Lazio midfielder Davide Frattesi scored the only goal as the biancocelesti defeated Genoa 1-0 at home on Sunday, giving Ivan Gattuso's side a maximum six points from their opening two Serie A fixtures of the 2026-27 season.
The result matters beyond three points. Frattesi has now scored in both league matches this season, and the question that hung over him heading into Sunday — whether a well-prepared opponent could neutralise what had looked like an opening-weekend anomaly — has been answered with the clearest possible evidence. Two games, two goals, an average rating of 8.00 across those appearances. The 26-year-old is not riding a wave of early-season goodwill; he is producing it.
What makes the pattern significant is its context. Gattuso's Lazio have kept clean sheets in both victories, conceding nothing while scoring twice — each goal belonging to Frattesi. That means every point the club currently holds traces directly back to him. For a midfielder arriving from Inter, where he was a rotation option rather than a guaranteed starter, the transition to principal contributor has been immediate and unambiguous.
The evening carried a complication. Nicolò Rovella was injured during the Genoa match, and Gattuso addressed the situation publicly after the final whistle, though the full extent of the problem was not confirmed in the immediate aftermath. Losing Rovella for any significant period would increase the creative and defensive burden on the midfield around Frattesi, making his continued output even more critical to Lazio's early-season ambitions.
Gattuso, for his part, spoke candidly about the club's financial constraints in the transfer window's closing hours, stating there was no money available and expressing hope that no players would leave before the deadline. That candour sets a clear frame: this Lazio squad will largely be the one that finishes the season, and Frattesi's form is not a luxury — it is the structure.
His AI overall of 71 out of 100, with a potential of 76, suggests a player still ascending rather than one operating at a ceiling. Two matches is a small sample, but the direction of the data is consistent. Lazio sit fourth, level on points with the sides above them. Frattesi is the reason they are there.