Forty-five years ago Gianni Rivera he played his last official match in his career and number 501 in Serie A. The 30th matchday of the 1978/1979 Serie A championship included Lazio-Milan and the Rossoneri midfielder was deployed as a starter in the match which ended 1-1 technician Nils Liedholm. That championship was won by the Devil, but obviously that match at the Olimpico will be remembered for other reasons. Furthermore, the Italian remained on the pitch for only 45 minutes, after which he was replaced and Fabio Capello came on in his place. In his palmares he boasts 3 Serie A, 4 Italian Cup, 2 Champions Cup, 2 Cup Winners’ Cup, an Intercontinental Cup, a European Championship with Italy and also a Ballon d’Or.
Returning to the story of the match, Milan took the lead in the 8th minute thanks to a goal from Alberto Bigon, who was able to convert an assist from Stefano Chiodi with his left foot. In the 32nd minute, however, the Biancocelesti managed to put everything back on equal terms with Bruno Giordano’s goal, his 19th goal of the season. From then on the game slipped away without any particular rings or jolts. Below are the official lineups for that match:
Lazio: Cacciatori, Perrone, Ammoniaci, Martini, Badiani, Lopez, Viola, Manfredonia, D’Amico, Garlaschelli, Giordano. Coach: Lovati.
Milan: Albertosi, Baresi, Bet, Collovati, Maldera, Morini, Buriani, Bigon, Rivera, Novellino, Chiodi. Coach: Liedholm.
