Laudrup looks promising

Simon Basten
Aug 24, 2022
2 min read

Updated: Aug 31

Season 1983-84

Game 2, Coppa Italia Group 2

Wednesday, August 24, 1983

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Perugia 2-0

The Dane showcases his skills in the Lazio Coppa Italia win over Perugia

The first official games were for the Coppa Italia. Lazio were grouped with Perugia, Catanzaro, Taranto, Bari and Juventus. Lazio had played the first game in Calabria and had drawn 0-0. Today against Perugia was the second match.

The match

Manager Giancarlo Morrone really wanted to win this game so he decided to put in Bruno Giordano and Michael Laudrup plus Vincenzo D’Amico. This enabled him to place Joāo Batista in front of the defensive line, where the Brazilian liked to play. But there was a lot of confusion on the pitch with Batista far from a decent form and D’Amico, who was supposed to be the assist man, was only able to be effective in the 4th minute when his cross from the left was intercepted by the keeper.

Giordano really wanted to score but in the 6th minute Nicola Di Leo blocked his shot and in the 19th a one-two with Laudrup was intercepted by Corrado Benedetti while two minutes later Di Leo again managed to save another Bruno-gol shot into corner. In the 24th minute a mishit cross from the Lazio centre-forward took on a strange trajectory and came off the top of the crossbar. In the 26th minute Perugia had a massive chance to score but Moreno Morbiducci after a Enrico Piccioni cross completely missed the ball from a favourable position. In the 35th minute Lazio scored. Massimo Cacciatori gave the ball to D’Amico just outside their penalty box. An extremely fast counter attack orchestrated by Angelo Cupini and Giordano, allowed Enrico Vella to be all alone in front of the goalkeeper and he did not miss.

Perugia collapsed and the Biancocelesti in the second half made it two. In the 47^th minute, on a Giordano cross, Laudrup passed to D’Amico who made no mistake.

The Biancocelesti on the wings of enthusiasm took over and scored their third with Laudrup but it was disallowed due to a previous foul. D’Amico also had a chance on a perfect Laudrup assist, but his shot hit the woodwork.

A good win for Lazio. Laudrup showed class, Batista still needed to settle in.

Who played for Lazio

Cacciatori, Spinozzi, Vinazzani, Manfredonia, Batista, Piscedda, D’Amico, Vella, Giordano, Laudrup, Cupini