The three tenors shine

Dag Jenkins
Aug 29, 2023
3 min read

Season 1984-85

Game 3, Group Stage, Coppa Italia

Wednesday, August 29, 1984

Stadio Flaminio, Rome

Lazio Pistoiese 3-1

Three goals by their most quality players put Lazio top of Coppa Italia group

Lazio's first games were in August in the Coppa Italia. Lazio had so far beaten Padova 2-0 at home and drawn 1-1 at Genoa.

Serie A would start on September 16 at home to Fiorentina.

Today's opponents Pistoiese were in Serie C. In the Coppa Italia so far they had lost 0-1 at home to Roma and drawn 0-0 at home against Varese.

Serie C would begin on September 23.

A must win for Lazio if they wanted to qualify from this group. Two teams went through and the table read: Roma 3, Lazio 3, Genoa 2, Varese 2, Padova 1, Pistoiese 1

The match

A sticky, humid night in Rome attracted a capacity 25,000 crowd to the small Flaminio stadium.

Lazio were only missing a few fringe players such as defender Massimo Storgato, midfielders Fortunato Torrisi and Francesco Dell'Anno. The Biancocelesti therefore fielded a strong line-up.

The "Orange" visitors were without former Lazio midfielder Rinaldo Piraccini and their top striker Salvatore Garritano.

Lazio started well and went close to scoring in the 6th minute. Gabriele Podavini crossed high from the left and it went over a defender's head to Bruno Giordano who brought it down neatly, skipped past his marker but then pulled his shot wide from close range.

In the 8th minute an excellent João Batista-Michael Laudrup one-two put the Brazilian in front of the keeper but he then slipped while shooting.

The goal came in the 12th minute. A long cross by Batista was volleyed in by Giordano with the inside of his foot, 1-0.

Lazio were in complete control. Their next really big chance was in the 35th minute when from a Giancarlo Marini corner Arturo Vianello had a free header but it went just wide of the left post.

The first half ended with Pistoiese hardly having passed the halfway line.

After only three minutes of the second half the Arancioni suddenly threatened. Future Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini unleashed a long range shot which Fernando Orsi did well to slap behind for a corner. On the subsequent corner Andrea Mitri tried a header but it was comfortably punched away by Orsi, it then reached Roberto Parlanti whose low shot went a couple of metres wide. Signs of life by Pistoiese.

Lazio responded a few minutes later with Laudrup who dispossessed Sergio Borgo, weaved his way into the area but then hit the post.

Lazio then slowed things down but dominated territory and possession.

In the 68th minute the visitors made their first change, bringing on Giulio Iozzelli for Giannino Giannini.

In the 71st minute Lazio doubled the score. It was again a moment of brilliance by Laudrup. The young Dane raced in from the left, burst into the area beating several defenders and blasted a left footed shot past Maurizio Moscatelli, 2-0.

A minute later Lazio took of Batista and Marini and introduced Francesco Fonte and Vincenzo D'Amico

Laudrup and Moscatelli then had a clash and both were forced off with knocks. On came Carlo Riccitelli and Oliviero Garlini.

In the 81st minute Gasperini tried his luck again from the distance and this time his shot was even better but came back off the crossbar.

Three minutes later "Gasp" was again the protagonist. He entered the box where he was tripped by Gabriele Podavini for a clear penalty. Parlanti sent Orsi the wrong way to give the "Olandesina" some hope, 2-1.

The hope lasted exactly two minutes as Lazio closed the game with a wonderful move. A flying combination by Giordano and D'Amico was brought down by the former Golden Boy who then flicked it past a defender and hammered it in with his right foot, 3-1.

A satisfying win for Lazio with three excellent goals by their most talented players. If Giordano and Laudrup could always play like this even against higher quality opponents then Lazio could be optimistic.

Pistoiese had done what they could. A couple of long range shots and a penalty had kept the result slightly in doubt until the final minutes.

The Coppa Italia table now read: Lazio 5, Roma 4, Genoa 4 Varese 3, Padova 1, Pistoiese 1.

Next up for Lazio was a trip to Varese.

Who played for Lazio

Orsi, Calisti, Filisetti, Vianello, Batista (72' Fonte), Podavini, Vinazzani, Manfredonia, Giordano, Laudrup (75' Garlini), Marini (72' D'Amico)