There was a huge brawl between Lazio and Southampton players with Russell Martin forced to intervene in quite the dramatic friendly.
The 61st minute altercation led to players of both teams getting involved with Carlos Alcaraz sent off for his involvement in the fight while Lazio were also reduced to 10-men.
Tempers flared when a Shea Charles foul on Matt Zaccagni sparked an initial confrontation between Alcaraz and Danilo Cataldi, before things then got heated between Alcaraz and Alessio Romagnoli, with both getting sent off.
Those on benches got up and ran onto the pitch to try and pull apart the two squads. Take a look at the video of it all below…
One way to rule out a transfer to
Lazio. #SaintsFC pic.twitter.com/gkxtGNxNr6— Saints Socialite (@SaintsSocialite) August 7, 2024
LAZIO JUST SCORED THIS GOAL AGAINST SOUTHAMPTON🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/Jeiqv1CSTy
— The 44 ⚽️ (@The_Forty_Four) August 7, 2024
🤩 El Taty… 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞!#SouthamptonLazio | #CMonEagles 🦅 pic.twitter.com/kydV9h34V8
— S.S.Lazio (@OfficialSSLazio) August 7, 2024
Southampton: McCarthy, Bree, Edwards (Stephens 77), Wood, Manning (Dibling 46), Taylor (Sugawara 86), Charles, Amo-Ameyaw (Aribo 72), Alcaraz, Brereton Díaz (Edozie 46), Mara (Smallbone 72).
Unused substitutes: Lis, Lumley, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Downes, Armstrong.
Goals: Brereton Díaz (5’)
Booked: Charles.
Red cards: Alcaraz.
Lazio: Provedel (Mandas 46), Pellegrini (Castrovilli 86), Romagnoli, Casale (Gabarron 86), Lazzari (Marusic 80), Vecino, Guendouzi (Hysaj 86), Cataldi (Gila 63), Zaccagni, Castellanos, Isaksen (Tchaouna 72).
Unused substitutes: Furlanetto, Dele-Bashiru, Rodriguez, Noslin, Ruggeri, Milani, Akpa Akpro.
Goals: Castellanos (32’)
Booked: Guendouzi, Castellanos, Gila, Zaccagni.
Red cards: Romagnoli.
Referee: Tim Robinson.
“I think it was good for us, physically good for us,” Russell Martin said post-match. “A big step up from last week in terms of opposition, the quality of the opposition. Really brilliant for some of the guys to play their first game at St Mary’s. That will be good for them, and just to keep playing in the way we’re asking them to play, so I’m really positive about that and they’ll be in a better place for it – Woody, Ronnie, Charlie Taylor, Ben, all those guys.
“Then the game obviously descended into a little bit of carnage and chaos, which isn’t ideal, but it happened and I actually really liked the aggression in the team today on the pitch – not that bit, but I think one of their guys and one of our guys, Charly, they had an altercation and then their players got involved to protect their mate and our players got involved to protect theirs, so I like the fact they look after each other, but it wasn’t ideal for the game.
“The game sort of went a bit after that, but I actually thought we managed the game really well after that and, like I said, from where we were a week ago at Oxford when I’m talking to you about a bit of a lack of personality and character, we had that tonight in abundance. So I’m really pleased with that. That was better and now we have another game Saturday, which will be a step up again, and I’m really, really looking forward to it.”
Martin added: “Physically the guys look really good. Mentally they’re good. They’re together, you can see that tonight, even during that incident.
“We just still have a lot to work on tactically and a few details, but that will change for every game as well, so we know there’s some really important stuff, we feel, analysing Newcastle, there’s going to be some stuff that’s really important to us, and we played a couple of shapes again tonight to look at things and to try and learn from that, and then that will change again for Forest, so the process will be to learn as much we possibly can from every game and that will include include tonight’s game as well.”
On Ben Brereton Díaz, who scored within five minutes of his first start for the club, Martin said: “He has real quality, real guile, real intelligence. He’s a brilliant signing for us, really good character-wise as well. So that’ll be really good for Ben, I’m pleased for him.”
Ben Brereton Díaz said: “I really enjoyed myself out there in front of the Saints fans and playing with the players for the second time.
“I only played with them once for a little bit against Millwall, but I enjoyed it and I’m happy to get a goal.
“It was a good team goal, good possession of the ball. I think Charly won it back in the midfield, being aggressive, and just happy to get the goal which was nice, but it was all-round a good team performance and I thought we showed very positive stuff.
“It’s a top, top group, some great people, players, staff and I’ve really enjoyed myself. I’ve only been here a week but settled in really nicely thanks to the players and the staff. So it’s been a good week and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.
“There’s definitely a bigger excitement in the dressing room, the boys are looking forward to that first Premier League game. It’ll be a good atmosphere away at Newcastle so it’s something we’ve got to be prepared for. But I’ve been here a week and the boys have been brilliant, so I’ve got no worries about that. I think we’ll do a great job.”
Twitter users reacted to a huge brawl between Lazio and Southampton players with Russell Martin forced to intervene…
@enio_samir: Please, @SouthamptonFC keep Alcaraz for the season.
@SaintsSocialite: Charly doing his part to stop his snakey agent moving him away 😇
@ethanriley148: Takes half an hour for any saints player to back him
@SMcCabe7: Standing up for Charles. Love to see it
@LiamEyre25: Love this even in a friendly tbf. Shows togetherness within the group
@Ufukhanius: You need this mentality and more of these players, not that crazy but you need them @SouthamptonFC
@TheSaintsReport: Quality from him aha 👏
@stephencross16: Its only a friendly lads, jeez
@blogg_david: At last Alcaraz shows a bit of spunk 😁😁
@g_carlhendy3: One in all in ffs like 👊
@SCFCArchie: so many fights in pre season
@voluntaryreboot: alcaraz getting a red card in a friendly for getting in a fight against Lazio might be the best thing a saints player has ever done. greatest player we have, please never leave us
@owen__ffc: my fucking player ❤️🤍
@jase1962: He won’t be joining Lazio now 🤣🤣
@Hjr__25: Well done Alcaraz, lazio players are actual pricks. The whole game they’ve been dirty
@MDudz2: After watching this back, I don’t blame Charly anymore. Great to see him standing up another team mate. 🥰
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