Game 14, Serie A
Sunday, December 17, 1995
Rome, Stadio Olimpico
Lazio Sampdoria 6-3
Lazio win never in doubt in high scoring game.
Lazio had started the season reasonably well and had even beaten Juventus 4-0 but something had gone wrong recently and they came into this match on 19 points after 3 consecutive defeats (Milan, Vicenza and Parma). The fans were not happy, to put it mildly.
Sampdoria came into today's clash on the same 19 points as Lazio but following three consecutive wins.
The game at the Olimpico had no clear favourite today.
The match
A crowd of about 35,000 turned up on a rainy, December afternoon to witness a highly entertaining game with an unusual number of goals. The more passionate sector, the Curva Nord, was initially empty due to a strike in protest over recent results.
On the field it was Lazio who came out of the blocks stronger and played at a very high rhythm despite the wet pitch. It was Sampdoria though who had the first chance but then Lazio who took the lead.
Lazio's Beppe Signori had too much pace for Karembeu and his shot found the net with some help from the Samp keeper, who should have done better. Lazio's speed and well-oiled movements kept them clearly on top for the rest of the first half despite losing winger Roberto Rambaudi through injury just after the half hour mark (substituted by Pierluigi Casiraghi). Sampdoria however, managed to equalize against the run of play in the 40th minute. A Lazio keeper Francesco Mancini howler on a seemingly innocuous (for once) Sinisa Mihajlovic freekick made it 1-1.
Lazio reacted positively to the setback and within five minutes were not only back in the lead but 3-1 up. First keeper Angelo Pagotto pulled down Casiraghi in the area for a penalty which Signori scored with his customary no run-up powerful strike. Then just before the half time whistle a curling shot by Croatian Alen Boksic took a slight deflection off Mihajlovic and gave Pagotto no chance, handing Lazio a double lead at the break. Lazio 3 Sampdoria 1.
The second half saw Sampdoria continue to struggle. Roberto Mancini, arguably their most talented player, was just back from injury and positioned too far from goal. Their midfield with Alberigo Evani, Seedorf and Giovanni Invernizzi was too slow paced to limit Lazio's lightning assaults.
A classic team effort in the 57th minute put Lazio 4-1 up. A move straight out of the Zdenek Zeman attacking textbook put Aron Winter in a perfect position for a tap-in goal.
In the 65th minute rising star Enrico Chiesa pulled one back for Sampdoria, going around the keeper to make it 4-2 and giving the visitors some hope. It lasted not even two minutes as Lazio soon scored again. In the 67th minute another excellent team move enabled Casiraghi to slot in Lazio's fifth.
Lazio were definitely having fun and continued to go forward with flowing attacks. In the 70th minute Signori beat a defender on the right side of the area and pulled an intelligent ball back for Diego Fuser to hammer home Lazio’s sixth of the afternoon.
There was still time for Chiesa to get a consolation brace as he put away a penalty in the 76th minute for a foul by Guerino Gottardi. It was not enough to save Sampdoria from a heavy defeat, with a score line more appropriate for the nearby Foro Italico.
Who played for Lazio
F.Mancini (46' Orsi), Gottardi, Favalli (74' Bergodi), Di Matteo, Negro, Chamot, Rambaudi (32' Casiraghi), Fuser, Boksic, Winter, Signori
Substitutes: Marcolin, Piovanelli
Manager: Zeman
Who played for Sampdoria
Pagotto, Karembeu, Ferri, Mihajlovic, Sacchetti, Pesaresi (71' Lamonica), Seedorf (60' Iacopino), Evani, Invernizzi (53' Bellucci), Chiesa, R.Mancini
Substitutes: Sereni, Maniero
Manager: Santarini
D.T: Eriksson
Referee: Bazzoli
Goals: 17' Signori, 40' Mihajlovic, 42' Signori (pen), 45' Mihajlovic (o.g), 57' Winter, 65' Chiesa, 67' Casiraghi, 70' Fuser, 76' Chiesa (pen)
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