Quarter Finals, First Leg, Central European Cup
Sunday, July 4, 1937
Stadio PNF, Rome
Lazio Grasshoppers 6-1
Lazio fall behind but then score six including a Piola hat-trick.
Lazio had qualified for the Central European Cup. In the first round against Hungaria they drew 1-1 away and beat the Hungarians 3-2 at home. They now had to face Grasshoppers in the quarter finals.
The match
The slight rain at the beginning of the game made both the ball and the pitch a little wet. And this was the cause of the Swiss’ goal. In the 5th minute Abegglen collected the ball just outside the Lazio box and passed to Bickel who dribbled past Luigi Milano and tried a shot. It looked as if Giacomo Blason would save it easily but he could hold on to the wet ball and it was then a simple tap- in for Faugel.
After a few moments of disbelief, the Biancocelesti gathered themselves and started to attack. In the 9th minute Libero Marchini missed a chance and Silvio Piola did the same a minute later. But in the 14th minute they managed to equalise. Umberto Busani went off on the counter attack, the Swiss hesitated waiting to see if he would cross the ball or try a shot, the Lazio winger capitalised on the opportunity and with a mighty whack beat Huber who had just come out of his goal to face the Biancoceleste player.
Lazio were now more settled and two minutes later Piola tried a shot that went just wide. In the 31st minute Bruno Camolese to Marchini just outside the box, quick shot, Lazio 2 Grasshoppers 1. Three minutes later one-two Piola-Marchini and the Lazio centre forward scored with a powerful shot.
The Swiss team were in difficulty and towards the end of the first half Camolese could have made it four but he was unable to make contact with the ball after a Busani cross that had beaten the goalkeeper.
In the second half Piola became the protagonist. In the 47th minute he shot directly at the goalkeeper from a favourable position, in the 58th and 60th minute two assists to Costa and Busani deserved to be rewarded and put in the back of the net but were not, in the 68th a one-two with Busani allowed him to shoot but Huber made his best save of the day. In the 73rd he tried again, but he would have to wait another few minutes to get another goal.
In the meantime, in the 75th minute, Camolese, to Marchini, to Piola, to Busani alone in front of the keeper, 4-1 for Lazio. Two minutes later, Camolese crossed into the box and Italy’s centre-forward, completely unmarked, had no problem in making it five. Which became six in the 84th minute when Costa passed to Piola, sombrero over Minelli and volley into the net.
Marvellous victory for Lazio, semi-final in sight.
Who played for Lazio
Manager: Violak
Who played for Grasshoppers
Huber, Minelli, Weiler II, Springer, Vernati, Guttermann, Bickel, Artimovic, Rupf, Abegglen, Fauguel
Referee: Mienz
Goals: 5’ Fauguel, 14’ Busani, 31’ Marchini, 34’ Piola, 75’ Busani, 77’ Piola, 84’ Piola
Sources
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