Close to safety

Simon Basten
Apr 30, 2024
2 min read

Updated: Jun 5

Season 1959-60

Game 29, Serie A

Saturday, April 30, 1960

Stadio Flaminio, Rome

Lazio Spal 3-1

Lazio comfortably beat Spal, thanks to Rozzoni and Visentin, moving closer to safety

The beginning of the season was promising and Lazio in the first four games won 2 and drew two. But then a heavy defeat in the derby, 3-0, and a loss at home against Juventus in reality showed that the Biancocelesti were probably going to have a poor year. They also lost 5-0 at home to Fiorentina. At the end of the first half of the season Lazio had 16 points, four above the relegation zone.

The beginning of the second half of the campionato was even worse with six consecutive losses. Then a win at home against Napoli, a draw away to Atalanta and a win against Palermo at the Olimpico allowed Lazio to distance themselves from the bottom. They were currently 14th, two points above the relegation zone.

The Biancocelesti needed to win today.

The match

The game was played a day before schedule due to the fact that on May 1 it was Labour Day and there would have been no public transport.

Lazio started well and already in the 4th minute Ugo Pozzan shaved the post. Three minutes later another shot from the Biancoceleste midfielder was saved into corner by Gianfranco Ganzer. After Idilio Cei was forced to intervene on a dangerous cross from Egidio Morbello, in the 19th minute Lazio scored. Pozzan dispossessed Oscar Massei and passed to Orlando Rozzoni who dribbled past both Enrico Cecchi and Lidio Maietti and scored his first of the day. Five minutes later the Biancocelesti made it two. Bruno Franzini to Oliviero Visentin who lobbed the keeper and it was 2-0.

In the second half Spal seemed to play better and Cei was first forced to parry a powerful shot from Massei into corner and shortly after had to anticipate Carlo Novelli who was ready for the kill. But in the 51st minute Rozzoni dispossessed Armando Picchi and made it three.

On the hour Massei took advantage of the fact that Franco Janich and Nicola Lo Buono were taking a brief nap and reduced the deficit. Both teams could have scored again but Rozzoni arrived a fraction too late on a splendid Clemente Mattei cross in the 63rd minute and a Massei header was spectacularly saved by Cei.

Lazio were now close to safety.

Who played for Lazio

Cei, Molino, Lo Buono, Carradori, Janich, Fumagalli, Visentin, Pozzan, Rozzoni, Franzini, Mattei