The battle of the Olimpico

Season 1990-91

Game 28, Serie A

Saturday, April 6, 1991

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Roma Lazio 1-1

Lazio manage to draw the derby even if reduced to nine men thanks to a goal by Ruben Sosa

Lazio, tired of Mr. 0-0, Giuseppe Materazzi, were becoming ambitious and as a consequence needed a manager who could lead them to a European Cup participation. Dino Zoff, who had just been dropped by Juventus despite winning both the UEFA Cup and Coppa Italia, was the chosen man.

But the team seemed to follow the path of their previous manager rather than have a winning mentality. In the first half of the season the Biancocelesti drew 13 times in 17 games!!!! In the second half, things were improving, less draws and a few more wins.

The week before the derby, however, Lazio played miserably and drew at home 1-1 with a Cesena team that already had a foot and half in Serie B.

What could fans expect from the game against their eternal rivals?

The match

A very spectacular and rather violent derby was played unusually on a Saturday due to the fact that Roma had to play the UEFA Cup semi-final a few days later.

In the first half Lazio had the best chances. In the 2nd minute a Pedro Troglio header was saved by Giovanni Cervone. Four minutes later, corner for Lazio. Troglio crossed the ball in the box, Angelo Gregucci’s header beat Cervone but not Fabrizio Di Mauro who cleared.

In the 7th minute Roma responded. Di Mauro, thanks to a great pass by Amedeo Carboni, found himself in front of Valerio Fiori but the Lazio goalkeeper saved. In the 32nd minute Ruben Sosa’s free kick was miraculously saved again by the Roma goalkeeper. Troglio took the subsequent corner, ball to Gabriele Pin, another great Cervone save.

In the second half, in the 8th minute Carboni flew down Lazio’s left flank followed by Roberto Bacci who, when in the box, attempted a tackle from behind. Carboni went down. Penalty (controversial, it looked like Bacci first got the ball). Rudi Voeller put Roma ahead.

Tempers flared. A minute later, Claudio Sclosa, in an attempt to stop a Roma counter attack, fouled Thomas Berthold rather harshly. Second yellow card and Lazio down to ten men. Ruggero Rizzitelli, tried a vendetta against Gregucci with a very dirty foul but the referee just showed a yellow. In the 58th minute Roberto Soldà tried to stop another Berthold counter attack, but his leg was way too high. At this point Stefano Desideri decided to take justice in his own hands and elbowed the Lazio defender. They were both sent off. Lazio down to nine players now, Roma had ten. Lazio needed a miracle to draw this game.

In the 74th minute box-to-box by Aldair who in front of Fiori tried to dribble him and then shoot, but Cristiano Bergodi cleared. Two minutes later, Pin from outside the box passed to Bergodi on the right. The Lazio defender crossed in the middle, Pin headed the ball towards the top left-hand corner, Cervone again denied Lazio the goal.

Miracles can happen. With ten minutes to go, Giovanni Piacentini on Lazio’s left but inside the Roma half, headed the ball to Sebastiano Nela, who was too slow to react. In came Raffaele Sergio who won the ball, took a few steps forward and sent a high cross into the penalty box. Ruben Sosa anticipated the Roma defenders and, with a left foot volley, put the ball in the back of the net.

Roma launched themselves forward and in the 81st minute an Aldair free kick was well saved by Fiori into corner. In the dying minutes, Voeller to Nela who inside the box on the left had a shot again saved by the Lazio keeper. At this point the ref called it a day.

Another derby ending 1-1, the second in the row (there would many more to come). Not sure if Gianni Agnelli and Henry Kissinger present in the stadium enjoyed the game, but it was a typical Rome derby with controversy and dirty fouls.

Who played for Roma

Cervone, Berthold, Carboni, Gerolin, Aldair, Nela, Desideri, Di Mauro, Voller, Salsano (46' Piacentini), Rizzitelli (58' Muzzi)

Substitutes: Zinetti, Comi, D.Rossi

Manager: Bianchi.

Who played for Lazio

Fiori, Bergodi, Sergio, Pin, Gregucci, Soldà, Bacci, Troglio (73’ Bertoni), Riedle, Sclosa, Ruben Sosa