An easy final step into Europe

Dag Jenkins
May 25, 2023
4 min read

Season 1996-97

Game 33, Serie A

Sunday, May 25, 1997

Stadio Olimpico

Lazio-Verona 4-1

Lazio comfortably beat Verona and qualify for the UEFA Cup for the 5th year running

The Serie A campaign had started very badly with two defeats (Bologna 0-1 away and Udinese 0-1 at home). After that they were very inconsistent with 6 wins (including Milan 3-0), 5 draws (including the derby 0-0 and Inter 1-1 away) and 5 defeats. The last defeat to Bologna 1-2 at home on January 26 had cost Zeman his job and back came Dino Zoff.

Since Zoff's return the Biancocelesti had won 8 (including Reggiana 6-1), drawn 4 (including derby 1-1 and Milan 2-2 away) and lost 2. Lazio were currently in 4th place on 51 points, with 17 points on the relegation zone (before the change of manager Lazio had been joint 12th, with Udinese, and with only a five-point cushion on the drop zone) and in a UEFA Cup position. Things were going a lot better.

Verona had struggled in Serie A and were already down. The Gialloblu were in 17th position, on 27 points. They were seven points from safety (Cagliari on 34) with two games to go so were relegated. They had won 6 (including Roma 2-1 and Milan 3-1 at home), drawn 9 (including Lazio 1-1) and lost 17.

A theoretically easy game for Lazio today. The Biancocelesti were flying towards a fifth consecutive UEFA qualification and Verona were already doomed. Anything but a home win would be a major surprise.

The match

A sunny and hot day saw just under 40,000 turn up at the Olimpico.

Lazio were without defenders Alessandro Nesta and Paolo Negro, midfielder Diego Fuser and forward Gigi Casiraghi.

Verona were missing future Lazio manager, defender Marco Baroni and midfielder Salvatore Giunta while striker Antonio De Vitis was on the bench.

Lazio started aggressively and went in front almost immediately. A defensive mistake by Elvis Brajkovic allowed Roberto Rambaudi to have a shot which Matteo Guardalben did well to keep out but on the rebound Beppe Signori tapped in Lazio's lead, 1-0.

In the 21st minute former Lazio Roberto Bacci was forced off injured and replaced by a more attacking midfielder, Pierluigi Orlandini.

Two minutes later however it was Lazio who scored again. In the 23rd minute Signori found Beppe Favalli who crossed low to the front post where Igor Protti pounced and put Lazio 2-0 up.

The game already seemed over but it took an unexpected twist ten minutes later. Alessandro Grandoni was naively dispossessed by former Lazio youth player Alessandro Manetti and forced to pull him down. A clear penalty and possibly a red card but for the referee a spot kick was enough. Filippo Maniero kept his cool and beat Luca Marchegiani. Verona were back in it, 2-1.

The possibility of a Gialloblu comeback lasted two minutes. In the 35th minute, on a Pavel Nedved cross, defender Sebastiano Siviglia mistimed his jump and the ball reached Rambaudi who squared it across to Signori whose brilliant low volley gave the keeper no chance.

In the second half the game slowed down due to the heat and the visitors' inability to put up a fight.

In the 55th minute Verona replaced Leonardo Colucci with German-born Vincenzo Italiano.

Manetti then tried an outrageous lob from midfield which was not too far off target.

It was always Lazio however who went closer to scoring, with Protti in particular.

In the 73rd minute the Scaligeri took off Maniero and put on Nicola Zanini.

In the 74th minute Rambaudi made it four. After being directly involved in two goals the Piedmontese got one of his own. He ran into the area on the right and placed a low, crisp drive past the keeper and in near the far post, 4-1.

The game was over. Lazio made three substitutions; Marco Piovanelli for Dario Marcolin, Fernando Orsi for Marchegiani and Roberto Baronio for Nedved but the game had nothing more to say. Final score Lazio 4 Verona 1.

A routine and straight forward win for Lazio who maintained 4th place with two points on 5th Sampdoria and three on 6th Udinese.

There was no traditional pitch invasion. Instead owner Sergio Cragnotti took centre stage and spoke to the fans from the centre of the field. Meanwhile the players had done the round of the athletics track to thank and say goodbye to the Biancoceleste faithful.

It was Lazio's 7th consecutive home win and they were in Europe for the 5th year running. A clear objective at the beginning of the season but which only a few months earlier had seemed impossible.

Who played for Lazio

Marchegiani (83' Orsi), Gottardi, Grandoni, Chamot, Favalli, Rambaudi, Venturin, Marcolin (77' Piovanelli), Nedved (83' Baronio), Protti, Signori