November 5 1950: Lazio - Fiorentina 2-1
After the Big Three.. it's LAZIO
In an eventful game Lazio win and consolidate 4th place
The season so far
Lazio had unexpectedly finished 4th the previous season and were hoping to confirm that positive season. The manager was Mario Sperone and top scorer Romanian Norberto Höfling with 13 league goals. Lazio had also won a derby 3-1 and drawn the other.
This season Sperone was still manager but there had been a few changes to the squad. The main new players were: defenders Stefano Malacarne (Salernitana) and Primo Sentimenti V (Bari) plus Paraguayan forward Leongino Unzain (Olimpia).
Leaving were defenders Leandro Remondini (Napoli) and forwards Ferenc Nyers II (Hungaria FbC Roma) and Romano Penzo (Fiorentina).
After 8 fixtures, Lazio were in joint 4th position with Bologna on 11 points. The Biancocelesti had won 4 (including derby 1-0), drawn 3 (including Inter 3-3 from 0-3 at home on debut) and lost 1 (Padova 0-2 away). The most recent game had been a 1-1 away draw against Lucchese.
Fiorentina had finished 5th the previous season (2 points behind Lazio), under manager Luigi Ferrero. The games against Lazio had ended 1-1 in Rome and 2-2 in Florence. The top scorer was Alberto Galassi with 24 league goals.
This season the manager was still Ferrero. The arrivals worth noting were: defenders Ardico Magnini (Pistoiese) and Renzo Venturi (Vicenza), midfielder Giancarlo Vitali (Padova) plus forwards Romano Penzo (Lazio) and André Roosenburg.
Leaving Florence were: defenders Italo Acconcia (Udinese-on loan), Alberto Eliani (Roma) and Cesare Meucci (Prato) plus midfielder Luciano Giusti (Padova).
Fiorentina were joint 12th on 6 points with Napoli, Novara and Pro Patria, only two points above the relegation zone (Lucchese on 4 while Roma were rock bottom on 3). "La Viola" had won 2 (including Atalanta recently 1-0 at home), drawn 2 and lost 4.
A dificult game to call today Lazio between two sides that had done well the previous season, although the Romans had started the current one better.
The match: Sunday, November 5, 1950, Stadio Torino, Rome
A day of torrential rain in the Italian capital meant the pitch was muddy and slippery. The crowd was about 20,000.
This was not the first time this fixture was played under a downpour and the joke circulated that the game was actually Lazio vs "Pioventina".
Lazio were missing defender Francesco Antonazzi and forward Dionisio Arce.
Fiorentina had no real absences.
The difficult playing conditions fortunately did not affect the quality of the game which was high.
Both sides played well in the first half but the defences were both on top form including the goalkeepers. Lazio's backline, with Zeffiro Furiassi, Serafino Montanari and above all Romolo Alzani, was impeccable. The first 45 minutes ended goalless but were far from dull.
In the second half after ten minutes Lazio suffered a set back as midfielder Flavio Cecconi got injured and was exiled to the left wing.
Despite the handicap Lazio took the lead in the 66th minute. Alzani took a freekick and the ball then went via Vittorio Sentimenti III to Enrique Flamini who brilliantly backheeled to the incoming Aldo Puccinelli who scored from close range, 1-0.
Five minutes later the Gigliati had a huge opportunity to level the score. Egisto Pandolfini's header looked to be going in but was handled on the line by Lazio's Montanari. An indisputable penalty which, future Roma, Pandolfini took himself but put the ball wide.
As they say in Italy, "gol mancato gol subito" (goal missed goal conceded). In the 75th minute a perfect cross by the excellent Leongino Unzain was headed in by Norberto Höfling, 2-0.
Lazio's double lead however only lasted four minutes. In the 79th minute Giancarlo Vitali put in a low cross and Ludwig Janda got away from Stefano Malacarne and poked the ball in, 2-1.
The last ten minutes were a predictable siege by the visitors. Lazio however held up well with even Puccinelli playing deep to make up for Cecconi immobility. The Biancocelesti's task was also helped by the fact that the muddy pitch had sapped a lot of energy from the Fiorentina players who, by now heavy-legged, lacked the lucidity to clinch a leveller. Final score: Lazio 2 Fiorentina 1.
An entertaining game and an important win for Lazio against opponents of similar level. These were two of the teams who in theory would jostle for the places behind the "Big Three" so today was a positive step for Lazio.
Lazio were now solitary 4th on 13 points (Bologna lost 0-2 at Atalanta).
Fiorentina remained rooted on 6 points, in 14th place with Napoli, Genoa and Pro Patria. The B zone was now only one point below on 5 (Sampdoria and Lucchese) while Roma were bottom on 4.
Who played for Lazio
Sentimenti IV, Montanari, Furiassi, Alzani, Malacarne, Sentimenti III, Puccinelli, Flamini, Höfling, Cecconi, Unzain
Manager: Sperone
Who played for Fiorentina
Costagliola, Venturi, Cervato, Chiappella, Rosetta, Magli, Vitali, Pandolfini, Janda, Sperotto, Della Torre
Manager: Ferrero
Referee: Liverani
Goals: 66' Puccinelli. 75' Höfling, 79' Janda
What happened next
Lazio repeated the previous year's positive 4th place. In the remaining games the Biancocelesti won 13 (including derby again and Milan away, both 2-1), drew 7 and lost 9 (including next 2) ending up on 46 points. The top scorer was Norberto Höfling with 11 league goals while Enrique Flamini got 10.
Fiorentina finished 5th again. Their results improved and from today they won 16 (including Lazio 1-0), drew 6 and lost 7 and ended up on 44 points. The top scorer was Vitali with 9 league goals.
Today's manager Luigi Ferrero would one day be briefly in charge at Lazio (first 14 games in 1955-56) while midfielder Giuseppe Chiappella, after winning the Scudetto as a player (1955-56), would become Fiorentina manager and win the Coppa Italia twice (1960-61, 1965-66) and the Cup Winners Cup (1960-61).
Out of today's squad four players would win that first historic 1955-56 Scudetto: Cervatto, Magnini, Rosetta and Chiappella.
The Scudetto was won by Milan for the 4th time while Roma became the first team from the capital ever to be relegated, going down with Genoa.
Lazio Jersey 1950-51
This season's shirt was similar to the previous year's. It was a classy and elegant light blue polo with a white collar and buttons. The shorts were also white.
This shirt is associated with good years for Lazio as the Biancocelesti finished 4th three seasons in a row (1950, '51, '52).
This 1950-51 season was also the one in which Roma became the first team from the capital to be relegated to Serie B.
Sources
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