Game 17, Serie A
Sunday, January 22, 1984
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan
Inter Lazio 1-1
Lazio collect a much-needed point thanks to Manfredonia
The first Serie A game of the season was a disaster. Verona hammered Lazio with four goals and only a late Michael Laudrup brace disguised a bad defeat. The next game at home was a triumph: 3-0 against Inter. But in the next ten matches the Biancocelesti won only two (2-1 against Avellino and 3-0 Catania), drew two (both in Genoa) and lost six, including the derby. Lazio were second from last and Giancarlo Morrone was sacked. Former player Paolo Carosi was called up and after a controversial draw at home against Udinese, the Biancocelesti went to Ascoli on December 31. There, Antonio Bogoni with a killer tackle broke Bruno Giordano’s leg.
Lazio fell into despair, losing the Ascoli match as well as the next one at home against Pisa.
The Biancocelesti had only nine points after the first half of the season. Carosi realised that he had to do something and he put his faith in the players with greater experience. Life without probably one of the best centre forwards in Europe would not be easy and there was no backup plan. At this point it was up to Vincenzo D’Amico and Lionello Manfredonia to take matters into their own hands and step up to lead the team. In the first match of the second half of the season the Biancocelesti had drawn at home with Verona. Today they faced Inter who were not doing so well. Chance to take advantage of the situation.
The match
If it was not for Fernando Orsi, Inter could have been at least three up in the first 20 minutes. The Lazio keeper performed miracles on attempts from Beppe Baresi in the 7th minute, Evaristo Beccalossi in the 12th and Graziano Bini in the 17th. The Nerazzurri had already scored in the 10th minute when a Hansi Muller shot from outside the box was deflected by Manfredonia putting it out of Orsi's reach.
Manager Carosi had designed a midfield which was supposed to contain Inter effectively but which in reality just created confusion among the players who were lost. After 25 minutes, Inter lessened their grip on the match due also to a number of dirty fouls by Massimo Piscedda and Claudio VInazzani. The Nerazzurri possibly thought that there was no way the Biancocelesti could pose any kind of threat. And Lazio did not, since the first shot on goal, from Joao Batista, sailed over the crossbar in injury time.
But in the second half things changed and the Biancocelesti came back on a lot more determined. The fielding of Arcadio Spinozzi who had come on halfway through the first half for an injured Mauro Della Martira seemed to have finally given the team a better balance, at least defensively.
In the opening minutes of the second half, Muller tried to slalom his way through the Lazio players in his own penalty area and inadvertently gave the ball to Laudrup who passed to Giancarlo Marini. His first shot was walled by the defence and on the rebound he miskicked it.
In the 49th minute a high ball in the box was not cleared by Spinozzi, Aldo Serena headed the ball to Alessandro Altobelli who volleyed towards the goal, in came Beccalossi who anticipated Orsi but kicked it wide.
Lazio’s second and final foray in the Inter box took place in the 63rd minute. Vinazzani was fouled 30 meters from the goal on the left. Gabriele Podavini took the free kick, big whack, miles away from the goal but a perfect assist for Manfredonia who volleyed it towards Walter Zenga who fumbled, Inter 1 Lazio 1.
Batista decided the Biancocelesti’s task of holding onto a draw would be relatively easy so in the 65th minute he made sure the referee showed him a second yellow card for a brutal foul on Muller. Inter put Lazio under siege and the ball left the Biancoceleste penalty area for possibly no more than three or four minutes in the remaining half an hour.
Inter had three chances to go back into the lead, but first Marini, clearing the ball on the line in 73rd minute after an Altobelli header, then Orsi, flying to save a Muller shot in the 76th minute, and finally Piscedda who managed to wall a Beppe Bergomi shot in the 84th minute, avoided defeat.
A gutsy performance by Lazio and a much-needed point.
Who played for Inter
Zenga, Ferri II, Bergomi, Bini, Bagni, G. Baresi, H. Muller, Sabato, Altobelli, Beccalossi, Serena
Substitutes: Recchi, Giamp.Marini, C.Muraro, Pasinato, Meazza
Manager: Radice
Who played for Lazio
Orsi, Filisetti, Della Martira (21’ Spinozzi), Piscedda, Batista, Podavini, Vinazzani, Manfredonia, D’Amico (60’ Meluso), Laudrup, G. Marini
Substitutes: Cacciatori, Piraccini, Piga
Manager: Carosi
Referee: Agnolin
Goals: 10’ Manfredonia (og), 63’ Manfredonia
Red Card : 65' Batista
Sources
Commentaires