UEL: Lazio's Unbeaten Run Continues, but Winning Streak Ends with 0-0 Draw Against Ludogorets

Lazio Held to Frustrating 0-0 Draw by Ludogorets in Europa League

Lazio's frustration grew as the match wore on. Manuel Lazzari had a couple of...

Lazio's perfect Europa League record came to an end as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Ludogorets. Despite dominating the match, Lazio was unable to find the back of the net, with Matteo Guendouzi's late effort hitting the crossbar.

Lazio's perfect Europa League record came to an end as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Ludogorets. Despite dominating the match, the Italian side was unable to find the back of the net, with Matteo Guendouzi's effort hitting the crossbar being the closest they came to scoring. Lazio was also denied a clear penalty, adding to their frustration.

Lazio entered the match with a 100% record after four games, sitting atop the table. However, manager Marco Baroni was forced to make some key adjustments due to injuries and suspensions. Notably, Nuno Tavares and Gaetano Castrovilli were absent, while Mattia Zaccagni, Taty Castellanos, and Alessio Romagnoli were not fully fit. As a result, Tijjani Noslin was deployed as a centre-forward, marking his return from a ban. Ludogorets, on the other hand, had just one point from their previous matches and were without the suspended Caio Vidal and Rick.

Tijjani Noslin squandered an early opportunity for Lazio when he failed to control an over-hit pass from Loum Tchaouna. The chance was created when Pedro cleverly evaded the offside trap and drew out the goalkeeper, but Noslin was unable to capitalize.

Ludogorets goalkeeper Hendrik Bonmann was forced to make several crucial saves to deny Lazio. Boulaye Dia was a constant threat, and Bonmann was required to make a tricky save at the near post after Dia made a run into the box. Later, Bonmann made an even more impressive save, denying Dia from point-blank range after a deflected cross had ricocheted into his path.

Lazio manager Marco Baroni made a triple substitution at halftime in an attempt to inject life into the match. However, the tempo remained relatively stagnant, with Pedro's effort from the edge of the area being easily saved by the goalkeeper. The Italian side continued to struggle to create clear-cut opportunities.

Lazio's frustration grew as the match wore on. Manuel Lazzari had a couple of attempts, firing over on the volley from a difficult angle and then sending another effort wide from distance. The turning point came in the 72nd minute when Erick Marcus appeared to foul Gustav Isaksen in the penalty area. To Lazio's dismay, the referee waved play on, and even after reviewing the incident on the VAR monitor, the Croatian referee Duje Strukan surprisingly stood by his decision, contradicting his own colleagues.

In the final stages of the match, Lazio came agonizingly close to snatching the win. Matteo Guendouzi unleashed a ferocious right-foot finish from outside the box in the 86th minute, but his effort crashed against the crossbar, denying Lazio the three points.