Napoli will aim to keep their 100% record in Serie A going when they meet last season’s runners-up, Lazio, who are yet to get off the mark.
The Napoli players are taking on new manager Rudi Garcia’s ideas all too well as they secured yet another impressive victory to keep their 100% record in the campaign going ahead of the clash against Lazio. The reigning champions saw off Sassuolo, with Victor Osimhen scoring from the spot and then skipper Giovanni Di Lorenzo adding another.
The visitors were reduced to ten men right after the break, which allowed Garcia’s side to ease through to full-time. Reigning Capocannoniere Osimhen scored his third goal already this season, as Napoli have carried on with their stunning form from last season into this one.
Garcia’s men are not only scoring and taking three points with regularity, but they are also posting some impressive numbers on both ends of the pitch. Defensively, they look astute in addition to their stunning form in the final third. Now, they take on last season’s runners-up, Lazio and their former manager, Maurizio Sarri, at the Stadio Maradona.
Sarri will have worries coming into this clash owing to their bad start to their season and overall record against Napoli since 2016. Lazio have three wins and ten losses in thirteen games against their opponents, but they will take hope from their most recent match at this venue, which ended in a victory.
"Lo scudetto è stato assegnato ieri con l'arrivo di #Lukaku alla #Roma" #SSLazio #calciomercato #Guendouzi #AI #Ciampino #NapoliLazio pic.twitter.com/12bblUQPbj
— Maurizio Sarri 🅟🅐🅡🅞🅓🅨 (@maurizio__sarri) August 30, 2023
That stat will not take the focus away from the current reality of Sarri’s men, who are yet to get off the mark in Serie A. Lazio lost out to Lecce away from home on the opening weekend, and then Genoa managed a narrow win over them in Rome last weekend.
If they manage to lose against Napoli, Sarri’s men will create unwanted history as Lazio, never in their history, have lost the first three games of a Serie A campaign. The manager will certainly hope that doesn’t happen, but their form points in the other direction compared to Garcia’s side.
Team News & Tactics
Napoli
Rudi Garcia will thank his stars for a fully fit squad, as he could make slight changes to the team that has won their two games so far. The one significant change on the bench would be the introduction of new arrival Jesper Lindstorm for the departed Hirving Lozano.
“Ciao a tutti i tifosi del Napoli, sono felicissimo di essere qui. Non vedo l’ora di giocare davanti a tutti voi!
Forza Napoli!”💙 #anew3ra #FromNapoliToTheWorld pic.twitter.com/OWlejEfVoW
— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) August 30, 2023
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was only preferred as a bench option against Sassuolo despite returning to full fitness and might push for a start. Giacomo Raspadori, who has performed exceptionally well, should feel gutted to lose his place in the front three. However, Garcia will feel the Georgian will add a new dimension to a game of this magnitude.
Osimhen will aim to become only the fourth Napoli player to score in each of the team’s first three games as he will lead the line for Garcia’s men. Having his partner in crime, Kvaratskhelia, back will only boost his numbers up front, and there is every chance the Nigerian will find the net.
Beyond that, Garcia will likely keep the team and its shape intact, as the manager will line up in a 4-3-3 formation. Stanislav Lobotka will continue to sit at the base of midfield, while Amir Rrahmani and Juan Jesus will marshall the backline for Napoli.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahamani, Jesus, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski; Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia
Lazio
Sarri must tinker to pick his best possible starting eleven for this mammoth clash with Napoli. The arrival of Matteo Guendouzi adds to his squad’s depth, but the Frenchman will not start at the weekend. The manager will likely pick the same midfield trio of new signing Daichi Kamada, Danilo Cataldi and Luis Alberto.
🏃 Test fisici all’@IsokineticMed per Guendouzi e Mandas#CMonEagles 🦅 pic.twitter.com/koaqdmKLpS
— S.S.Lazio (@OfficialSSLazio) August 31, 2023
Injury-wise, Marcos Antonio, Pedro and Elseid Hysaj miss out on the Napoli trip, but overall, Sarri does seem to have a squad of his liking. But there might be a few late additions, with disgraced Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood linked.
Nicolo Casale and Alessio Romagnoli will marshall the defence with the support of full-backs Manuel Lazzari and Adam Marusic. As for the shape, Sarri will mirror Garcia’s 4-3-3 shape and rely on the finishing of former Capocannoniere Ciro Immobile. The Italian striker has an incredible record of 246 direct goal involvements in 299 games, and he would like to see that stat grow.
With Immobile leading the line at the tip of this Lazio attack, Sarri will use Felipe Anderson from the right-hand side to support the Italian. From the left, Mattia Zaccagni will keep his place and look to make an impact.
Probable lineup (4-3-3): Provedel; Lazzari, Casale, Romagnoli, Marusic; Vecino, Cataldi, Alberto; Anderson, Immobile, Zaccagni
Key Stats
- Napoli have scored at least two goals in their last five matches in Serie A.
- Napoli have ten wins and three losses against Lazio in as many previous games.
- Victor Osimhen can become only the fourth Napoli player to score in the season’s first three games.
- Lazio have never lost their opening three games of any Serie A season in their history.
- Ciro Immobile has 246 direct goal involvements in 299 games for Lazio.
Player to Watch
Victor Osimhen
Victor Osimhen has now scored 100 club goals 💫 pic.twitter.com/ZgfODzv2iM
— GOAL (@goal) August 28, 2023
The reigning Capocannoniere has started the season in smashing form, hitting three goals in two games. For starters, he will aim to become only the fourth Napoli player to score in the first three games of the season. But more importantly, he will want to keep the team’s form going.
Osimhen is by far the most lethal striker in Serie A, and these are games where he has to show his true talent. A top performance against Lazio will go a long way from cementing that status. But it will have to count for Napoli to take another three points to keep their 100% intact.
Prediction
Napoli 2-0 Lazio
Lazio might come into this game as one of the only two teams to have beaten Napoli at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. However, they have had a wretched start to the new campaign, and their counterparts are flying at the moment. Such things usually play on the players’ minds, which tends to show on the pitch.
With Victor Osimhen in top form and other Napoli stars complementing the Nigerian in the right way, there is every chance the champions will triumph in this clash. We expect Napoli to take three points and keep their astute defensive form intact to keep a clean sheet.
