Lazio vs Napoli Review
Napoli ended up with a 2-2 draw against Lazio in an away match, marking their third failure to win in this head-to-head matchup this season. The home team started off strong, taking the lead within the first six minutes. Although Alex Meret made a good save from a free-kick by Mattia Zaccagni, the ball fell to Gustav Isaksen from the subsequent corner, and he fired an unstoppable shot into the top corner.
Napoli equalized shortly after with their only shot of the first half, as Giacomo Raspadori received a pass from Romelu Lukaku, cut inside, and scored. This goal seemed to provoke Lazio, who controlled the remainder of the half. Taty Castellanos narrowly missed a shot from distance before having to leave the game due to injury. Nicolò Rovella also tested Meret with a shot from the edge of the box, but the score remained tied at halftime.
Antonio Conte clearly motivated his players during the halftime break, as Napoli came out much stronger at the beginning of the second half. Lukaku attempted a shot from the edge of the area, forcing an early save from Ivan Provedel. Their efforts eventually resulted in a goal when Adam Marušić accidentally redirected the ball into his own net while trying to intercept a pass. Just three minutes later, Zaccagni thought he had equalized for Lazio against the run of play, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Marco Baroni’s team continued to push for a late equalizer, and in the 87th minute, Boulaye Dia thrilled the home crowd with a shot from the edge of the box that hit the post and went in. This was a significant setback for Napoli, who, despite extending their unbeaten away league streak to 12 games, opened the possibility for Inter Milan to potentially surpass them at the top of the table. Meanwhile, Lazio is also in a precarious position, as despite securing a hard-fought point, they risk falling out of the top four if Juventus wins this weekend.
