Game 9, Serie A
Sunday, November 26, 1978
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio Verona 1-0
Lazio win thanks to an early Giordano penalty, but play very badly
The Biancocelesti had started off well drawing at home with Juventus and winning in Avellino. But since then, they had collected just one win (albeit a spectacular 4-3 against Paolo Rossi’s Vicenza), three draws (including the derby) and two heavy losses against Inter and Fiorentina. Furthermore, they had not scored in the last three games.
Time for a change?
The match: Sunday, November 26, 1978, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
A dull, rainy afternoon in Rome. The 25,000 brave spectators were presented with an awful match which opened with a penalty for Lazio after nine minutes. Vincenzo D’Amico for Mauro Tassotti, ball to Bruno Giordano who tried to dribble past Francesco Guidolin in the box on the left. The Verona player fouled the centre-forward and for Rosario Lo Bello it was a penalty which Bruno-gol safely converted for the only goal of the match.
From then onwards, Lazio fell back and defended, hand, tooth and nail. Perhaps this attitude was a little misplaced seeing that Verona were bottom. But the Gialloblu, forced to attack, could have equalised a number of times. In the 30th minute Emiliano Mascetti shot over the crossbar and five minutes later, after a free kick taken quickly, Giuliano Musiello managed to beat Massimo Cacciatori but Pino Wilson saved on the line. In the 45th minute the referee sent Arcadio Spinozzi and Roberto Badiani off for an early shower. The Verona defender had hacked Totò Lopez, then forced off and substituted by Paolo Ammoniaci, and Badiani decided to take justice into his own hands.
With both teams down to ten men, Lazio moved back even further even if they could have scored in the second half with Renzo Garlaschelli but his volley from an extremely favourable position went wide. In the 50th minute Cacciatori saved on a Guidolin shot. In the 64th minute Musiello had a massive chance but the Lazio keeper parried, the ball went back to the Verona forward who tried another shot but Lionello Manfredonia managed to wall the shot into corner. In the 68th minute Mascetti took a free kick, Cacciatori got to the ball but dropped it, Lionello Massimelli went for the kill but the keeper saved into corner. Nicola D'Ottavio shaved the post a few times and Garlaschelli could have made it two for Lazio, but it would have been too much.
The Biancocelesti were very poor today and Verona would have deserved at least a point.
Who played for Lazio
Cacciatori, Tassotti, Martini, Wilson, Manfredonia, Cordova, Garlaschelli, Lopez (46’ Ammoniaci), Giordano, D’Amico, Badiani
Substitutes: Fantini, Cantarutti
Manager: Lovati
Who played for Verona
Superchi, Spinozzi, Antoniazzi (70' D'Ottavio), Esposito, Gentile, Negrisolo, Guidolin, Mascetti, Musiello, Massimelli, Bergamaschi
Substitutes: Pozzani, Guidotti
Manager: Chiappella
Referee: Lo Bello
Goal: 9’ Giordano (pen)
Sources
Comments