Good draw against blancos but penalty defeat

Dag Jenkins
Aug 23, 2023
4 min read

Updated: Aug 30

Season 1991-92

Pre Season Friendly

Friday, August 23, 1991

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio-Real Madrid 1-1 (5-6 on penalties)

Lazio snatch last second draw to go to penalties but Pin misses to hand the Spaniards the Calleri Cup

This was Lazio's 9th summer friendly and the second at the Olimpico. Lazio had played TSV 1958 Dasing 3-0, Seefeld 11-0, Hamburger SV 1-0, Czechoslovakia 1-1, Genoa 1-1, Rimini 2-0, Perugia 1-0 and Milan 0-2.

Serie A would start on September 1 against Parma at home while the Coppa Italia would start before, on August 28 away to Fidelis Andria.

A prestigious friendly game for Lazio this evening only five days before their first official match.

The match

A decent 35,000 crowd turned up, despite it being a friendly and in full holiday season. The game was also shown on national TV but with the exclusion of the Rome area. Paul Gascoigne was present in the stands adding to the excitement. He had previously been welcomed by 3,000 fans at Fiumicino Airport.

The game was officially being played for the Giorgio Calleri Trophy. Giorgio had taken over Lazio in 1986 with his brother Gian Marco but had passed away in 1991.

Lazio had two absences, defenders Raffaele Sergio and Roberto Soldà.

Real Madrid had to do without Emilio Buitragueño at the last minute as he had been hospitalised due to hives (urticaria) and Robert Prosinecki with muscular stiffness.

Lazio played in their yellow away strip while Real wore their classic white shirts.

The Madridistas dominated the first half hour. After only thirty seconds Nando Orsi had to save on Míchel. Three minutes later Francisco Villaroya and Rafael Gordillo were both unmarked in front of Orsi but wasted the chance. The Spaniards played at a slow pace with a myriad of passes but then suddenly verticalised finding space behind Lazio's defence.

Real had more shots just wide by Michel and Gheorghe Hagi and then Orsi had to rush out to anticipate Luis Enrique who was clear on goal. The Galician midfielder was then put through again and went round Orsi but pushed it too far.

Around the half hour Lazio finally stirred. First Ricardo Rocha almost put the ball in his own net but Francisco Buyo was alert, then Karl-Heinz Riedle had two right-footed attempts go wide and then Thomas Doll forced Buyo into a low save.

Half time came with Lazio pleased to still be on level terms but they had improved after a worrying and passive first thirty minutes.

There were no changes at the break. The game was more balanced now with Lazio attacking more and Real more cautious. Doll had a good effort saved by Buyo.

In the 60th minute Zoff took off Ruben Sosa and put on Giovanni Stroppa, while a minute later the visitors put on big midfielder Alfonso Aldana, to pair up with Luis Enrique, taking off veteran Gordillo.

In the 70th minute Real Madrid took the lead with a superb goal by Fernando Hierro. Michel crossed from the right and the Malagueño defender coordinated himself and sent an unstoppable volley past Orsi, 0-1.

The Merengues could have closed the game a few times, in particular in the 72nd minute when, following a Rufo Emiliano Verga mistake, Luis Enrique beat Orsi but did not hit it cleanly enough and this allowed Cristiano Bergodi to get back and clear it off the goal line.

A minute later Lazio hit the post when Doll, their liveliest player, struck the ball well but it hit the woodwork, then Buyo's heel and went out for a corner.

Both sides then started to make changes and the game also got tense and dirty. First the crowd reacted angrily to Aldana untying a Lazio scarf from the goal net and then Bergodi and Aldana got themselves sent off for some unnecessary pushing and shoving after the Spaniard had hacked down Stroppa.

It seemed all over but in the 94th minute the referee awarded the Biancocelesti a second indirect free kick for Buyo repeatedly and blatantly wasting time. Stroppa curled it low around the wall which included the keeper and rewarded Lazio with a penalty shootout. Final score Lazio 1 Real Madrid 1.

The penalty lottery under the Curva Nord then went the Spaniards way as Gabriele Pin missed the only penalty out of the series and handed the visitors the Giorgio Calleri Cup. Not the most prestigious trophy to go in their cabinet but it's always better to win these events than to lose.

An honourable result for Lazio but they had to improve their fitness levels and their defensive movements before things got serious. On the positive side the Riedle-Sosa-Doll trio had combined well, showing interesting potential, and Gazza had finally been seen at the Olimpico albeit only waving to the fans from the athletics track.

Who played for Lazio

Orsi, Bergodi, Bacci, Pin, Gregucci (75' Corino), Verga, F. Marchegiani, Doll (85' Melchiori), Riedle (73' Capocchiano), Sclosa, Sosa (60' Stroppa)

Manager: Zoff

Who played for Real Madrid

Buyo, Chendo, Villarroya, Ricardo Rocha (83' Tendillo), Sanchís, Hierro, Luis Enrique (74' Alfonso), Michel, Milla, Hagi (86' Maqueda), Gordillo (61' Aldana)

Manager: Antić

Referee: Ceccarini

Goals: 70' Hierro, 94' Stroppa

Red cards: 80' Bergodi and Aldana

Penalties: