Both defeated by Inter Milan in the Supercoppa Italiana, Lazio and Napoli will resume Serie A action on Sunday evening as they clash at Stadio Olimpico.
Match Preview
Lazio has been steadily climbing up the standings, securing four consecutive league victories against Empoli, Frosinone, Udinese, and Lecce, all of whom are in the bottom half of the table.
They also defeated arch-rivals Roma in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals. Maurizio Sarri, Lazio’s coach, aims to achieve five straight Serie A wins for the first time during his tenure.
After a slow start to the season, Lazio has made significant progress, currently sitting in the top six. They also have a Champions League match against Bayern Munich to prepare for next month.
Before their clash with Bayern Munich, Lazio will face Atalanta BC and Napoli, both top-four contenders. They will then take on Cagliari away, which could prove to be a challenging match.
Sarri, who previously managed Napoli, is now seeking a third consecutive league win over his former club, following their earlier 2-1 victory in Naples.
On the other hand, Napoli recently suffered a defeat in the Supercoppa final against Inter Milan after Giovanni Simeone was sent off and Lautaro Martinez scored a stoppage-time winner.
The reigning champions have had a disappointing season, currently sitting ninth in Serie A. While they still have a chance of qualifying for the Champions League and are also in the knockout phase of this season’s competition, they need a significant shift in momentum.
Napoli’s recent league form has been inconsistent, and they are looking to secure back-to-back league victories for the first time since September.
However, Napoli has struggled in their away matches, losing their last three without scoring a goal. They will face added pressure as they continue to underperform at home.
Interestingly, Napoli has a strong away record against Lazio, winning eight of their last ten Serie A away games against them and scoring 20 goals in the process.
Team News
Lazio will be without Mattia Zaccagni and captain Ciro Immobile, who are both serving suspensions.
Taty Castellanos and Gustav Isaksen are expected to provide attacking inspiration. Spanish center-back Patric may also miss the match due to a shoulder injury.
Napoli, on the other hand, is dealing with several absences. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Giovanni Simeone, and Jens Cajuste are suspended, while Frank Anguissa, Victor Osimhen, Alex Meret, Mathias Olivera, and Natan are either injured or on international duty. New signings Leander Dendoncker and Cyril Ngonge could feature in the lineup.
Possible Lineups
Lazio: (4-3-3)
Provedel;
Lazzari, Gila, Romagnoli, Marusic;
Guendouzi, Rovella, Alberto;
Isaksen, Castellanos, Anderson
Napoli: (3-4-3)
Gollini;
Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Jesus;
Mazzocchi, Lobotka, Zielinski, Rui;
Politano, Raspadori, Ngonge
Prediction: Lazio 1-1 Napoli
Lazio and Napoli have not drawn any of their last 14 Serie A matches, with Napoli winning 10 and Lazio winning four.
However, given the absences on both teams and their potential satisfaction with a point, a draw could be on the cards.
