After the elimination inflicted on Napoli in the Coppa Italia, Lazio repeated itself in the championship with a narrow victory over Maradona, winning 1-0 thanks to a goal from Isaksen in the second half. The Biancocelesti's success gives Atalanta the sole lead in Serie A with 34 points, while Antonio Conte's team slips to second place with 32 points. Lazio, with 31 points, joins Inter and Fiorentina in third place, reigniting the fight for the top of the table.
After the turnover in the Italian Cup, Conte deploys his best: the offensive trident formed by Politano, Lukaku and Kvaratskhelia, supported in midfield by McTominay, Anguissa and Lobotka. In defense, Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno and Olivera are confirmed in front of Meret. Baroni's Lazio responds with the return of Dia and Tavares, while Castellanos leads the attack. In midfield, space for Dele Bashiru and Guendouzi, with Noslin and Isaksen ready to strike on the wings.
Napoli started strong and almost took the lead in the 3rd minute, when Di Lorenzo served Politano who crossed for McTominay: the sure shot was neutralized by a great intervention by Provedel. Lazio responded in the 20th minute with Isaksen, whose powerful left-footed shot from the edge found Meret ready to deflect it into a corner.
In the 22nd minute, Tavares finds Castellanos with a precise cross, but the Biancoceleste striker's header ends just wide. Napoli becomes dangerous again in the 36th minute with a shot from Politano from the edge, while in the 47th minute a free kick from Kvaratskhelia grazes the top corner, leaving the score locked at 0-0 at half-time.
It might interest you
Neres fired up the pre-match discussion: "I left Benfica for Napoli. I wanted Serie A."
Napoli, Conte challenges Mourinho: "Courage and a clear head against Benfica."
Lukaku is back on track: Napoli sees the light. "See you soon."
Conte applauds the team: "Energy, tactical rigor, and a sense of responsibility."
Second Half: Isaksen's Pearl Freezes Maradona
The second half opens with a sensational opportunity for Lazio: in the 51st minute, Dele Bashiru unleashes a shot from twenty metres that hits the crossbar, making the MaradonaNapoli responded in the 71st minute with Anguissa, whose header from a corner hit the post, leaving Provedel immobile.
The turning point came in the 79th minute: Noslin served a perfect ball to Isaksen, who controlled it, swerved to the edge of the area and with a surgical left-footed shot found the far corner, beating Meret for 0-1. Conte tried everything by bringing on Neres, Gilmour and Raspadori, but the final push from the Neapolitans did not bear fruit. Lazio defended with order and took home a very important victory, confirming themselves among the protagonists of this Serie A.
Napoli's Tale suffers another setback against Lazio, complicating its pursuit of the title. Meanwhile, Atalanta celebrates its solitary lead, while Baroni's team relaunches itself in the race for the top with a performance to frame. The fight for the Scudetto is in full swing.
Comments (1)
It was a very intense match, but honestly I think Napoli had the chance to do more. Isaksen scored a good goal, but Napoli wasted too many chances in my opinion. Lazio deserves credit for the victory.