Sassuolo 2-6 Lazio: Match Report, Goals, Stats and Ratings
Serie A Matchday 9 · Tuesday 27 October 2026 · MAPEI Stadium - Città del Tricolore, Reggio Emilia · referee L. Zufferli · full time
Full time: Sassuolo 2-6 Lazio
Lazio beat Sassuolo 6-2 in Serie A Matchday 9 on Tuesday 27 October 2026 at MAPEI Stadium - Città del Tricolore. The goals: Kenneth Taylor 2', Gustav Isaksen 13', Romano Floriani 16', Sebastiano Esposito 43', Mattia Zaccagni 45+1', Tijjani Noslin 55', Tijjani Noslin 65'. It went against Moneyball's pre-match estimate.
How Lazio won it
Lazio struck first through Kenneth Taylor in the 2nd minute. Sassuolo levelled at 1-1 in the 7th minute through an own goal by Josip Sutalo. Gustav Isaksen made it 1-2 to Lazio in the 13th minute, set up by Mattia Zaccagni. Romano Floriani made it 1-3 to Lazio in the 16th minute, set up by Kenneth Taylor. Sebastiano Esposito made it 2-3 to Sassuolo in the 43rd minute, set up by Simone Cinquegrano. Mattia Zaccagni made it 2-4 to Lazio in the 45th minute (+1), set up by Gustav Isaksen. Tijjani Noslin made it 2-5 to Lazio in the 55th minute, set up by Mattia Zaccagni. Tijjani Noslin made it 2-6 to Lazio in the 65th minute, set up by Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.
It was 2-4 at half-time.
Tijjani Noslin scored twice.
Kristian Thorstvedt of Sassuolo was sent off in the 31st minute. The referee, L. Zufferli, showed 2 yellow cards: 1 to Sassuolo and 1 to Lazio. Mattia Zaccagni missed a penalty for Lazio in the 50 minute. Davide Frattesi missed a penalty for Lazio in the 61 minute.
Sassuolo: A. Aquilani, 4-2-3-1 · Lazio: I. Gattuso, 4-3-3.
Moneyball's prediction against the result
The prediction missed. Moneyball's pick on the Match Board was Under 3.00, and on 2-6 it was wrong.
The estimate's most likely result was a Lazio win at 42%, and that is what happened. Its single most likely score was 1-1 (12%).
The match had far more goals than expected: the estimate was about 2.9 goals and there were 8.
Over 2.5 goals had been put at 56%; with 8 goals the over came in, as the estimate leaned.
Both teams to score was 60%; both did, in line with the estimate.
Computed before kick-off from both sides' season goals and expected goals as of 2026-10-27, through a Dixon-Coles score model, and left as it was.
Why it went this way
On the day the expected goals were 3.26 for Sassuolo and 0.64 for Lazio.
Sassuolo scored about 1.3 fewer than their chances were worth: poor finishing, or a goalkeeper at his best.
Lazio made more of their chances than the xG suggests, by about 5.4 goals.
Sassuolo created the better chances, 3.26 xG to 0.64, and still lost. On chances alone, the result could easily have gone the other way.
The run of play itself went against the pre-match reading: Moneyball expected Lazio to create more, and Sassuolo did.
Sassuolo had 1 shot on target, Lazio 8.
Lazio had 58% of the ball and turned it into the win.
A red card changed the shape of the match, and no pre-match model can see one coming.
Where the two sides stood before this match
Sassuolo came into it with 11 Serie A matches played, scoring 1.4 and conceding 2.6 a match, with 1.27 expected goals for and 1.94 against, and had won 18% of their matches.
Lazio came into it with 11 Serie A matches played, scoring 2.3 and conceding 0.8 a match, with 1.57 expected goals for and 1.29 against, and had won 82% of their matches.
Sassuolo vs Lazio: the match in numbers
| Sassuolo | Match statistics | Lazio |
|---|---|---|
| 42% | Ball possession | 58% |
| 3.26 | Expected goals (xG) | 0.64 |
| 9 | Total shots | 16 |
| 1 | Shots on target | 8 |
| 2 | Big chances | 7 |
| 449 | Total passes | 622 |
| 88% | Pass accuracy | 92% |
| 2 | Corners | 1 |
| 7 | Fouls | 13 |
| 3 | Offsides | 1 |
| 14 | Tackles | 13 |
| 2 | Saves | 0 |
| 1 | Yellow cards | 1 |
| 1 | Red cards | 0 |
Team statistics from Sportmonks.
Player ratings and man of the match
Man of the match: Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio), rated 9.0 by Sportmonks, with 1 goal, 2 assists.
Sassuolo
- Sebastiano Esposito 7.1 1 goal
- Andrea Ghion 6.9
- Stefano Turati 6.8
- Armand Laurienté 6.6
- Sebastian Walukiewicz 6.6
Lazio
- Mattia Zaccagni 9.0 1 goal, 2 assists
- Gustav Isaksen 8.3 1 goal, 1 assist
- Tijjani Noslin 8.3 2 goals
- Kenneth Taylor 7.4 1 goal, 1 assist
- Romano Floriani 7.0 1 goal
The lowest-rated starter was Kristian Thorstvedt at 5.0. Ratings run from 0 to 10; around 7.0 is a solid match.
What comes next
- Sassuolo: Sassuolo vs Genoa Sunday 22 November 2026 · Serie A
- Lazio: Lazio vs Lecce Saturday 21 November 2026 · Serie A
Each preview has Moneyball's estimate for the next match, published before kick-off and marked against the result afterwards, as this one is.
Questions about Sassuolo vs Lazio
What was the score in Sassuolo vs Lazio?
Sassuolo 2-6 Lazio (half-time 2-4), Serie A, Tuesday 27 October 2026.
Who scored in Sassuolo vs Lazio?
Kenneth Taylor 2', Gustav Isaksen 13', Romano Floriani 16', Sebastiano Esposito 43', Mattia Zaccagni 45+1', Tijjani Noslin 55', Tijjani Noslin 65'.
Did Moneyball predict Sassuolo vs Lazio correctly?
The prediction missed. Moneyball's pick on the Match Board was Under 3.00, and on 2-6 it was wrong.
Who was man of the match in Sassuolo vs Lazio?
Mattia Zaccagni, rated 9.0 by Sportmonks.
Who refereed Sassuolo vs Lazio?
L. Zufferli.
Every match, before and after
Moneyball writes a preview with its estimate before every match of Europe's top five leagues and the European cups, then marks it against the result, hits and misses alike.
Moneyball is a football statistics site. No model predicts football reliably: every figure is an estimate.