Game 16, Serie B
Sunday, January 2, 1983
Stadio Comunale, Bergamo
Atalanta Lazio 1-1
Lazio come back with a point from a traditionally difficult ground and maintain their lead in Serie B.
It has historically never been easy at Bergamo for Lazio and this game was no different. Lazio lost Lionello Manfredonia after only three minutes due to injury and was substituted by Roberto Tavola. This problem plus the fact that Bruno Giordano was having a difficult day looked like a bad omen. Atalanta also had a player who was a continuous thorn in the Lazio side: Giorgio Magnocavallo.
Not much happened until the 43rd minute when Beppe Savoldi back heeled a ball that surprised Fernando Orsi but Renato Miele was able to clear just before the ball went over the line.
In the second half Lazio decided that a draw was the best possible result and fell back to defend, but Giordano almost made it 1-0 for Lazio on the counter attack. Vincenzo D’Amico’s shot was not held by Mirko Benevelli but Bruno-gol fumbled the simple tap in.
In the 69th minute Marco Pacione, who had substituted Savoldi, was fouled in the penalty box by Marco Saltarelli. Bortolo Mutti took the penalty and it was 1-0 for Atalanta.
Four minutes later, Giordano touched a free kick for Gabriele Podavini. His mighty whack could not be saved and Lazio equalised.
Both teams at this point decided that a point was good enough and, with the exception of a couple of lame attempts from Atalanta with Pacione and Mutti, not much else happened.
There are never easy games in Serie B.
Who played for Atalanta
Benevelli, G.Rossi, Magnocavallo, Snidaro, Filisetti, E. Perico, Agostinelli (65' Donadoni), Magrin (60' Pacione), Savoldi I, D.Moro, Mutti II.
Substitutes: Bordoni, Codogno, Madonna.
Manager: Bianchi.
Who played for Lazio
Orsi, Podavini, Saltarelli, Vella, Miele, Perrone, Ambu (50’ De Nadai), Manfredonia (3’ Tavola), Giordano, D’Amico, Badiani.
Manager: Clagluna.
Referee: Paparesta
Goals: 69’ Mutti (pen), 73’ Podavini
In the Atalanta squad there were a number of interesting players. Daniele Filisetti would start playing for Lazio later that year, Magnocavallo a few years later and Armando Madonna in 1990. Andrea Agostinelli had played for Lazio in the 1970s and was a product of the Biancocelesti’s youth team.
Savoldi was one of the big names of Italian 1970s football. His move from Bologna to Napoli in 1975 made him the most expensive player in Italian football history. Also linked to Napoli was the manager Ottavio Bianchi who, as manager of Diego Armando Maradona’s team, won a Scudetto, a Coppa Italia and a UEFA Cup. Roberto Donadoni, who came on in the second half, would later win numerous scudettos, European Cups and Intercontinental Cups with AC Milan, plus a bronze medal at the Italian World Cup of 1990.
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