Game 14, Serie A
Sunday, January 2, 1938
Stadio Giovanni Berta, Florence
Fiorentina Lazio 1-1
Lazio take home a point after a difficult game in Florence
Lazio were following in the footsteps of the previous season and were third together with Roma, one point behind Milan and three behind leaders Ambrosiana Inter. They had played well and lost just two matches (Inter at home and Napoli away) and had thrashed Torino 6-0 and Atalanta 4-0 in the last two games of December. Time to consolidate.
The match
Fiorentina started the game a lot better and in the first minutes had an opportunity to score with Alfonso Negro who actually scored in the 3rd minute but was in offside. Libero Marchini and Silvio Piola tried to trouble the Fiorentina defence but in the 19th minute Renzo Magli came to the rescue and cleared. A minute later, a Marchini free kick was only just wide. Fiorentina had a chance after a Geo Bortolini shot was parried by Giacomo Blason but Mario Mannelli was unable to tap the ball in.
In the 26th minute Fiorentina scored. Assist from Ugo Conti to Negro who dribbled past Benedicto Zacconi, and invited Blason to come out of his goal to face him. The Lazio goalkeeper did, but could not stop Negro from scoring. Fiorentina 1 Lazio 0.
The Biancocelesti reacted immediately with a Marchini shot that went wide and for the rest of the first half had a lot of good will but with little precision.
In the first two minutes of the second half, Piola had a shot saved into corner by Gino Baggiani who also saved a Giuseppe Viani header on the subsequent corner. Another Marchini free kick in the 49th minute was only slightly wide. The same happened with another free kick this time taken by Bruno Camolese. In the 73rd minute Lazio equalised. Piola to Marchini to Umberto Busani who attempted a shot from outside the box and scored. Fiorentina 1 Lazio 1.
Four minutes later the Viola almost went ahead again with Negro on a Conti cross but his volley went just wide. Then the Biancocelesti attacking duo Piola-Marchini had chances, but the latter shot wide and Piola had his attempt brilliantly saved by Baggiani.
The final minutes were all Fiorentina. In the 82nd minute Blason saved a free kick but no host player was ready for the tap in. In the 87th Zacconi risked an own goal but Blason saved into corner and a minute later a Giovanni Barberis’ shot went over the crossbar.
In the end a good draw for both teams.
Who played for Fiorentina
Baggiani, Gazzari, Magli, Traversa, Piccini, Tori, Mannelli, Bortolini, Negro, Barberis, Conti.
Manager: Baccani
Who played for Lazio
Manager: Viola
Referee: Barlassina
Goals: 26’ Negro, 73’ Busani
Sources
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