Chinaglia hat-trick brings precious point and partial revenge

Updated: Sep 13

Season 1973-74

Game 24, Serie A

Sunday, April 7, 1974

Stadio San Paolo, Naples

Napoli Lazio 3-3

Lazio come from behind three times to possibly dump Napoli out of title race

Lazio had won 15 (including Juventus 3-1), drawn 4 and lost 4. They had already beaten Roma 2-1 twice and only lost to Juventus, Torino, Sampdoria and Inter. Lazio had 32 points and were top of the table with a four-point lead on Juventus and five on Napoli.

There was no love lost between these two clubs, even less after the previous year's game in Naples. On the last day of the season, with Lazio challenging for the Scudetto, Napoli played to the death, celebrating their last gasp win as if they had won the World Cup and basically admitting they had been "incentivised" by the "Old Lady" of Italian football, who won the title using similar methods with their opposition Roma (who probably did not need much encouragement to throw the game anyway).

A huge test today for Lazio. A hostile environment and competitive opposition who had title aspirations of their own. Juventus meanwhile played mid-table Cesena away.

The match

A lovely spring day on the bay of Naples saw a huge 75,000 crowd for this crunch match.

Napoli were missing midfielder Salvatore Esposito while Lazio fortunately had their best possible line-up.

The first fifteen minutes of the game were cautious by both sides, studying each other's moves.

The game suddenly came alive in the 18th minute. Vincenzo D'Amico fouled Sergio Clerici at the edge of the box for a freekick. Both Andrea Orlandini and Antonio Juliano dummied a shot and Clerici ran up and wrong-footed Felice Pulici. Napoli 1 Lazio 0.

Lazio however reacted well and pushed forward forcing a few corners and putting Napoli under pressure. The equaliser came in the 23rd minute. Sergio Petrelli burst down the left and crossed to Giorgio Chinaglia who dived forward and sent a superb acrobatic header past Pietro Carmignani. Napoli 1 Lazio 1.

The game now was spectacular and end to end. It was Napoli though who scored again. First a Clerici header forced Pulici to dive and save into corner but from the subsequent cross from the flag by Faustino Cané, Juliano out jumped the defence and headed home. Napoli 2 Lazio 1.

Lazio again hit back furiously. In the 30th minute, from a Mario Frustalupi assist, Renzo Garlaschelli's header hit the post with Carmignani beaten.

The equaliser was only a question of time and it came in the 41st minute. Luciano Re Cecconi crossed and Garlaschelli jumped up challenging Carmignani, the ball fell to Chinaglia who volleyed it in. Napoli 2 Lazio 2.

In the last five minutes Lazio were all over the hosts who even had to resort to ripping Chinaglia's shirt to block the Biancocelesti's enthusiasm. Half time Napoli 2 Lazio 2.

An exciting first period with both sides giving as good as they got. A draw however would satisfy Lazio more if it were to stay this way.

After five minutes of the second half, the Partenopei were forced to replace an injured Giuseppe Bruscolotti with Vincenzo Montefusco. Three minutes later Napoli were awarded a penalty. It was a generous one, Petrelli slightly pushing Braglia who fell in the area. The Lazio players protested but it had been given. Clerici took it, Pulici went the right way diving to his right and got a touch but it went in anyway. Napoli 3 Lazio 2.

For the third time Lazio were behind but again they surged forward.

In the 63rd minute they too were given a penalty. Another Frustalupi invention found Franco Nanni who was blocked irregularly by Orlandini and Spartaco Landini. "Long John" stepped up and despite 75,000 whistles hammered a penalty down the middle to pull Lazio level yet again. Napoli 3 Lazio 3. A hat-trick for "Giorgione".

Both sides at this point started to tire. Napoli ran out of the energy necessary to go for a winner and Lazio too, content with a point, lacked the strength to go for a full "vendetta". In the 77th minute Fausto Inselvini came on for Nanni but little changed in the last ten minutes. Full time Napoli 3 Lazio 3.

A great game with Lazio showing great resolve and determination in coming from behind three times. It was not total revenge on the Neapolitans but it was good enough. Napoli were practically out of the title race.

The new table read: Lazio 35, Juventus 32, Napoli 30, Fiorentina 29, Inter 29. Lazio had lost a point on Juventus who had beaten Cesena 2-0 away but there was one less match to play and now it seemed like a two-horse race.

Who played for Napoli

Carmignani, Bruscolotti (50' Montefusco), Pogliana, Landini, Ripari, Orlandini, Cané, Juliano, Clerici, Braglia

Substitutes: Da Pozza, Albano

Manager: Luís Vinicio

Who played for Lazio

Pulici, Petrelli, Martini, Wilson, Oddi, Nanni (77' Inselvini), Garlaschelli, Re Cecconi, Chinaglia, Frustalupi, D'Amico