Unimpressive but victorious

Dag Jenkins

Aug 31, 2023

3 min read

Season 1980-81

Game 2, Group Stage, Coppa Italia

Sunday, August 31, 1980

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Varese 2-1

Lazio make it two on two in Cup but have plenty of room for improvement

Today was Lazio's second Coppa Italia game. In their first the Biancocelesti had defeated Pescara 2-0 away. The group then included today's opponents Varese plus Verona and Ascoli.

Lazio's league debut would be on September 14 at home to Palermo.

Varese were also in Serie B. The previous season the Biancorossi had won Serie C1 under manager Eugenio Fascetti. In the Coppa Italia the Biancorossi had so far played two games; a 0-0 draw at Verona and a 0-1 home defeat to Serie A side Ascoli.

With only one team qualifying, the table read; Lazio 2 (1 game), Ascoli 2 (1), Pescara 2 (2), Verona 1 (2), Varese 1 (2).

The match

A sunny but breezy day with a 5.30 pm kick-off brought about 15,000 to the Olimpico.

Lazio were without midfielder Dario Sanguin and forward Stefano Chiodi but he would only be available from November.

The visitors had several absences; goalkeeper Michelangelo Rampulla, defenders Giuliano Vincenzi and Maurizio Braghin, midfielders Franco Baldini and Luciano Facchini.

Varese looked intimidated in the early stages and Lazio took an early lead. In the 8th minute Nando Viola put in a good free kick from the left, Giorgio Mastropasqua dummied and left the ball to Alberto Bigon who wrong footed Antonino Trapani, 1-0.

If anyone thought it was the beginning of a rout they were wrong. Lazio went flat and Varese gradually took courage.

The equalised on the half hour mark. Massimo Mauti hit a clever through ball to Vincenzo Di Giovanni who easily glided past Dario Pighin and Carlo Perrone before beating a rooted Maurizio Moscatelli, 1-1.

The goal scorer must have had a physical problem while scoring the goal as he went off immediately after and was replaced by Umberto Formoso.

Varese then closed all gaps well. They did not create much but neither did Lazio. The visitors however had the most dangerous attack when in the 42nd minute Mauti surged past Perrone on the break but was blocked before shooting by a last ditch Pighin tackle. Halftime 1-1.

The second half was tactically blocked too but in the 54th minute came the key moment. Viola worked the ball well on the left before setting up Filippo Citterio who beat Trapani with a cracking left-footed strike, 2-1.

Not much happened from then on. Mauti went off for defender Paolo Tomasoni and Varese lost shape. Lazio were able to control the situation.

The Biancocelesti made two more changes themselves, in the 65th minute Mauro Manzoni came on for Claudio Simoni and in the 79th Riccardo Cenci for an exhausted Bigon.

A win is a win but Lazio had not impressed. The defence had looked insecure and the two attackers had not had a single shot at goal. The midfield on the other hand had been authoritative and organised albeit with the necessity to try and protect the defence more. Bigon at the moment was having to do too much defensively thus losing efficacy up front.

Ascoli won at Verona so the table now read; Lazio 4 (2), Ascoli 4 (2), Pescara 2 (2), Verona 1 (3), Varese 1 (3).

Who played for Lazio

Moscatelli, Spinozzi, Citterio, Perrone, Pighin, Simoni (65' Manzoni), Viola, Mastropasqua, Garlaschelli, Bigon (79' Cenci), Greco