Two goals in three minutes

Simon Basten
Apr 2, 2023
3 min read

Season 1993-94

Game 30, Serie A

Sunday, April 2, 1994

Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa

Genoa Lazio 1-1

Signori immediately responds to Onorati giving Lazio a draw

At the end of the first half of the season the Biancocelesti were fifth, just two points away from second place held by Juventus and Sampdoria.

Lazio were currently fourth together with Parma just a couple of points off second place and with a seven-point advantage over Torino and Napoli. A UEFA Cup qualification was practically secured since there were just five games left in the season.

The match

Two goals in the space of three minutes lit up what was otherwise a gritty but not particularly thrilling match. In the end, the draw suited both Genoa and Lazio.

Lazio looked like a team with little left to prove this season—calm, composed, and already thinking ahead with the arrival of Zdenek Zeman and Dino Zoff new President.

Genoa, free from those off-field distractions, tried to press their surprisingly passive opponents but lacked clarity and precision. Franco Scoglio once again shuffled his tactical setup, pushing Dan Petrescu into a more advanced wing role, dropping Gennaro Ruotolo deeper, and keeping John Van’t Schip in a position that was, at times, hard to interpret.

Genoa were at their most dangerous in the first half, even if their finishing let them down. Tomas Skuhravy battled tirelessly but never really tested Luca Marchegiani. Van’t Schip struggled to make an impact, while Mario Bortolazzi stood out in midfield. Paul Gascoigne, despite limited movement, still dictated the tempo with his class.

From the start, Lazio didn’t look particularly driven. Their defence held firm—Roberto Cravero especially—while Roberto Di Matteo impressed in midfield before suffering a fractured elbow that will rule him out for some time. Gascoigne contributed intelligently, while Aron Winter and Diego Fuser drifted in and out of the game.

Up front, Alen Boksic had an off day, allowing Fabio Galante to dominate their duel. Beppe Signori, meanwhile, was quiet for long stretches but still delivered a moment of brilliance.

Against an unusually subdued Lazio, Genoa created several chances. Petrescu wasted a great opportunity in the 5th minute when Skuhravy tried a shot in the box walled by the Lazio defence, in came the Romanian who could not do better than head the ball to Marchegiani. After a shot wide from Ruotolo and the Czech, Roberto Onorati following a corner later missed the target with the goal at his mercy in the 15th minute. A controversial moment just before halftime—when Skuhravy was pushed in the box—was waved away by the referee, sparking furious protests from both the fans and Scoglio. There did not really seem much in it anyway. All Lazio could muster in the first 45 minutes was a shot from Fuser saved by the keeper.

Anyone expecting a quiet second half was proven wrong. Genoa broke the deadlock in the 58th minute when Skuhravy’s shot hit the bar and Onorati reacted quickest to score.

But Lazio didn’t panic. While Boksic continued to struggle, Signori stepped up. Just three minutes later, he curled a superb free kick around the wall and past a stunned Stefano Tacconi to level the score.

That goal effectively ended the contest.

Who played for Genoa

Tacconi, Torrente, Lorenzini, Petrescu, Galante, Caricola, Ruotolo, Bortolazzi, Van't Schip, Skuhravy, Onorati

Substitutes: Berti, Cavallo, Bianchi, Nappi, Ciocci

Manager: Scoglio

Who played for Lazio

Marchegiani, Bonomi, Negro, Di Matteo (53' Di Mauro), Luzardi, Cravero, Fuser, Winter, Boksic (69' Casiraghi), Gascoigne, Signori