Game 6, Serie A
Sunday, October 20, 1996
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio Cagliari 2-1
Lazio manage to win in 10 men with Cudicini, substitute goalkeeper, heroically staying in goal despite serious injury
In campionato, Lazio did not have a good start. After five games they had won one (Parma), drawn two (Fiorentina and Inter) and lost against Bologna and Udinese. Today’s game was a must win.
The match
A must win game for Lazio, but after four minutes Luca Marchegiani made a terrible mistake. Long ball from Fabian O’Neil for Dario Silva, the Biancoceleste goalkeeper came out of the box but completely miss timed the trajectory and touched the ball with his hands. Red card and Lazio in ten men. Pierluigi Casiraghi was replaced by Carlo Cudicini, his first game in Serie A.
This could have been the beginning of the end for Lazio who instead began playing better than they had since the start of the season and slowly took over the control of the game. Pavel Nedved tried his luck with a big whack from 35 meters but the ball went wide. It did not in the 22nd minute. The Czech got the ball just over the half way line and ran towards the goal. Big whack from 30 meters, Lazio 1 Cagliari 0.
The Laziali looked like they were enjoying themselves and were rampant but this gave Cagliari a bit of room for manoeuvre. In the 32nd minute, on a corner for the Islanders, Ramin Vega anticipated Cudicini and headed the ball in. Diego Fuser kicked it away but it looked as if he was too late. There was no goal line technology yet and the referee gestured to play on, much to the disbelief of most of the players involved.
At this point Cudicini became the hero of the day, saving twice on Pierpaolo Bisoli and once on a Fábian O’Neill free kick.
In the second half Lazio immediately made it two. In the 49th minute Nedved stole a ball and passed to Beppe Signori who whizzed towards the Cagliari goal and just inside the box scored with a low clinical right foot shot. Lazio on a wave of enthusiasm then hit the woodwork with Igor Protti and on the rebound Signori hit the crossbar.
At this point the Biancocelesti stopped playing and Cagliari moved forward. In the 77th minute Giacomo Banchelli on an assist from O’Neill reduced the deficit and from then on, the Lazio players literally prepared for the assault. Continuous scrambles in the box and the Biancocelesti defenders clearing the ball as far away as possible. With four minutes to go Cudicini had to come out of goal to stop Bisoli and in doing so seriously injured himself. But the Biancocelesti had already used all the substitutions, Cudicini could hardly walk let alone be in goal. But he did and resisted. In the last two minutes the Lazio defence surrounded him trying their best to limit his activity. A heroic gesture from the young goalkeeper.
Lazio managed to pull it off and win.
Who played for Lazio
Marchegiani, Gottardi, Negro, Nesta, Fish, Favalli, Fuser, Marcolin, Nedved (86’ Baronio), Signori (88’ Franceschini), Casiraghi (4’ Cudicini), Protti
Substitutes: Piovanelli, Bellè, Rambaudi
Manager: Zeman
Who played for Cagliari
Pascolo, Pancaro, Grassadonia, Vega, Villa, Bettarini (46' Banchelli), Sanna (46' Cozza), Lonstrup, O'Neill, Bisoli, Dario Silva (68' Muzzi)
Substitutes: Abate, Tinkler, Scugugia, Bressan
Manager: Clagluna
TD: Perez
Referee: Bolognino
Goals: 22’ Nedved, 49’ Signori, 77’ Banchelli
Sources
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