Game 23, Serie A
Sunday, January 30, 1949
Stadio Nazionale, Rome
Lazio Lucchese 2-1
A Lazio in difficulty managed to beat Lucchese in a vital match for the Biancocelesti.
Lazio collected only 4 points in the first ten games but then they beat Bologna 8-2 and it was all smiles again. But they still only managed 9 points in the subsequent ten and were desperate for points.
The match
This game was the typical example of how Lazio had been playing so far. Enrique Flamini and Mario Magrini had a clear vision of how to play the game, Aldo Puccinelli and Costantino De Andreis of how to develop it, but the forwards were unable to translate all of this into goals. And this is exactly what happened in the game.
Lucchese, who were fairly well positioned in the table and did not have the same desperate need for points as Lazio, played a good match and in the 26th minute hit the woodwork with Gyula Toth. Lazio played constantly in the Tuscan half and were able to finally score in the 34th minute. Ball in the penalty box, nobody was able to score or clear until it arrived to Romano Penzo who put the ball in the net. 1-0 for Lazio.
The second half started with two disallowed goals each that preceded Lazio’s second goal with Magrini in the 54th minute. Lucchese woke up and Lazio fell back in defence, In the 65th minute the Tuscan team scored with Ugo Conti and the match was reopened. They even had the chance to equalise when unmarked Toth and Josef Fabian had only Uber Gradella to beat. But they messed up and allowed the Lazio defence to clear.
A vital win for Lazio, but the Biancocelesti really did need a decent centre forward.
Who played for Lazio
Gradella, Montanari, Piacentini, Gualtieri, Remondini, Alzani, Puccinelli, Magrini, Penzo I, Flamini, De Andreis
Manager: Sperone
Who played for Lucchese
Viola, Bertuccelli, Cuscela, Rosellini, Nay, Scarpato, Merlin, Toth, Fabian, Magni, Conti.
Manager: Viani
Referee: Marchetti
Goals: 34’ Penzo I, 54’ Magrini, 65’ Conti
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