Season 1994-94
Game 34, Serie A
Sunday, May 1, 1994
Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa
Sampdoria Lazio 3-4
An entertaining and high scoring game goes Lazio's way and Signori's brace hails him top Serie A scorer for second year in a row
A warm, sunny spring day welcomed the players and the atmosphere was of an end of season kickaround.
Most of the pre-match talk had been of illustrious farewells. For Lazio, manager Dino Zoff was vacating the bench to make space for Zdenek Zeman, the legendary keeper was however staying on as President. For Sampdoria, Ruud Gullit was returning to Milan after only one but highly positive season with the Blucerchiati. He had played 40 games and scored 17 goals. The fans saw this as a betrayal but Ruud stated that he was going back "home".
Both teams were missing a key defender: Pietro Vierchowod for Samp and Roberto Cravero for Lazio. The home side were also without Roberto Mancini.
The game was immediately open and lively. Both teams were carefree and out to enjoy themselves. In the first fifteen minutes the hosts tested Luca Marchegiani's reflexes with two long range shots. In the 21st minute Lazio went ahead. Gigi Casiraghi chested the ball forward and powered past two defenders and with crisp, angled left foot beat Gianluca Pagliuca. Samp 0 Lazio 1.
The Biancocelesti's lead did not last long. In the 23rd minute a Michele Serena free kick was deflected off the wall by Luigi Corino and gave Marchegiani no chance. 1-1.
At this point the game started to look more like a friendly. Only Gullit, trying to transform the whistles into applause, went close with an acrobatic volley off a David Platt cross, but it just missed the target. Half time Sampdoria 1 Lazio 1.
For the second half Sampdoria lost defender Moreno Mannini due to injury and he was replaced by Giovanni Dall'Igna. The best form of defence however is attack and in the 54th minute "Il Doria" were back in the lead. A Serena close range header was parried by Marchegiani but "Popeye" Attilio Lombardo was there for the tap-in. 2-1 to Samp.
Again the equilibrium was soon restored. A Diego Fuser long range shot in the 59th minute came off Dall'Igna and wrong footed Pagliuca for Lazio's equaliser, 2-2.
At this stage most people thought that was probably it, a point each, four goals, both teams had shown they were interested. They had not taken into account Beppe Signori's goal hunt to become top Serie A scorer.
In the 64th minute he scored a classic goal from his repertoire. A counterattack saw the ball arrive to Beppe-gol who with his surgically precise and powerful left foot beat Pagliuca with a low shot in the corner. Samp 2 Lazio 3.
Fun and games yes but to lose the last match in front of your fans no. Samp fought back and equalised four minutes later. In the 68th minute a superb move by Lombardo saw him dribble through four defenders and put in a low cross which Mauro Bertarelli finished off, 3-3.
Everyone satisfied? All except one. In the 70th minute Signori scored again, this time the winner. A Casiraghi shot was saved by Pagliuca but the ball spun over to the far post where Signori pounced and poked the ball in. Sampdoria 3 Lazio 4. This was also the final score.
A highly entertaining game which would probably would have end in a draw were it not for Signori's insatiable hunger to add to his goal tally.
The only person slightly concerned might have been Italy manager Arrigo Sacchi who saw his two goalkeepers for USA '94 concede seven goals.
Who played for Sampdoria
Pagliuca, Mannini (46' Dall'Igna), Serena, Gullit, Rossi, Sacchetti, Lombardo, Jugovic, Platt, Bertarelli (76' N. Amoruso), Evani
Substitutes: Nuciari, Bucchioni, Bellucci
Manager: Eriksson
Who played for Lazio
Marchegiani, Corino (57' Luzardi), Negro, Bacci, Bonomi, Favalli, Fuser, Boksic, Casiraghi, Winter (76' Di Mauro), Signori
Manager: Zoff
Referee: Treossi
Goals: 21' Casiraghi, 23' Corino (o.g), 54' Lombardo, 59' Dall' Igna (o.g), 64' Signori, 68' Bertarelli, 70' Signori
Source
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