Lazio Edge Vicenza After Late Second-Half Breakthrough

Simon Basten
Jun 6, 2023
2 min read

Season 1947-48

Game 38, Serie A

Sunday, June 6, 1948

Stadio Nazionale, Rome

Lazio Vicenza 2-1

A sluggish start gives way to a hard-fought comeback as Lazio overcome an early deficit to secure victory at home

After the first half of the season Lazio were 13th with 17 points, just two points above the relegation zone. They had beaten Inter and drawn away to Juventus but had lost the derby. Manager Toni Cargnelli was sacked and replaced with Orlando Tognotti. In his first game the Biancocelesti had been slaughtered 5-2 by Milan.

The situation then improved and Lazio were tenth together with Inter and Genoa, and one point above Roma, with a five point cushion over the relegation zone.

The match

Lazio, having little more to ask from this season, approached the match with a touch too much laziness. Faced with a modest Vicenza side, they struggled to stir up motivation. The visitors took advantage and pressed the Biancocelesti in the first 20 minutes. In the 5th and 7th minutes, two shots from Luigi Zambelli and Pietro Rebuzzi forced Corrado Giubilo into good saves. In the 19th minute, Giovanni Sperotto hit the crossbar, and this seemed to wake Lazio up.

In the 22nd and 23rd minutes, Aldo Puccinelli tried a couple of shots which went just wide by a whisker. Mario Magrini and Costantino De Andreis missed an easy chance in the 26th minute, and a minute later Vicenza scored. Rebuzzi broke on the counterattack and, as the receiver of the pass, beat the Lazio goalkeeper to give the visitors the lead.

The lead lasted just five minutes. Magrini pulled off a Rebuzzi-like move, starting and finishing a counterattack, to make it 1–1.

Lazio showed a bit more rhythm in the second half, but not much more. Sperotto forced Giubilo into a difficult save in the 65th minute, and three minutes later Enrique Flamini made Giorgio Fioravanti produce his best save of the day. In the 78th minute, Lazio went ahead. Puccinelli took a free kick which Romano Penzo smashed into the net.

Vicenza pushed forward, but Lazio held firm and secured the two points.

Who played for Lazio

Giubilo, Remondini, Piacentini, Alzani, Gualtieri, Brunetti, Puccinelli, Magrini, Penzo, Flamini, De Andreis