Game 6, Serie A
Sunday, October 16, 1994
Stadio Olimpico, Rme
Lazio Napoli 5-1
The in form Dutchman leads Lazio thrashing of Partenopei and it could have been far worse for the visitors
So far Lazio were fifth, having won 2, drawn 2 and lost 1. They had also passed the first rounds of the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup.
The match
A 50,000 crowd on a sunny mid-October afternoon at the Olimpico.
Lazio were without top scorer Beppe Signori who was on the bench with some muscular problems. Napoli had an absence too, defender Fabio Cannavaro. Napoli also looked different, playing in uncharacteristic orange shirts (this was before one could expect practically any colour from any team).
The game got under way and Lazio scored almost immediately. In the 3rd minute Beppe Favalli put in a long cross from midfield and Alen Boksic anticipated the two central defenders and headed past Taglialatela. Lazio 1 Napoli 0. A perfect start for the Biancocelesti.
Napoli attempted a timid reaction but it was the home side who threatened again. In the 7th minute at the edge of the box Boksic set up Roberto Rambaudi whose effort went just wide.
In the 15th minute Lazio set up a wonderful move. Roberto Cravero interrupted a Napoli attack and burst forward, passed to Paolo Negro who put a cutting, vertical pass into the box to Boksic, the big Croat then back heeled the ball to incoming Rambaudi but his left footed strike was saved. A great team effort however.
Napoli had a huge potential chance. In the 17th minute Rincon surged down the right wing and put in a perfect low cross to Agostini in front of Luca Marchegiani but the "Condor" was not his lethal self and clumsily messed up the control of the ball and lost the moment.
In the 20th minute Lazio made Napoli pay for their wastefulness. Rambaudi from the edge of the box slid a left footed pass inside the area on the left where Aron Winter curled a low shot round and past Taglialatela and in on the opposite post. Lazio 2 Napoli 0.
A few minutes later Winter made a rare mistake with an awful back pass freeing Agostini in front of Marchegiani but the keeper was alert, raced off his line out of the area and cleared.
In the 33rd minute Napoli pulled one back. On the left wing Agostini backheeled to Rincon who somehow got past a couple of defenders, reached the by-line and crossed low to Pecchia who, with the inside of his foot, put the ball in the opposite corner. Lazio 2 Napoli 1.
Lazio went back on the attack and took a two-goal lead again in the 36th minute. Boksic beat his man on the left wing and chipped in a medium height cross straight across the goal mouth where Gigi Casiraghi acrobatically dived forward and headed the ball in from close range. Lazio 3 Napoli 1.
Lazio were rampant and scored again only two minutes later. The set up was slightly fortuitous as Cravero anticipated an opponent in midfield and seemed to just hammer the ball forward without looking. It turned into a perfect assist for Casiraghi, unmarked inside the area, he chipped the keeper but the ball came back off the post and was then slotted in by Paolo Negro who was the quickest on the rebound. Lazio 4 Napoli 1. It was becoming a rout and Napoli were all over the place.
In the 42nd minute Lazio made it five. This time Diego Fuser was the assist man, with the outside of his foot he teed up Winter running into the box and the flying Dutchman blasted a low right-footed shot into the right corner. Lazio 5 Napoli 1. Total destruction.
For the second half Napoli replaced Boghossian with a more defensive Bordin. Napoli's intentions were clear, to avoid further humiliation.
The second half was similar with a difference. Lazio attacked, created chances but could not score.
In the 52nd minute Rambaudi slipped just before shooting after being set up by Roberto Di Matteo.
Lazio made a substitution on the hour mark taking the best player on the field off, Aron Winter, for Giorgio Venturin. Napoli meanwhile had become even more defensive in the 52nd minute when they had taken off Benito Carbone for Fausto Pari.
In the 62nd minute Venturin himself hesitated, messing up a control in a good position. Five minutes later Lazio made their second change, bringing on Roberto Bacci for Rambaudi.
In the 75th minute Boksic created havoc dribbling past half of Napoli's defence but then Casiraghi put the ball wide. A minute later the Croat went solo but his finish was again off target. In the 80th minute Fuser shaved the post as did a Boksic header, from a Casiraghi cross, in the 85th. Final score Lazio 5 Napoli 1.
Lazio had scored five but could easily have scored another five in the second half. A lapse in concentration when finishing and perhaps a subconscious desire not to further humiliate the hapless visitors kept the score line down. At least Napoli had the sensitivity not to bring on Altomare...because that's where they were today, on the high seas.
Lazio had put on a fine attacking display despite missing Signori and were now joint third with Juventus and Foggia, on 11 points. Roma were top, but that would fortunately not last long.
Who played for Lazio
Marchegiani, Negro, Favalli, Di Matteo, Cravero, Chamot, Rambaudi (67' Bacci), Fuser, Boksic, Winter (60' Venturin), Casiraghi
Manager: Zeman
Who played for Napoli
Taglialatela, Matrecano, Grossi, Rincon, Pecchia, Luzardi, Cruz, Buso, Boghossian (46' Bordin), Agostini, Carbone (52' Pari), Rincon
Substitutes: Di Fusco, Tarantino, Altomare
Manager: Guerini
Referee: Ceccarini
Goals: 3' Boksic, 20' Winter, 33' Pecchia, 36' Casiraghi, 38' Negro, 42, Winter
Source
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