Preview: Napoli vs Lazio – Team News, Lineups & Prediction

Stadio Diego Armando Maradona units the stage for a mouth-watering Serie A showdown between Napoli and Lazio. Saturday night’s conflict in Naples might decide the destiny of the Scudetto with 5 video games to go.

With Inter beating Cagliari 3-0 at San Siro final night time, Napoli can’t afford a slip-up right here in the event that they’re to take care of slim probabilities of defending their title. Certainly, Antonio Conte’s males presently path the runaway leaders by a whopping 12 factors regardless of profitable 5 of their final six league matches.

Final weekend’s 1-1 draw at Parma might come again to hang-out Napoli down the title race’s remaining stretch, although one other top-four end appears to be like like a digital certainty. Nonetheless, the reigning Serie A holders can be out to carry up their finish of the cut price and full their first league double over Lazio for the reason that 2021/22 season following a 2-0 win in January’s reverse fixture.

Avenging that loss received’t change a lot for the guests, who’re heading towards a disappointing mid-table end after a tough marketing campaign. Again-to-back winless video games (D1, L1) have left the Biancocelesti hovering in mid-table mediocrity, 13 factors adrift of sixth-placed Roma. As such, Maurizio Sarri’s aspect can’t realistically hope to make a late push for European qualification.

Match Preview

Napoli

A gut-wrenching stalemate at Stadio Ennio Tardini ended Napoli’s longest profitable league streak this season (5), in all probability extinguishing any lingering hope of overtaking Inter on the prime of the desk. Subsequently, ending the 2025/26 season with no single defeat on the Maradona Stadium may very well be the hosts’ major goal.

Certainly, Napoli began this spherical as the one Serie A aspect but to lose a house match this time period (W11, D4), profitable their final three league video games right here by a single-goal margin. That has been a recurring theme for the Partenopei this season, provided that they’ve received a league-high 14 outings by advantage of a one-goal margin, highlighting the potential for one more tight affair.

Conte wouldn’t thoughts eking out one other slim victory, particularly after his aspect went winless in 5 consecutive Serie A conferences with Lazio (D2, L3) earlier than January’s triumph on the Stadio Olimpico. Taking a halftime lead may very well be decisive for Napoli, contemplating they’ve received all seven house league matches when main on the break this season.

Lazio

Fiorentina knocked Lazio down from a five-game unbeaten streak in all competitions on Monday with a hard-earned 1-0 win (W3, D2). Because of this, the guests may very well be mathematically dominated out of a top-six race on the finish of this spherical, although a possible win in Naples would seemingly solely postpone the inevitable.

Beating Napoli on hostile turf would a minimum of bolster Lazio’s morale forward of a ‘make or break’ Coppa Italia semi-final second-leg conflict in opposition to Atalanta subsequent Wednesday. Certainly, Sarri’s workforce shared the spoils with La Dea in a dramatic 2-2 first-leg draw final month, leaving this heavyweight tie evenly poised forward of the return fixture in Bergamo.

Nevertheless, taking three factors on the Maradona Stadium might show simpler stated than performed, with Lazio securing only one win on their final six Serie A street journeys (D3, L2). Moreover, an uneventful first half may very well be on the playing cards, provided that Lazio’s 16 away league matches this season have produced simply six objectives earlier than the halftime interval.

Staff Information

Napoli can’t rely on captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo and long-term absentees Romelu Lukaku and David Neres. Proficient winger Antonio Vergara can also be within the pits, however Conte can draw confidence from Amir Rrahmani’s return from damage. Furthermore, star playmaker Kevin De Bruyne is more likely to make his fourth consecutive league begin, searching for his first objective contribution since October.

However, Lazio will take this journey with out Adam Marusic, Nicolo Rovella, and beginning goalkeeper Ivan Provedel, who’re nonetheless recovering from accidents. Regardless of resuming full coaching, Mario Gila and Samuel Gigot are unlikely to make the beginning lineup. Final however not least, Daniel Maldini stays a significant doubt, with Boulaye Dia anticipated to take his place in assault.

Napoli vs Lazio Potential Beginning Lineups

Napoli (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Good morning, Olivera; Politano, Anguissa, Lobotka, Spinazzola; De Bruyne, McTominay; Hojlund.

Lazio (4-3-3): Motta; Lazzari, Romagnoli, Provstgaard, Tavares; Fundamental, Cataldi, Taylor; Isaksen, Dia, Zaccagni.

Napoli vs Lazio Prediction

Regardless of final weekend’s blip in Emilia-Romagna, Napoli might instantly return to profitable methods in opposition to travel-sick Lazio. Certainly, with the guests more likely to prioritize the upcoming Coppa Italia conflict in opposition to Atalanta, this can be an ideal alternative for the Partenopei to bounce again.

Prediction: Napoli to Win

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