Game 8, Serie A
Sunday, October 29, 1995
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio Juventus 4-0
Lazio bury Juventus with four goals in an epic win
Serie A started on August 27 and today was the 8th fixture. Lazio had so far won 3 (Piacenza 4-1 at home on debut, Cagliari 1-0 away and Padova 2-0 at home) and drawn 4 (Bari 3-3 away but from 1-3 down in ten men, Udinese 2-2 at home, the derby and Inter away both 0-0). The Biancocelesti were unbeaten and currently joint 5th on 13 points (this was only the second season with three points per victory).
Juventus were reigning champions. The Bianconeri had won the double (Scudetto + Coppa Italia) under Marcello Lippi. They had also reached the UEFA Cup final but lost to Parma 1-2 on aggregate. So far, in Serie A they were joint second with Parma after 4 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat, one point ahead of Lazio but two behind leaders Milan.
The match
A pleasant, sunny October afternoon saw a full house of 70,000 for this big match.
Lazio had no injury problems while Juventus initially left Gianluca Vialli on the bench.
Lazio started well looking sharper than the visitors. The Biancocelesti had several chances to take the lead. Beppe Signori controlled a long ball from midfield with his left and fired a low shot with his right but Angelo Peruzzi saved. A few minutes later Diego Fuser won an aerial challenge outside the box, stretched and toed a shot past Peruzzi but the ball trickled just wide.
Lazio's main problems in defence came from "friendly fire", as in the 27th minute when Paolo Negro crashed into keeper Luca Marchegiani who was forced off with a suspect cruciate ligament injury and replaced by Fernando Orsi.
Lazio continued to go forward and were rewarded in the 39th minute. Roberto Rambaudi put in a low cross from the right which neither Aron Winter nor Antonio Conte made decent contact with and the ball spun out to Signori on the left side of the area where he fired a thundering left foot which hit the bar and went in. Lazio 1 Juventus 0. A well-deserved lead.
Juventus had a reaction and Ciro Ferrara hit the top of the crossbar with a header from an Angelo Di Livio corner.
Just before halftime however, Lazio doubled their lead. Beppe Favalli hoofed the ball forward hopefully and it turned into an assist for Gigi Casiraghi who took advantage of a moment of hesitation and misunderstanding between Moreno Torricelli and Peruzzi to go past them and from an angle shot at the open goal, the ball hit the post, giving the Lazio striker another go, he got up and this time, despite defenders on the line, he scored with a low right foot. Lazio 2 Juventus 0. A perfect time to score a second goal, just on the halftime whistle.
No disputing the score line so far, Lazio by far the better team.
For the second half Juventus brought on Vialli for Di Livio and Gian Carlo Marocchi for Moreno Torricelli.
The more attacking orientated line up did not however have the desired effects. Juventus rarely threatened with Alessandro Del Piero and Vialli kept quiet by Alessandro Nesta and José Antonio Chamot.
In the 60th minute Zeman took off Signori and threw on Alen Boksic. Beppe-Gol was not overjoyed.
Lazio absorbed Juventus' sterile pressure and struck on the break. In the 71st minute Casiraghi powered past Ferrara on the left and with the outside of his foot served Favalli on the left vertex of the box, he crossed low into Rambaudi who had time to domesticate the ball and drill a low left foot past Peruzzi. A great move, Lazio 3 Juventus 0.
Both sides then made their third substitutions (this was the first season three were allowed). In the 72nd minute the hosts protected their lead putting Dario Marcolin on for Fuser while the visitors tried Gianluca Pessotto for Alessio Tacchinardi.
Things did not change and Lazio scored again. Boksic went on one of his devastating runs down the left where he exquisitely chipped a delicate cross over to Casiraghi who acrobatically smashed a header into the back of the net. Power, refined skill, agility and power again for a super goal. Lazio 4 Juventus 0. It was turning into a historic rout; the fans were enjoying this.
Juventus to be fair were unlucky not to get a late consolation goal. First Fabrizio Ravanelli hit the bar, after Negro had completely missed the ball while trying to clear, and then Vialli, set up by a Ravanelli header, hit the post with a powerful cross goal strike. Final score Lazio 4 Juventus 0.
The result was a fair reflection on Lazio’s dominance despite the Bianconeri hitting the woodwork three times. Lazio proved that when they were at their best, they could beat anyone. Unfortunately, this was not always the case and inconsistency was never far away.
Lazio moved up to 3rd in the table overtaking today's opposition.
Who played for Lazio
Marchegiani (27' Orsi), Nesta, Favalli, Di Matteo, Negro, Chamot, Rambaudi, Fuser (72' Marcolin), Casiraghi, Winter, Signori (60' Boksic)
Substitutes: Romano, Piovanelli
Manager: Zeman
Who played for Juventus
Peruzzi, Ferrara, Porrini, Carrera, Torricelli (46' Marocchi), Paulo Sousa, Conte, Tacchinardi (72' Pessotto), Di Livio (46' Vialli), Del Piero, Ravanelli
Substitutes: Rampulla, Sorin
Manager: Lippi
Referee: Collina
Goals: 39' Signori, 45' Casiraghi, 71' Rambaudi, 77' Casiraghi
Sources
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