Boksic gives advantage to Lazio
A first half goal by the big Croat leaves Biancocelesti optimistic for return leg
Also on this day: February 19, 1961, Napoli Lazio 2-5. A massive win in Naples gives Lazio a small ray of hope. Lazio Hero of the day: Paolo Carosi
The season so far
As this was a cup game, we will concentrate on the Coppa Italia campaign.
Lazio had started in September by beating Fidelis Andria 6-2 on aggregate (4 goals by Beppe Signori, Alen Boksic and an own goal).
In October-November, Lazio then eliminated Napoli 4-3 on aggregate (4-0 and 0-3) with doubles by Signori and Boksic.
Next up came the quarter finals against Roma. The first game was on the Epiphany on January 6, and Lazio buried Roma in coal, trouncing them well beyond the score line of 4-1. The return game on January 21 was the Giallorossi's home game and they had to win 3-0. Lazio won again 2-1 with a Guerino Gottardi 94th minute winner. This was considered the ultimate humiliation for the "cousins" as Gottardi was one of the Lazio players they had mocked for years for being useless.
Next up was the semi-final against Juventus in Turin on February 19. Then the return leg would be in Rome on March 11.
To get to the semi-finals, Juventus had beaten Brescello 5-1 and Lecce 3-0 both on aggregate, and then Fiorentina on away goals (2-2 in Florence and 0-0 in Turin). Next up Lazio.
The match: Thursday, February 19, 1998, Stadio delle Alpi, Turin
Not a big crowd in Turin for this midweek game. There could be various reasons for this, the game was televised on the national state network, the majority of Juventini come from outside Turin and are also so accustomed to winning that the domestic cup did not over excite them.
Juventus were missing Ciro Ferrara, Didier Deschamps and Zinedine Zidane (both Frenchmen had flu) while Lazio were without Alessandro Nesta, Beppe Pancaro, José Antonio Chamot, Matías Almeyda and Pavel Nedved.
Juventus were unbeaten at home this season while Lazio had not lost for 13 games (December 6, Juventus 1-2).
Juventus had the first opportunity. Alessandro Birindelli crossed from the right to Daniel Fonseca, the Uruguayan headed it to Alessandro Del Piero who set him up in front of Luca Marchegiani but the former Roma striker fired over the bar.
Lazio responded with an Alen Boksic shot but it was comfortably saved by Angelo Peruzzi.
Juventus had territorial superiority also because despite Lazio three forwards, Roberto Mancini and Gigi Casiraghi were often busy with defensive tasks leaving Boksic alone up front. In the 16th minute Del Piero was powerful but central and Marchegiani saved.
In the 22nd minute Lazio had a freekick from just over the halfway line. Giorgio Venturin hit it long into the area where Mark Iuliano's header anticipated Mancini but only as far as Boksic on the edge of the box, the Croat struck it on the half volley and it beat Peruzzi. Juventus 0 Lazio 1.
Slightly out of the blue but a vital goal for Lazio, who grew in confidence. Juventus seemed in difficulty and only created two threats before halftime. The first when Del Piero did well to free himself on the left and put in an inviting low cross but Paolo Negro got there just before Fonseca and cleared into corner. Then Fonseca had a freekick which gave the illusion of being a winner but in reality hit the side netting. Halftime Juventus 0 Lazio 1.
Not thoroughly deserved but the home side had done little in response to Lazio's goal.
For the second half Marcello Lippi put on some more physical players; Moreno Torricelli for Birindelli and Edgar Davids for Antonio Conte.
Juventus started the second half more positively. A Del Piero freekick which looked threatening was saved well by Marchegiani into corner.
Lazio concentrated on defending but occasionally went forward. In the 54th minute Casiraghi had a golden opportunity to free Mancini on the left in front of goal but he messed up the pass, enabling Peruzzi to clear.
In the 56th minute Lippi threw on another striker, Filippo Inzaghi, replacing midfielder Gianluca Pessotto. Juventus were constantly forward but a combination of imprecision on their part and excellent defending on Lazio's meant they never really created much.
The Bianconeri had a long range Alessio Tacchinardi effort go over the bar in the 74th minute and a minute later a Paolo Montero miscued low cross almost surprised Marchegiani on the front post.
Eriksson protected himself by taking off Mancini and putting on Guerino Gottardi in the 76th minute.
The hosts biggest chance came in the 85th minute when, on a low Fabio Pecchia shot without great expectations, Fonseca stuck his foot out and the ball then shaved the post.
In the 86th minute Lazio became even more defensive as they replaced Casiraghi with midfielder Dario Marcolin.
It was Lazio however who had the last possibility. Boksic went off on one of his solitary runs down the left and crossed for incoming Vladimir Jugovic who blasted a volley but it was off target.
A good win for Lazio. It was far from over but all they had to do was not lose at home in the return match. Sometimes easier said than done against "La Fidanzata d'Italia" (Italy's fiancée) but this evening's game had brought optimism to the Lazio camp.
Who played for Juventus
Peruzzi, Birindelli (46' Torricelli), Iuliano, Montero, Pessotto (56' F. Inzaghi), Di Livio, Conte (46' Davids), Tacchinardi, Pecchia, Del Piero, Fonseca
Substitutes: Sorrentino, Pellegrin, Morandini
Manager: Lippi
Who played for Lazio
Marchegiani, Grandoni, Negro, G. Lopez, Favalli, Fuser, Venturin, Jugovic, Casiraghi (86' Marcolin), Boksic, Mancini (76' Gottardi)
Manager: Eriksson
Referee: Treossi
Goal: 22' Boksic
What happened next
In the return leg in Rome, on March 11, there was a crowd of 55,000.
Juventus took the lead after 36 minutes with Daniel Fonseca but Lazio roared back with a Pavel Nedved double in the 62nd and 65th minute before an injury time Beppe Favalli own goal fixed the final score at 2-2. Lazio were in the final!
The final was home and away against Milan. On April 22 the Devils won the away leg 1-0 with a last-minute George Weah winner against the run of play.
In Rome, on April 29, Milan went one nil up just after halftime and Lazio seemed doomed but then roared back with three goals in ten minutes by Guerino Gottardi, Vladimir Jugovic and Alessandro Nesta to triumph. Lazio finally won silverware again, 24 years after the 1974 Scudetto.
A glorious night for the long-suffering Lazio fans. There were tears of joy in a packed Olimpico. The generations who had lived through the 80's, with its lows, various scandals and six years in Serie B with trips to places like Barletta, Campobasso, Pistoia, Rimini and Cava de' Tirreni had finally won a trophy. Lazio were winners!!
Lazio 1997-98
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 34 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 53 |
Coppa Italia | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 22 |
UEFA Cup | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 16 |
Total | 55 | 30 | 12 | 13 | 91 |
Top five appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | UEFA Cup |
Mancini | 52 | 34 | 8 | 10 |
Fuser | 51 | 32 | 9 | 10 |
Marchegiani | 51 | 33 | 8 | 10 |
Nesta | 49 | 30 | 9 | 10 |
Negro | 47 | 28 | 10 | 9 |
Top five goal scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia | UEFA Cup |
Nedved | 15 | 11 | 2 | 2 |
Boksic | 15 | 10 | 5 | - |
Fuser | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
Signori | 10 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
Mancini | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
Let’s talk about Alessandro Del Piero
Today we will talk about an opponent.
Alessandro Del Piero was born in Conegliano (Treviso), on November 9, 1974.
As a kid his first club was local San Vendemiano from 1981-88. In 1988 he joined the Padova youth sector and in 1991 made his debut for the first team.
Padova were in Serie B and had two managers over the season, Bruno Mazzia (1-31) and Mauro Sandreani (32-38). The Patavini finished 11th and Del Piero played 4 league games. His teammates included, future Juventus, Angelo Di Livio and, former Lazio, Giuseppe Galderisi (1987-88).
In 1992-93 Sandreani stayed on and the Biancoscudati finished 5th. Del Piero made 10 league appearances with 1 goal (Ternana).
In 1993 he joined Juventus where he would stay for almost 20 years. He became one of the best players of his generation and in Italian football history.
In his first year in Turin, he played 11 league games under Giovanni Trapattoni but won the Primavera Scudetto with the U19's. From the following season with the arrival of Marcello Lippi he became a regular first choice.
Over the next 18 years he was an absolute protagonist for the "Old Lady". In the late 90's he put on a lot of muscle, like the majority of that squad, as well as suffering a serious injury and lost some speed but remained technically superb.
In his time at Juventus, he played 705 games and scored 290 goals (188 in A). He won 6 league titles, a Coppa Italia, 4 Italian Supercups, a Champions League (95-96), an Intercontinental Cup, a UEFA Super Cup plus a Serie B championship. Following the Bianconeri down to Serie B in 2006-07 gained him a lot of respect.
His managers at Juventus were Trapattoni (93-94), Lippi (94-99 and 2001-04), Carlo Ancelotti (1999-01), Fabio Capello (2004-06), Didier Deschamps (2006-07), Claudio Ranieri (2007-09), Ciro Ferrara (May 2009- January 2010), Alberto Zaccheroni (January 2010-June 2010), Luigi Del Neri (2010-11) and Antonio Conte (2011-12).
When he finished at Juventus in 2012 he went for an Australian experience and played for Sydney FC for two seasons (47 league games and 24 goals).
His last club was Delhi Dynamos in India where he had a brief stay in 2014 (10 games and 1 goal)
He played for Italy at all age levels (U17, U18, U21). With Italy he earned 91 caps and scored 27 goals. He took part in 3 World Cups (1998, 2002 and 2006) and 4 European Championships (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008). He triumphed in the 2006 World cup helping Italy to lift the trophy for the fourth time. He scored a great goal in the 2-0 win against hosts Germany and scored his penalty in the winning shootout against France in the final. He also won a runners-up medal in the 2000 Euros after the unlucky defeat to France's golden goal in extra time (after France had equalised in the injury time of the 90 minutes). He is 4th all-time goal scorer for Italy.
At individual level he was Serie A top scorer in 2007-08 and top scorer in Champions League in 1997-98.
Del Piero was a forward but he could also play behind the strikers. At 1.73 and 73 kilos he was agile and quick. He was a huge talent, classy but also a hard worker. He had sublime dribbling skills and was a superb assist provider. He scored goals too, often of great aesthetic quality. The term "gol alla Del Piero" has been coined to describe a curling shot from the vertex of the area into the corner on the far post. He could use both feet and was also a freekick specialist. All in all, one of the greatest ever Italian players. The late Gianni Agnelli gave him the nickname "Pinturicchio'', after the great Umbrian artist from the 15th century.
Off the field he was a popular and likable personality. He was well spoken and came across as an intelligent character. He was the sort of player even the opposing fans respected and had nothing really against apart from hoping he didn't curl in one of his house specialties against them.
Since retiring he has worked as a TV pundit for SKY and ESPN. He has continued to play football in charity games and founded a motorsports team with actor Patrick Dempsey, Dempsey/Del Piero Racing, which took part in the 24 hour Le Mans race. He has now settled in Los Angeles where he has a restaurant (N10), a Juventus Academy and also owns his own amateur football club, LA 10.
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