Serie A, November 18, 1990
When are highlights not really highlights at all? Showing goals is a given, if there are any, but sometimes the goals alone don’t tell us the whole story. Like a carefully cropped picture we don’t appreciate what’s in the background or the rough edges edited out for clarity.
Scorelines can also be deceptive. Take Sampdoria’s extraordinary 4-1 victory at reigning champions Napoli in mid-November 1990. Watch the brief version of the highlights and you’d think Samp coasted to victory. It featured two outrageous volleys of precision timing, skill, and execution from the Gemelli Del Gol of Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Mancini, and looked like the kind of stylish walloping that entranced audiences around the world when Serie A was at its apex.
Yet it was far from the thrashing it appeared.
As the euphoria from Napoli’s second title win dissipated, they had registered just two wins from the opening eight games and sat uncomfortably in mid-table. Samp, who had finished fifth the previous season, were ahead of schedule unbeaten at the top of the classifica. Despite the disparity in their respective positions, it was the Partenopei who sparkled for the bulk of a magical opening period. Two constellations of stars met in the orbit of the world’s best league and Napoli’s shone brighter as Diego Maradona, Careca and Alemão took immediate control at Stadio San Paolo.
Samp’s scintillating trio of Vialli, Mancini and Attilio Lombardo formed a rapid blaze on the break, but goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca metamorphosed into a shape shifter to keep the score blank. Although not at his unplayable peak Maradona could still instinctively engineer superhuman flashes of sorcery which put a hex on the opposition.
The Samp defence were mesmerized as Diego juggled the ball in the air from head to foot in an audacious early keepie uppie session. Although he momentarily lost possession the incomparable Napoli number 10 intercepted and flicked with the side of his golden left boot in a swift movement which resulted in Fernando De Napoli’s aimless thump off target.
The Blucerchiati barely held on as Pagliuca stretched out a leg like an octopus tentacle to swipe away from Careca. As waves of sky blue surrounded the Doria goal the unorthodox goalkeeper had to remain lynx-eyed to push clear as Massimo Crippa took aim from distance.
Pagliuca turned back into a mere mortal five minutes before the interval.
The irrepressible Maradona scooped a corner on to Careca and from the Brazilian’s flick Giuseppe Incocciati launched himself to head home at an unguarded back post. Jubilation turned to disbelief among the home fans as within seconds Samp countered to level.
A cacophony of whistles accompanied Lombardo as he set off on a typical rampage on the right flank. The winger lofted in a hopeful ball and Vialli profited from an incredible Marco Baroni error. It was an individual catastrophe rather than Catenaccio as the Partenopei defender endured his own personal nightmare. He stooped, hesitated, and completely missed the ball. It fell perfectly for Vialli who chested down and whacked an unstoppable volley past Giovanni Galli.
As if one punch to the solar plexus was not enough Doria inflicted another on Napoli as the half ended. Vialli had drifted wide on numerous occasions and took on the role of winger to chip into the box. Mancini won a grappling contest against Giancarlo Corradini and dove to sneak a header home.
Boos echoed round the San Paolo as the Blucerchiati emerged with an inconceivable advantage. Not only had they survived but somehow landed two counter shots after withstanding a barrage pinned back on the ropes.
The same thrillingly unpredictable and open pattern continued as Napoli’s coach Alberto Bigon stuck with the same game plan: relentless attack. Alemão made it his mission to restore parity and unleashed from an unfeasible range. The ball bounced unfavourably in front of Pagliuca who sacrificed his body to block. The shot-stopper displayed the reflexes of a star-nosed mole to divert De Napoli’s rebound to safety and injured his shoulder in the process.
The Samp number one carried on but was helpless as Alemão nearly broke the crossbar with a ferocious drive. Amid the on-field fury there were several small instances of sportsmanship and camaraderie. Vialli patted disconsolate Italy team-mate Ciro Ferrara on the head and Lombardo readily passed a water bottle from the Samp physio bag to a parched Maradona. These minor acts were understandably omitted from the best bits of the game but showed a mutual respect between competing professionals.
Doria coach Vujadin Boškov clenched both fists and barked messages of motivation from the touchline as his side seemed set to crumble. The Serbian’s message eventually filtered through as Srečko Katanec, Fausto Pari and Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko began to make some headway in midfield. The latter miscontrolled outside the Napoli penalty area and the ball propelled forward in the air.
Vialli, who had unselfishly posed as a defender during the Napoli onslaught, kept his eyes skyward and with impeccable technique and balance sent a left-foot volley high into the net. A world class goal which combined athleticism, co-ordination, and supreme confidence, it effectively sealed an improbable victory with 30 minutes left on the clock.
Maradona was rarely outshone but still managed one last flash of genius. An exquisite flick over the shoulder and cross fed Corradini who headed through a raft of bodies to strike the base of the post.
However, the most unforgettable moment of an extraordinary contest came after regulation time expired.
The match was settled, the score misleadingly emphatic but Lombardo still possessed boundless energy. The winger accelerated from inside the Samp half and left two Napoli defenders trailing like marathon runners in a 100-metre race. He turned on the turbo boosters to bomb down the right channel and curled in an inviting deep centre.
Mancini composed himself, leaned back slightly and connected with the outside of his right boot to send a volley of stunning perfection high into the net via the post. The Napoli tifosi burst into spontaneous applause. Only the most exceptionally gifted can score in such utterly spectacular fashion. Mancini was one of a select few capable of producing a strike of aesthetic beauty and finesse. It remains one of the finest goals in the modern era of Italian football.
As the final whistle blew Napoli were left to reflect on a defeat which may have felt like outright robbery. Quick snippet highlights didn’t reflect their dominance. Yet there can be no doubt Samp’s clinical counterattack and magnificent front pairing were more than worthy of victory.
The goal twins of Vialli and Mancini recorded a magnificent double double and were the highest rated all-stars in a league stocked full of players from a different planet. Maradona’s sporadic brilliance was evident in just 18 league appearances as Napoli finished a lacklustre campaign in eighth place outside the European places.
Doria stayed at the summit of Serie A to claim an implausible, glorious first Scudetto with the away triumph at Napoli one of many on a memorable highlight reel.
Enjoyed this? Take a look at Stephen’s All Time Sampdoria XI.