Matador slays Calabrian Wolves

Dag Jenkins
Sep 9, 2023
3 min read

Season 1998-99

Coppa Italia, Round of 32, First Leg

Wednesday, September 9, 1998

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Cosenza 2-1

Lazio come from behind to win but tie still wide open

This was the round of 32 and was Lazio's first cup game. The return leg would be on September 23.

In the Coppa Italia 1st round the Cosenza had eliminated Treviso on away goals (a.e.t).

Obviously Lazio were overwhelming favourites.

The match

A 25,000-crowd turned out for this evening's Coppa Italia debut.

Lazio were without injured defender Alessandro Nesta, midfielder Matias Almeyda and new striker Christian Vieri who had to sit this one out due to a match suspension in arrears from a cup game in 1996.

Lazio predictably started on the attack. Sergio Conceição was particularly active and he set up chances for Roberto Mancini and Marcelo Salas but they both wasted them.

The Matador then tried to make up for it with a sublime ball control, dummy and low left foot which shaved the post.

In the 25th minute it was the former Lazio keeper, Giorgio Frezzolini, who was protagonist with great saves on Salas first and then Ivan De La Peña.

Salas then missed another golden opportunity set up by Mancini.

Just as it seemed a Lazio goal would come any minute the visitors hit a post. Pasquale Apa crossed well into the middle and Christian Manfredini's header came back off the woodwork. Halftime 0-0.

In the second half it was the Calabresi who started better. After surviving the first 45 minutes they believed they could get something from this game.

In the 60th minute the Serie B side scored. A Stefano Morrone strike hit the crossbar and on the rebound Vincenzo Riccio coordinated himself well and with a skilful bicycle kick put the Calabresi in front, 0-1.

At this point both sides made changes, Dejan Stankovic took Giorgio Venturin's place and two minutes later Pasquale Logarzo came on for Arpa.

Lazio had to change gear and fortunately the Matador led the charge. In the 64th minute he broke away from his marker Giovanni Paschetta who pulled him down. He was last man so the referee was forced to give him his marching orders.

Against ten men Lazio took five minutes to equalise. It was the revitalised Chilean striker Salas who uncharacteristically scored with his right foot after going around the keeper, 1-1.

Cosenza then took off their best player so far, Manfredini and threw on Angelo Andreoli.

Lazio decided to go for an all-out attack and replaced defender Stefano Lombardi with striker Igor Protti. They now fielded a 3-4-3 formation.

Lazio now pushed forward constantly and twelve minutes from time reinforced their aerial threat by replacing Paolo Negro with Fernando Couto.

Lazio's breakthrough eventually originated from a high cross into the area. While going for a header Protti was clearly held back by Aniello Parisi. A naive foul but the referee had no other option than to point to the penalty spot. Salas stepped up and beat Frezzolini, 2-1.

Lazio could then have got a two-goal cushion but Sinisa Mihajlovic hit the post with a free kick and then first De La Peña, with another post, and then Protti, with only the keeper to beat, missed sitters.

Cosenza made one last substitution bringing on Antonino Marcatti for Tomaso Tatti in the 84th minute.

The last chance of the game was for the Lupi when Riccio got in a good shot but Luca Marchegiani saved well. The Rossoblu had played well but a draw would possibly have been too much. Final score Lazio 2 Cosenza 1.

Lazio had scored in the second half but had played better in the first. In the second Lazio's midfield had tired (Pavel Nedved had played for his national team on the Sunday) and struggled against the visitors’ speed and high press.

Luckily Salas woke up and showed his class and Conceição too had been positive. The qualification was still open but in the return leg Vieri would be back to hopefully put away some of the goal scoring opportunities.

Who played for Lazio

Marchegiani, Negro (78' F. Couto), G. Lopez, Mihajlovic, Lombardi (72' Protti), S. Conceição, Venturin (60' Stankovic), De La Peña, Nedved, Salas, R. Mancini