Lazio fight back to earn a point in Turin
Game 2, Serie A
Sunday, September 12, 1965
Stadio Comunale, Turin
Torino Lazio 2-2
Lazio recover from a poor start to draw in Turin, as Torino's early dominance fades and Mannocci's side take advantage of their superior fitness
Lazio had started the season with a 1-0 win in Coppa Italia at Alessandria, then in the first fixture of Serie A had drawn 0-0 at home with Milan. Today was game 2.
The match
Lazio began the 1965–66 Serie A season with a hard-earned 2–2 draw against Torino at the Stadio Comunale, in a match that changed dramatically after the hosts dominated the opening stages before running out of energy. Lazio were fortunate to remain within touching distance at half-time, but their superior fitness eventually allowed them to take control and recover from two goals down.
Torino were effectively playing with ten men for much of the match after Giorgio Ferrini suffered a serious ankle problem in the fourth minute. Although Ferrini returned to the field and later moved into a wide position, he was largely unable to contribute. Yet the injury did little to diminish Torino's early dominance. Lazio's tactical decisions only made matters worse, with Paolo Carosi, normally one of their most important midfielders, assigned to mark Gigi Meroni at right-back. Diego Zanetti was instead asked to follow Ferrini, leaving Lazio without Carosi in the centre of the pitch.
Torino immediately exploited the situation. Meroni and Alberto Orlando repeatedly troubled the Lazio defence, while Giorgio Puia and Roberto Rosato controlled midfield. After several dangerous attacks and two corners, Torino finally took the lead in the 19th minute. Puia exchanged passes with Orlando before reaching the byline and crossing. Lazio goalkeeper Idilio Cei could only parry the ball, and Meroni reacted quickest to fire the rebound into the net.
Lazio struggled to create anything at the other end. Antonio Renna and Nicola Ciccolo were repeatedly anticipated by the Torino defence, while Vito D'Amato found himself closely watched by Puia and Rosato. Their best opportunity came on 21 minutes, when Nello Governato created space on the right and D'Amato met the cross with a volley. The young forward, however, chose to shoot rather than square the ball to Ciccolo, who was completely unmarked.
Torino continued to threaten and came close to doubling their lead. On one occasion Orlando broke into the area and was brought down by Pietro Dotti, but referee Carminati decided against awarding a penalty. It was a major let-off for Lazio, who might otherwise have faced a two-goal deficit.
The momentum began to shift towards the end of the first half. Lazio's improved pressure produced a fine move involving Renna, Carosi and Ciccolo, whose effort struck the post on 31 minutes, although the referee had already ruled the attack offside. Puia then had to clear another dangerous Lazio attack, while the visitors finished the half with increasing confidence.
Umberto Mannocci nevertheless made no immediate tactical changes after the interval. Zanetti remained in his uncomfortable role, Carosi continued to mark Meroni and Bruno Bolchi was allowed to dictate Torino's midfield play. But Torino's extraordinary first-half effort had taken its toll. As their intensity faded, Lazio's superior physical condition became increasingly important.
Governato and Dotti began to push forward more frequently, giving Lazio greater control of the midfield. Meroni, who had been magnificent in the opening period, also began to fade after his relentless running. Torino were no longer able to maintain their earlier pressure, and Lazio gradually took command.
The match subsequently became an open and increasingly unpredictable contest. Torino were still capable of dangerous counterattacks, but Lazio were now finding much more space in the final third. The visitors eventually turned their pressure into goals, recovering from their poor start to level the contest and then move ahead.
In the 57th minute, from a corner, Carosi crossed and Rosato intervened too carelessly. Governato was quick to steal the ball from him, passed to D'Amato, who volleyed it home with a powerful finish.
Against a struggling Torino side that was practically down to ten men from the start, Lazio persisted, taking the lead in the 74th minute. D'Amato stubbornly recovered a ball cleared by the Torino defense and crossed it back to the center, finding Ciccolo's header, who was unforgiving.
The lead, however, lasted only four minutes, as Torino equalized through Simoni, capitalizing on a delightful assist from Meroni. Gigi Simoni himself could have secured the two points in the closing minutes, but he found himself faced with a superb Cei, who magnificently saved the striker's sure-fire header.
The final 2–2 was ultimately regarded as a fair result, although the performance of the two teams followed almost opposite trajectories. Torino were outstanding for the first 25 minutes but subsequently suffered badly from their lack of fitness. Lazio, meanwhile, were tactically disjointed early on but grew stronger as the match progressed.
For Mannocci, the draw offered both encouragement and a warning. Lazio's fitness had rescued them, while the contributions of Governato and Dotti in the second half demonstrated the importance of allowing the midfield to move forward. But the decision to remove Carosi from the centre and the problems caused by the defensive assignments had given Torino far too much control.
In the end, Lazio had survived a difficult opening examination and left Turin with a point. The result showed their resilience, but also suggested that Mannocci still had considerable work to do in finding the right balance in his side.
Who played for Torino
Manager: Rocco
Who played for Lazio
Manager: Mannocci
Referee: Carminati
Goals: 18' Meroni, 57' D'Amato, 74' Ciccolo, 78' Simoni
Sources
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