Zaccagni And Bašić Return As Lazio Seek Redemption In Cagliari

After the setback against Atalanta BC, S.S. Lazio head into their trip to Sardinia with a clear objective: respond immediately, take three points, and keep their European hopes alive. The Biancoceleste are scheduled to face Cagliari Calcio on Saturday, February 21 at Unipol Domus, with kick off listed at 19:45 UTC.

For Maurizio Sarri, the best news comes from the medical room. Reports in Italy indicate Lazio should have two important pieces back in the squad, midfielder Toma Bašić and captain winger Mattia Zaccagni, giving Sarri fresh options in both the midfield rotation and the attacking trident. Bašić has been edging back toward full availability after his recent issue, while Zaccagni has been working his way through recovery after the abdominal oblique injury that previously ruled him out for several weeks.

Tactically, their returns matter for different reasons. Zaccagni brings unpredictability and one against one threat, exactly the kind of spark Lazio have missed when the final third has looked too flat or too easy to read. Bašić, meanwhile, adds physicality and workload management in a period where Sarri needs legs to cope with a busy calendar and maintain intensity from the first minute to the last.

Sarri will still have to decide how aggressively to use them, whether from the start or as controlled minutes off the bench, but the simple fact they are back in the picture raises the technical ceiling of the group. With Lazio needing consistency to climb back into the European conversation, the night in Cagliari becomes a straightforward test of mentality. After dropping points recently, Lazio do not just need a performance, they need a response that looks like a team ready to fight its way back.