Napoli conquers the Olimpico: Lazio defeated 2-0, brawl in the final minutes and three red cards.

Napoli kicked off the new year as they closed the previous one, with a show of strength that weighed heavily on their standings and morale. After their victory over Roma over a month ago, the Azzurri stormed the Stadio Olimpico once again, defeating Maurizio Sarri's Lazio 2-0, securing a double victory and breaking a six-game winless streak against the Biancocelesti.

Antonio Conte's team took control of the game from the opening minutes, controlling possession and imposing a high tempo, causing problems for Lazio, deprived of Castellanos (who has joined West Ham), who were forced to struggle, especially on the flanks. A deserved lead came in the 13th minute: Politano broke down the right and delivered a perfect cross to the far post, where Spinazzola beat Cancellieri and beat Provedel with a precise pass.

Napoli didn't slow down and continued to dominate the game with determination, relying on the quality of Lobotka and the physicality of McTominay. On the half-hour mark, they doubled their lead from a set piece, with Rrahmani rising to head home the ball to make it 2-0. Before halftime, the Azzurri almost made it three through Elmas, whose header hit the crossbar.

In the second half, Lazio attempted a change of pace with substitutes, but the play remained fruitless, and Napoli continued to control the game with order. In the 78th minute, Elmas came close again, this time missing another Politano cross by inches. The game became more tense in the closing stages, with Lazio reduced to ten men after Noslin received a second yellow card, and the increasingly tense atmosphere led to the dismissals of Marusic and Mazzocchi.

In the middle, there was also room for a crossbar hit by Guendouzi and for Napoli to worry about Neres' injury, forced off and to be evaluated in the coming hours. At the final whistle, the roars from the away fans' stands told the story of the match better than any commentary, with Napoli dominating and Lazio increasingly distant from the Champions League places.