January 3, 1954: Lazio-Milan 1-1
- Dag Jenkins
- Jan 3
- 8 min read
Entertaining draw with the Devil
A fair draw despite controversy over Milan's penalty
The season so far
The previous year Lazio had finished 10th in Serie A, firstly under manager Giuseppe Bigogno (1-25) and then Alfredo Notti (26-34). Lazio had won both derbies against Roma, 1-0 and 2-0. Top scorers were Paolo Bettolini and Norwegian Ragnar Nikolay Larsen both with 7 league goals.
This season Lazio had a new manager, Mario Sperone. Lazio had reshuffled the squad slightly with a few changes especially up front. Three new forwards had arrived: Renzo Burini (Milan), Alberto Fontanesi (SPAL) and Pasquale Vivolo (Juventus). Well serving Enrique Flamini was back (Reggiana) but he was approaching the end of his career and would not feature at all.
Leaving Lazio were Norwegian midfielder Ragnar Nikolay Larsen after two successful seasons (Genoa) plus forwards Lelio Antoniotti (Torino) and Şükrü Gülesin (Galatasaray-after a loan period at Palermo).
So far in Serie A Lazio had won 5 (including Juventus 2-1 and Torino 1-0 away), drawn 4 (including derby 1-1) and lost 5. The Biancocelesti were mid-table in joint 8th place with Bologna on 14 points.
Milan had finished 3rd the previous season. The manager was former and again current Lazio, Mario Sperone and the top scorer was Gunnar Nordahl with 28 goals (26 in A). The Rossoneri had beaten Lazio 3-1 at home and drawn 0-0 in Rome.
This season the manager was first Arrigo Morselli but he had already been replaced by Hungarian Béla Guttmann from November 11. The main new players were defender Silvano Moro (Udinese), midfielders Mario Bergamaschi (Como) and Alberto Piccinini (Juventus) plus forwards Jørgen Sørensen (Atalanta) and Albano Vicariotto (Padova).
Leaving the Rossoneri were midfielders Carlo Annovazzi (Atalanta, after 292 games) and Celestino Celio (Roma) plus forwards Renzo Burini (Lazio, after 190 games and 87 goals) and Gunnar Gren (Fiorentina). So Gre-No-Li no more...
So far in the league Milan were 4th, on 18 points (four behind Inter top). They had won 7 (including Juventus 1-0 at home), drawn 4 and lost 3 (including derby 0-3 and most recently Bologna 1-2 away).
A game of uncertain outcome today. Milan were superior and only four points behind leaders Inter but Lazio were unpredictable and could beat anybody on a good day.
The match: Sunday, January 3, 1954, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
A cloudy and cold day in the capital saw about 55,000 spectators at the Olimpico.
Lazio were without Swedish midfielder Sigvard Löfgren while Milan were missing midfielder Eros Beraldo.
Lazio began the game aggressively. The Biancocelesti immediately had a Pasquale Vivolo header saved by Lorenzo Buffon (distant relation of Gigi) and put the Rossonero defence under pressure with some potentially dangerous scrambles in the area.
Milan gradually stirred and in the 6th minute Lucidio Sentimenti IV was safe on a threatening Albano Vicariotto cross.
In the 8th minute Lazio thought they deserved a penalty. Norwegian Per Bredesen burst into the area and was tackled by Francesco Zagatti who then slipped and touched the ball with his hand. The referee probably correctly said it was involuntary unlike the hundreds of farcical penalties given in today's football.
In the 9th minute Arturo Silvestri tried his luck but was off target.
In the 12th minute Renzo Burini was favoured by a lucky bounce, turned and shot but Buffon saved well.
In the 18th minute Lazio scored. Bredesen hit a low ball across the goal mouth, Vivolo picked it up on the other side and put it back towards the middle, the ball took on a strange trajectory deceiving Buffon and reached Aldo Puccinelli who slotted in from close range, 1-0.
The game went quiet until the 24th minute when a Silvestri freekick called Sentimenti IV into action again.
In the 31st minute Nils Liedholm went solo, but his effort was just wide.
Five minutes later Burini fired a volley over the bar following an Omero Tognon up and under clearance.
Milan increased the pressure towards the end of the half. Jørgen Sørensen tested Sentimenti IV, Mario Bergamaschi headed over the bar and then the Lazio keeper dived and blocked at Vicariotto's feet.
In the 44th minute came a controversial and decisive episode. Gunnar Nordahl got away from Serafino Montanari who pulled him down for a penalty. The Lazio players however were adamant that the Swede had been offside and convinced the referee to consult the linesman who nevertheless confirmed the decision. Liedholm stepped up and hit a crisp spot kick to Sentimenti's left, 1-1 at halftime.
The first half had been lively but the second was even more action packed.
In the 46th Sørensen went close and in the 49th, for Lazio, Vittorio Bergamo shaved the crossbar with a freekick.
The chances were evenly distributed. In the 53rd minute Nordahl was denied by Sentimenti IV and in the 57th an excellent Alberto Fontanesi header was not far over the bar.
In the 63rd minute an all Scandinavian move between Sørensen and Nordahl allowed the Dane to shoot but the ball went just out with Sentimenti IV beaten.
In the 69th minute Fontanesi caused havoc down the right and crossed, Vivolo jumped up and despite being challenged twisted a header towards goal, but it narrowly went the wrong side of the post.
In the 79th minute Milan had a big chance. Tognon pumped the ball forward, Nordahl latched onto it and went on an impressive run soon finding himself with only the keeper to beat but "Cochi" dived at the Swedes feet and saved, the ball spun across to Vicariotto on the left who then badly wasted the opportunity by firing high.
Lazio threatened in the 80th minute but Buffon was alert on an Puccinelli volley.
The last shot at goal came in the 85th and was for Milan but Sentimenti IV comfortably saved a powerful strike by Sørensen.
The game ended 1-1. An entertaining contest which either side could have won. The crowd showed their appreciation by applauding both sets of players off the field.
A well-played game in which a draw was probably a fair result. Lazio had held their own against superior opposition.
Lazio were now solitary 8th on 15 points (Bologna lost 1-2 at home to Roma) while Milan were still 4th on 19 points but now five behind leaders Inter.
Who played for Lazio
Sentimenti IV, Antonazzi, Montanari, Fuin, Sentimenti V, Bergamo, Puccinelli, Bredesen, Vivolo, Burini, Fontanesi
Manager: Sperone
Who played for Milan
Buffon, Silvestri, Zagatti, Bergamaschi, Tognon, Piccinini, Vicariotto, Sørensen, Nordahl, Liedholm, Frignani
Manager: Guttmann
Referee: Jonni
Goals: 26' Puccinelli, 45' Liedholm (pen)
What happened next
Lazio had a mediocre season and finished 11th. The Biancocelesti then won 5, drew 4 and lost 10 (including derby 1-2). After the 24th fixture (Torino 0-1 at home, with Lazio joint 10th) Sperone was replaced by Federico Allasio (W3, D2, L5). The top scorers were Pasquale Vivolo and Alberto Fontanesi with 9 league goals each.
Milan finished 3rd again. In the next 19 games they won 10 (including Inter 2-0 and Lazio 3-2 plus big wins 6-0 at Triestina and 6-1 at home to SPAL), drew 5 and lost 4. In the end they came in 7 points behind champions Inter. The top scorer was Gunnar Nordahl with 23 league goals.
One of Milan's squad, Angelo Longoni, would one day play for Lazio (1961-63) while many years later Nils Liedholm would win a Scudetto as manager on the other side of the Tiber (1983).
With the Scudetto going to the Nerazzurri for the 7th time the other verdicts were Serie B for Palermo and Legnano (the Lombards have never been back and now play in the 5th tier).
Let’s talk about Gunnar Nordahl
Nils Gunnar Nordahl was born in Hörnefors, in northern Sweden, on October 19, 1921. He came from a football family, his four brothers were also players: Knut (2 seasons with Roma), Kettil (3 seasons with Atalanta), twins Gösta and Göran. Gunnar's son Thomas also went onto become a professional, representing Sweden 15 times with 5 goals.
Gunnar's first club was his local village of Hörnefors from 1937 to 1939. He played 41 games and scored 68 goals.
This early prolificacy earned him a move to Degerfors in the top flight in 1940. He stayed four seasons, playing 77 league games and scoring 56 goals. In 1940-41 Degerfors were runners-up in the Allesvenskan and in 1942-43 Nordahl was top scorer with 16 goals. Football was not professional yet so in these years he also worked as a lathe operator.
In 1944 he signed for IFK Norrköping and stayed five seasons. In this period "Snoka" won four league titles and a Svenska Cupen. He was top scorer in 1945 (27), 1946 (25) and 1948 (18). He played a total of 95 league games with an impressive 93 goals. From 1946 to 1949 he played alongside Nils Liedholm.
In January 1949 he moved to Italy and signed for A.C Milan where he was re-united with Liedholm. They were also joined by another Swede, Gunnar Gren from IFK Göteborg. The Gre-No-Li trio would be a great success, one of the best attacks in Serie A history.
Nordahl stayed in Milan for seven seasons. He played a total of 268 games with 221 goals (210 in A). The Rossoneri won the Scudetto twice, in 1951 (first for 44 years) and 1956 plus 2 Latin Cups (1951, 1956). He was top Serie A scorer a record 5 times, 1950 (35), 1951 (34), 1953 (26), 1954 (23) and 1955 (27). His managers in Milan were future Lazio, Giuseppe Bigogno, Lajos Czeizler (for three seasons), former and future Lazio Mario Sperone plus spells with Arrigo Morselli, Béla Guttmann and Héctor Puccinelli.
Nordahl had several nicknames in italy; "Il Cannoniere" (The Prime Gunner/ goalscorer), "Il Pompiere" (The Fireman) and "Il Bisonte" (The Bison)
In 1956, at 35, he joined Roma for two seasons. In his first year the Giallorossi finished 14th and he scored 13 goals. In his second he played little and from the 12th fixture onwards became the manager, finishing 5th.
In 1959 he returned to Sweden for two more seasons in the second tier with Karlstad BK as player-manager. He played 24 league games with 11 goals.
He then retired completely at 39.
At international level he earned 33 caps for Sweden with 43 goals. In 1948 he won Olympic gold in London. He scored 7 goals including one in the final (Yugoslavia 3-1). His appearances were limited by the fact that between 1950 and 1956 only amateurs could represent Sweden but despite this he is 3rd top scorer.
Nordahl then had a career as a manager in Sweden. He was in charge of Degerfors (1961-64), IFK Norköpping (1967-70), IF Saab (1971-73), Sleipner (1974), Öster (1975-76), AIK (1977-1978) and IFK Norköpping again (1979-80).
From the early 1980's he then became a travel agent for IFK Norköpping, organising the away trips for the fans.
Nordahl was a centre-forward, an exceptional one. He was strong (1.80 and 90 kilos), had great timing and a surgical finish. A combination which made him difficult to stop. In his career he scored at least 464 goals. He is 3rd top scorer in Serie A history with 225 goals (Silvio Piola is 1st with 290).
His records speak for themselves:
Top Milan goalscorer with 221 goals
Most times as Serie A top scorer (5) and most consecutive (3 with Michel Platini)
Most hat-tricks in Serie A (18, all with Milan)
Most braces in Serie A (49, with Silvio Piola)
Top foreign goalscorer in Serie A (225)
Top Milan goalscorer in a single season (38 in 1950-51)
Until 2016 he held the Serie A record for goals in a single season (35, then beaten by Gonzalo Higuain in 2016 and Ciro Immobile in 2020 with 36)
He is considered one of the best centre-forwards in football history. In the IFFHS list of best 20th century players he is 46th. In 2017 FourFourTwo magazine placed him at 54th greatest player of all time.
Nordahl died suddenly at 73. He had a heart attack while on holiday in Alghero in Sardinia on September 15, 1995.
Sources
Comments