, nearly breaking the deadlock just before the interval when Lorenzo Bernasconi’s cross found Zappacosta, whose fierce volley bounced agonisingly off the crossbar. 

Surviving the early onslaught, Lazio burst out of the gates after the restart and seized the lead in the 46th minute through sheer brilliance from Fisayo Dele-Bashiru; the Nigerian international embarked on a driving run through the middle, executed a perfect give-and-go with Daniel Maldini, and elegantly chipped the ball over the onrushing Marco Carnesecchi. 

The hosts' joy was remarkably short-lived, however, as Atalanta restored parity in the 51st minute when Provedel parried a ferocious long-range strike from Lazar Samardzic directly into the path of Mario Pašalić, who gratefully slotted the rebound into the net.

The match exploded into life again in the dying moments when Pasalic went from hero to villain in the 87th minute, misjudging a chest control from Nuno Tavares' cross and allowing substitute Boulaye Dia, who had replaced Maldini in the 76th minute, to pounce on the loose ball and finish from close range. 

Yet, true to their resilient nature, Atalanta responded instantly in the 89th minute when fellow substitute Kamaldeen Sulemana brilliantly spun past Adam Marušić on the left flank and cut the ball back for Musah to fire a low, first-time strike through the crowd, leaving Provedel stranded and completing the 2-2 scoreline.

This thrilling 2-2 draw leaves the Coppa Italia semi-final tie completely balanced at 50-50, transferring the pressure to the Gewiss Stadium for the decisive second leg on April 22.