Lazio will host Napoli at Stadio Olimpico in the Coppa Italia round of 16 on Thursday night, as a heavyweight clash awaits us.
Lazio are coming into the game vs Napoli on the back of two winless performances, and they will be desperate to bounce back strongly. On the other hand, the Partenopei have won their last two outings, and they will be reasonably confident of grinding out a good result here.
Matches between these two sides are quite evenly matched, and this one is unlikely to be any different. It is likely to be a cracking contest, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. The two sides are more or less in identical form, and they will fancy their chances of grinding out a good result against each other.
Napoli have done quite well this season, and they are on top of the Serie A table. It will be interesting to see if they can win a domestic competition along with the league title. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Lazio
The home side will be without Nuno Tavares because of a hamstring injury. Matias Vecino is ruled out as well and Gaetano Castrovilli is still sidelined from his knee surgery. Boulaye Dia is likely to miss out with an ankle problem.
Lazio are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Napoli, with Christos Mandas in goal. Adam Marusic and Luca Pellegrini are likely to start as the full-backs, and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Samuel Gigot and Patric will start in the central defensive pairing.
As for the midfield unit, Nicolo Rovella will start alongside Matteo Guendouzi in the double pivot. They will look to add control and defensive cover to the side. Pedro will start in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates.
Tijjani Noslin and Loum Tchaouna will start in the wide areas. They will look to add pace and flair to the side. Finally, Valentin Castellanos will lead the line for Lazio vs Napoli on Thursday night.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Mandas; Marusic, Gigot, Patric, Pellegrini; Rovella, Guendouzi; Tchaouna, Pedro, Noslin; Castellanos
Napoli
The visitors do not have any major injury issues having into this game. Pasquale Mazzocchi is the only absentee from Antonio Conte’s squad. Napoli are likely to shape up in a 4-3-3 formation, vs Lazio with Alex Meret in goal.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Leonardo Spinazzola will start in the full-back roles. They will look to keep things compact at the back and hit Lazio on the break. Amir Rrahmani and Alessandro Buongiorno will start in the central defensive positions.
As for the midfield unit, Scott McTominay will start alongside Billy Gilmour and Frank Anguissa in the middle of the park. They will look to add control and composure to the side. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Matteo Politano will start in the wide roles, and they will look to link up with the Romelu Lukaku and create goalscoring opportunities in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno, Spinazzola; McTominay, Gilmour, Anguissa; Kvaratskhelia, Lukaku, Politano
Key Stats
- 14 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two teams.
- Napoli are unbeaten in four of the last six meetings vs Lazio.
- Napoli have won four of the last six matches in all competitions.
- Lazio have won four of the last six matches in all competitions.
- Napoli have kept four clean sheets in the last six matches in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
The Napoli winger is our key player to watch out for. He will look to create goalscoring opportunities in the final third with his pace, flair and technical liability. Kvaratskhelia will look to open up the Lazio defence and get on the score sheet himself as well. The visitors will look to him to carve out opportunities in the final third and make a defining impact.
Prediction
Lazio 0-1 Napoli
Both teams will be desperate for a victory here, and this is likely to be a close contest. It will be hard to separate the two teams, but Napoli have enough strength in depth to grind out a good result here.
The Partenopei have been in impressive form this season, and they are full of confidence heading into this contest. Antonio Conte’s have managed to shut out the opposition in the last two outings, and they are likely to grind out a narrow victory here as well. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-0 win for Conte and his charges.
