Game 17, Serie B
Sunday January 26, 1969
Stadio M. Rigamonti, Lecco
Lecco Lazio 1-2
Lazio had to battle right to the end of the match to clinch these two very important points at Lecco.
So far Lazio were always between second and third place and, because two of Lazio’s star players, Nello Governato and Giancarlo Morrone, were having difficulty in finding decent form and another two, Rosario Di Vincenzo and Giuseppe Massa, were out with serious injuries. This meant there was not much room for improvement from an organisational point of view. However, Giuliano Fortunato was scoring lots of goals and the newcomer Mario Facco too was showing his importance, so there was hope for promotion.
The match
Di Vincenzo and Carlo Soldo were injured so Lazio had substituted them with youngsters Pietro Fioravanti and Vincenzo Martella who would become two of the main actors in this match in the 19th minute, for better and for worse. The latter, disastrous in his first minutes, committed a stupid foul on Riccardo Innocenti in the box. The former then saved the penalty. Giorgio Azzimonti took it, aimed low and close to the post, but the shot was weak and Fioravanti saved.
A minute later Lazio scored. Magnificent shot from outside the penalty box from Ferruccio Mazzola, Giuseppe Meraviglia could not hold on the ball, Gian Piero Ghio ready for the tap in made it 1-0 for Lazio. Lazio had a couple of chances a few minutes later but Fortunato’s shot was well saved by the Lecco keeper and Mazzola’s shot was just wide. The 2-0 came anyway in the 33rd minute. Mazzola to Ghio who passed it to Fortunato. Great shot, nothing Meraviglia could do about it. Towards the end of the first half Mazzola hit the woodwork and Massa missed a chance from a favourable position.
The dominant Lazio of the first half stayed in the changing rooms and on came a scared and sleepy team. Lecco were ready to exploit the change and reduced the deficit in the 63rd. minute. Mazzola lost the ball thus generating a counter attack. Renato Gavinelli to Giovanni Scacchi who passed the ball to Virginio Canzi who did not miss. Game on.
In the 78th minute Innocenti had the chance of a lifetime to draw level but missed the ball completely. Lazio’s defence made no more mistakes and the team was able to bring the two points back home.
With this win Lazio moved up to first place together with Brescia.
Who played for Lecco
Meraviglia (46' Balzarini), Bravi, Sacchi, Noletti, Bacher, Marchetti, Gavinelli, Azzimonti, Innocenti, Calloni, Canzi.
Substitutes: Pomaro
Manager: Gei
Who played for Lazio
Fioravanti, Zanetti, Facco, Governato, Martella, Marchesi, Massa, Fortunato, Mazzola II, Ghio, Cucchi.
Substitutes: Leardi
Coach: Lovati
Manager: Lorenzo
Referee: Possagno
Goals: 20’ Ghio, 33’ Fortunato, 63’ Canzi
Source
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