A Dominant Victory at the Olimpico

Simon Basten

Oct 4, 2022

3 min read

Season 1953-54

Game 4, Serie A

Sunday, October 4, 1953

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Juventus 2-1

Lazio’s first victory at the new Olimpico was a statement of intent, as the Biancocelesti outplayed Juventus and secured a deserved 2–1 win

After the first three games of the season, Lazio had just one point having lost both their away games and drawn at home with Legnano.

The match

Lazio produced one of their most impressive performances, defeating Juventus 2–1 at the Stadio Olimpico in front of a huge crowd of around 70,000 spectators. The scoreline barely reflected the balance of the game: Lazio were overwhelmingly superior for long periods and could easily have won by a wider margin.

From the opening minutes, the Biancocelesti took control. Sergio Manente was forced to concede a corner when Aldo Puccinelli broke forward, and from the resulting set piece Vittorio Bergamo's header required a difficult save from Giovanni Viola. Four minutes later, Primo Sentimenti V tested the Juventus goalkeeper again with a long-range effort that took a deflection off Rino Ferrario.

Juventus offered occasional danger, particularly through Karl Age Praest, who went close after beating Renato Spurio in the sixth minute and shot over the bar four minutes later. But Lazio continued to create the better chances. Pasquale Vivolo, Renzo Burini and Per Bredesen combined in a powerful attack in the 16th minute, while Burini and Alberto Fontanesi both tested Viola before the half-hour mark. In the 30th minute, the Juventus goalkeeper produced one of his best saves of the afternoon, somehow keeping out Fontanesi's shot with his foot. Just before half-time, Puccinelli was unable to turn a ball into the net after Viola had lost possession.

Lazio's dominance became even more pronounced after the interval. After two unsuccessful corners, the breakthrough finally came in the 54th minute. Vivolo worked the ball down the right and picked out Puccinelli, who struck a fierce diagonal shot beyond Viola to give Lazio the lead.

Juventus were unable to produce the expected response. Lucidio Sentimenti IV had little to do in the Lazio goal, while the Biancocelesti continued to press forward. Their tireless wing play was one of the decisive features of the match, with Francesco Antonazzi, Sentimenti V, Bergamo and Luigi Fuin repeatedly breaking up Juventus attacks and immediately turning defence into attack.

Lazio doubled their advantage in the 62nd minute. Puccinelli won another corner and delivered into the area, where Fontanesi, despite being tightly marked by two defenders, managed to get his head to the ball and direct it into the left-hand corner. Viola was rooted to the spot as Lazio moved 2–0 ahead.

The home side continued to threaten. Fontanesi came close in the 73rd minute, while Burini went narrowly wide on three occasions. Vivolo, meanwhile, had been forced to drop deeper after taking a heavy challenge, but Lazio remained firmly in control.

The visitors eventually found a consolation goal two minutes from time, and even that came in controversial circumstances. From Juventus' only corner of the match, John Hansen went down inside the Lazio penalty area. The Juventus players appealed for a penalty, while the Lazio defenders indicated that the Danish forward had gone to ground deliberately. Referee Agnolin nevertheless pointed to the spot. Hansen took responsibility himself and sent Sentimenti IV the wrong way with a well-placed shot to make it 2–1.

The goal could not disguise the gulf between the teams. Juventus were booed by their own supporters at the final whistle, while Lazio celebrated a prestigious victory that promised much for the remainder of the championship. The Biancocelesti had won nine corners to Juventus' one, and Viola had repeatedly been forced to rescue his side.

It was an especially significant occasion for Lazio as well because, only four days earlier, on September 30, they had become the first Roman club to train at the newly completed Stadio Olimpico. Their impressive performance against Juventus provided an early glimpse of what the new stadium might come to mean for the Biancocelesti.

Who played for Lazio

Sentimenti IV, Antonazzi, Sentimenti V, Fuin, Spurio, Bergamo; Puccinelli, Burini, Vivolo, Bredesen, Fontanesi