Lazio dominate but Di Matteo is enough

Dag Jenkins
May 5, 2024
4 min read

Season 1995-96

Game 33, Serie A

Sunday, May 5, 1996

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio-Napoli 1-0

The Biancocelesti win by a single goal but deserved more

In Serie A Lazio were currently 5th on 53 points. The Biancocelesti had won 15 (including Juventus 4-0, Sampdoria 6-3, Atalanta 5-1, Cagliari 4-0, Fiorentina 4-0 and Roma 1-0), drawn 8 (including derby, Inter and Milan away, all 0-0) and lost 9. Their most recent game was a 3-1 win away to Atalanta.

In Serie A, Napoli were in joint 11th place, with Cagliari on 38 points. The Partenopei had won 9 (including Lazio 1-0 and Inter 2-1 at home), drawn 11 (including Juventus 1-1 away) and lost 12. Their most recent game was a 1-0 home win on Sampdoria. Napoli were in mid-table limbo, seven points from the B zone and fourteen from Europe.

Lazio were favourites today. They still had European qualification on their agenda while Napoli had little to play for.

The match

A sunny and warm day welcomed Lazio for their farewell to their fans. A crowd of just over 45,000 turned up.

Lazio had to do without defender Alessandro Nesta plus midfielders Roberto Rambaudi and Diego Fuser.

Napoli were missing midfielders Fausto Pizzi and Alain Boghossian.

Lazio started well and had several chances to take the lead. Giuseppe Tagliatella, still hoping to be called up for Euro '96, denied Beppe Signori and Aron Winter (playing his last home game for Lazio).

Alen Boksic was particularly inspired and in the 19th minute he charged down the left, cut back inside and squared to Roberto Di Matteo, the Swiss born Italian controlled the ball at the edge of the area and fired a low mid-height shot into the right-hand corner, unstoppable and Lazio 1 Napoli 0.

Lazio insisted and had more chances but Boksic shaved the post and shot over the bar.

Napoli looked as if they were just trying to limit the damage but did occasionally threaten, with a Renato Buso long range effort and a Fabio Pecchia close range shot but Luca Marchegiani saved.

Towards the end of the half Lazio had a huge chance to double their lead and possibly close the contest. The Biancocelesti were awarded a penalty when Roberto Ayala pulled down Beppe Favalli surging into the area from the left. Signori stepped up, his left foot was decent but Taglialatela was superb and dived to his right and parried away from near the left post. It was Signori's first spot kick miss after 12 consecutive on target. Half time Lazio 1 Napoli 0.

For the next 45 minutes the visitors replaced Arturo Di Napoli with Roberto Policano.

The second half however was similar to the first. Lots of goal scoring chances for Lazio, Di Matteo shot just wide, Gigi Casiraghi unmarked in front of goal presumed he was offside and shot half-heartedly straight on Taglialatela who then saved again one-on-one with Paolo Negro.

Napoli resisted thanks to their keeper and almost equalised in the 64th minute. Roberto Policano surged forward on the left and hit a low cross goal shot which hit the post.

In the 68th minute Boskov strangely took off forward Massimo Agostini for a defensive midfielder Mirko Taccola. Almost a signal the visitors were giving up. In fact, not much happened from then on.

Lazio were content with the win and Napoli seemed keen not to concede more. Lazio made two substitutions; in the 75th minute Guerino Gottardi for Favalli and in the 80th Massimiliano Esposito for Casiraghi while Napoli in the 70th had put on forward Carmelo Imbriani for defender Francesco Baldini.

The game slipped away without further excitement and Lazio clinched an important three points for their European race.

A deserved win for Lazio who if anything should have won by more goals.

The players did their traditional lap of honour to thank and say goodbye to the fans. For Aron Winter it was sadly forever while Alen Boksic was going to Juventus but would then be re-signed the following season.

Lazio were now joint 4th with Fiorentina who had lost 1-4 at home to Roma. The table read: Milan 70, Juventus 64, Parma 58, Lazio and Fiorentina 56, Roma 55, Inter 54.

Napoli were still joint 11th with Cagliari on 38 points.

Who played for Lazio

Marchegiani, Negro, Favalli (75' Gottardi), Di Matteo, Grandoni, Chamot, Signori, Winter, Casiraghi (80' M. Esposito), Marcolin, Boksic