Rozzoni to the rescue

Dag Jenkins
Mar 27, 2024
4 min read

Season 1959-60

Game 24, Serie A

Sunday, March 27, 1960

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio - Napoli 2-1

A goal by the forward four minutes from time wins relegation clash

Lazio had got off to a satisfactory start in the league and had earned two 1-1 away draws (Bologna and Inter) and beaten Udinese and Vicenza, both 2-1 at home. Then, however, the problems started with two defeats, the derby 0-3 and Juventus 0-2 at home.

Since then Lazio had only won 2, drawn 6 (including Napoli 0-0 away) and lost 11 (including Fiorentina 0-5 at home and the second derby 0-1). A week earlier Lazio had lost 0-2 away to Juventus. The Biancocelesti were currently joint 15th, with Bari, on 16 points. The table read: Genova 14, Alessandria 15, Lazio and Bari 16, Palermo 17, Napoli 18. With three relegations the situation was not looking good.

So Napoli were in a worrying position too. After the change of manager, the Azzurri had won 5 (including Juventus 2-1 at home and most recently Palermo 2-1 at home), drawn 8 (including Lazio 0-0, Inter and Milan 1-1, all at home) and lost 7.

A relegation clash today at the Olimpico. Neither side, but Lazio especially, could afford to lose this crucial game.

Lazio came from six consecutive defeats, had not earned a single point at the Olimpico or even scored a goal (in 6 games, the others were at the Flaminio). Time to change the trend.

The match

A grey day with frequent showers brought about 25,000 spectators to the Olimpico.

Lazio had a few absences, forwards Amos Mariani and Claudio Bizzarri injured while Humberto Tozzi was out of favour and Adelmo Eufemi was suspended. Maurilio Prini, Orlando Rozzoni and Oliviero Visentin played up front while midfielder Ugo Pozzan was also unable to get a starting jersey.

Napoli were without midfielder and captain Bruno Pesaola which meant Alessandro Vitali was starting.

The game began with both sides tense and cautious. The first chance came in the 17th minute when a close range shot by Emanuele Del Vecchio was palmed away by Idilio Cei.

The game then fell back into its previous slow and dull mode.

It revived in the 32nd again thanks to Napoli and Del Vecchio. The Brazilian forward turned on himself and struck a precise shot which Cei did well to touch behind for a corner.

Lazio finally showed their faces up front in the 40th minute when Ottavio Bugatti was forced to race off his line to anticipate Rozzoni flying towards goal on the counter foot.

That was it for an awful first half and the players were whistled off the field.

The second half fortunately improved. In the 46th minute a powerful Visentin effort was saved with some difficulty by Bugatti.

It was the prologue to the first goal which came two minutes later. In the 48th minute. Giovanni Molino floated in a freekick which Rozzoni nodded down to Visentin who acrobatically dived forward and headed past Bugatti, a spectacular goal and 1-0.

Lazio were suddenly on a high and Rozzoni got past his marker Elia Greco and let loose a shot which shaved the post.

Lazio then controlled the game for long periods as the visitors were unable to threaten.

In the 78th minute Egidio Fumagalli was teed up by Rozzoni but despite being in a favourable position he hesitated and lost the moment.

In the 80th minute Napoli a little surprisingly equalised. A good Celso Posio-Luís Vinicio combination was finished off by a crisp cross goal shot by Del Vecchio, 1-1.

Lazio were now in difficulty and in the 81st and 84th minutes Napoli had two more threatening shots both by Beniamino Di Giacomo.

Just as it seemed Napoli had more to give and could get a winner it was Lazio who scored. In the 86th minute hit a freekick behind the Partenopeo defence where Rozzoni surged forward beating the offside trap and headed in, 2-1. The visitors were adamant he had been in an irregular position but the referee and linesman disagreed.

Lazio held on for the last minutes and clinched a crucial win for their league campaign.

A strange game, soporific in the first half with Napoli on top, Lazio seemingly in control in the second, then out of the blue Napoli back in it and looking to win it and finally Lazio stealing it in the last minutes.

Lazio were now joint 13th, on 18 points with Palermo, Napoli and Bari. With three relegations and Alessandria on 17 and Genoa on 15 it was all still open but a good step forward for Lazio today.

Who played for Lazio

Cei, Molino, Lo Buono, Vignoli, Janich, Prini, Visentin, Carradori, Rozzoni, Franzini, Fumagalli