Game 14. Serie A
Sunday, January 7, 1973
Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi, Verona
Verona Lazio 1-1
Lazio not at their best come away with acceptable draw
In Serie A after 13 games Lazio had 18 points and were joint 2nd with Milan and Juventus, one point behind leaders Inter. The Biancocelesti had won 6 (Fiorentina 1-0 and Vicenza 2-1, both away, Ternana 2-1 at home, the derby 1-0, Palermo 2-0 and Cagliari 2-1 at home), drawn 6 (Inter 0-0 and Juventus 1-1, both at home, Atalanta 1-1 and Sampdoria 0-0 both away then Torino and Bologna both 0-0 at home) and lost 1 (Milan 1-3 away).
So, Lazio were in a good position but had not won for 4 games in which they had only scored one goal. Time to get back to winning ways.
The match
A sunny day in Verona, at least initially, with just under 30,000 spectators in attendance.
Neither side had any injury problems. A curious fact was that both sides fielded a Franco Nanni but they were not related. The Lazio player was from Pisa while the Verona defender was from Riccione (Rimini).
Lazio had the first chance in the 5th minute with a dangerous cross by Pierpaolo Manservisi but then went very quiet and Verona got the upper hand.
The Scaligeri attacked continuously and Felice Pulici was called into action on several occasions. In the 25th minute he seemed beaten on a Livio Lupi shot, but Luciano Re Cecconi was there to clear it near the goal line.
It was a siege but the home side were too imprecise in front of goal and Lazio resisted. Halftime Verona 0 Lazio 0.
A poor Lazio who would have to improve to get anything out of the game.
Several things changed in the second half. Firstly, fog started to descend on Verona and secondly Lazio were finally dangerous.
In the 47th minute Re Cecconi hit the post and six minutes later Lazio scored. In the 53rd minute Renzo Garlaschelli passed to Giorgio Chinaglia, in a possible offside position, Long John headed on while Pier Luigi Pizzaballa half-heartedly came off his line, expecting a whistle that never came, and beat him with a low strike. The hosts protested but the goal stood. Verona 0 Lazio 1.
Verona were under shock but Lazio made the mistake of not insisting. The referee, meanwhile, with doubts in his mind about the goal was possibly already thinking of a way to make amends.
His chance came in the 68th minute. Giancarlo Oddi challenged Luppi in the area and the forward fell on the ball, got up, saw there was no reaction and then fell into Pierpaolo Manservisi. This time the referee surprisingly pointed to the penalty spot. Emiliano Mascetti put it away for the Scaligeri's equaliser. Verona 1 Lazio.
At this point the fog thickened and visibility was extremely bad. The meteorological conditions and the fact that for both sides the fear of losing was stronger than the desire to win meant that not much happened from then on. In the last five minutes especially, the fans would not have seen anything anyway…
A decent draw for Lazio despite a disappointing first half. Lazio were still joint 2nd but now with Inter who had lost the big match against new leaders Juventus 0-2 at home.
Verona were still joint 9th, now with Napoli, Cagliari and Atalanta, and still with a two-point cushion on the last relegation slot.
Who played for Verona
Pizzaballa, Nanni, Sirena, Busatta, Cozzi, Mascalaito, Bergamaschi, Mascetti, Jacomuzzi (66' Zigoni), Ciccolo, Luppi
Substitutes: Colombo
Manager: Cadè
Who played for Lazio
Pulici, Facco, Martini, Wilson, Oddi, Nanni, Garlaschelli, Re Cecconi, Chinaglia, Frustalupi, Manservisi
Manager: Maestrelli
Referee: Monti
Goals: 53' Chinaglia, 68' Mascetti (pen)
Sources
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