Friday’s Serie A action offers a heavyweight contest between runaway leaders Napoli and top-four hopefuls Lazio at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. No matter the outcome, the hosts should be waltzing away with a long-awaited Scudetto after stretching their lead at the summit to a staggering 18 points.
Victor Osimhen inspired Napoli to a routine 2-0 triumph at Empoli last weekend, although Mario Rui’s second-half red card cast a shadow on another impressive showing from the Partenopei. That result, combined with Inter’s disheartening 1-0 defeat away to Bologna, helped Luciano Spalletti’s high-flyers take a potentially decisive step toward halting a 33-year Scudetto wait.
With clear daylight between the leading duo, Napoli will be confident about pulling off a second straight Serie A double over Lazio following a hard-earned 2-1 win in the reverse fixture at the Stadio Olimpico. Adding to this sentiment, the Partenopei swept their upcoming opposition aside with an overwhelming 4-0 victory in this corresponding match-up last season.
Unfortunately for Lazio, that defeat forms part of their abysmal seven-game winless streak in Naples in Serie A (D1, L6), spanning back to 2015. But the visitors can draw inspiration from a recent upturn in form. After a 2-0 home loss to Atalanta in early February, Maurizio Sarri’s men have won back-to-back league matches without a replay, including a 2-0 triumph at Salernitana on their most recent top-flight travel.
The continuation of their decent spell of form is imperative if Lazio are to bolster their hopes of securing a first top-four finish since 2019/20. They start this round in fourth, albeit only one point clear of closest competitors, Roma, highlighting the significance of getting a good result here.
Preview
Napoli
Naples has been a formidable city for visiting sides this season, with Napoli going unbeaten in all 11 Serie A matches (W10, D1), including nine wins on the trot since a 1-1 against Lecce in August. On top of that, Spalletti’s charges are scoring at will at the Maradona, netting multiple goals eight times across their last nine home league outings.
Another free-scoring showing from the league’s most prolific frontline is well on the cards. Napoli have netted 3+ goals in each of their last three home encounters against Lazio in Serie A. Interestingly, they’ve won four straight league games ‘to nil’ in the build-up to this clash and could register five successive clean sheets in the top flight for the first time since February 2019.
Player to Watch: Victor Osimhen
Osimhen’s strike at Empoli marked his eighth consecutive scoring outing in Serie A. If he finds the net against Lazio, the sought-after frontman will become only the second player in a three-point-per-win era to score in nine Serie A matches on the spin since David Trezeguet.
Lazio
After losing on back-to-back Serie A travels on either side of the World Cup break, Lazio have gone unbeaten in their last three away league matches (W2, D1). Both wins in that span yielded an identical 2-0 scoreline, though it’s worth noting each came against sides stuck in the lower reaches.
However, Lazio could record three league wins in a row for the first time since last October. At the same time, they face a dangerous prospect of losing five consecutive Serie A meetings with a specific opposition for only the second time in the 21st century after losing their last four games against Napoli by an aggregate score of 13-4.
Player to Watch: Luis Alberto
Following a faltering start to the season, Luis Alberto has hit his stride, most recently scoring a late winner against Sampdoria. It was sixth consecutive league strike to arrive beyond the 55th minute.
Team News
In addition to the suspended Rui, Napoli will be without Giacomo Raspadori, who has yet to recover from a thigh injury he picked up last month.
Meanwhile, Lazio cannot count on Nicolo Casale, who has accumulated yellow cards. But more importantly, veteran winger Pedro faces a race against time to overcome a minor fitness problem.
Napoli vs Lazio Potential Lineups
Napoli (4-3-3): Alex Meret; Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Kim Min-jae, Amir Rrahmani, Olivera; Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Stanislav Lobotka, Elif Elmas; Matteo Politano, Victor Osimhen, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Lazio (4-3-3): Ivan Provedel; Adam Marusic, Alessio Romagnoli, Patric, Elseid Hysaj; Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Danilo Cataldi, Luis Alberto; Felipe Anderson, Ciro Immobile, Mattia Zaccagni.
Napoli vs Lazio Prediction
Despite Lazio’s mini-revival, we firmly back Napoli to keep their flawless home league record intact.
Prediction: Napoli Win
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