Lazio crush Boavista but lose D’Amico

Simon Basten
Sep 28, 2023
4 min read

Season 1977-78

UEFA Cup, First Round, Second Leg

Wednesday, September 28, 1977

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Boavista 5-0

A superb D’Amico and a spectacular Lazio brush aside Boavista but Vincenzo has to leave the pitch injured.

In the first leg of the UEFA Cup first round they had lost 1-0 away to Boavista. Today was the second leg.

The match

Lazio, playing in their red away jersey, had to overturn the goal they conceded in Porto fifteen days earlier, and they attacked with determination from the first whistle.

Their style of play was all about speed and rhythm — though that naturally came at the expense of structure and precision. Under this relentless pressure, Boavista dropped their midfielders deep, forming a barricade in an attempt to resist — but with little success. Only Moinhos and Salvador remained up front.

Bruno Giordano’s first run was halted by a foul just outside the box, but Vincenzo D’Amico’s free kick was blocked by the wall. Lazio kept pushing, and in the 7th minute, they broke through: Roberto Badiani started the move, launching D’Amico, who quickly laid it off to an unmarked Renzo Garlaschelli. The winger’s finish was unstoppable — 1–0!

With the aggregate score now level, the Biancocelesti pushed even harder. D’Amico was everywhere — darting around, creating chaos, and serving up golden chances that his teammates did not always capitalize on. Boavista’s response was calm, but completely ineffective.

Their passing was tedious, their movement slow and largely pointless. Lazio took full control and struck again in the 12th minute. Giordano surged forward, eluded his marker, but found himself pushed wide to the right. Keeper Sousa rushed out, then changed his mind and retreated. Giordano exploited the confusion, slotting a precise diagonal shot past the out-of-position keeper — 2–0!

Boavista’s zonal marking turned into an open invitation for Lazio to manoeuvre freely in the wide spaces. The Portuguese side had numbers, but the gaps remained. They attempted a counterattack and earned a corner. In the 18th minute, Albertino and Jorge Gomes managed to get close to Claudio Garella, but Gomes’s shot was blocked by a well-timed intervention from Pietro Ghedin.

The Biancocelesti had not finished. D’Amico, left completely unchallenged, advanced in a brilliant solo slalom in the 20th minute and fired from about 30 metres. Sousa fumbled — his second big mistake — and Garlaschelli was right there to slot it home: 3–0.

At that point, the tie was done and dusted. It looked more like a light training session ahead of Sunday’s big showdown against Juventus. Lazio were in top form. D’Amico was an outstanding playmaker, Garlaschelli was clinical, and Giordano danced through defenders who stayed metres away from him.

Was this a miraculous Lazio or simply a hopeless Boavista? As always, the truth lay somewhere in between. The Biancocelesti played with conviction, while Boavista meekly stepped into the role of victims without much resistance. Their keeper couldn’t hold a ball — every save was a gamble, and he was at fault for at least two of the goals. But the problems went beyond him — the entire tactical setup was crumbling. Every Lazio attack posed a threat.

In the 27th minute, Sousa rushed out recklessly. D’Amico aimed for a sure goal, but Leonel Trinidade cleared it off the line. Ghedin followed up — and struck the crossbar. Lazio were practically taking target practice. Their confidence turned to arrogance, and they began wasting chances due to overconfidence. Still, they controlled the game, though their play gradually lost intensity. It became a series of individual efforts, slow advances, and half-hearted shots. Only Giordano and Andrea Agostinelli continued pushing, both eager to prove themselves after being benched in Bergamo — part punishment, part rotation. They were trying to convince manager Luis Vinicio they deserved a spot on Sunday.

Then, a moment of concern in the 39th minute: D’Amico suddenly pulled up with a muscle strain. He couldn’t continue. He left the pitch, replaced by Toto Lopez. It looked unlikely he would recover in time for the big clash with Juventus. The game began to lose its spark.

Lazio were satisfied with the result, and Boavista lacked the strength — both physical and mental — to fight back. The result said it all: Lazio’s superiority was overwhelming and indisputable. Even considering Boavista’s shortcomings and their poorly executed zonal defence, Vinicio’s side seemed to be hitting their stride. Forced to attack, they showed intensity and purpose — with D’Amico’s vision, Garlaschelli’s poacher’s instinct, and a sharp attacking trio.

As for the defence — there was little to assess. Boavista never truly tested them.

After Sousa’s nightmare of a first half, coach Fernando Caiado made a desperate switch, leaving the starter in the dressing room and bringing on backup Serafim. But the situation did not improve. Serafim also made multiple errors, especially on aerial challenges.

Things went from bad to worse for Boavista in the 51st minute: Alberto brought down Giordano in the area. Referee Gordon pointed to the spot. Boavista protested, and Gordon — strict as ever — issued several yellow cards. Agostinelli stepped up, Serafin saved, but Giordano pounced on the rebound and scored. The protests continued, as did the bookings. The game resumed, but it was now just a formality.

Boavista looked resigned. Lazio, despite the score line, weren’t entirely satisfied. But Giordano still had one more moment of brilliance — and in the 87th minute, he scored Lazio’s fifth.

The match ended in celebration — Lazio advanced to the next round and could now look forward to Sunday’s big clash with calm confidence.

Who played for Lazio

Garella, Ammoniaci, Ghedin, Wilson, Manfredonia, Cordova, Garlaschelli, Agostinelli, Giordano, D’Amico (39’ Lopez), Badiani