After both Lazio and Napoli were knocked out of the Europa League on Thursday by Porto and Barcelona respectively, attention will swiftly switch to Serie A action for both teams as they meet on Sunday in Bergamo at 20:45 GMT.
Match Preview
Can Lazio Extend their Unbeaten Run to Six Serie A Matches?
Maurizio Sarri’s side will look to put their Europa League exit on Thursday behind them when they welcome title-chasing Napoli.
They will be seeking to extend their unbeaten run to six matches in Serie A. Sarri’s men currently sit 6th on the table, four points behind fourth-placed Juventus.
Lazio need to enhance their consistency in results to enhance their chances of overhauling Juventus and Atalanta that are ahead of them. Maurizio Sarri’s focus this season is qualifying for the Champions League.
Can Napoli Inject Momentum into their Title-Chasing Season?
Napoli are still in the middle of an enthralling Serie A title chase involving AC Milan and Inter Milan.
After two consecutive draws in Serie A, Luciano Spalletti’s men will be looking to get back to winning ways as they seek to put pressure on league leaders AC Milan and second-placed Inter Milan.
Last time out, Napoli suffered a surprising draw against Cagliari. Spalletti needs to get his side in consistent form to stand a chance of competing against AC Milan and Inter Milan for the Scudetto.
Form Guide
Lazio
Maurizio Sarri’s men have collected 11 points from the last six rounds of fixtures in Serie A. This run includes three wins, two draws, and one loss.
The last time Lazio lost in Serie A was against Inter Milan in a 2-1 score line. After this result, Sarri’s side have gone five matches unbeaten with three wins and two draws.
Lazio will be looking to maintain their unbeaten run as they fight for a top-four berth with Atalanta and Juventus.
Napoli
Luciano Spalletti’s side are the most in-form side in Serie A over the last six rounds of matches in Serie A. Napoli have collected 14 points from the available 18 over the last six outings.
This run comprises four consecutive wins and two consecutive draws. Napoli’s unbeaten run extends seven matches now. Spalletti will be looking to extend this run to eight unbeaten matches.
Spalletti’s men will be looking to be more consistent in winning matches to stand a chance of leapfrogging Inter and Milan to the top of the table.
Team News
Lazio
Manuel Lazzari is a doubt for the match against Napoli on Sunday. The 28-year-old right midfielder suffered a hamstring injury on 12th February. He is expected to return in the middle of March.
Maurizio Sarri will also be without defensive midfielder Patryk Dziczek who was diagnosed with a heart condition in February 20221.
Napoli
Right winger Hirving Lozano is nursing a shoulder injury and is expected back around march 10th. The Napoli match is expected to come too soon for the 26-year-old.
Defensive midfielder Stanislav Lobotka (muscle injury), right-back (calf), and defensive midfielder (abductor muscle), will also be major doubts for the clash with Napoli on Sunday.
Spalletti also has goalkeeper Davide Marfella and centre-back Axel Tuanzebe ineligible to play in the match until May this year.
Possible Starting Lineups
Lazio
Strakosha; A. Marusic, L. Felipe, Patric, S. Radu; S. Milinkovic-Savic, Lucas, L. Alberto; F. Anderson, C. Immobile, Pedro
Napoli
Meret; D. Di Lorenzo, A. Rrahmani, K. Koulibaly, M. Rui; F. Ruiz, D. Demme; E. Elmas, P. Zielinski, L. Insigne; V. Osimhen
Players to Watch
C. Immobile
The Italian international striker is crucial to Lazio’s approaches to attacking and controlling matches. His physical presence, movement, pace, and link-up play are crucial assets for Lazio. He will be crucial in the match against Napoli.
V. Osimhen
The Nigerian international has been instrumental for Napoli since he has been back from injury that saw him miss large swathes of the season.
His explosive pace will be crucial for Napoli to stretch the Lazio defence and create problems in the attacking areas.
Prediction
Expect both Napoli and Lazio to control the match in spells during the match. Each team will be going for a win given their respective fights for the top four and the title for Lazio and Napoli respectively.
A draw is the favoured result in this match.
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