A return to form

Season 1980-81

Game 20, Serie B

Sunday, February 8, 1981

Stadio La Favorita, Palermo

Palermo Lazio 0-2

Lazio manage to collect the two points after five winless games with a good match against Palermo.

After 15 games Lazio were top of the table with a one-point lead over Milan and four over third place (the first three were promoted). A long way to go yet but there was optimism. The Biancocelesti had won 7 and drawn 8 and had not lost yet.

Then came Lazio Milan, first game of 1981. The Rossoneri easily won 2-0 and installed a doubt in the players mind. “Perhaps we are not as good as we thought”. After that match they lost at Cesena, drew at Vicenza and at home with Taranto. They were second but with seven teams in four points, it was very tight.

The match

This could have been a difficult game for the Biancocelesti, not having won a match since mid-December. But they started really well and were soon in control of the match. In the 16th minute a Nando Viola-Giuseppe Greco one-two allowed Alberto Bigon to collect the ball just outside the box, beat two defenders for speed and shoot. 1-0 for Lazio.

Palermo reacted and Fausto Silipo had a chance but his header was too high. Edigio Calloni also had a couple of opportunities to score in the 40th and 57th minutes but wasted both of them. The Biancocelesti however did not waste theirs. In the 65th minute Giorgio Mastropasqua began a counterattack, ball to Stefano Chiodi who passed to Greco just outside the box. Great shot, 2-0 for Lazio.

At this point the Rosanero gave up and Lazio almost made it three in injury time when a freekick from Greco, deflected by the wall, hit the crossbar.

Good game from the Biancocelesti after a number of poor results.

Who played for Palermo

Frison, Ammoniaci, Volpecina, Bencina (72' Vailati), Di Cicco, Silipo, Montesano, De Stefanis, Calloni, Lopez, Lamia Caputo (72' And. Conte)

Substitutes: Oddi, Borsellino, Pasciullo

Manager: Veneranda

Who played for Lazio

Nardin, Spinozzi, Citterio, Pochesci, Pighin, S anguin, Viola (79' Ghedin), Bigon, Chiodi, Mastropasqua, Greco