Game 29, Serie A
Sunday, May 9, 1976
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio Milan 4-0
A devilish nightmare for Milan as Lazio outclass them with a 4-0 thumping
At this stage of the season, in early May with only two games left, Lazio were in the heart of the relegation battle. The Biancocelesti had only won 5 games, drawn 10 (including both derbies) and lost 13. Lazio had not won a game since March 21 (Ascoli 3-1). To make matters worse their star striker and charismatic leader, "Long John" Giorgio Chinaglia, had just left for New York Cosmos. The table was worrying; Sampdoria 22, Verona 22, Ascoli 21, Como 20, Lazio 20, Cagliari 15. Lazio were desperately in need of the two points today and then had to hope for some good news from the rivals' matches.
For today's match Milan were superior but having already assured third place, and mathematically unable to reach second, they might be relaxed. It was certainly what desperate for points Lazio were hoping for.
The match
A warm but cloudy day in Rome brought out 55,000 spectators to this crucial penultimate game of the season.
A minute's silence was observed before the kick-off in respect for the victims of the recent tragic earthquake in Friuli.
On a happier note Lazio legend Silvio Piola was present in the stands today.
Lazio started the game at a furious pace, cheered on by a raucous home crowd. Plenty of early pressure produced a crossbar by Luciano Re Cecconi. Milan reacted with a Francesco Vincenzi shot well saved by Felice Pulici. In the 10th minute Lazio took the lead. A clear handball by defender Aldo Bet gave Vincenzo D'Amico the chance to score from the spotkick. He did, sending the Cagliari scudetto hero Enrico Albertosi the wrong way. Lazio 1 Milan 0.
Lazio continued to attack and had further opportunities with a D'Amico free kick and a Bruno Giordano volley but both were saved by Albertosi. In the 39th minute however Lazio doubled their lead. A Re Cecconi shot was parried by the keeper but "Bruno-Gol" Giordano was there to blast the ball into the roof of the net. Lazio 2 Milan 0, a vital goal also to improve their goal difference.
Lazio then had a goal disallowed just before the break. Roberto Badiani got a cross in for Giordano to score but the linesman claimed the ball had gone over the line, a very dubious decision but Lazio in control at halftime, 2-0.
The results of the other matches flashed up on the scoreboard in the interval and they were not great. All the four matches involving Lazio's rivals were 0-0! Provisional table Cagliari 17, Como 21, Ascoli 22, Lazio 22, Verona 23, Sampdoria 23. Considering the fact that three teams went down and Lazio’s last match was away to Como the situation was far from resolved.
After only a couple of minutes from the restart Lazio were not overly upset to see Gianni Rivera go off and be replaced by Egidio Calloni. Lazio were all over the visitors who could not cope with the Biancocelesti’s intensity. The clocks seemed to have been turned back to 1974.
In the 60th minute Lazio made it three. Re Cecconi won a tackle just inside the box and the ball arrived to Renzo Garlaschelli who gave Albertosi no chance with a low powerful right foot. 3-0 and maybe time to concentrate on the other results. Transistor radios and "Tutto il calcio minuto per minuto" meant the crowd were aware of what was going on elsewhere but to keep the suspense….more on that later.
Milan were finished and gave no signs of life. Lazio were rampant and continued to bombard "Ricky" Albertosi. The Italy Mexico '70 keeper saved from Toto Lopez, Giordano, Gigi Martini and Re Cecconi. Milan's only offering was a Romeo Benetti low, angled free kick but "Felix" Pulici showed his feline qualities and saved it well.
In the last minute there was glory also for Badiani who got his first goal for Lazio. He ran into the area on the right and with a precise low shot across goal beat Albertosi for the fourth time. Lazio 4 Milan 0.
Lazio had put on a fantastic performance when it mattered most, with shades of the levels displayed only two years earlier when they had won the title (after all there were 6 of those players on the field today). They were however helped by Milan's somewhat lacklustre approach, maybe already in holiday mode.
Now for the other results… Some good news had come through, Cesena had beaten Como 2-0 and Juventus had beaten Sampdoria 2-0 while Ascoli had earned a point at Bologna and Verona a point at Torino, both 0-0.
The situation going into the last game was as follows; Cagliari 17 (relegated), Como 20 (relegated), Lazio 22, Ascoli 22, Sampdoria 22, Verona 23.
The last matches were Como-Lazio, Roma-Ascoli, Sampdoria-Napoli and Fiorentina-Verona. Lazio had a -5 goal difference, Verona and Sampdoria -11 and Ascoli -15.
It was tight and complicated but Lazio realistically needed a point at Como and to hope Roma would not lose at home against Ascoli. Roma were not a great team and were only two points above Lazio, plus the Giallorossi had already played some tricks in previous years to penalise Lazio, so things were still very much open to different scenarios.
Who played for Lazio
Pulici, Ammoniaci, Martini, Wilson, Polentes, Badiani, Garlaschelli (75' Ferrari), Re Cecconi, Giordano, D'Amico, Lopez
Manager: Maestrelli
Who played for Milan
Albertosi, Anquilletti, Sabadini, Turone, Bet, Biasolo, Gorin, Benetti, Vincenzi, Rivera (47' Calloni), Chiarugi
Substitutes: Tancredi, Zignoli
Manager: Trapattoni
Referee: Ciacci
Goals: 10' D'Amico (pen), 38' Giordano, 60' Garlaschelli, 89' Badiani
Sources
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