Spalletti hits Milan at the top

THE MATCH

An evening that could be decisive in a championship race that is now very open. The Naples comes out victorious from the Olimpico at the end of a very painful match, best played for large stretches of the Lazio and substantially decided by the flashes of the champions. After the draw with Cagliari, which had left a bad taste in the mouth, the Neapolitans take advantage of the stumbling blocks of the Milanese and take back the first place in the standings, exactly one week after direct clash with Milan, which at this point risks being a real watershed for the fate of Serie A (without forgetting Inter’s match to be recovered). Fabian’s goal freezes the ball Roma biancocelestewhich sees its team fall after five consecutive useful results and, above all, sees it overtaken in sixth place by the Roma Giallorossi.

The match is immediately lively, with Immobile and Osimhen that come to a conclusion in the very first minutes. The first big chance, however, happens to Luis Alberto, who from an excellent position devours the 1-0 hitting from the side. The hosts seem more on the ball and in the 9th minute they are still close to the advantage, with Immobile who does not hit well in the extension and misses the mirror of the goal. Spalletti’s men make a lot of mistakes in the construction phase from below, but in the 24th minute Strakosha must commit to a sudden end of Zielinski destined in the low corner. Lazio manage possession better, but the game seems to rest on a very delicate balance. At 41 ‘ Milinkovic scares Ospina at the end of a splendid maneuvered action, but it is the last jolt of the first half that ends in white nets.

In the second half the score does not change and the first opportunity is once again for Lazio, with a nice right of Felipe Anderson that commits Ospina at 52 ‘. A Spalletti far from satisfied chooses to replace Zielinski with Elmas, but he thinks about giving the turning point to the Neapolitan evening Insignewho after a fairly anonymous hour invents a right thunderbolt from outside that beats Strakosha and carries on his own. A few minutes pass and the guests find the doubling, again with Insigne, canceled by the Var for offside. Lazio seems a bit stunned and in the 80th minute is likely to capitulate on the lunge of Politanobut is saved by a great release of Strakosha. A few moments later he is his colleague Ospina to show off on the round shooting of Pedrowhich is only the prelude to the goal: on the development of a free kick the ball reaches the Spaniard outside the box, who with a wonderful left hand volley pierces the goalkeeper and puts the result in a draw. The match seems destined to end at 1-1, but at the last minute of recovery comes the goal of Fabian (another splendid conclusion from the outside) to freeze the Olimpico ea send Napoli into orbit.

REPORT CARDS

Pedro 7 – Initially kept at rest because he is not at his best, a couple of conclusions are enough for him to see how fundamental it is for this Lazio: first Ospina miraculously, then he can do nothing on the jewel that deludes the Olimpico.
Zaccagni 6 – Lots of dribbles and lots of snatches that put the opponent’s defense in difficulty, but compared to the last few outings, a bit of concreteness is lacking.
Felipe Anderson 5.5 – Some excellent defensive retreat, but not very incisive in front, where it should make the difference.

Insigne 6.5 – For over an hour you see little and, like all of Napoli, it is practically never dangerous. Then he invents the great right that turns the game around.
Zielinski 5.5 – He engages Strakosha with one of Napoli’s few clean chances in the first half, but otherwise he just floats between the lines of a frayed team with no ideas.
Ruiz 6.5 – Complicated game, in which he suffers the physicality and the dribble of the Lazio midfield. The goal in the 94th minute, however, could be one of those that will be remembered as decisive in the fight for the Scudetto.

THE TABLE

Lazio 1-2 Napoli
Lazio (4-3-3): Strakosha 6.5; Marusic 6, Luiz Felipe 6.5, Patric 6 (39 ‘st Acerbi sv), Radu 6 (26’ st Hysaj 6); Milinkovic-Savic 6.5, Leiva 6 (39 ‘st Basic sv), Luis Alberto 6; Felipe Anderson 5.5 (20 ‘st Pedro 7), Property 6.5, Zaccagni 6.5.
Trainer: Sarri 6.5
Naples (4-2-3-1): Ospina 6.5; Di Lorenzo 6, Rrahmani 6, Koulibaly 6.5, Mario Rui 6; Demme 6 (36 ‘st Lobotka 6), Ruiz 6.5; Politano 6 (36 ‘st Ounas 6), Zielinski 5.5 (12’ st Elmas 6.5), Insigne 6.5 (45 ‘+ 5 st Juan Jesus sv); Osimhen 6.
Trainer: Shoulder pads 6.5
Referee: Beautiful
Markers: 17 ‘st Insigne (N), 43’ st Pedro (L), 45 ‘+ 4 st Ruiz (N)
Ammonites: Radu (L), Immobile (L), Zaccagni (L), Mario Rui (N), Fabian Ruiz (N)
Expelled:

THE STATISTICS

– In 2022, Napoli is the team that has earned the most points (18 in 8 games) in Serie A.
– Fabian Ruiz (6 out of 6 scored) is the player who has scored more goals from outside the box in this Serie A: the Spaniard has scored six goals in this league, the same put together adding 2019/20 and 2020/21.
– Lazio have not lost a Serie A match at home since November 20 against Juventus. This is only the second home knockout for the Biancocelesti in this championship.
– Pedro had not scored at home in Serie A since December: eight goals for him, he hasn’t scored more in a single league since the 2016/17 season (9) with Chelsea.
– It was since May 2021 against Udinese that Lorenzo Insigne had not scored from action in Serie A. Six of the seven goals in this league came from penalties.
– Lorenzo Insigne has scored 8 goals against Lazio in Serie A: only against Fiorentina has he scored more goals (nine) in the competition.
– Insigne has scored his 23rd goal from outside the box in Serie A: since 2012/13 (season of his first goal) he is the Italian who has scored the most goals from distance in the top flight.
– Elmas has provided his fifth assist in this league: together with Insigne and Zielinski he is the Napoli player who has provided the most in this Serie A.
– On the one hand, no team has scored more goals from outside Napoli (nine like Milan) from outside the box in this league, on the other hand only Spezia (12) and Cagliari (10) have earned more than Lazio (8) from the distance so far.
– Napoli have scored eight games in a row in the league, it is the longest open streak with at least one goal among the teams currently in Serie A.
– Mattia Zaccagni played his 100th match in Serie A today.
– Race number 100 by Matteo Politano with the Napoli shirt in all competitions.
– Napoli have conceded no first-half goals in 20 of their 27 games, better than any other team in Serie A this season.