Game 30, Serie B
Sunday, April 13, 1986
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio - Cesena 1-1
An early strike by Lazio’s top scorer is levelled by a "Condor" Agostini goal
So far, the Biancocelesti had won 9, drawn 9 and lost 11, disappointing but also worrying as they were only two points above the relegation zone. They had lost the last match 2-3 away at Ascoli and were currently joint 9th with five other teams.
Cesena were currently in 7th place, five points off 3rd place and promotion. A difficult game to predict today. The Bianconeri were five points ahead but came from mediocre results while Lazio were in the heat of the relegation battle.
The match
An overcast day and not a big crowd for this game, about 15,000 spectators.
Lazio had Ernesto Calisti and Domenico Caso back from injury but were without defenders Giorgio Magnocavallo, Fabio Calcaterra, Roberto Galbiati and Gabriele Podavini plus Giuliano Fiorini and Francesco Dell'Anno up front. The defensive defections meant a debut for youth player Raffaele Perna.
Cesena, on the other hand, had absences in midfielders Giuseppe Angelini and Gianluca Leoni. The Bianconeri had two former Lazio players in the starting line-up, Dario Sanguin (1980-82) and youth player Fabrizio Perotti.
The game started perfectly for Lazio. In the 3rd minute Fortunato Torrisi had a long range central freekick parried by Borin, Toti tried again on the rebound but the keeper saved up into the air where Oliviero Garlini jumped and headed in. Lazio 1 Cesena 0.
The game then went flat with Lazio trying to control and Cesena unable to threaten.
In the 35th minute however, the visitors equalised. Pancheri crossed from the left to Bianchi whose shot was saved but reached the "Condor", he pounced, turned and put a low left footed strike past Mario Ielpo. Lazio 1 Cesena 1. That was the halftime score too.
There were no changes for the second period and not much entertainment for the crowd either. The game remained blocked without goal scoring chances.
In the 61st minute the Biancocelesti tried to liven things up a bit by replacing Fabio Poli and a tiring Domenico Caso with Vincenzo D'Amico and Claudio Vinazzani.
The Golden Boy from Latina in particular was hoped to bring some extra creativity to Lazio's performance.
He did have one moment of quality when he put in a perfectly dosed cross for a Garlini header but Borin pulled off a brilliant save.
In the 85th minute the Romagnoli threw on striker Mauro Gibellini for Perotti and the Bianconeri almost stole it near the end. From a freekick Arcadio Spinozzi cleared badly with a header gifting the ball straight to Alessandro Bianchi whose first time shot came back off the left post. A huge let off for Lazio. Final score Lazio 1 Cesena 1.
Lazio had hoped to get the two points today but did not do much about it. The disappointment was balanced by the fact that they could easily have lost in the dying minutes.
Lazio with the point slipped to joint 11th on 28 points but still with two miserly points on the four teams in joint third bottom place. The table read Monza 19, Catanzaro 25, Catania 26, Cagliari 26, Arezzo 26, Pescara 26, Campobasso 27, Perugia 28, Lazio 28, Sambenedettese 28… with four relegations there was more than some cause for concern. Cesena meanwhile moved up to joint 5th, as both Genoa and Triestina had lost, but now six points off an unlikely promotion.
Who played for Lazio
Ielpo, Perna, Calisti, Spinozzi, Filisetti, Corti, Torrisi, Toti, Poli (61' D'Amico), Caso (61' Vinazzani), Garlini
Substitutes: Salafia, Zaccagna, Fonte
Manager: Simoni
Who played for Cesena
Borin, Cuttone, Cotroneo, Sala, Pancheri, Perrotti (85' Gibellini), Agostini, Sanguin, Traini, Bianchi, Barozzi
Substitutes: Dadina, Martini, Meazza, Minotti
Manager: Buffoni
Referee: Lamorgese
Goals: 3' Garlini, 35' Agostini
Sources
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