Lazio's Effort Goes Unrewarded in Turin

Simon Basten
Jul 6, 2023
3 min read

Season 1929-30

Game 34, Serie A

Sunday, July 6, 1930

Stadio di Corso Marsiglia, Turin

Juventus Lazio 3-1

After battling back to level the match, the Biancocelesti are undone by a late Juventus surge

Today was the last game of the season. Lazio were 12th in the company of Modena, Triestina and Pro Patria with Livorno on 27 and Padova in penultimate position and in the relegation zone on 26. The Biancocelesti were not exactly safe and they had to go and play in Turin against Juventus. The other games were Modena-Ambrosiana Inter, Triestina-Napoli, Pro Patria-Torino, Livorno-Brescia and Roma-Padova.

The match

Lazio tried in vain to avoid defeat on Juventus' ground. The Roman side, despite putting in a wholehearted effort, could not prevent the Bianconeri, who were playing with a depleted lineup, from securing a convincing victory. With this win, Juventus finished the season in third place, behind Ambrosiana and Genova.

The opening stages were marked by attacks from Lazio and two fruitless corner kicks against the Turin side. In the 7th minute came the opening goal, scored by Raimundo Orsi, who, after receiving the ball near midfield, evaded the opponents who came to challenge him and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the left-hand corner of the Roman goal.

After this goal, play continued with Juventus holding the upper hand, interrupted only occasionally by counterattacks from the visitors. Indeed, after earning a corner in the 29th minute, the Biancocelesti equalised in the 36th. The move that produced the goal began on the right flank and was finished by Aldo Spivach, whose low shot struck the post before rolling into the net.

Juventus began the second half sluggishly but rediscovered all their fighting spirit after Gianpiero Combi, while on the ground, was struck rather roughly by Luigi Ziroli. In the 54th minute Juventus won another corner, but it came to nothing, and shortly afterward Ezio Sclavi kept his side in the game with a series of difficult saves. The play gradually became heavy and scrappy, and the Bianconeri squandered several good chances to score. Around the hour mark, however, Lazio regained their composure and the match became evenly balanced once more.

In the 66th minute the Juventus forward line produced a fine move, culminating in a shot by Renato Cesarini that Sclavi managed to save with some fortune. The game remained evenly contested, with further saves by Sclavi. Cesarini and Orsi then switched positions, and the change paid off. In the 77th minute Cesarini, now operating on the left, delivered a precise cross. Sclavi, Augusto Mattei II, and Giuseppe Gobetti all converged on the ball, but the Juventus forward prevailed and put it into the net.

Lazio wasted their ensuing counterattack through Mario Malatesta. Three minutes from the end, Juventus scored their third goal when Gobetti delivered a cross that Oliviero Vojak II headed home. Sclavi's skill then prevented the Turin side from increasing their advantage further.

Fortunately, this defeat was of no consequence since Padova lost 8-0 in Rome and were the second team to be relegated.

Who played for Juventus

Combi, Rosetta, Caligaris, Barale III, Varglien I, Varglien II, Gobetti, Diena, Cesarini, Vojak II, Orsi

Manager: Aitken

Who played for Lazio

Sclavi, Tognotti, Mattei II, Foni, Pardini, Caimmi, Ziroli, Malatesta, Pastore, Spivach, Cevenini V Manager: Molnar