Lightning start and then lots of suffering

Season 1986-87

Game 18, Serie B

Sunday, January 18, 1987

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Pisa 1-0

The Biancocelesti scored early but were lucky to bring home the two points

At the moment Lazio were 17th in relegation zone, two points away from Bari and Sambenedettese.

The match

The game started slowly as the teams spent the first ten minutes studying their opponents. But in the 12th minute Antonio Acerbis got a ball on the right, went past a defender and put in a low cross that Paolo Mandelli was quick to volley in.

Three minutes later Pisa almost equalised. Paolo Giovannelli took a corner, Franco Isparo rose above the Lazio defenders and headed the ball towards the top corner. Domenico Caso managed to get there just in time. In the 28th minute Stefano Cuoghi dribbled past a number of Biancoceleste defenders, went past Giuliano Terraneo too and crossed into the centre but none of his teammates had followed the move. In the 39th minute Giorgio Magnocavallo found himself in front of Gian Paolo Grudina but sent the ball over the crossbar.

The second half followed the same pattern as the first, Pisa attacking and Lazio defending. In the 79th minute Mario Faccenda shot from outside the box, Terraneo managed to put a hand to the ball and send it onto the crossbar, Davide Pellegrini went for the rebound but his header hit the crossbar again, Paolo Faccini then tried a volley which Terraneo managed to catch. The last chance was again for Pisa with Pellegrini but the Lazio goalkeeper was unbeatable today.

Good win for Lazio, but a lucky one.

Who played for Lazio

Terraneo, Marino, Magnocavallo, Acerbis, Gregucci, Piscedda, A. Schillaci (65’ Camolese), Caso, Poli, Pin (68’ Filisetti), Mandelli