Game 5, Coppa Italia, Second Group Stage
Wednesday, June 28, 1972
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio Napoli 3-0
In the last match of the season at home, Lazio celebrate by beating Napoli 3-0 in Coppa Italia
Lazio had reached promotion ten days earlier and now had to play the second phase of the Coppa Italia. They had qualified winning their group ahead of Roma, Perugia, Ternana and Atalanta.
For the second phase, the eight qualified teams were divided into two groups with the winners qualifying for the final. Lazio were paired with Napoli, Fiorentina and Bologna.
In the first game Lazio beat Fiorentina 1-0 with a Franco Nanni goal but in the next two matches the Biancocelesti lost 5-1 against Napoli (Carlo Facchin the scorer for Lazio) and 1-0 at home with Bologna. They drew away in Florence 1-1 (Nanni again on penalty) in the 4th game.
So with two games to go Napoli were on 6 points, Bologna 4, Fiorentina and Lazio 3. Chances to get to the final were slim, but the Biancocelesti had nothing to lose.
The match
This match was the last home game of the season and an opportunity to celebrate the return to Serie A. Lazio played with their red away jersey.
Napoli immediately went into trouble and in the 7th minute Dino Zoff was miraculous in saving a shot by Rino Gritti. In the 35th minute Gritti gave an excellent assist to Giorgio Chinaglia who beat the Napoli goalkeeper but for the referee it was offside. Nothing to worry about. Three minutes later a free kick for Lazio thirty metres from the Napoli goal for a foul on Vincenzo D’Amico. The Napoli defence thought it was a bit too far out to attempt a shot at goal and hence only placed a few men in the wall. Gritti sent a missile that beat Zoff. Lazio 1 Napoli 0.
Napoli, completely out of the game, did very little in the second half to equalise. They only managed a header from Pierpaolo Manservisi. In the 60th minute Giancarlo Oddi passed the ball to Giuseppe Massa who in turn sent it to Gritti who flew towards the goal line. The Lazio forward looked up, saw D’Amico and passed him the ball. Lazio's Golden Boy scored his first professional goal to double Lazio’s lead.
In the 73rd minute there was a free kick for Lazio. Massa touched the ball for Chinaglia, big whack, 3-0 for the Biancoclesti.
In the other group match Fiorentina beat Bologna so now, with one game to go, Napoli were first on 6 points, Fiorentina and Lazio on 5, Bologna on 4.
Who played for Lazio
Bandoni, Facco, Oddi, Wilson, Polentes, Martini, Massa (78’ Abbondanza), Gritti (65’ Fortunato), Chinaglia, Nanni, D’Amico
Manager: Maestrelli
Who played for Napoli
Zoff, Pogliana, Vianello, Zurlini, Panzanato (65' Saccoccio), M.Perego, Manservisi, Juliano, Sormani, Improta, Macchi (76' Pincelli)
Substitutes: Trevisan, Martella, Esposito
Manager: Chiappella
Referee: Branzoni
Goals: 38’ Gritti, 60’ D’Amico, 75’ Chinaglia
Source
Commentaires