Lazio's Flamini-inspired triumph

Simon Basten

Oct 29, 2022

3 min read

Season 1949-50

Game 9, Serie A

Sunday, October 30, 1949

Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa

Sampdoria Lazio 2-5

Flamini produced a magnificent all-round display as Lazio overwhelmed Sampdoria scoring five times in a brilliant second-half performance

Today was game nine of Serie A. Lazio were mid-table on eight points but they had crushed Roma 3-1 in the derby.

The match

Lazio produced one of their most impressive performances of the 1949-50 season at the Luigi Ferraris, sweeping aside Sampdoria 5-2 in front of 15,000 spectators. The result was a fair reflection of the difference between the two sides, with Lazio taking complete control after an initially difficult opening.

Sampdoria started brightly and tested Lucidio Sentimenti twice in the opening five minutes, with the Lazio goalkeeper making excellent saves on Adriano Bassetto shots. After that, however, the game belonged almost entirely to the visitors.

Mario Sperone had sprung a surprise by initially deploying Flavio Cecconi in midfield rather than his usual attacking position. The move helped unsettle Sampdoria, who had clearly expected Cecconi to play further forward. Lazio soon began to dominate with quick passing, intelligent movement and attacks involving five players.

The opening goal arrived after eight minutes. Enrique Flamini took a corner and sent a dangerous, curling delivery towards goal. The ball travelled directly into the net at mid-height, leaving the Sampdoria defence and goalkeeper helpless.

Flamini was at the heart of everything Lazio did. Wearing the number eight shirt, he seemed to be everywhere, dropping back to defend, pushing forward to attack and directing his team's play. He also kept close watch on Sampdoria's inside forward and rarely put a foot wrong.

The second half turned into a procession.

Barely a minute after the restart, Aldo Puccinelli collected the ball on the left, dribbled past two defenders and left goalkeeper Pietro Bonetti beaten before finding Flamini, who finished the move emphatically.

Four minutes later Lazio struck again. A free-kick from midfield was floated into the Sampdoria penalty area and Ferenc Nyers II met it first time, sending a fierce shot into the net for 3-0.

The fourth followed after ten minutes of the second half. Nyers II produced a clever feint to leave Edy Gratton standing before cutting inside and finding Flamini. The Argentine made no mistake, completing his hat-trick and taking Lazio's advantage to four goals.

Sampdoria finally found a response through Arnaldo Lucentini, who received the ball from Giuseppe Baldini and picked out the bottom corner after 71 minutes. It mattered little. Lazio immediately restored their four-goal advantage five minutes later when Norbert Hofling combined with Flamini before releasing Puccinelli, who had the simplest of finishes.

Lucentini scored again three minutes from time after escaping down the right and beating Sentimenti IV, but the final stages belonged to Lazio. Nyers II even struck the post with an effort that would have made the scoreline still more emphatic.

The final whistle confirmed a 5-2 Lazio victory, but the scoreline arguably did not convey the extent of their superiority. Sampdoria had managed eight corners to Lazio's three, yet the visitors had controlled the game through their passing, movement and attacking efficiency.

Flamini was the outstanding figure. He scored three goals, created attacks, defended when required and controlled the midfield. His performance was so impressive that he received a sustained ovation from the Genoa crowd as he left the pitch.

It was not simply Sampdoria's defeat. It was a Lazio triumph, achieved with a level of football that left the home supporters applauding the visitors at the final whistle.

Who played for Sampdoria

Bonetti, Gratton, Arrighini, Ballico, Bertani, Mannocci, Lucentini, Bassetto, Baldini, Gei, Sabbatella

Manager: Baloncieri

Who played for Lazio

Sentimenti IV, Piacentini, Furiassi, Alzani, Remondini, Sentimenti III, Puccinelli, Flamini, Hofling, Cecconi, Nyers II