The dream is on

Dag Jenkins
Jun 5, 2024
3 min read

Season 1987-88

Game 36, Serie B

Sunday, March 27, 1988

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio-Brescia 2-0

Lazio move two points clear with two games to go, Serie A is in sight

So far Lazio were in the heart of the promotion race. There were four places available for the following year's Serie A and Lazio were joint 4th, with Catanzaro on 42 points. The Biancocelesti had won 13, drawn 16 and lost 6. There were three games to go but today was an important moment as Lazio played mid-table Brescia at home while Catanzaro played 2nd placed Lecce away.

Lazio desperately needed the two points today against a side hopefully without too much fire in their bellies.

The match

It had rained in the morning but there was now some sun. The crowd was about 30,000.

Lazio were missing defender Angelo Gregucci and midfielder Vincenzo Esposito.

Brescia were without forward Franco Turchetta.

The Lombards came down to Rome without any pressure and in the first twenty minutes or so had control in midfield. In this period, they had two good chances. The first was a double one, in the 7th minute Francesco Mileti had a long range shot which Silvano Martina parried but it fell to Pietro Mariani who kicked it straight into the keeper's arms. Mileti was involved in the second too when, in the 22nd minute, he got past Raimondo Marino but was then just beaten to the ball by Martina.

Meanwhile after five minutes a curious episode had occurred as Lazio had to change their shorts from white to dark blue as the originals were too similar to the away team's.

After Brescia's second chance Lazio stirred and started to play better. In the 23rd minute Antonio Rizzolo hit the post and in the 25th a Paolo Monelli effort was walled by Alessandro Chiodini.

Lazio now attacked furiously and in the 26th minute came the breakthrough. A cracking freekick by Massimo Piscedda flew in under the crossbar. Lazio 1 Brescia 0.

Lazio went for the kill and continued to push forward. In the 32nd minute Domenico Caso squared to Gabriele Savino whose lob over Ivano Bordon was acrobatically headed off the line by Mario Manzo.

Brescia were no longer able to pass the halfway line but somehow managed to reach halftime only a goal down.

Soon after the beginning of the second half the Brescia manager decided to go for it. In the 53rd minute he took off full-backs Claudio Testoni and Manzo and put on two attacking midfielders Evaristo Beccalossi and Pietro Boninsegna.

It was immediately clear that this was not a great tactical move. Lazio already on top suddenly had even more control and spaces to exploit.

In the 56th minute Rizzolo ran forward from midfield and reached Bordon who however raced off his line and saved. A minute later Paolo Beruatto crossed from the left and Rizzolo jumped up and headed in Lazio's second. Lazio 2 Brescia 0.

The game did not have much more to say after that. Lazio made two more substitutions; Giuseppe Galderisi for Rizzolo in the 75th minute and Ciro Muro for Caso in the 78th.

Lazio controlled the tempo and brought home an important win.

Lazio were now solitary 4th as Catanzaro had lost 0-2 at Lecce. Their destiny was in their own hands. The table read; Bologna 49, Lecce 46, Atalanta 45, Lazio 44, Catanzaro 42, with two games to go.

Brescia were now joint 9th with Padova.

Who played for Lazio

Martina, Marino, Beruatto, Pin, Piscedda, Camolese, Savino, Acerbis, Rizzolo (75' Galderisi), Caso (78' Muro), Monelli