Baroni: Lazio want to play ’emotional football’, Pedro ‘wonderful’ | OneFootball

Lazio’s emphatic 5-1 win over Monza left coach Marco Baroni fully satisfied, as he believes that his side ‘created a lot of chances’ and played ‘an important match in every aspect’.

The Bianconcelesti’s third victory in the last four Serie A games was particularly important not to allow Juventus and Milan to close in on them, as they’re all involved in a tight fight for the Champions League spots, but the former Verona manager insisted they have to focus only on themselves.

ROME, ITALY – FEBRUARY 09: Pedro of Lazio scores his team’s second goal during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and Monza at Stadio Olimpico on February 09, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

It was impressive to see three substitutes have a hand in three of Lazio’s five goals, as Pedro bagged a brace, Fisayu Dele-Bashiru came on to score his side’s fifth, and Tijjani Noslin also managed an assist. According to Baroni, who had a special mention for the Spaniard, it is ‘essential’ to be able to rely on players who can change the game by coming in.

Baroni: Pedro excites me, Lazio must only ‘focus on themselves’

“When Pedro told me that it was his last year, I told him: ‘Look, you still have four years to go.’,” Baroni joke in a post-match interview with DAZN.

“Besides that, Pedro is wonderful, but not just because of what you see on the field. I see an attitude that excites me, and I hope it has the same effect on the younger players, because seeing someone train with joy every day is extraordinary.

“So we enjoy having him, I’m happy to coach him, and I hope to extend his career and that he scores many more goals.

“It’s essential to be able to count on players who come in during the game. I’ve always worked with everyone, and my focus is especially on those who aren’t the main protagonists during the match.

ROME, ITALY – FEBRUARY 09: Adam Marusic of SS Lazio celebrates the opening goal during the Serie match between Lazio and Monza at Stadio Olimpico on February 09, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)

“My goal is to help everyone grow, create a sense of team, a strong identity, and play emotional football, meaning an offensive style that is enjoyable but, above all, effective. We work on this, the team follows me, and we work hard, but we must focus only on ourselves.”

Baroni admitted that Lazio’s brilliant ball recovery is what makes them tough to play against on their best days, which was the case against Salvatore Bocchetti’s side.

“We attack a lot against a well-organised defense, so working on the immediate recovery of the ball is crucial,” the coach said.

“We must always stay focused on preventive marking and work on immediate forward runs. For me, the team was good there, mainly.

“In the first half, we made too many mistakes in finishing because we could have made the last pass better. But we created a lot of chances, and we’ll keep working on this.

“Today, I’m happy that the boys played an important match in all aspects.”

Nicolò Rovella assisted Lazio’s last goal, and Baroni seemed particularly pleased with his development.

“When Rovella made the assist, I told him that when he scores, I’ll take a lap of the field,” he joked.

“He’s an extraordinary guy who’s growing a lot, a box-to-box midfielder, which I love. From this point of view, he’s a constantly improving player, not just in the match but during the week. This is the most important thing.”