Fisayo Dele-Bashiru lasted the full 90 minutes as Lazio claimed a comfortable 2-0 Serie A victory at Bologna, with Kenneth Taylor the unlikely hero with both goals late in the second half.
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru was in the thick of another Serie A afternoon on Sunday, playing every minute of Lazio’s 2-0 win over Bologna at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. It was the Super Eagles midfielder’s 15th league appearance of the season, and while he is still searching for his first goal or assist in the Italian top flight, his willingness to put in the legwork without reward has earned him consistent starts. New fans looking to back Nigerian players in Serie A can grab Bet9ja’s current promo code before the next round of fixtures.
Bologna came into the game with belief. Their attacking threat was real enough in the first half, and Riccardo Orsolini had the opportunity to open the scoring from the penalty spot in the 51st minute. But the Italian winger blazed it over, and that miss proved decisive. From that moment, Lazio grew in confidence and began to impose themselves in the final third.
The deadlock was eventually broken in the 77th minute when Kenneth Taylor arrived in the box at the right time to finish coolly and put Lazio ahead. The Dutch midfielder, one of the more unsung contributors in the squad this season, then doubled his personal tally just five minutes later, completing the scoring in the 82nd minute to make it 2-0. It was a clinical double from a player who rarely grabs headlines but consistently delivers when called upon.
What Does This Mean for Dele-Bashiru?
The 25-year-old Nigerian has been a fixture in the Lazio midfield across this campaign, but the absence of a direct goal contribution remains a talking point. His role is clearly more functional than creative, offering defensive coverage, pressing work, and ball recovery rather than the kind of attacking output that fills match reports. Fans at the Bet9ja’s YOHAIG code tracker know Dele-Bashiru as someone who wins possession rather than the final product.
What is not in question is his availability. Fifteen league appearances at this point of the season, all playing significant minutes, puts him firmly in the trusted bracket for the coaching staff. The challenge for the second half of his career in Serie A will be adding the final-third contributions that could make him indispensable to Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying campaign as well.
Bologna’s Afternoon to Forget
For Vincenzo Italiano’s side, the defeat was a setback in their push to secure a European place. The missed Orsolini penalty swung the momentum entirely, and their inability to equalise in the final minutes left them frustrated. With Lazio picking up three points on the road, the gap at the top half of the table tightens even further. Super Eagles fans planning to follow Dele-Bashiru and Lazio in upcoming European qualifying rounds can check out today’s Bet9ja promo code to get set up before the next set of midweek fixtures.
📌 Did You Know?
- Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is one of a select group of Nigerian midfielders to have played 15 or more Serie A games in a single season in the last decade, a testament to just how difficult it is to establish consistent playing time in Italian football.
- Kenneth Taylor, the Dutch midfielder who scored twice, was actually born in Amsterdam and joined Lazio from Ajax in 2024, making his brace against Bologna his joint-best Serie A output in a single game.
- Riccardo Orsolini, who missed the penalty for Bologna, had been one of the most reliable spot-kick takers in Serie A over the previous three seasons, which made his 51st-minute miss all the more significant.
- Dele-Bashiru began his senior career in England with Sheffield Wednesday before moving to Turkey with Hatayspor, where his performances attracted Lazio’s attention and led to a move to Rome in 2024.
- Lazio’s win at Bologna was only their fifth away victory in Serie A this season, highlighting that while they are competitive at the Stadio Olimpico, road results have been their biggest challenge in 2025-26.
- No Nigerian midfielder has scored more than five goals in a single Serie A season since Sunday Oliseh’s campaigns in the late 1990s, which gives context to the challenge Dele-Bashiru faces in becoming a true attacking force in the Italian top flight.
- Bologna’s Stadio Renato Dall’Ara is one of the oldest active football stadiums in Italy, having hosted matches since 1927, and was the venue for several games during the 1990 FIFA World Cup held in Italy.
