Game 17, Serie A
Saturday, December 30, 1989
Stadio Flaminio, Rome
Lazio Napoli 3-0
Napoli fell for the first time this season against an outstanding Lazio who dominated throughout the match.
Lazio were playing with dignity, but lacking the spark that could ignite hopes and fans. Lazio Napoli was the final game of the first half of the season and Lazio so far had won 4, drawn 8 and lost 4. Lots of draws …
The match
Napoli were yet to lose this season but had lost every post Christmas match in the last three years, so where on one side there was obvious worry over having to face Diego Armando Maradona, on the other there was optimism from a superstitious point of view.
The problem for Lazio was that Ruben Sosa was unavailable. But at the end of the day it was the only problem that Lazio had to face.
Lazio were no match for a Napoli team that was obviously still on holiday. Lazio had already had a couple of chances that had been wide by a whisker with Gabriele Pin and Alessandro Bertoni, when Cristiano Bergodi’s shot put Raffaele Di Fusco in trouble and Amarildo was ready for the tap in. It was the 36th minute and Lazio were 1-0. It could have been two before the break but Paolo Di Canio’s lob hit the crossbar.
And Napoli? A couple of free kicks and not much else.
Everybody was expecting Maradona’s team to wake up in the second half, but Lazio were in complete control and missed the 2-0 with Pedro Troglio. But it was just a matter of time. In the 77th minute Di Canio went on the counter attack. Ball to Pin who beat the Napoli goalkeeper for the 2-0.
Four minutes later Lazio made it three. Amarildo, unmarked, dribbled the goalkeeper and put the ball in the net. Troglio hit the woodwork in the final minutes.
Lazio showed that they could do a lot better than demonstrated so far.
Who played for Lazio
Fiori, Bergodi, Sergio, (84′ Beruatto), Icardi, Gregucci, Soldà, Di Canio, Troglio, Amarildo, Pin, Bertoni, (87′ Piscedda)
Substitutes: Orsi, Nardecchia, Monti
Manager: Materazzi
Who played for Napoli
Di Fusco, Ferrara (46' Carnevale), Francini, Crippa, Alemao, Baroni, Fusi, De Napoli, Careca, Maradona, Mauro
Substitutes: Giuliani, Corradini, Renica, Zola
Manager: Bigon
Referee: Agnolin
Goals: 36′ Amarildo, 77′ Pin, 81′ Amarildo
Sources
Comments