Good start

Simon Basten
Aug 27, 2023
2 min read

Updated: Sep 5

Season 2005-06

Game 1, Serie A

Sunday, August 28, 2005

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Messina 1-0

Lazio win their first game of Serie A thanks to Pandev

The Lazio official season started in mid-July with the Intertoto Cup. Lazio managed to participate because Messina were not interested. Lazio easily dispatched of Tampere United in the quarterfinals but fell to Olympique Marseilles in the semis.

Today was the first game of the new Serie A.

The match

The game was preceded by a minute’s silence in memory of club legend Giuliano Fiorini who had died during the summer.

In the third minute a superb volley attempt from outside the box by Ousmane Dabo went slightly too high. Three minutes later Riccardo Zampagna with a bicycle kick forced Angelo Peruzzi to parry into corner. In the 21st minute a long cross from the right by Massimo Oddo found Goran Pandev in the box who with a volley made it 1-0. A spectacular goal for the speed with which Pandev arrived on the ball.

Messina reacted and in the 40th minute almost equalised. Giuseppe Sculli on the left raced down the wing and moved centrally. His shot was deflected by Emilson Cribari, but Peruzzi with a spectacular reflex parried into corner.

In the second half neither of the teams were particularly dangerous until the 70th minute when a free kick taken by Zampagna and deflected by a defender called Peruzzi to a difficult save. Seven minutes later Christian Manfredini with a powerful volley from outside the box forced the Messina keeper to a spectacular save. In the 82nd minute a one-two with Tommaso Rocchi allowed Paolo Di Canio to be face to face with the keeper but his shot was saved by Nicholas Caglioni.

A good start for Lazio.

Who played for Lazio

Peruzzi, Oddo, Cribari, Stendardo, Zauri, Behrami (55’ Manfredini), Firmani, Dabo, Cesar, Pandev (67’ Di Canio), Rocchi (88’ Muzzi)