Game 6, Serie A
Sunday, October 15, 1995
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio Padova 2-0
Lazio struggle to create chances but ultimately clinch win in last fifteen minutes
Serie A started on August 27 and today was the 6th fixture. Lazio had so far won two (Piacenza 4-1 at home on debut and Cagliari 1-0 away) followed by 3 draws (Bari 3-3 away but from 1-3 down in ten men, Udinese 2-2 at home and the derby 0-0). The Biancocelesti were currently joint 4th with Fiorentina on 9 points (this was only the second season with three points per victory).
The match: Sunday, October 15, 1995, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
A warm October afternoon brought about 40,000 spectators to the Olimpico.
Lazio had problems in attack as both Beppe Signori and Gigi Casiraghi were missing. Roberto Di Matteo was surprisingly on the bench, perhaps being preserved for the mid-week UEFA Cup game.
Padova also played with only one forward as Goran Vlaović was missing. The Patavini put out a very defensive formation with only Nicola Amoruso in attack, a 5-4-1 but this probably suited their intentions anyway. In midfield they had to do without Dutchman Michel Kreek too.
The game was predictably Lazio on the attack and Padova in their own half with the very occasional foray into Lazio’s.
Lazio attacked but were slow and predictable. The lack of strikers soon proved it would be a problem.
Lazio had chances: Diego Fuser had a diving header go over the bar, Alen Boksic was blatantly tripped in the area but not for the referee and Massimiliano Esposito hit a close range shot too high from a Boksic cross.
Padova rarely crossed the halfway line but were dangerous when they did, Amoruso saw Luca Marchegiani off his line but his lob was off target and before halftime Franco Gabrieli took advantage of a series of fortuitous ricochets in midfield to enter the left side of the area undisturbed, but his low cross goal effort was palmed into corner by Marchegiani. Halftime Lazio 0 Padova 0.
Lazio had been in control but Padova had not had to sweat excessively to block Lazio's blunt forward line.
For the second half Lazio replaced Paolo Negro, who was suffering on Amoruso, with Alessandro Romano.
The game restarted as it had finished. Lazio in the visitors’ half but finding it increasingly difficult even to create chances.
Fuser had a curling freekick but it was just over the bar.
In the end a stroke of luck came to Lazio's rescue. In the 75th minute the ball was cleared from a Fuser corner and the ball fell to Roberto Rambaudi at the edge of the box, Rambo went for a shot which took a deflection off defender Massimiliano Rosa in the crowded area and beat Adriano Bonaiuti. Lazio 1 Padova 0.
A lead possibly deserved for effort but certainly not for creativity. Once the defensive wall had been opened however things should now be easier.
Padova obviously had to change their game plan and made two substitutions, in the 75th forward Massimo Ciocci replaced midfielder Stefano Fiore and in the 77th Antonio Sconziano came on for Andrea Cuicchi.
Lazio now had more spaces up front and the chances started flooding in. Boksic almost scored a brilliant goal but his low left footed volley was parried into corner.
Lazio's second goal came in the 81st minute. Esposito found Fuser inside the area on the right and the Piedmontese drilled a cracking low shot into the far corner. Lazio 2 Padova 0.
Lazio after fearing a depressing afternoon were now cruising and almost made it three when Aron Winter's header came back off the bar. Maybe that would have been an excessive punishment for Padova who had foiled Lazio well for most of the game. Final score Lazio 2 Padova 0.
A comfortable win on paper but in reality, Lazio had come across big problems without their full attacking trio. Boksic is a superb player but he tends to stray to the wings too so Lazio had difficulties in the last fifteen metres. The other supposed forwards today, Esposito and Rambaudi were too similar to each other and tended to hold onto the ball too long thus making Zeman's automatisms predictable. Anyway, all is well that ends well and Signori and Casiraghi would be back the following week.
Who played for Lazio
Marchegiani, Nesta, Favalli, Marcolin, Negro (46' Romano), Chamot Rambaudi, Fuser, Boksic, Winter, M. Esposito (84' Piovanelli)
Manager: Zeman
Who played for Padova
Bonaiuti, Cuicchi (77' Sconziano), Rosa, Giampietro, Lalas, Gabrieli, Coppola, Nunziata, Longhi, Fiore (75' Ciocci), Amoruso
Substitutes: Dal Bianco, Ossari, Piovesan
Manager: Sandreani
Referee: Messina
Goals: 75' Rosa (og), 81' Fuser
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