Game 11, Serie A
Sunday, December 22, 1940
Stadio PNF, Rome
Lazio Venezia 4-1
Biancocelesti managed to beat Venezia with three goals in the second half
The beginning of the season had not been a good one and after 10 games they were 12th, just one point above the relegation zone. A win against Venezia would be very important.
The match
The game started with a bang despite the rain and the bad pitch. After just four minutes Lazio were ahead. Luciano Ramella to Silvio Piola who passed to Umberto Lombardini. The Biancoceleste forward saw that Luigi Vettraino was in a better position (and according to Il Littoriale in offside) five metres in front of Manilo Bacigalupo, who had no problem in scoring.
Venezia immediately pressed Lazio for an equaliser and Valentino Mazzola (father of Sandro and Ferruccio) almost equalised with a header that went only slightly wide. In the 18th minute Mazzola tried a shot, Corrado Giovannini launched himself towards the ball but it was Italo Romagnoli II who put the ball in his own goal. Lazio 1 Venezia 1.
The two teams battled on in search of a winner. Lombardini had a couple of chances, Vettraino and Piola also tried to break down the Venezia wall who continued to give the Lazio fans reason to worry, particularly with Mazzola. In the 45th minute, Lidio Stefanini took a free kick, Giovannini parried but if it was not for Romagnoli II who cleared, Venezia would have certainly scored.
In the 54th minute there was a free kick for Lazio close to the corner kick. Ramella tried a shot, the ball went through a number of legs until it reached Vettraino who made it two for the Biancocelesti.
Lazio tried to make it three but Venezia almost equalised on the counterattack. Fast play Mazzola-Luigi Busidoni, a couple of attempted shots then Busidoni passed to Mazzola who from no further than three metres from the goal shot over the crossbar. From the possible 2-2 to 3-1 for Lazio. Corner for the Biancocelesti in the 62nd minute taken by Vettraino and Piola headed the ball in.
Six minutes later Piola collected the ball in midfield, dribbled every single Venezia player and in front of Silvio Di Gennaro passed to Otello Zironi. It was a comfortable shot and a certain goal. But Zironi waited. And waited. And waited, and by the time he was ready for the shot he had lost the moment. A minute later Piola this time did not pass and shot. Gianemilio Piazza in a desperate and hopeless attempt to stop it put the ball into his own net.
Mazzola did try to reduce the deficit and Piola to increase Lazio’s lead but Giovannini denied the former and Bacigalupo the latter, with the help of Di Gennaro, and the match ended up Lazio 4 Venezia 1.
Who played for Lazio
Giovannini, Romagnoli II, Monza II, Baldo, Ramella, Ferri, Zironi I, Piola, Lombardini, Flamini, Vettraino
Manager: Molnar
Who played for Venezia
Bacigalupo, Piazza, Di Gennaro, Tortora, Stefanini, Puppo, Alberti, Loik, Mazzola, Alberico, Busidoni.
Manager: Rebuffo
Referee: Scotto
Goals: 4’ Vettraino, 18’ Romagnoli II (og), 54’ Vettraino, 62’ Piola, 69’ Piazza (og)
Sources