August 12, 1998: Real Madrid Lazio 2-2 (7-8 pens)
Updated: 3 days ago
Salas Announces Himself as Lazio Edge Out Real Madrid on Penalties
Salas scores on his Lazio debut before the Biancocelesti draw 2-2 and prevail 8-7 on penalties against nine-man Real Madrid
The season so far
The summer of 1998 was an interesting transfer window. President Sergio Cragnotti wanted to add greater quality to the squad but also wanted to cash in on players that after the Coppa Italia win the extraordinary previous season would now be worth a lot more. Those who left were Diego Fuser (Parma), José Chamot and Vladimir Jugovic to Atletico Madrid, Pierluigi Casiraghi to Chelsea and Beppe Signori, on return from his loan to Sampdoria, to Bologna. In the autumn window more players left: Giovanni Lopez to Napoli, Igor Protti to Reggiana and Roberto Rambaudi to Genoa, plus the loan of Dario Marcolin to Blackburn Rovers.
Who arrived? Marcelo Salas from River Plate, Sinisa Mihajlovic from Sampdoria, Fernando Couto and Ivan de la Pena from Barcelona. Enough? No. Sergio Conceição from Porto, Dejan Stankovic from Red Star Belgrade and in the winter session Attilio Lombardo from Crystal Palace.
Lazio had been at Vigo di Fassa in Trentino from mid to end July for their preseason training and were now travelling around Europe playing friendlies. The had played the Carlsberg Trophy in Ireland drawing with Leeds United and beating St. Patrick’s Athletic and had lost 4-0 with Benfica. Today was the semi-final of the Teresa Herrera Trophy and Lazio were up against the mighty Real Madrid.
The match: Wednesday, August 12, 1998, Stadio Riazor, La Coruña
Lazio reached the final of the Trofeo Teresa Herrera with a dramatic penalty-shootout victory over Real Madrid at the Riazor Stadium in La Coruña. After an entertaining 2-2 draw in normal time, the Biancocelesti eventually prevailed 8-7 on penalties, with Luca Marchegiani emerging as the hero by saving two spot-kicks.
The match was also the first appearance in a Lazio shirt for Marcelo Salas. The Chilean striker needed only 40 minutes to announce his arrival, scoring a superb goal after combining with Ivan de la Peña and giving Lazio supporters an early glimpse of the attacking partnership that had been so eagerly anticipated.
Eriksson fielded a strong side, with Marchegiani in goal and a defence of Paolo Negro, Fernando Couto, Sinisa Mihajlovic and Giuseppe Favalli. Sergio Conceição, Dejan Stankovic, Pavel Nedved and De la Peña formed the midfield, while Salas made his debut alongside Roberto Mancini.
Lazio started brightly.
Inside the opening five minutes, the visitors created two excellent chances. Salas immediately showed his ability to link with his new teammates, setting up Nedved for a powerful effort that Bodo Illgner did well to save. Conceição then had an opportunity from the rebound but was unable to find the target.
Moments later, Nedved delivered a precise cross towards Mancini, whose header lacked the power to trouble Illgner.
Despite Lazio's promising start, it was Real Madrid who took the lead in the 14th minute.
Fernando Hierro delivered a dangerous free-kick into the penalty area, and Fernando Morientes was allowed too much freedom to meet it with a header. Marchegiani was beaten, and Lazio suddenly found themselves behind.
The situation became even more complicated for Real Madrid shortly afterwards.
In the 15th minute, Fernando Sanz Rojas was shown a straight red card for a late challenge from behind on De la Peña. The Spanish side were reduced to ten men, but rather than collapsing, the European champions responded with determination.
Lazio struggled to make their numerical advantage count.
Real Madrid continued to press in midfield and found space on the flanks through the pace of Víctor and Savio. Lazio's defensive line was repeatedly tested, while Salas found himself isolated for long periods against the experienced partnership of Hierro and Manuel Sanchís.
De la Peña, however, continued to provide moments of inspiration.
The Spanish midfielder, who had been jeered by sections of the home crowd because of his Barcelona connections, responded with a series of elegant touches and intelligent passes. Playing from a relatively deep position, he was often the player responsible for providing Lazio with their most dangerous attacking ideas.
Lazio eventually found their equaliser in the 35th minute.
A loose ball fell to Nedved on the edge of the penalty area, and the Czech midfielder struck a fierce first-time shot into the corner of the net. Illgner had no chance.
The goal gave Lazio renewed confidence.
And then, five minutes later, came the moment that Lazio supporters had been waiting for.
De la Peña picked up possession in midfield and immediately spotted Salas making a run behind the Real Madrid defence. His pass was perfectly weighted, splitting Hierro and Sanchís and sending the Chilean through on goal.
Salas showed impressive composure.
He raced beyond the defenders, anticipated Illgner's advance and finished with his left foot before shifting the ball onto his right and calmly tapping it into the unguarded net.
The celebration that followed was unforgettable.
Salas ran towards the corner, performed his trademark "Matador" celebration and then made a gesture resembling a cradle, dedicating his first Lazio goal to the child he and his partner Carolina were expecting.
The goal put Lazio 2-1 ahead and appeared to complete a remarkable first half for the new signing.
The partnership between De la Peña and Salas had immediately produced results. The Spaniard's vision and passing complemented the Chilean's movement and instinct inside the penalty area, offering Lazio a glimpse of the attacking potential that had prompted the club to invest heavily in the two players.
Real Madrid, however, were not prepared to surrender.
During the interval, Guus Hiddink introduced Roberto Carlos, Clarence Seedorf and Predrag Mijatović, bringing three major players into the match.
The changes had an immediate effect.
Real Madrid emerged for the second half with greater intensity, and Lazio began to struggle physically. The Biancocelesti were unable to take full advantage of their numerical superiority, while Real Madrid's movement and pace continued to cause problems.
Lazio's situation became more complicated when Conceição was forced to leave the field with a muscular problem replaced by Giorgio Venturin. Eriksson responded by moving Stankovic into a defensive role to deal with Roberto Carlos, but the tactical adjustment disrupted Lazio's balance.
Four minutes into the second half, Real Madrid equalised.
Savio, who had already been one of the most dangerous players on the pitch, found space in a crowded penalty area and managed to squeeze the ball through a mass of players and into the net.
At 2-2, the match had been completely transformed.
Real Madrid were now down to nine men.
Jaime was sent off shortly afterwards for a second serious challenge from behind, this time on Salas. With two players dismissed, Lazio had an extraordinary numerical advantage, but the Biancocelesti were unable to exploit it.
Instead, Real Madrid continued to look dangerous.
Mijatović immediately brought greater pace and movement to the Spanish attack, while Savio remained a constant threat. Lazio, meanwhile, were beginning to tire, and the match became increasingly open.
Eriksson made further changes in an attempt to restore balance. Negro was replaced by Guerino Gottardi, allowing Stankovic to return to midfield, while the Lazio coach later introduced Igor Protti, Roberto Rambaudi and Giuseppe Lopez.
Despite playing against nine men, Real Madrid arguably created the better chances during the final stages.
One effort from Seedorf almost produced an extraordinary own goal when Lopez was unfortunate to see the ball deflect dangerously towards his own net. The Spanish side continued to attack with remarkable energy, while Lazio struggled to produce the decisive opportunity that their numerical advantage should have provided.
The match therefore went to penalties.
It was the fourth time during the early stages of the season that Lazio had been involved in a shootout, but this time the Biancocelesti held their nerve.
The first round saw Hierro score for Real Madrid and Protti convert for Lazio. Mijatović then saw his penalty saved, while Salas confidently scored his first shootout attempt for his new club.
Savio and De la Peña exchanged successful penalties, followed by Roberto Carlos and Mihajlovic.
The tension increased when Venturin missed for Lazio, but Marchegiani produced another crucial save from Seedorf.
The shootout continued deep into sudden death.
Fernando Redondo converted for Real Madrid, while Lopez kept Lazio alive. When Seedorf's earlier miss was followed by Rambaudi's successful penalty, Lazio finally secured an extraordinary 8-7 victory.
Marchegiani was the hero, saving two penalties and sending Lazio into the final of the Trofeo Teresa Herrera.
The victory was ultimately more complicated than Eriksson would have wanted. But there were also plenty of encouraging signs.
The Matador had scored his first Lazio goal, De la Peña had supplied the assist, and together the pair had offered a tantalising glimpse of what could come.
Who played for Real Madrid
Illgner, Panucci (46' Roberto Carlos), Sanchis, Hierro, Rojas; Victor (46' Seedorf), Jaime, Redondo, Savio; Raul (80' Campo), Morientes (46' Mijatovic) Substitutes: Contreras, Sanz, Pacheco Manager: Hiddink
Who played for Lazio
Marchegiani, Negro (61' Gottardi), Couto (72' G.Lopez), Mihajlovic, Favalli, Conceicao (44' Venturin), Stankovic (78' Protti), De la Peña, Nedved; Salas, Mancini (86' Rambaudi) Substitutes: Ballotta, Marcolin Manager: Eriksson
Referee: Iturralde Gonzales
Goals: 14’ Morientes, 35’ Nedved, 40’ Salas, 49’ Savio
Penalty shootout: Hierro goal, Protti goal, Mijatovic saved, Salas goal, Savio goal, De la Peña goal, Roberto Carlos goal, Mihajlovic goal, Campo goal, Venturin wide, Redondo goal, G.Lopez goal, Seedorf saved, Rambaudi goal
What happened next
Towards the end of the transfer window Lazio secured Christian Vieri from Atletico Madrid and in the winter Attilio Lombardo from Crystal Palace. In the autumn window more players left: Giovanni Lopez to Napoli, Igor Protti to Reggiana and Roberto Rambaudi to Genoa, plus the loan of Dario Marcolin to Blackburn Rovers.
The first major test was the Supercoppa played in Turin on August 29. The Biancocelesti managed to win in the last second with a Conceição goal. Pavel Nedved had put them ahead and then in the second half a ridiculous penalty for a non-existent hand ball (the ball hit Lopez on the back) gave Juve the equaliser. This was the first Supercoppa win for the Biancocelesti.
At the end of the first half of the season Lazio were second with Parma and three points behind Fiorentina. But they were favourites having beaten both teams in the last two games. In the 21st game Fiorentina lost at Udine and the Biancocelesti drew at Cagliari joining the Viola at the top of the league. The next Sunday Lazio were solitary first after their win against Inter at home. Their lead had risen to five points by the 26th match and seven more than Milan who seemed to be completely out of the picture. In the next game the Biancocelesti drew with the Rossoneri. Vieri had scored but the goal had been disallowed due to a dubious off-side. But all was well since Lazio had a six-point lead over Fiorentina. Little did we know that disallowed goal would prove to be fundamental.
Lazio lost the next two games against Roma and Juventus and Milan were just a point behind with five games to the end. The Biancocelesti won three but so did Milan. Two games to the end and Lazio went to Florence. The Viola played like it was the Champions League final and went ahead with a Gabriel Batistuta goal. Lazio managed to equalise with Vieri but in the second half Fiorentina were awarded a penalty which they missed and the Biancocelesti were denied one despite a clear foul on Salas. A final crossbar hit by Vieri sealed the draw. Milan beat Empoli 4-0 and went ahead. The last game at Perugia was a formality for the Rossoneri and they won a scudetto that Lazio had deserved to win.
In the Coppa Italia the Biancocelesti were eliminated by Inter 6-4 on aggregate.
But there was glory.
In the quarter finals of the Cup Winners Cup, Lazio demolished Panionios 7-0 on aggregate and faced Lokomotiv Moscow in the semis. An Alen Boksic goal in Moscow was enough to reach the final which was played in Birmingham against Real Mallorca. Lazio took the lead early with Vieri but the Spaniards soon equalised. In the 81st minute a splendid volley by Nedved gave Lazio their first European trophy and the last ever Cup Winners Cup.
The player with most appearances this season was Luca Marchegiani with 48. Top scorer was Salas with 24 goals in all competitions.
Let’s talk about Roberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos da Silva Rocha was born in Garça, São Paulo, on 10 April 1973. He went on to become one of the greatest full-backs in football history, but his career in Europe began with a transfer that, in hindsight, represented one of the most extraordinary mistakes made by an Italian club.
In 1995, Roberto Carlos arrived at Inter from Palmeiras. He was only 22 years old, but he had already established himself as one of the most exciting young defenders in Brazilian football. At Inter, however, his stay would last just one season.
It is difficult to imagine today, but Inter decided that Roberto Carlos was expendable.
During the 1995/96 season, he made 34 appearances in all competitions and scored seven goals, including five in Serie A. For a left-back, those were remarkable numbers, particularly for a player still adapting to European football. Yet despite his obvious talent, Roberto Carlos reportedly found himself in disagreement with coach Roy Hodgson, who preferred to use him further forward rather than in his natural position.
At the end of the season, Inter allowed him to leave.
The Brazilian moved to Real Madrid, where he would spend the next 11 years and become one of the greatest players in the club's history.
In retrospect, the decision was extraordinary. Real Madrid immediately recognised what Inter had failed to fully appreciate.
Roberto Carlos became a fundamental part of the Madrid side and remained at the club for more than a decade. During his time in Spain, he made 527 official appearances and scored 68 goals, winning four La Liga titles and three European Cups/Champions Leagues.
He was not simply a defender.
Roberto Carlos helped redefine the role of the modern full-back. His ability to surge forward from deep positions made him an additional attacking weapon, while his pace allowed him to recover defensively. He could deliver dangerous crosses, combine with teammates and score from distance.
His left foot became legendary.
Few players in football history have struck a ball with the same combination of power and technique. Roberto Carlos became famous for his free-kicks, with his extraordinary effort against France in the 1997 Tournoi de France becoming perhaps the most famous example. From a remarkable angle and distance, he struck the ball with the outside of his foot, sending it around the defensive wall and into the goal.
It was a goal that seemed to defy physics and became an enduring symbol of his unique ability.
At Real Madrid, Roberto Carlos was part of the beginning of the Galácticos era and played alongside some of the greatest footballers of his generation. He formed an especially famous partnership with fellow Brazilian Ronaldo, while also sharing the dressing room with players such as Zinedine Zidane, Luís Figo, David Beckham, Raúl and Iker Casillas.
Yet despite the extraordinary talent around him, Roberto Carlos remained indispensable.
His consistency was remarkable. For more than a decade, he was almost permanently established as Real Madrid's first-choice left-back. His attacking contributions were so significant that he often appeared to be playing as a winger, while his defensive recovery speed allowed him to return to his position when possession was lost.
The numbers tell only part of the story.
His four La Liga titles and three Champions League victories were complemented by numerous other trophies, while his 11 seasons at the Santiago Bernabéu established him as one of the most decorated players of his generation.
Internationally, Roberto Carlos was equally successful.
He won more than 100 caps for Brazil and represented his country at three World Cups. He was part of the team that reached the 1998 World Cup final before winning the tournament in 2002. He also won the Copa América in 1997 and 1999.
At the 2002 World Cup, Roberto Carlos was a key member of the Brazilian team that defeated Germany in the final. Alongside Cafu on the opposite flank, he formed one of the greatest full-back partnerships in international football history.
His career eventually took him away from Madrid. He played for Fenerbahçe, Corinthians and Anzhi Makhachkala before retiring from professional football. He later moved into coaching and ambassadorial work, maintaining a close relationship with Real Madrid.
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