Bigon opens and closes

Dag Jenkins
Mar 29, 2024
3 min read

Season 1980-81

Game 27, Serie B

Sunday, March 29, 1981

Stadio Romeo Neri, Rimini

Rimini-Lazio 1-3

The former Milan midfielder gets a brace in a good 3-1 away win

So far Lazio had played 26 league games and won 9, drawn 14 and lost 3. Lazio had started well with 7 wins and 8 draws in the first 15 games. They then played Milan and lost, thus losing confidence and slowing down. Lazio's two previous games had been draws. The Biancocelesti were 2nd on 26 points and needed a win today to show they were definitely back on track. The table read Milan 37, Lazio 32, Cesena 32, Sampdoria 31, Genoa 30, SPAL 29.

Rimini were currently 10th on 24 points, with Verona, Bari, Lecce and Catania (five from the drop zone, Palermo on 19). The Biancorossi had won 6, drawn 7 and lost 12 (including Lazio 0-1).

Not an easy match today for Lazio as this season Rimini had only been beaten once at home in the league but one Lazio needed a win to get into a good position for the promotion rush.

The match

A grey but dry day on the Riviera Romagnola saw about 10,000 spectators gather in the small Romeo Neri ground. Neri was a gymnast from Rimini who won three Olympic gold medals in 1932.

Lazio were missing defender Arcadio Spinozzi and winger Renzo Garlaschelli plus regular goalkeeper Maurizio Moscatelli who would be out for the rest of the season.

Rimini had no real absences.

The first half was extremely balanced. Lazio showed to be classier but Rimini made up for it with determination and will power. Of the two teams it was the hosts who went closer to scoring as they hit a post.

In the beginning of the second half Lazio made their superior technical level count. In the 48th minute Albertino Bigon finished off a good through ball by Giuseppe Greco, 0-1.

The seasiders however were not beaten and equalised just over ten minutes later. In the 60th minute Roberto Parlanti belted a freekick which found its way through the wall and into the top corner, 1-1.

The game remained even but in the 78th minute came the key episode. Greco faced Parlanti on the right vertex of the area and lobbed him to try and get into the box but the Rimini libero instinctively put up his hand to block the ball. A naive but blatant handling of the ball and the referee had no other option than to point to the penalty spot. The specialist Roberto Chiodi made no mistake and put Lazio in front, 1-2

In the 68th minute Lazio made their first and only change, taking off midfielder Mauro Manzoni and bringing on defender Claudio Simoni.

Rimini pushed forward looking to at least salvage a point. In the 81st minute they decided to take a risk and took off a full-back Gianpaolo Rossi and threw on another forward Pasquale Traini.

It was a risk too far and in the 84th minute Bigon, without a marker, slotted in Lazio's third, 1-3.

Rimini made one more substitution, in the 87th minute midfielder Giuseppe Donatelli came on for Ciro Bilardi but the contest was over. Final score Rimini 1 Lazio 3.

A slightly flattering score line for the Romans but they had taken advantage of a moment of folly by Parlanti and then the home side's unbalanced tactical setup.

Lazio had been cynical with standout performances by Filippo Citterio, Nando Viola and of course Bigon.

Rimini had battled hard with good games in particular by Mario Buccilli, Carlo Sartori and Guido Biondi.

Lazio were now solitary 2nd on 34 points. Milan had surprisingly lost 1-3 at bottom club Palermo while Cesena had drawn 1-1 with SPAL. The new table read: Milan 37, Lazio 34, Cesena 33, Sampdoria 32, Genoa 30, SPAL 30.

With eleven games to go things were looking up.

Rimini were 13th, on 24 points with Atalanta and Lecce. The C zone was now only two points below (Vicenza had beaten Lecce 1-0).

Who played for Rimini

Petrovic, Rossi (81' Traini), Buccilli, Baldoni, Favero, Parlanti. Biondi, Mazzoni, Saltutti, Bilardi (87' Donatelli), Sartori

Substitutes: Bertoni, Merli, Stoppani

Manager: Bruno

Who played for Lazio

Marigo, Mastropasqua, Citterio, Pochesci, Pighin, Sanguin, Viola, Bigon, Chiodi, Manzoni (68' Simoni), Greco