A good win, in a difficult match

Season 1986-87

Game 16, Serie B

Sunday, January 4, 1987

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Genoa 3-0

Lazio score early, are forced to suffer, but ultimately take the points.

Ticket owned by Dag Jenkins, photo by Dag Jenkins

After the catastrophic beginning Lazio started to win and reduce the handicap. After 8 games the Biancocelesti finally had a +1 in the table and were only two points from safety. The relegation zone was left in the previous game at Cagliari where Lazio won 1-0 with a goal from Antonio Schillaci, cousin of the future star Salvatore. Now the players could relax and concentrate on going up the table

The match

Lazio were without their bomber Giuliano Fiorini and Eugenio Fascetti opted to put Fabio Poli closer to the only forward Paolo Mandelli. Despite the problems in attack, the Biancocelesti scored almost immediately. Antonio Acerbis crossed into the box for Mandelli who tried to control it but was hugged romantically by Claudio Testoni. In doing so he touched the ball with his hand and the referee gave the Biancocelesti the penalty. Gabriele Podavini made no mistake.

The penalty was a little gift but later on in the first half Poli was clearly fouled in the box. A much more evident penalty that the ref decided to ignore. After the first twenty minutes the Biancocelesti ran out of steam and Genoa advanced. In the 26th minute Franco Rotella crossed from the left, splendid header by Angelo Trevisan, Giuliano Terraneo was miraculous.

In the second half Acerbis stopped running and Roberto Policano dominated his wing. His precious crosses for Stefano Eranio and Loriano Cipriani in the 59th and 61st minute were squandered. Policano therefore decided to take matters into his own hands and in the 67th minute thanks to a perfect assist from Alessandro Scanziani dribbled past Terraneo and scored Genoa’s equaliser. However, he had fouled Acerbis in doing so, so the referee disallowed the goal.

The Rossoblu lost momentum and Lazio doubled the score. In the 74th minute Giorgio Magnocavallo crossed from the right towards the outside of the box. Mimmo Caso, seeing Giovanni Cervone just slightly too far forward, invented a beautiful lob that beat the future Roma goalkeeper. Three minutes later Magnocavallo again from the right, low cross in the middle, in came Poli who whacked the ball in for Lazio’s third.

A good win, in a difficult match.

Who played for Lazio

Terraneo, Podavini, Brunetti, Acerbis (86’ Piscedda), Gregucci, Marino, Poli, Caso (78’ Camolese), Magnocavallo, Pin, Mandelli