Lazio-Cagliari 4-0

Season 1993-94

Game 23, Serie A

Sunday, February 13, 1994

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio-Cagliari 4-0

A Signori hat-trick and a Gascoigne freekick thump Cagliari

Lazio were currently 5th in the table in Serie A, on 27 points. Lazio had won 10 (including Juventus 3-1 at home), drawn 7 (including derby 0-0) and lost 5 (including Cagliari 1-4). They came from the positive 2-1 away win against Inter.

Lazio were favourites today and looking to avenge the 1-4 away defeat in September. Cagliari however were not an easy team to beat and were unbeaten in their last league six games.

The match

An overcast day with about 45,000 spectators at the Olimpico.

Lazio had no major injury problems while Cagliari had to do without their captain Gianfranco Matteoli, midfielder Pierpaolo Bisoli and winger Francesco Moriero.

Lazio started well and could have scored with Paolo Negro whose close-range shot was saved by Valerio Fiori and Diego Fuser who fired over the bar.

In the 15th minute on a rare excursion forward Cagliari had a good long range shot by Dario Marcolin but Luca Marchegiani flew to his left and palmed the ball out for a corner.

In the 23rd minute Lazio were awarded a penalty. Alen Boksic was pulled down when going for a header on a cross by Winter. A somewhat generous penalty which Beppe Signori put away with his usual no-run up style although Fiori went the right way but was beaten. Lazio 1 Cagliari 0.

Lazio continued to attack and had several chances to double their lead. Aron Winter shaved the post with a diving header, Signori hit the bar with a shot deflected by Fiori and then Beppe Favalli's close range shot was walled by a defender. Halftime Lazio 1 Cagliari 0.

Lazio were well in control and should have been further ahead.

In the second half the Biancocelesti continued to dominate. In the 49th minute Paul Gascoigne, in fine form, curled a shot which went extremely near the far post.

In the 51st minute a superb freekick by Signori put Lazio two up. The blond striker curled it round the wall and into the top left-hand corner. Brilliant and Lazio 2 Cagliari 0.

Cagliari stirred slightly and had a chance with Luís Oliveira but he stubbed his close range shot and it trickled past the right post.

In the 64th minute Signori got his hat-trick. Boksic went on one of his runs down the right combining power and technique and from near the by-line chipped a cross which Signori nodded in for a rare goal with his head. Lazio 3 Cagliari 0.

The game then went a bit flat with Lazio satisfied with their work and Cagliari demoralised.

Lazio made two substitutions in the last quarter, in the 78th minute defender Mauro Bonomi for Paolo Negro and in the 84th Gigi Casiraghi for Alen Boksic.

In the 87th minute Cagliari had a double chance with Julio Dely Valdés to pull one back. He was put through on goal by Oliveira, went round Marchegiani but pushed it too far and couldn't shoot, the move continued and Marcolin then passed the ball back to the Panamese forward but he hammered the ball straight at Marchegiani.

A minute later Lazio scored again. The Biancocelesti had a freekick on the left side of the area, an ideal position to get a dangerous cross in which everyone was expecting. Gascoigne had other ideas and curled the ball over the two-man wall and into the far post top hand corner. Vintage Gazza who celebrated under the Tribuna Tevere with his famous statuesque pose. Lazio 4 Cagliari 0.

In injury time the Sardinians had a final freekick from the edge of the box but it was weak, low and without conviction and comfortably picked up by Marchegiani. A freekick which basically summed up the islanders’ performance. Final score Lazio 4 Cagliari 0.

A fine afternoon for Lazio. Two goals had come from freekicks and one from a penalty but Lazio had dominated the game and could have scored more against a poor opposition.

Hero of the day was Signori with his hat-trick but Gazza had been excellent too and seemed to be approaching top form.

Lazio were still 5th but now only one point behind 4th placed Sampdoria. Cagliari were down to joint 11th with Roma on 21 points, now only three points from the drop zone (Genoa on 18).

Who played for Lazio

Marchegiani, Bacci, Favalli, Di Matteo, Negro (78' Bonomi), Cravero, Fuser, Winter, Boksic (84' Casiraghi), Gascoigne, Signori