And so it all began
Round of 32, First Leg, Coppa Italia
Wednesday, September 3, 1997
Stadio degli Ulivi, Andria
Fidelis Andria-Lazio 0-3
Lazio start their cup campaign with clear win in Apulia
Lazio had debuted in Serie A on August 31 and beaten Napoli 2-0 at home (Mancini, Pancaro). Their next league game would be away to Milan on September 13.
In the UEFA Cup they would start against Vitória Guimarães on September 16.
Fidelis Andria were in Serie B. To get to this stage of the Coppa Italia the Blue Lions had beaten Padova 5-3 on aggregate.
Lazio were strong favourites but the newly promoted Biancoazzurri were keen to kick start their second ever Serie B period (first 1992-1996) with a big cup scalp.
The match
A hot evening attracted about 10,000 to the nicely named Stadio degli Ulivi. The name had been chosen in 1994-95 by a fan vote promoted by local sports newspaper "Il Fidelissimo". The other possible names were "della Pineta" and "Svevo" (from Frederick II of Swabia. The ground had previously less romantically been called "Stadio Comunale".
Lazio were missing defenders Beppe Pancaro and Giovanni Lopez, midfielders Pavel Nedved and Matias Almeyda and forward Alen Boksic while Roberto Mancini was on the bench.
The hosts main absence was midfielder Roberto Cappellacci.
Lazio initially played a waiting game and the hosts attacked, spurred on by the home crowd. Fidelis pushed well on the flanks with Giammarco Frezza on one side and Alessandro Sturba on the other.
The locals thought they had taken the lead when Oberdan Biagioni scored with a free kick but it was indirect and had not taken the deflection the former Lazio player had hoped for.
Lazio gradually settled and gained more control. In the 13th minute Beppe Signori uncharacteristically missed a sitter on a Vladimir Jugovic assist.
In the 19th minute Signori did everything right and beat Giorgio Frezzolini rushing out of goal but his shot was then cleared off the line by Andrea Citterio.
Lazio's pressure increased and in the 21st minute the goal came. Signori's free kick came back off the wall and was volleyed in by Roberto Rambaudi with a slight deflection by Valeriano Recchi, 0-1.
Andria reacted and three minutes later went close to equalising. In a crowded area Renato Olive went for a bicycle kick which touched the crossbar and flew over.
In the 29th minute Luca Marchegiani had to dive low on Frezza as Andria attacked.
It was Lazio however who had the biggest chance to score again. Jugovic brilliantly set up Signori in front of the keeper but the blonde striker incredibly put it wide. Half time 0-1.
For the second half replaced midfielder Sturba with forward Vincenzo Palombo.
Andria again started strongly and Palumbo immediately forced Marchegiani into a difficult low save.
After only three minutes however Signori redeemed himself. In the 48th minute Gigi Casiraghi hit the bar from the edge of the box and on the rebound Signori was there to score from close range, 0-2.
Two goals down the Apulians' energy faded and the match lost intensity. Both sides made substitutions from the 60th minute onwards; for Andria, Alberto Nardi replaced Alessandro Marzio and Massimo Manca came on for Mario Lemme while for Lazio off went Jugovic, Diego Fuser and Rambaudi and on came Dario Marcolin, Guerino Gottardi and Renato Buso.
In the 75th minute Casiraghi scored but the referee surprisingly disallowed it claiming the former Juventus forward had handballed in the build up. A double mistake by Cesari as if anything it had been Tonio Sarcinella who had touched the ball with a hand.
In the 78th minute Lazio definitely closed the contest. This time the referee saw a handball by Recchi in the box from a Buso cross. Signori slotted it in for his brace, 0-3.
A winning game plan by Lazio, to absorb Andria's initial pressing and enthusiasm and then strike with their superior quality.
The return match would not be until September 24 so Lazio could now turn their attention to the upcoming difficult game at San Siro against Milan.
Who played for Fidelis Andria
Frezzolini, Marzio (60' Nardi), Citterio, Recchi, Sarcinella, Sturba (46' Palombo), Olive, Diga, Frezza, Biagioni, Lemme (62' Manca)
Substitutes: Di Bitonto, Silvestri, Landi, Santoruvo
Manager: Papadopulo
Who played for Lazio
Marchegiani, Negro, Nesta, Grandoni, Favalli, Rambaudi (73' Buso), Fuser (67' Gottardi), Venturin, Jugovic (60' Marcolin), Casiraghi, Signori
Manager: Eriksson
Referee: Cesari
Goals: 21' Recchi (og), 48' Signori, 78' Signori (pen)
Sources
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