Game 1, Coppa Italia Group Phase
Saturday, June 7, 1958
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio Palermo 5-1
Lazio thrash second tier Palermo with five goals within the hour mark
This today was the first game of Coppa Italia. The domestic cup was to be played in the summer to make up for Italy not qualifying for the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.
The format of the cup was 8 groups of 4 teams each. The winners of each group would then play the quarter finals after the summer, in September. Lazio were in group H with Roma, Napoli and Palermo.
The match
The game was a rare evening kick-off, so played under floodlights.
Lazio had a few of their new players in the starting line-up such as Claudio Bizzarri, Carlo Tagnin and Maurilio Prini. Palermo played new signing Giuseppe Barbieri.
Lazio's superiority looked clear from the start with Humberto Tozzi obviously on one of his good days.
Lazio took the lead after 11 minutes with a Renzo Burini penalty, 1-0.
Lazio doubled in the 29th minute with a superb move. Tagnin and Burini combined well and Tozzi got in between the central defenders and blasted an unstoppable shot past Robert Forte. 2-0.
Tozzi, sensing he was on form, then tried a volley from about 40 metres out but maybe exaggerated.
In the 43rd minute however, he scored again. He headed in Lazio's third just before halftime. Lazio 3 Palermo 0. No contest so far.
The second half followed the same script. In the 54th minute Alfredo Napoleoni, who had replaced Ugo Pozzan, made it 4-0.
Four minutes later Tozzi hit the crossbar with a fearsome strike but Burini was there on the rebound to make it 5-0.
Lazio then relaxed, possibly too much. In the 75th minute Santiago Vernazza got a consolation goal but then Palermo had more chances, hitting two posts with Walter Gomez and Vernazza.
The last chance however, was for the man of the match Tozzi but his strike went just wide. Final score Lazio 5 Palermo 1.
A convincing performance by Lazio albeit against Serie B opposition and a perfect start to their cup campaign. Next up Napoli.
Who played for Lazio
Lovati, Colombo, Lo Buono, Carradori, Pinardi, Pozzan (46' Napoleoni), Bizzarri, Tagnin, Tozzi, Burini, Prini
Substitutes: Giglietti, Lucentini
Manager: Bernardini
Who played for Palermo
Forte, De Bellis, Sereni, Benedetti, Piovanelli, Malavasi, Barbieri, Vernazza, Gomez, Sandri, Lonardi
Referee: Grillo
Goals: 11' Burini (pen), 29' Tozzi, 43' Tozzi, 54' Napoleoni, 58' Burini, 75' Vernazza
Sources
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