Sweet revenge for Zoff as Riedle gives Lazio rare win over Juventus

Season 1990-91

Game 23, Serie A

Sunday, March 3, 1991

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Juventus 1-0

Forever the gentleman, Zoff jumped off his bench at the final whistle only to regain his composure within seconds, after a Riedle header had given him the satisfaction of beating his former team.

So far, Lazio had had an addiction to draws. They had shared the points 14 times (including the derby 1-1), won 5 and lost 4, giving them 24 points.

Juventus were currently slightly off surprising front runners Sampdoria. In Serie A the Bianconeri had won 10 (including 5-0 vs Roma), drawn 8 (including 0-0 vs Lazio) and lost 4, so on 28 points.

Today Juventus were favourites, but Lazio, only four points behind, fancied their chances.

The match

A 60,000 crowd was present at the Olimpico for the big match. About 10,000 were Juventini as they have fans spread all over the country, an estimated 10 million.

For the first half hour the visitors put Lazio in difficulty, especially at midfield where their forwards would take it in turns to give a hand with a constant pressing.

The first chance of the game, however, was for Lazio. In the 6th minute an Angelo Gregucci header was cleared off the line by Giancarlo Marocchi. Pierluigi Casiraghi then had a couple of shots saved by Valerio Fiori.

The first half was a balanced affair without much goal action, but the little there was proved decisive. In the 35th minute a move started by Pedro Troglio and Roberto Bacci and continued by Gabriele Pin saw the former Juventino go deep down the right side of the area and put in a cross, the ball took a deflection from Roberto Galia and reached Karl-Heinz Riedle who with an acrobatic twist of his body headed the ball past Tacconi. Lazio 1 Juventus 0. That was also the score at half time.

In the second half, Juventus predictably piled on the pressure looking for an equaliser. Lazio however controlled the situation without excessive panic, although Juventus obviously created some danger. In the 63rd minute Totò Schillaci appealed for a penalty after a block by Claudio Sclosa and Raffaele Sergio, but the referee saw no foul play. In the 70th minute Paolo Di Canio replaced Thomas Hæssler and was whistled by the majority of his former fans (they would later patch things up when the truth about his transfer came out). With the former Lazio player on the field, Juventus became more threatening and Fiori made some good saves especially from a Roberto Baggio freekick. In the 81st minute Juventus had a Corini goal disallowed but the referee had already blown for offside before the shot.

Lazio meanwhile were defending Italian style, but also dangerous on the break with Ruben Sosa, Pin, Sergio and Bacci all on fine form.

The last chance of the game fell to Juventus when a Casiraghi close range bicycle kick was superbly saved by Fiori. Final score Lazio 1 Juventus 0.

Lazio defended their one goal lead and earned a hard fought but always hugely satisfying win over the " Old Lady" of Italy.

For Dino Zoff, although with his proverbial sportsmanship and style he would never admit it, a personal revenge against his former team and employers who had possibly unjustly shown him the door in the summer.

Another blow to Juventus' title hopes, while Lazio were maybe starting to wonder where they kept their passports in view of a potential European adventure, after all at this point they were only two points behind Juventus.

Who played for Lazio

Fiori, Bergodi, Sergio, Pin, Gregucci (85' Lampugnani), Soldà, Bacci, Troglio, Riedle, Sclosa, Ruben Sosa