First league win of season

Dag Jenkins
Sep 18, 2023
3 min read

Season 1965-66

Game 3, Serie B

Sunday, September 19, 1965

Stadio Flaminio, Rome

Lazio Varese 2-1

Goals by D'Amato and Ciccolo give Lazio hard fought win

So far in Serie A the Biancocelesti had played two, with both ending in draws (Milan 0-0 at home on debut and Torino 2-2 away).

So far Varese had lost both their league games (Inter 2-5 away and Bologna 1-4 at home). To be fair both were very difficult fixtures.

Lazio were looking for their first victory to consolidate their good start while Varese were hoping to get off the mark after a problematic one.

The match

A hot and sticky day saw a good 25,000 crowd in the small Flaminio stadium.

Lazio had all their main players available while Varese were without defenders Carlo Soldo and Franco Magnaghi plus midfielder Bruno Gioia.

The first chance of the game was for the Biancocelesti. In the 5th minute Giampiero Vitali's threatening free kick was punched away by Rosario Di Vincenzo. The future Lazio keeper then reacted well on a close range Nello Governato strike.

The Lombards were not merely passive and Piero Dotti had to get in some decisive tackles on quick forward Nestor Combin.

It was Lazio's midfield however that gradually took control of the operations. Lazio had several opportunities: in the 13th Can Bartu shot just wide, in the 18th Di Vincenzo saved a long range Vitali effort, in the 20th Bartu's strike went just high and in the 34th minute the Turk's shot was fortuitously blocked by a defender.

The goal was on the cards and it came in the 37th minute. A quick Vito D'Amato-Bartu one-two was finished off by the Italian with a powerful shot into the roof of the net, 1-0.

Only three minutes passed and Lazio scored again. In the 40th minute Governato put in a long, high cross which went over a hesitant Di Vincenzo and reached Nicola Ciccolo on the far post who headed it in, 2-0 at halftime. A deserved double lead for the Roman Eagles.

The first ten minutes after the break were managed well by Lazio who seemed in control.

In the 57th minute however, Idilio Cei was a touch lucky when he saved a Roberto Boninsegna shot with his feet.

In the 60th minute goalkeeper Di Vincenzo was forced off injured and on came 21-year-old Enzo Cainero.

The new keeper was immediately tested by a blistering Bartu effort and he then acrobatically blocked a Ciccolo cross.

Lazio lost intensity and Varese's midfield with Kurt Andersson and Luigi Ossola started to be more dominant.

In the 77th minute the Bosini pulled a goal back. Boninsegna, set up by Andersson, beat Diego Zanetti with a skillful movement and hammered a low cross goal shot into the back of the net, 2-1.

The game was now completely open and both sides could have scored. In the 82nd minute a counterattack by D'Amato and Ciccolo was staved off by an excellent last ditch tackle by Pietro Moroso.

Varese then looked about to score with Andersson but the flag went up for offside and in the dying seconds Romano Bagatti was denied by a superb Cei save. Full time: Lazio 2 Varese 1.

The first league win of the season for Lazio. It seemed done and dusted after the first half but Varese had battled hard and almost came away with a point. All in all however a deserved two points for the Biancocelesti.

Lazio were now joint 2nd (with 3 other teams) on 4 points while Varese were bottom with Catania on 0 points.

Who played for Lazio

Cei, Zanetti, Vitali, Carosi, Pagni, Dotti, Renna, Bartu, D'Amato, Governato, Ciccolo