Injury-Hit Lazio Fall to Juventus in Turin
- Simon Basten
- Jun 18, 2024
- 2 min read
Semifinal, Coppa Italia
Saturday, June 18, 1960
Stadio Comunale, Turin
Juventus Lazio 3-0
Bernardini forced to improvise as Charles leads Bianconeri to convincing 3–0 win
In the Coppa Italia Lazio started in the Round of 16 in November beating Palermo 2-1 with an Orlando Rozzoni brace after extra time
In the quarter final Lazio faced Bologna away and managed to win in extra time despite being in ten men.
They now had to face Juventus in the semi-final.
The match: Saturday, June 18, 1960, Stadio Comunale, Turin
Lazio arrived at the Stadio Comunale with a decimated squad and left with little more than the satisfaction of having fought bravely for twenty minutes. Up against newly crowned champions Juventus, the Biancocelesti were missing an extraordinary eleven players, forcing coach Fulvio Bernardini into emergency measures and the debut of two youngsters, Pierluigi Pagni and Roberto Moroni.
Juventus, by contrast, welcomed back their regular full-backs Bruno Garzena and Benito Sarti, and quickly settled into their rhythm. Lazio, however, opened with surprising composure. At the 12th minute, Giampiero Boniperti nearly struck for the home side, only for Lazio to respond moments later with a sharp counterattack that saw Oliviero Visentin miss the far post by inches.
A brilliant moment of individual skill from Omar Sivori on the quarter hour—dribbling past three men on the goal line—was extinguished by an alert intervention from Bob Lovati. Lazio threatened again in the 31st minute, when Clemente Mattei’s long-range attempt first struck Umberto Colombo and then forced Giuseppe Vavassori into a difficult save, pushing the ball behind for a corner.
Juventus finally broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute. A through ball from Sivori released John Charles, who was brought down in the box by Giacomo Del Gratta. The referee, Gambarotta, pointed to the spot, and penalty specialist Sergio Cervato converted with his usual precision. The celebration was muted, however, as Sivori pulled up with a groin strain during the action and had to leave the match.
Any hopes of a Lazio comeback evaporated seconds into the second half. Bruno Nicolè was challenged by Del Gratta, and the loose ball fell to Severino Lojodice, whose low shot struck debutant Moroni and deflected past Lovati for Juventus’ second goal.
The knockout blow arrived in the 55th minute. A long pass from Colombo found Charles, who unleashed a thunderous finish into the net, making it 3–0 and effectively ending the contest.
The final half hour produced few notable moments, though Charles delighted the home supporters with several powerful runs that showcased his strength and class. For Lazio, depleted and exhausted, the objective became damage control.
Juventus, clinical and composed, confirmed why they sit atop of Italian football, while Bernardini’s patched-together Lazio could only rue the absence of nearly an entire team.
Who played for Juventus
Manager: Parola
DT: Cesarini
Who played for Lazio
Manager: Bernardini
Referee: Gambarotta
Goals: 44' Cervato (rig), 46' Moroni (og), 55' Charles
Sources
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