Lazio’s Coppa Italia campaign ended before it had really begun. Mantova beat Gennaro Gattuso’s side 2-0 at the Olimpico on 16 August 2026, and the home team were out in the trentaduesimi di finale after a night that never turned their way.
The result mattered because Lazio had reached the final in the previous edition, yet this run collapsed immediately in front of their own supporters. About 2,000 Mantova fans were there to see it, and they left with a win sealed by second-half goals from Ruocco and Cajazzo.
For Gattuso, it was his first match on the Lazio bench, and he turned to Frattesi in the second half for his debut in the shirt. He also replaced Dia with Ratkov, while Cancellieri was booked after a foul on Castellini. None of it changed the flow. Mantova kept their shape, then struck with the kind of direct move that decides cup ties.
The move for Cajazzo’s goal began with Bragantini leading the counterattack, continued with a cross from Trimboli to Ruocco, and ended with a finish that went to the VAR. The review did not overturn it. The goal stood as regular, and that was the moment Lazio’s night slipped beyond recovery.
Mucera blew for full time after six minutes of stoppage time, leaving Lazio with a home defeat that hit harder because of the recent past. Mantova now go on to face the winner of Palermo-Lecce, while Lazio have to reset quickly and begin Serie A away to Bologna on 24 August. The contrast is stark: one side moves into the next round with momentum, and the other starts a season under pressure after a cup exit that should not have come this early.
