A great comeback

Simon Basten
Jan 22, 2024
3 min read

Season 1955-56

Game 16, Serie A

Sunday, January 22, 1956

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Fiorentina 2-2

Oliveri with a brace in the second half gives Lazio a deserved point

It had not been a good season so far. Lazio were 12th on 14 points together with Inter and Genoa, just three points above the relegation zone. They had won five games but three away from home, including a great win in Milan against Inter. Jesse Carver, who had previously managed Juventus, Torino and Roma, had come in as new technical director in place of Roberto Copernico but had also taken over the manager role since Luigi Ferrero had resigned.

The match

Fiorentina weathered the storm in the first half, emerging unscathed from a period that could easily have ended with a heavy deficit, given Lazio’s impressive attacking display. By the 20th minute of the second half, the Viola had rather fortuitously opened up a two-goal lead and appeared to have the match under control.

At that point, however, the Tuscans made the fatal mistake of believing the contest already decided. They slowed the pace of their play, allowing Lazio to mount a fierce and determined comeback. Fiorentina—now held to their third consecutive draw—performed well below their established reputation, reinforcing the impression, already circulating in recent days, that Fulvio Bernardini’s side may be showing the early, if still latent, signs of a downturn.

Lazio had dominated the opening stages and came close on two occasions to turning their superiority into goals. In the 7th minute Arne Selmosson, clean through on Giuliano Sarti, failed to find the target, and in the 16th Ermes Muccinelli’s effort was dramatically cleared off the line by the young Giampiero Bartoli, deputizing for Ardico Magnini.

The turning point came in the 8th minute of the second half. Against the run of play, Maurilio Prini broke clear, reached the by-line, and delivered a pinpoint cross for Giuseppe Virgili, who had the simplest of finishes.

Prini was again the provider in the 65th minute, swinging in a cross from left to right that found Botelho Julinho in space; the Brazilian struck first time to double the lead.

Lazio appeared beaten, but they refused to surrender.

In the 73rd minute Rinaldo Olivieri pulled one back with a spectacular overhead kick on a Selmosson cross. Lazio believed they could do it and pressed on. Just two minutes later Olivieri struck again, rising to head Muccinelli’s cross past a statuesque Sarti.

Fiorentina at this point threw caution to the wind and attacked. The Biancocelesti moved back. Roberto Lovati saved on Michelangelo Montuori and in the 85th minute Selmosson raced towards the penalty box. He went in and Giuseppe Chiappella decided he wanted a souvenir from the match grasping the Swede’s jersey. It should have been penalty but the ref was not impressed.

At this point the two teams called it a day, satisfied with the point. A great performance from Lazio, despite the black out that allowed the Viola to go ahead.

Who played for Lazio

Lovati, Molino, Di Veroli, Burini, Sentimenti V, Carradori, Muccinelli, Selmosson, Bettini, Martegani, Olivieri