Atalanta score four but Lazio win

Simon Basten
Mar 16, 2023
3 min read

Season 1996-97

Game 24, Serie A

Sunday, March 16, 1997

Stadio Olimpico., Rome

Lazio Atalanta 3-2

Two own goals and a Buso winner give Lazio the two points

In campionato, Lazio did not have a good start. After eight games they were 14th, just a couple of points above the relegation zone. But the situation improved and five games later they were only 2 points away from third place. In January Lazio beat Milan 3-0 and everybody thought they had recovered. But two home defeats in the next two games meant a further debacle. President Sergio Cragnotti sacked Zeman and called Dino Zoff to solve the season. Zoff was President of the club at the time, but he left the presidency and put his tracksuit back on.

Under Zoff the situation improved and the Biancocelesti were currently 9th but just four points away from a UEFA Cup qualification.

The match

Lazio without Gigi Casiraghi and Beppe Signori injured, so Dino Zoff was forced to put Igor Protti alone in the attack and hope that Diego Fuser, Pavel Nedved and Roberto Rambaudi could give him a hand.

After 20 minutes the Biancocelesti were forced to take off Paolo Negro and put in Alessandro Grandoni. And it was the latter who in the 36th minute sent a long ball towards the Atalanta penalty box. Protti was miles away but Zoran Mirkovic decided to send the ball out and with a spectacular volley put the it in his own net.

Two minutes later with Atalanta still under shock Rambaudi went off on the right, moved into the penalty area passed to Fuser who took a shot and thanks to a deflection from Andrea Sottil it was 2-0.

Nedved failed to make it 3-0 towards the end of the first half as did Guerino Gottardi in the beginning of the second. Lazio could have lived to regret the missed chances.

A different Atalanta came on in the second half and a different Domenico Morfeo who first on a free kick forced Luca Marchegiani to a save and then in the 53rd minute on the counter attack passed a good ball to Gianluca Lentini who reduced the deficit. In the 83rd minute a splendid aerial one two with Federico Magallanes allowed Morfeo to be alone in front of Marchegiani and he volleyed the ball into the net.

Joy for the Bergamaschi and while they were still celebrating Emiliano Mondonico took Morfeo off and put in Valter Bonacina. The Atalantini still had to figure out the new positions on the pitch, but it was too late: Gottardi to Renato Buso and first Biancoceleste goal of the day, sixty seconds after the 2-2.

Good win for Lazio and UEFA Cup a little closer.

Who played for Lazio

Marchegiani, Negro (21' Grandoni), Nesta, Chamot, Favalli, Rambaudi (80' Buso), Fuser, Venturin (64' Piovanelli), Nedved, Gottardi, Protti