A night of revenge

Simon Basten

Sep 10, 2022

4 min read

Season 1996-97

Round of 64, First Leg

Tuesday, September 10, 1996

Stade Felix Bollaert, Lens

Lens Lazio 0-1

Chamot's late header and a magnificent Marchegiani give Lazio a precious UEFA Cup victory despite playing for an hour with ten men, avenging the 1977 defeat

Lazio so far had played two official games: a 1-0 win at Avellino in Coppa Italia and a 1-0 defeat in the first Serie A fixture at Bologna. Today was the first leg of the UEFA Cup Round of 64 at Lens. There was history with the French club. In 1977 Lazio had won the first leg 2-0 at the Olimpico but in the return match after 90 minutes Lens were 2-0 up. In extra time the Biancocelesti collapsed and Lens scored 4 more goals. Time for revenge?

The match

Nineteen years after one of the darkest European nights in Lazio's history, the Biancocelesti returned to Lens and finally settled an old score.

The circumstances were very different from 1977, when Lens had destroyed Lazio 6–0 after extra time in the UEFA Cup, but the memory of that humiliation was still present when Zdeněk Zeman's side walked onto the wet pitch at the Stade Félix-Bollaert on September 10, 1996.

Zeman made several changes. Mark Fish was dropped, with Paolo Negro moving into the centre alongside José Chamot. Alessandro Nesta switched to the right, while Giuseppe Favalli came into the team on the left. With Pavel Nedvěd and Pierluigi Casiraghi suspended, Marco Piovanelli played in midflied and Igor Protti was brought into the attack.

The Lens coach, Slavo Muslin, opted for an attacking formation with three forwards, hoping to exploit Lazio's defensive uncertainties.

The French side immediately put Lazio under pressure.

After only three minutes, Vladimir Šmicer found himself with room to shoot and forced Luca Marchegiani into a superb save. The Lazio goalkeeper was called into action again shortly afterwards, producing another excellent intervention to keep out a dangerous free-kick from Frederic Meyrieu.

Lens continued to attack and Aboubacar Camara came close with an acrobatic effort which flew narrowly wide.

Lazio survived the initial storm and gradually began to find space on the counter-attack. Diego Fuser tested the Lens goalkeeper while Protti also came close, but the visitors were primarily concerned with remaining compact and avoiding another defensive collapse.

Then, after half an hour, came the incident that changed the match.

Favalli, who had already been booked in the 27th minute, committed another foul only three minutes later. The Scottish referee Rowbotham showed him a second yellow card and Lazio were reduced to ten men.

It was an extremely harsh blow. Zeman immediately sacrificed Protti and sent on Guerino Gottardi, effectively abandoning any attacking approach and concentrating on survival.

The second half therefore became a different game as Lens threw everything forward.

Vladimir Šmicer again tested Marchegiani almost immediately after the restart, but the goalkeeper was equal to it. Tony Vairelles then found himself in a dangerous position, only for Marchegiani to close him down brilliantly.

Lazio did manage occasional counter-attacks. Piovanelli combined with Beppe Signori before Roberto Rambaudi headed towards goal, while Fuser later broke forward and forced another save.

But for long periods the game was played almost entirely in Lazio's half.

Marchegiani became the Biancocelesti's last line of defence.

He saved from Christophe Delmotte, dealt with another dangerous Vairelles effort and repeatedly intervened as Lens searched desperately for the opening goal. The French side were getting closer, but their finishing was increasingly poor.

Their best opportunity came when Vairelles found himself with an almost open goal but somehow sent the ball wide.

Lazio were surviving — and beginning to believe that perhaps the night could end differently from 1977.

There was also controversy. Signori appeared to have been brought down by Jimmy Adjovi-Boco when the French defender was the last man, but Rowbotham allowed play to continue. The referee also booked Nesta for an incident which appeared to warrant little punishment.

Then, with ten minutes remaining, came the moment Lazio had been waiting for.

Signori won a free kick and delivered a beautiful ball into the Lens penalty area.

Chamot rose above the defence and produced a magnificent header, sending the ball beyond Nadon and into the net.

Lazio had scored with their first truly decisive opportunity of the second half.

The irony was perfect. After spending almost an hour defending desperately with ten men, it was a defender who gave the Biancocelesti the victory.

The goal also represented a small piece of redemption. The ghosts of that 6–0 defeat in 1977 had finally been exorcised.

Lens continued to push forward during the final minutes, but Lazio held firm. Marchegiani completed an extraordinary performance, while the players in front of him threw themselves into every challenge.

Final score: Lens 0–1 Lazio.

It was hardly a classic performance from Zeman's team. They had been under pressure for long periods, were fortunate on several occasions and relied heavily on their goalkeeper. But football is not always about aesthetics.

This was a victory built on resilience, discipline and Marchegiani's brilliance.

Nineteen years after Lens had inflicted one of Lazio's most humiliating European defeats, José Chamot headed the Biancocelesti to victory in the same stadium. Lens had finally been avenged.

Who played for Lens

Nadon, Sikora, Dehu (60' Adjovi-Boco), Regis, Delmotte, Debeve, Foe, Meyrieu, Vairelles, Camara (66' Brunel), Smicer

Substitutes: Marichez, Arsene, Dallet

Manager: Muslin

Who played for Lazio

Marchegiani, Negro, Nesta, Chamot, Favalli, Fuser, Marcolin, Piovanelli (83' Baronio), Rambaudi, Protti (33' Gottardi), Signori