Lazio join promotion train

Dag Jenkins
Nov 29, 2023
3 min read

Season 1987-88

Game 7, Serie B

Sunday, September 29, 1987

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Triestina 2-0

A comfortable win enables the Biancocelesti to join frontrunners

The main objective this year was promotion back to Serie A. In the league so far Lazio had played 11 games and had won 4, drawn 4 and lost 3. The Biancocelesti were 10th on 12 points, with Atalanta, Bari and Sambenedettese. The fourth Serie A spot was only one point higher up, Lecce, Padova and Cremonese on 13. It was early days but there were a lot of teams in a few points.

Triestina's campaign was complicated by a five-point docking due to financial irregularities. So far, the Giuliani had won 3, drawn 4 and lost 4. Therefore, with the deduction, Triestina were on 5 points and in 19th position (three from safety - Modena and Parma on 8).

Lazio were favourites today but Triestina were practically a mid-table team at the moment so Lazio had to be careful.

The match

A drizzly November day gathered about 20,000 at the Olimpico.

Lazio had to do without midfielder Domenico Caso but otherwise had the whole squad available. Triestina were missing midfielder Giorgio Papais.

The visitors, desperate in 19th place, clearly came to Rome to try and pick up a point. They proposed nothing while Lazio went forward albeit not creating much in the first twenty minutes.

Lazio's first threat to the Triestina fort came in the 23rd minute when Paolo Monelli's header was saved into corner by Rino Gandini.

Then Lazio did not create anything until just before halftime. The home fans were starting to get impatient when Maurizio Costantini committed a pointless foul on Giuseppe Galderisi at the edge of the box. Ciro Muro who apparently slotted them in almost blindfolded in training but rarely on the Sunday this time curled a perfect freekick into the top hand corner, 1-0.

Lazio were a goal up at the break. Meanwhile a few minutes before the double whistle the visitors had been forced to replace injured defender Cleto Polonia with winger Vincenzo Di Giovanni.

In the second half the Muli at least tried to go forward. Lazio however seemed to feel at ease playing on the break and almost doubled the score in the 52nd minute when Muro set up Monelli for a header but it went just over the bar.

Triestina's only shot at goal came in the 58th minute when Franco Causio drilled a good shot towards goal but Silvano Martina timed his dive well and saved.

In the 64th minute the Alabardati made their second change bringing on Giampiero Scaglia for Stefano Strappa, both midfielders.

Triestina continued their sterile attacks and it was Lazio again who went closer. In the 70th minute Monelli got away from two defenders but his shot shaved the post.

The second goal came three minutes later. It was Muro again who set it up on the break, the Neapolitan dummied a long ball but then instead pushed it to his right where Gabriele Pin charged forward and in front of the keeper hit it low on the far post, 2-0.

The game had nothing more to say but just in case Eugenio Fascetti took off Galderisi in the 77th minute and Antonio Acerbis in the 87th and put on midfielder Vincenzo Esposito and defender Luca Brunetti.

An easy win for Lazio who had not needed many chances to beat the negative guests, just to convert the few they had. Triestina would have to be more positive if they wanted to overcome the handicap in the difficult season that faced them.

Lazio were now 8th, on 14 points with Atalanta and Catanzaro and only one point from the last promotion slots (four teams on 15).

Triestina were still 19th on 5 points but now four from safety (Modena and Parma on 9).

Who played for Lazio

Martina, Marino, Beruatto, Pin, Gregucci, Piscedda, Savino, Muro, Galderisi (77' Esposito), Acerbis (87' Brunetti), Monelli