UDINE, ITALY — Keinan Davis emerged as Udinese's unlikely savior, drilling home a dramatic 95th-minute equalizer to snatch a 1-1 draw against eighth-placed Lazio and deny the visitors a crucial victory in their pursuit of European qualification. The 10th-placed hosts appeared destined for defeat until Davis's left-footed strike from the centre of the box found the bottom left corner, sending Stadio Friuli into raptures and capping a pulsating finale.
The decisive moments arrived in the final 15 minutes of a match that had threatened to remain goalless. Lazio finally broke through in the 80th minute when Matías Vecino unleashed a right-footed effort from outside the box that nestled into the bottom left corner, with Matteo Cancellieri providing the assist. The Uruguayan midfielder's strike appeared to have secured all three points for the visitors, who had dominated possession at 53.7% throughout the contest. But Udinese refused to surrender. Deep into stoppage time, Nicolò Zaniolo's blocked shot from outside the box fell perfectly for Davis, who made no mistake from close range to spark wild celebrations.
The tactical battle proved evenly matched, with the teams sharing possession almost equally at 46.3%-53.7%. Lazio's Mario Gila and Adam Marusic marshaled the defensive line effectively for much of the contest, while Udinese's Oumar Solet and Christian Kabasele stood firm against Tijjani Noslin's attacking threat. Daniele Padelli proved crucial for the hosts, making three vital saves including a point-blank stop from Gustav Isaksen in the 92nd minute. The referee was busy throughout, brandishing 7 cards in a feisty affair that saw Jesper Karlström, Luca Pellegrini, and Matías Vecino all cautioned.
Despite 14 attempts, Lazio managed just 2 on target, highlighting their wastefulness in front of goal. Udinese proved more clinical with 4 of their 15 shots testing Ivan Provedel, though the Lazio goalkeeper could do nothing about Davis's late intervention. Mattia Zaccagni and Danilo Cataldi controlled midfield phases for the visitors, but Jakub Piotrowski and Jurgen Ekkelenkamp matched their intensity, winning crucial duels in the engine room.
The turning point arrived in the 87th minute when Udinese manager made a triple substitution, introducing fresh legs including Adam Buksa and Matteo Palma. The changes injected urgency into the hosts' attacking play, with Zaniolo increasingly influential down the flanks. His persistence paid dividends when his blocked effort created the chaos from which Davis pounced, transforming what seemed a certain defeat into a hard-earned point.
Looking ahead, Udinese will travel to face Como on January 3, while Lazio host Napoli on January 4.