Signori Brace Not Enough as Venezia Fight Back

Season 1997-98

Pre Season Friendly

Saturday, July 26, 1997

Stadio Comunale, Moena

Lazio Venezia 2-2

Lazio twice took the lead through Signori, but defensive lapses and a late penalty allowed Venezia to claim a deserved draw in an entertaining match

Source Lazio Wiki

Lazio were in their pre-season training at Vigo di Fassa near Trento and had played a couple of friendlies. Today though the opposition was stronger, a good team from Serie B

The match

Lazio made a flying start, with Beppe Signori opening the scoring after just 11 minutes, helped by two defensive mistakes from Alessandro Dal Canto and Simone Pavan. Venezia, however, looked organised and composed, pressing in midfield and showing greater determination to impose a competitive edge on the game. Lazio struggled to cope with the tempo, and in the 29th minute the Venetians equalised through an own goal by Roberto Mancini. Giuseppe Iachini tried a shot from outside the box, deflection off Mancio, nothing Luca Marchegiani coud do.

Ten minutes later, Marchegiani produced an excellent save, diving brilliantly to turn a powerful first-time effort from Michele Cossato around the post for a corner, after he had been set up in the area by a header from Mauro Zironelli. Lazio were struggling, but at the start of the second half, in the 53rd minute, they regained the lead through Signori, who reacted quickest to turn in the goalkeeper's weak parry following a shot from Diego Fuser. As in the first half, however, Lazio seemed to suffer from a kind of "victory syndrome", allowing Venezia to regain control of the match. In the 72nd minute, the referee was lenient in overlooking a foul by Beppe Favalli on Stefan Schowch inside the penalty area. But when Marco Ballotta brought down the dangerous Venezia striker in the 79th minute, there was no doubt about the penalty. Schowch converted from the spot to earn Venezia a deserved equaliser.

Who played for Lazio

Marchegiani (58' Ballotta), Negro, Favalli, Lopez (58' Gottardi), Grandoni, Fuser, Jugovic, Nedved (69' Marcolin), Mancini, Casiraghi (46' Boksic), Signori (58' Rambaudi)

Manager: Eriksson

Who played for Venezia

Gregori (46' Bandieri), Dal Canto (46' Marangon), Brioschi (46' Filippini), Luppi, Iachini (46' Ballarin), Pavan (46' Baldi), Schowoch (46' Antonioli), Miceli (46' Polete), Zironelli (46' Cento), Cossato (65' Schwoch), Pedone (46' Ginestra)

Manager: Novellino

Referee: Spinelli

Goals: 11' Signori, 30' Mancini (og), 53' Signori, 82' Schwoch (pen)

Sources

Lazio Wiki