Lazio dominate but derby ends in draw

Simon Basten
Dec 2, 2023
2 min read

Season 1990-91

Game 11, Serie A

Sunday, December 2, 1990

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Roma 1-1

The Biancocelesti played a great game but were unable to go beyond a draw in the derby

After ten games Lazio were seventh. They had only won two games (Bologna at home and Cagliari away) and had drawn seven times. Not enough wins to be able to make a serious bid to get into Europe but they were still just four points off leaders Sampdoria and Inter.

The match

Lazio started well and Raffaele Sergio shaved the post with a shot in the 5th minute. Six minutes later it was Gabriele Pin with a shot that was very close to the target. Roma had a chance in the 21st minute, after a one-two with Manuel Gerolin, Fabrizio Di Mauro found himself in front of Valerio Fiori who managed to come out of his goal in time, then Sergio cleared. In the 25th minute Karl-Heinz Riedle tried a shot from outside the box, Giuseppe Zinetti parried into corner. Shortly after a mistimed cross from Stefano Desideri almost surprised Fiori and from then on it was all Lazio.

Zinetti was marvellous on a Ruben Sosa free kick but could do nothing in the 38th minute on a fantastic free kick by Roberto Soldà but the ball hit the woodwork. Then Sergio went close to the target and a Sergio Domini header was saved by Zinetti. Towards the end of the first half Roma came back into the game with a sitter wasted by Fausto Salsano in the 41st minute. Four minutes later the Giallorossi scored. Gerolin to Thomas Berthold on the right, cross in the middle, Angelo Gregucci anticipated Desideri but the ball went up in the air and the Roma midfielder had an open goal chance but with his back to the goal. He tried a bicycle kick which would have gone into the net had Soldà not parried it with an arm. Penalty that Rudi Voeller had no problem in netting.

Lazio came back on for the second half with fury and equalised almost immediately. In the 55th minute Riedle tried a shot from inside the box that was saved by Zinetti, Armando Madonna managed to get to the ball on the other side and crossed back into the box, Riedle anticipated Aldair and headed further to Ruben Sosa who with another header gave the Biancocelesti the deserved equaliser.

Both teams at this point eased the pressure. Lazio continued to dominate but were not dangerous, Roma were all Voeller, who a few times gave Fiori some work to do.

The Giallorossi were content with the draw, Dino Zoff a little less.

Who played for Lazio

Fiori, Bergodi, Sergio, Pin, Gregucci, Soldà, Madonna (73’ Troglio), Sclosa, Riedle, Domini, Sosa (84’ Saurini)