Former players Ballotta and Rocchi come back to haunt Treviso

Dag Jenkins
Jan 29, 2024
4 min read

Season 2005-06

Game 12, Serie A

Sunday, January 29, 2006

Stadio Omobono Tenni, Treviso

Treviso Lazio 0-1

Superb saves by veteran keeper and late goal by striker give Lazio lucky three points

In the first league game of the season, on August 28, Lazio had defeated Messina thanks to a Goran Pandev goal in the first half. An underwhelming performance but a winning start at least.

The atmosphere surrounding the club however was heavy with the fan base unsatisfied with the owner Claudio Lotito's lack of ambition and investment in the transfer market.

Since then however Lazio had done decently, nothing exceptional but better than expected, winning 6 (including Treviso 3-1 at home), drawing 9 (including derby 1-1) and losing 5. The Biancocelesti were 9th on 30 points.

Treviso were currently joint bottom with Lecce on 13 points (5 from safety, Parma and Messina on 18). The Trevigiani had won 2 (Reggina 2-1 away and Lecce 2-1 at home), drawn 7 (including recent 1-1 at Livorno) and lost 12 (8 times by a single goal margin).

A game today that Lazio really had to win if they wanted to push for the European slots.

The match

A cold but dry day attracted a little over 5,000 spectators to the small stadium just north-east of the city centre. Traditionally Treviso is more of a rugby, volleyball and basketball town than football.

Lazio had to do without goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi, defender Sebastiano Siviglia, midfielders Valon Behrami, Christian Manfredini and Fabio Liverani plus forward Paolo Di Canio.

Treviso were missing defenders Andrea Dossena and Gustavo, midfielders Emanuele and Antonio Filippini plus forward Dino Fava Passaro.

Both sides started cautiously. Lazio sat deep while Treviso were careful not to be caught on the break.

The first chance was for the hosts as André Pinga threatened with a curling freekick but Marco Ballotta dived to his left and blocked.

Lazio who were missing their playmaker Liverani, had difficulty in constructing decent moves. In the 20th minute former Treviso Tommaso Rocchi had Lazio's first shot at goal but it did not worry Adriano Zancopė. In the 28th minute Rocchi was more dangerous with a shot-cum-cross that went slightly off target.

A minute later Treviso responded with a Francesco Parravicini left-footed effort just over the bar. The hosts then had the biggest chance of the half. Former Roma Gianni Gigou crossed and Marco Borriello headed towards goal but Ballotta stretched out and with the help of the post put the ball out for a corner. Halftime Treviso 0 Lazio 0.

A blocked first half but with the Trevigiani just about on top on points.

There were no changes during the interval.

The second half continued in the same pattern. Ballotta saved on Pinga, there was a penalty appeal by the hosts for a possible foul by Luciano Zauri on Reginaldo and for Lazio Ousmane Dabo tried a crack on a freekick but it was central and low so Zancopè gathered.

In the 57th minute Alberto Cavasin decided to go for it more and replaced defender Carlos Valdez for midfielder Blažej Vaščák while Paolo Hernan Dellafiore then dropped back into defence.

Delio Rossi responded five minutes later, putting on big Albanian striker Igli Tare for Danish midfielder Christian Keller. Lazio however very rarely got the ball into shooting positions let alone into the opponents' area.

Treviso on the other hand pushed forward. Ballotta was kept busy by a Gigou freekick and by a Parravicini right-footed attempt.

The home side now were dominating. In the 69th minute Pinga took a seemingly winning freekick but veteran Ballotta somehow got a hand to it again and pushed it onto the post.

At this point Rossi decided to cover up and took off an out of sorts Goran Pandev and threw on defender Manuel Belleri.

Still the Veneti looked for the breakthrough as Ballotta was forced to work overtime on a William Viali strike.

Treviso piled players forward as Lazio gave the impression they lacked the strength to even try anything on the counterattack.

A school boy error as in the 87th minute the Romans struck out of the blue. Massimo Oddo got in a good cross and Rocchi beat a badly organised offside movement, rose up and headed, Zancopè touched it but was unable to keep it out, 0-1.

Lazio then buttoned up even more and took off the Venetian match winner and put on midfielder Domenico Giallombardo.

The referee only gave two minutes of added time but Treviso had nothing more to give, in fact it was Lazio who almost grabbed another but Tare, charging forward on the left, was denied on a one-on-one with the keeper, it would have been too much. Final score Treviso 0 Lazio 1.

An undeserved win for Lazio who had been second best for almost the whole game. Too many absences but also a negative and excessively defensive approach.

Treviso were unlucky. Two posts, brilliant saves by a former keeper of 42 years of age and finally a late winner by another former player...things could not have gone much worse.

Lazio were now solitary 8th, on 33 points and four from Europe.

Treviso were still joint bottom, on 13 points with Lecce but now six points from safety (Cagliari on 19, as Parma and Messina had both won).

Who played for Treviso

Zancopè, Valdez (57' Vascak), Viali, Cottafava, Maggio, Parravicini, Dellafiore, Pinga, Guigou, Borriello, Reginaldo

Substitutes: Handanovic, Giuliatto, Baseggio, De Martino, Anderson, Acquafresca

Manager: Cavasin

Who played for Lazio

Ballotta, Oddo, Stendardo, Cribari, Zauri, Keller (62' Tare), Mudingayi, Dabo, Mauri, Rocchi (89' Giallombardo), Pandev (75' Belleri)