Two on two

Season 1974-75

Game 2, Serie A

Sunday, October 13, 1974

Stadio Romeo Menti, Vicenza

Vicenza Lazio 1-2

Second win of the season as Lazio win in Vicenza for the third year running

The league had started a week earlier and Lazio had won 2-1 at home against Cesena.

The match

A sunny day in Vicenza but with a fresh wind blowing. The pitch was slightly heavy due to the previous days' rain. There were about 15,000 present at the old Menti ground.

Lazio were without defender Sergio Petrelli and played Luigi Polentes as full-back instead. Vicenza were missing defender/midfielder Giorgio Bernardis. The Vicenza fans used all their energy whistling and booing Giorgio Chinaglia and this would go on for the whole 90 minutes.

The hosts started strongly. In the first minute Emiliano Macchi weaved his way past several defenders but was then tackled into corner before he could shoot. In the 2nd minute Angelo Sormani had a low freekick saved by Felice Pulici and two minutes later "Felix" had to block a Gianluigi Savoldi effort.

Vicenza continued to attack and Pulici had to make further saves on Alessandro Vitali in the 7th minute and a Sormani freekick in the 13th.

At this point the home side's aggressiveness subsided and Lazio started to have more control.

In the 27th minute Franco Nanni shaved the post and a minute later a Chinaglia shot was deflected for a corner. In the 29th minute Lazio scored. Mario Frustalupi dispossessed Macchi and the ball reached Nanni on the right, Bombardino this time used precision more than power as he scooped a left footer over the keeper. Vicenza 0 Lazio 1.

Vicenza responded two minutes later but Pino Wilson put his body in front of a dangerous Savoldi strike and blocked the danger. Halftime Vicenza 0 Lazio 1.

Lazio had struggled initially but grown into the game. The game however was balanced and hard-fought and far from over.

For the second half Puricelli replaced defender Fabrizio Gorin with Mario Perego. As at the start of the first 45 minutes the "Lane" pushed forward but it was Lazio who scored again. Frustalupi touched a freekick to Chinaglia who blasted a low shot into the corner of the net. The crowd went silent for a few seconds, realising public enemy number one had scored, but then started off relentlessly targeting "Long John" again.

Lazio seemed to be cruising at this point but ten minutes later Vicenza were back in the game. A dubious freekick was awarded to the hosts just outside the area and Giuseppe Longoni stepped up and beat Pulici. Vicenza 1 Lazio 2.

In the 62nd minute the home crowd were seething when the referee denied them a penalty. On a Longoni bicycle kick the ball hit Nanni's hand but Menicucci deemed it involuntary (those were the days when you did not have to amputate your arms to play in defence).

In the 65th minute Lazio too had a penalty appeal. Roberto Badiani was fouled by Attilio Berti and then keeper Adriano Bardin crashed into him too. The linesmen waved his flag for a non-existent offside while Menicucci pointed to the corner flag.

In the 74th minute went close to an equaliser. Sormani teed up Macchi but his shot caressed the outside of the post and went wide.

In the 76th minute Lazio had the chance to close the game but, from Gigi Martini cross, Renzo Garlaschelli's header did not hit the target from a favourable position.

The last part of the game saw the teams tire and despite some pressure by Vicenza the score line did not change again. Final score Vicenza 1 Lazio 2.

Lazio had been far less dominant than in the previous two winning games in Vicenza (another 2-1 and 3-0) but still came away with the two points. A hard-fought win which kept Lazio top of the table, in the company of Fiorentina.

Vicenza were later fined for their fans' treatment of Chinaglia.

Who played for Vicenza

Bardin, Berti, Longoni, Gorin II (46' Perego), Ferrante, Berni, Macchi, Savoldi II, Sormani, Faloppa, Vitali

Substitutes: Sulfaro, Galuppi

Manager: Puricelli

Who played for Lazio

Pulici, Polentes, Martini, Wilson, Oddi, Nanni, Garlaschelli, Re Cecconi, Chinaglia, Frustalupi, Badiani