Lazio and Napoli resume their Serie A campaign after disappointment in Saudi Arabia, as both managers want to see progress from their players.
Lazio and Napoli both suffered defeats against Inter Milan in the Supercoppa Italia, with the San Siro outfit going on to win the trophy in Saudi Arabia. It was another setback for Maurizio Sarri’s hopes to achieve something, although his side is still very much in the Champions League and Coppa Italia Semi-Final.
Their loss to Inter was the first since losing to Simone Inzaghi’s men in Rome on December 18, and between those two games, Lazio stitched up a five-game winning run. Those results have propelled Sarri’s side into sixth spot, and they are firmly in the race for the top four.
🎫 Dalle ore 16:00 saranno messi in vendita i biglietti per #LazioNapoli
👉 https://t.co/FogSTsbXqx pic.twitter.com/35tvgqwp26
— S.S.Lazio (@OfficialSSLazio) January 24, 2024
Beyond that, Sarri would hope his men maintain their current momentum in the league and go for a fifth straight win in Serie A. They now face a Napoli side, hungry to rebuild their season after faltering in their title defence.
Speaking of title defence, this season, Napoli has been one of the biggest disappointments in Europe. After the high of winning the Serie A title after a 33-year wait, their fans have seen the mood deflate following multiple problems in the background.
They had the hope of beating Inter Milan in the Super Coppa Italia final, but the San Siro outfit got the better of them. Lautaro Martinez got stuck in second-half injury time, just when it looked like ten men Napoli would take the game into extra time.
In matters of the league, Napoli have only two victories in their last five, as they languish in 9th place on the table. Despite an excellent start to life under new manager Walter Mazzarri, the Naples side have been complacent since, as another loss would potentially make life difficult in their quest to finish in the top four.
Team News & Tactics
Lazio
Sarri does not have any injury issues, barring the suspensions handed to key attacking pair Ciro Immobile and Mattia Zaccagni. The manager will draft in Taty Castellanos and Gustav Isaksen to replace the duo, as they will join Felipe Anderson in the front three.
🤜🤛
Work to do#CMonEagles 🦅 pic.twitter.com/RI5weWTV8A— S.S.Lazio (@OfficialSSLazio) January 24, 2024
Anderson will have a particular target in mind, as the Brazilian has failed to score in his 11 games against Napoli. Incidentally, Sarri may have one injury-led absentee in defender Patric, with the centre-back likely suffering from a shoulder problem.
Mario Gila should be well-placed to replace him in the heart of the Lazio defence. Other than that, the team sheet will look very familiar, with Alessio Romagnoli partnering Gila in central defence. Adam Marusic and Luca Pellegrini will take their full-back spots and finish the back four.
Nicolo Rovella will sit at the base of the midfield, with Matteo Guendouzi and Luis Alberto on either side. As mentioned earlier, Castellanos appears to be the best placed to lead the line in Immobile’s absence, while Anderson and Isaksen will take the wider roles.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3) – Provedel; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Pellegrini; Guendouzi, Rovella, Alberto; Isaksen, Castellanos, Anderson
Napoli
Compared to Lazio, Napoli had a long list of absentees before this crucial clash in Rome. They are already without African pair Frank Anguissa and star striker Victor Osimhen. As things stand, Mazzarri seems to be working with a thin squad amid all the problems he’s currently facing.
📄 I convocati di #LazioNapoli
💙 #ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/NqznIGqNoz
— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) January 27, 2024
If Osimhen’s absence feels obvious, Napoli will miss attacking trio Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Giovanni Simeone and Jens Cajuste, who are all suspended for this trip to Rome. Napoli are also missing critical defensive stars in goalkeeper Alex Meret and South American dup Mathias Olivera and Natan through injury.
Hence, Mazzarri will have to tinker hard with his selections not only at the back but also in the attack. The manager might be forced to change his formation again after it appeared Napoli had switched to a three-man defence as opposed to the 4-3-3 that won them the title last season.
However, Mazzarri might have the players Leo Ostigard, Amir Rrahmani and Juan Jesus to keep the back three intact. He believes that with this formation, there’s more room for attacking players to get involved, but so far, it hasn’t brought good results on a consistent basis.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3) – Gollini; Ostigard, Rrahmani, Jesus; Di Lorenzo, Lobotka, Zielinski, Rui: Politano, Raspadori, Lindstrom
Key Stats
- Lazio have won their last 4 Serie A games.
- Lazio have seen over 2.5 goals in 5 of their last 6 matches against Napoli in all competitions.
- Lazio have only lost twice at home all season.
- Napoli have lost their last 3 games on the road.
- Napoli have remarkably won 8 of their last 10 away games against Lazio in Serie A.
Player To Watch
Felipe Anderson
LSN reports #FelipeAnderson has now closed the door on a last option to renew with #Lazio. His sister/agent in full agreement with Giuntoli on a 4 year deal (4 mil a season). He's expected to sign the deal within a few days. #SerieA #Mercato https://t.co/BZNyPw27el pic.twitter.com/8p8Q9AKoRq
— LazioLand (@Lazio_Land) January 27, 2024
Amid talk of a move away since the beginning of the month, it appears Anderson will stay put at Lazio at least until the summer. However, he will have to perform well in the remaining months if he ends up leaving in the close season and has a personal target against Napoli.
Anderson has not scored in his 11 appearances to date against Napoli, and he will be eager to break that duck. The visitors are also coming with a depleted squad, especially in their defence, and are learning the tricks in a new setup, which could provide more encouragement for the Brazilian to make his mark.
Prediction
Lazio 1-1 Napoli
These are two sides who are somewhat struggling for relevance in the grand scheme of things in Serie A. Napoli already appears dethroned off their title, while Lazio is still better placed to finish in the top four. On form, the home side are clearly in a better shape, but Napoli can still spring up a surprise.
While Sarri will want a fifth straight league victory, Mazzarri would be keen to put in a stable performance that helps in building his team’s confidence. This game has the hallmarks of an eventful draw, although either side are capable of nicking the winner at some point.
