Lazio up to 4th with nervy win

Dag Jenkins
Dec 15, 2023
3 min read

Season 1985-86

Game 15, Serie B

Sunday, December 15, 1985

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Pescara 2-1

Lazio lead by two goals but almost let Pescara snatch a point

In Serie B the Biancocelesti had so far won 5 (Palermo 2-1 on debut, Campobasso 2-0, Arezzo 2-0, Triestina 2-1 and Cagliari 3-1, all at home), drawn 5 and lost 4. The Biancocelesti however had not won since October 27 (D3, L2). They were currently 6th on 15 points (with Triestina, Genoa, Catanzaro and Sambenedettese) but only one point from the last promotion slot (Bologna and Brescia on 16). So, after a decent start Lazio had faded. It was time to return to winning ways.

Pescara were currently 13th on 13 points, with Cremonese and Perugia. The Dolphins had won 5 (including Bologna 2-1 at home on debut and recently Campobasso 2-1 at home), drawn 3 and lost 6 (all away).

Lazio really needed to earn two points again and Pescara had lost every game on the road so far (with only two goals scored). The Biancocelesti were therefore expected to be the more likely winners today.

The match

A lovely sunny day saw a slightly smaller crowd than usual, about 25,000.

Neither Lazio nor Pescara had any real absences this afternoon.

Lazio came out of the blocks firing. In the first few minutes they already had two good chances. First Giuliano Fiorini tried his luck from a difficult angle and Maurizio Rossi saved and then Oliviero Garlini hit the crossbar with a header from a corner.

In the 5th minute Lazio scored and it was a spectacular goal too. Garlini headed to Fiorini who coordinated himself and sent a wonderful close-range bicycle kick past Rossi, 1-0.

A dream start for the Biancocelesti but at this point Pescara decided to join the show too. Led by an unstoppable Antonio Acerbis, the visitors forced Astutillo Malgioglio into several saves, the most difficult on Giorgio Roselli whose left-footed shot looked like a sure goal but the keeper from Piacenza got there with the tip of his fingers.

Lazio did not step aside and had efforts with Giorgio Magnocavallo and Fabio Calcaterra and then Garlini headed over the bar with the goal at his mercy after a Magnocavallo deflected cross. Halftime Lazio 1 Pescara 0.

It had seemed easy for Lazio at first but it was game on now.

For the second half the Abruzzesi brought on forward Luigi De Rosa and took off former Lazio defender, Giorgio Benini.

Lazio scored early again. Gabriele Podavini was fouled just outside the area. Garlini took the freekick and it took a deflection off De Rosa and wrong-footed Rossi, 2-0.

At this stage Lazio inexplicably stopped playing. Pescara took control and pulled a goal back in the 67th minute. Acerbis fed Danilo Ronzani who crossed and found diminutive midfielder Roselli with time and space to head past Malgioglio, 2-1.

In the 70th minute Lazio decided to protect themselves by bringing on dynamic midfielder Francesco Fonte for more attacking minded Fabio Poli.

The tide was now in favour of Pescara who continued to attack. Lazio practically played the last twenty minutes in their own half.

In the 84th minute the visitors changed defender Massimo Venturini with another defender Luigi Ciarlantini while Lazio took off Fiorini and put on Francesco Dell'Anno in the hope of holding onto the ball a bit more.

The Dolphins biggest chances came right at the end. First Claudio Vinazzani threw his body before a Rozzani certain equaliser and on the rebound it was forward Garlini who cleared Gian Piero Gasperini's shot off the line.

The final whistle was met with huge relief by Lazio and their fans. An important win but they would have to improve their game management both for their promotion hopes and for their fans' mental wellbeing.

Lazio were now solitary 4th on 17 points, only one behind Brescia and Cesena on 18 (Ascoli were top on 21).

Pescara slipped down to 14th, on 13 points with Palermo, Pescara and Campobasso with only three teams behind them (4 went down). The Pescaresi had not played badly today and could easily have come away with a point but they had to start looking over their shoulders.

Who played for Lazio

Malgioglio, Podavini, Filisetti, Galbiati, Calcaterra, Magnocavallo, Poli (70' Fonte), Vinazzani, Fiorini (84' Dell'Anno), Caso, Garlini