Last gasp win for Lazio

Season 1977-78

Game 20, Serie A

Sunday, February 26, 1978

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Inter 1-0

A goal from Sergio Clerici in the dying minutes gave Lazio a well-deserved win.

Lazio did not start exceptionally well in Serie A, but on October 2 came probably one of the best victories in Lazio history. Lazio Juventus finished 3-0 for the Biancocelesti. A triumph. But the rest of the season was pretty dismal. Where was the team that had played so well last season? If one asked a fan at that time he/she would have probably said it was all Claudio Garella’s fault. Garella was the keeper chosen to substitute fan favourite and Lazio hero Felice Pulici. The new goalkeeper, who would later win the scudetto both with Verona and Napoli, had slippery hands, was very young and prone to making mistakes, but manager Luis Vinicio thought very highly of him. Pulici was sold to Monza in the winter transfer session.

But the truth was that the players had probably had enough of the Brazilian manager and the chaos in the changing rooms was obvious looking at the performances on the pitch.

After having beaten Milan in January, Lazio earned only two points in the subsequent 5 games. Not good. The game against Inter was fundamental.

The match

Lazio had to face Inter without Pietro Ghedin and Vincenzo D’Amico, both injured, as well as Ciccio Cordova suspended. Vinicio therefore decided to move Bruno Giordano behind the forwards Renzo Garlaschelli and Sergio Clerici.

It had been raining for days in Rome and the pitch was in a terrible state. The first half however was enjoyable with chances for both sides. In the 16th minute Alessandro Scanziani, just inside the box, had a good chance but Garella saved. Not long later Clerici’s header hit the woodwork. In the 38th minute Pietro Anastasi’s header following a crossed free kick from Scanziani was well saved by the Lazio goalkeeper. At the end of the first half, Giordano dribbled a few Inter players and once in the box gave the ball a whack. Ivano Bordon saved.

The second half was all Lazio. Inter just defended and prayed. In the 46th minute Bordon sent a Giordano header onto the crossbar. In the 14th minute Roberto Badiani had a chance but again Bordon saved as he did again a minute later when Clerici was in the perfect position to head the ball into the goal.

Lazio continued to attack, occasionally also with defenders Pino Wilson and Lionello Manfredonia, since the Inter attack was practically non-existent. Badiani had another chance in the 29th minute but the Inter goalkeeper saved again.

A comical referee error in the 34th minute. Clerici took a free kick on the right just outside the penalty box. As soon as the ball was shot, Sergio Gonella decided Garlaschelli was offside. But there was an Inter player on the goal line so it was impossible for the Lazio forward to be offside. Gonella realised his mistake and decided on a drop ball just outside the box but more central. Garlaschelli, first to the ball, was fouled, but the ref said to play on!!! Too much confusion, better to get the ball away from the Inter goal, the referee must have thought. Gonella would later ref the 1978 World Cup final between Argentina and the Netherlands not without controversy.

In the last 15 minutes the conditions of the pitch and the incessant rain started to take their toll on the Biancocelesti as they struggled to create anything decent. It was getting dark too.

In the 87th minute corner for Lazio. Luigi Boccolini crossed the ball into the box from the left, Scanziani cleared but it went back to Boccolini who dribbled an Inter player and crossed again into the box, Bordon fumbled, Giordano shot but Bordon saved, ball to Garlaschelli who shot towards the goal but Scanziani saved on the line. The ball was dancing on the line (and may have even gone in) but in came Clerici and tapped it in. 1-0 for Lazio. Game over!!!

This was the last goal by a foreign player in Italy until the clubs were allowed to sign foreigners again in 1980.

Who played for Lazio

Garella, Pighin, Badiani, Wilson, Manfredonia, Lopez, Garlaschelli, Agostinelli, Clerici, Giordano, Boccolini