Middlesbrough v Lazio 4/11/04

[Corcaigh_the_Cat]

Took my daughter and her friend to that one, it was her friend's birthday the day after. Fantastic evening in the town then the match. Where have the 20 years gone?

 

[YogiBaird]

Brilliant memories.

For anyone old enough to remember the Anglo-Italian Cup matches at Ayresome, that Lazio game was a pinch yourself moment.

I never missed an Anglo Italian game. As I thought this would be the closest thing I’d see to European football for Middlesbrough. How wrong was! I may struggle again to see European football at Boro in my lifetime unfortunately.

 

[Alzi]

Brilliant game. In the North Stand for that one. Zenden and Downing ripped them a new one.

I remember Di Canio playing and doing very little.

 

[t4tomo]

Great night that. Without any disrespect to Banik Ostrava and Egaleo, it felt like our first European game against a proper side and we won comfortably and you felt actually we deserve to be here and we can do quite well in this European football malarky

 

[parnabyscrosses]

I'm not sure I'd agree they were a shadow of their selves, we just made them look ordinary. The Serie A hadn't really weakened by the time we played them, and they'd finished 6th the season before, having won it a few years prior under Sven. It was a strong Lazio team with a top coach.

Not to play it down but they really were a shadow of their former selves at that point. I had a great night and it’s a great memory, they certainly weren’t a bad team but they finished 13th that season and for me the only players I knew that night were Oddo and Di Canio.

 

[Centralscrutinizer]

20 years ago. WOW

 

[Centralscrutinizer]

Teams

 

[TheYorkshireTerrier]

I was 10 years old and thinking this must just be normal for a Boro fan.

 

[NorthumberlandBoro]

Attendance being reported as 33,991, but from memory I thought it was 28k.

Edit: I think I I'm wrong, looks pretty rammed from the highlights.

 

[Beverleyred]

Brilliant game, I was still buzzing all the way home to Hampshire.

 

[parnabyscrosses]

Attendance being reported as 33,991, but from memory I thought it was 28k.

I thought the same, our home European games at the Riverside were generally quite poorly attended, I remember there was only about 24k for the Basel game.

 

[Johngannonsunderpants]

Their right back, Massimo Oddo, was a seasoned Italy international, and 20 year old Stewy Downing absolutely destroyed him.

I was about to write that. He completely destroyed him, turned him inside out.

 

[Otto42]

One of my favourite games. Felt like we had really arrived among the big boys. Drew at Old Trafford the weekend after and beat Liverpool at home a week or so later iirc. Makes me happy and sad in equal measure.

 

[The_Big_Woodowski]

20 years ago, wow.

still feels like it was about 5 years ago. Feeling old now!

After sitting through eras of Strachen, Agnew, Monk, Pullis and Warnock, it feels like 200, never mind 20

 

[Borobuddah]

I never missed an Anglo Italian game. As I thought this would be the closest thing I’d see to European football for Middlesbrough. How wrong was! I may struggle again to see European football at Boro in my lifetime unfortunately.

Me too the fulfilment of my life’s dream, don’t care if I never witness it again, I did it once. I’m not greedy.

I think my kids will see it though, what a legacy to leave them

 

[Billyzin]

What a night that was.
We've had some wonderful matches under the floodlights over the years.
Hard to believe it was 20 years ago though!