The fighting spirit is back

Simon Basten
Mar 12, 2023
2 min read

Season 1971-72

Game 23, Serie B

Sunday, March 12, 1972

Stadio Sinigaglia, Como

Como Lazio 1-1

A return to form after a few dull games

Source Corriere dello Sport on Lazio Wiki

Lazio started the Serie B campaign slowly, losing the first two games away from home, but from the 6th match onwards things improved. At the end of the first half of the season the Biancocelesti were third, one point behind Palermo and Ternana and two points ahead of Reggiana and Perugia.

They were still third together with Reggiana and one more point than today’s opponents Como, Perugia and Cesena. There was still work to do to get back to Serie A.

The match

Lazio were in a crisis period. In the last four games they had drawn two and lost two. They desperately needed some kind of reaction and that is what there seemed to be in the first minutes of the game with a couple of Giorgio Chinaglia attempts, one saved in the 18th minute and one wide.

The pitch was wet and not easy to play on.

Como, who had been dangerous in the 12th minute forcing Pino Wilson to intervene to save matters getting worse, were gracefully given a ridiculous penalty in the 20th minute. Gigi Martini tried to intervene to anticipate Luigi Villa but missed. His leg was stretched out so Villa decided to launch himself towards it and collapsed on the ground. The referee fell for it and it was penalty for the locals. Luigino Vallongo scored the spot kick.

The Biancocelesti could have collapsed but instead took over the game and the Como goal was put under siege. Giuseppe Massa missed a sitter in the 25th minute, in the 27th Chinaglia shot at the keeper from a favourable position, in the 35th a shot of his shaved the crossbar and in the 36th another attempt from Giuliano Fortunato was wide by a whisker.

The script did not change in the second 45 minutes. Alfredo Magni saved a Giambattista Moschino shot on the line in the 58th, ball back to Chinaglia whose attempt hit the woodwork. Six minutes later the Como keeper was excellent on a Giuseppe Papadopulo cross but could do nothing in the 73rd minute. Moschino took a free kick and crossed into the box, Antonio Guelfi anticipated Chinaglia and headed away, Carlo Facchin headed back into the box and Massa with a superb bicycle kick made it 1-1.

The game ended with a couple of chances for the Biancocelesti for Chinaglia and Massa plus one for Como with Adriano Lombardi, but despite not winning, Lazio showed fighting spirit and a return to form. Could this game be a turning point for the season?

Who played for Como

Cipollini, Paleari, Melgrati, Trinchero (70' Libera), Magni, Ghelfi, L.Villa, Lombardi, Vallongo, Lambrugo, Turini

Substitute: Zamparo

Manager: Bersellini

Who played for Lazio

Bandoni, Facco, Papadopulo (76' Nanni), Wilson, Polentes, Martini, Massa, Fortunato, Chinaglia, Moschino, Facchin