Super Eagles stars Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Ebenezer Akinsanmiro were both in action for Lazio and Pisa respectively in their final league game of the campaign, Soccernet.ng reports.
Dele-Bashiru delivered an impressive performance and got on the scoresheet with Lazio’s opening goal of the game, cancelling out an earlier strike from Stefano Moreo, who had given the relegated visitors the lead at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Pedro Rodríguez then scored what proved to be the winner as Lazio completed the comeback to end their campaign on a high, while Pisa were relegated back to Serie B just one season after gaining promotion.
Lazio vs Pisa: How the game unfolded
Lazio came into the match having lost their previous three games across all competitions, including the Coppa Italia final defeat to Inter Milan earlier this month. Pisa, meanwhile, had already suffered relegation following a 2-1 defeat to Lecce on May 1 and entered the clash on an eight-game losing streak.
The hosts started brightly and created several chances to take the lead, but were repeatedly denied by Pisa goalkeeper Adrian Semper, while Adam Marusic also struck the post with a powerful effort.
Despite Lazio’s dominance, Pisa stunned the home crowd by taking the lead when Michel Aebischer delivered a cross for Moreo to head home unmarked inside the box.
Lazio responded almost immediately. A brilliant move from Reda Belahyane on the wing found Dele-Bashiru in the area, and the Nigerian midfielder produced a sublime turn to beat his marker before firing home from close range.
Former Chelsea star Pedro then completed the turnaround just two minutes later with a composed finish in what was his final appearance for Lazio, giving the hosts a 2-1 lead heading into halftime.
Lazio continued to dominate in the second half and were denied on several occasions by Semper, but there were no further goals as the home side closed out the season with a victory that saw them finish ninth in the standings.
Pisa, on the other hand, ended the campaign bottom of the table with only two wins all season and a run of nine consecutive league defeats.
Super Eagles players ratings: Dele-Bashiru shines, Akinsanmiro struggles
While Dele-Bashiru enjoyed an outstanding outing for Lazio, Akinsanmiro struggled to make an impact in what could prove to be his final appearance for Pisa.
Dele-Bashiru impressed throughout the contest, scoring Lazio’s equalizer after Pisa had taken an early lead. The 25-year-old completed 93% of his passes, created two chances, made four recoveries, and won one duel before he was replaced by Adrian Przyborek in the 82nd minute.
According to Sofascore, the Nigerian midfielder earned a rating of 7.9, the joint-highest in the match alongside Pedro.
Akinsanmiro, however, endured a difficult evening and was substituted at halftime. The youngster completed 87% of his passes and made three recoveries, finishing the game with a Sofascore rating of 6.4.
The 21-year-old’s future remains uncertain, with several clubs reportedly interested in signing him ahead of the summer transfer window as he prepares to return to Inter Milan after his loan spell at Pisa.
Both players have been called up by Eric Chelle for the Super Eagles’ upcoming fixtures. Akinsanmiro is expected to join the squad for the Unity Cup tournament this week, with Nigeria set to face Zimbabwe in the opener on Tuesday, while Dele-Bashiru will link up with the team after the tournament for the friendly matches against Poland and Portugal in June.
