Fisayo Dele-Bashiru delivered an impressive performance as Lazio were held to a 2–2 draw by Atalanta in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semifinal clash at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday night.

Barely a minute into the second half, the Manchester City academy graduate broke the deadlock for Lazio, producing a delicate chip to beat the Nerazzurri goalkeeper.

The strike in the 47th minute marked his first goal for the Biancocelesti since February 9, 2025, when he found the net against AC Monza in Serie A action.

Speaking at his post-match press conference, Lazio manager Maurizio Sarri highlighted the explosive qualities of Dele-Bashiru, explaining why the midfielder possesses the ability to trouble virtually any defence when he surges forward.

"Dele-Bashiru can cause problems for anyone,  when he manages to launch himself forward he can reach speeds of 36 km/h," Sarri was quoted as saying by Pazzi Di Fanta. 

"Taylor, on the other hand, has different characteristics, he's a setter and has less pace."

"To have more consistency we need to have a group of attackers who would guarantee us more goals."

Despite his quality, Dele-Bashiru has found regular starts difficult to come by in the Serie A, making just five starts in Serie A this season.

However, he has featured from the outset in back-to-back matches in the Coppa Italia, underlining his importance to the team in the domestic cup competition.