Napoli vs Lazio – News and Probable Lineups

With Lazio sitting atop Serie A and Napoli struggling ahead of their encounter on Sunday, the lunchtime kick-off at Stadio Maradona is set to be quite intriguing.

While the hosts have faltered both domestically and in Europe, their southern counterparts have secured nine victories in ten matches without suffering any league defeats.

Match overview

Amid crisis discussions involving the coaching staff and club president Aurelio Di Laurentiis, Napoli finds itself at risk of failing to meet its season goals with several months still on the clock.

On Wednesday night, the Partenopei endured a humiliating 4-1 defeat to Porto, marking a dismal run with seven losses out of eight in their Champions League away fixtures. After finishing 30th in the 36-team standings last season, they currently dwell in 27th place—within the elimination zone.

Having been a finalist with Juventus, head coach Massimiliano Allegri has recently lost nine of his last eleven matches at Europe’s top level and is also under pressure due to poor domestic performances.

After a disappointing 2-0 loss to Juventus last week, Napoli finds itself in eighth place in Serie A and a daunting 14 points behind surprise leaders Lazio, effectively ending their title hopes.

A loss this weekend would mark their worst start since 2007, and Allegri likely cannot rely on any leniency from his former midfield general at AC Milan.

Though Gennaro Gattuso has faced defeat in all five of their managerial encounters, recent performances indicate that might change soon.

Napoli, having gone six matches without a clean sheet, including a hectic 3-3 draw in the Derby del Sole, now prepares to face their intense city rivals, Roma, after conceding 13 goals in that timeframe.

Lazio holds a significant advantage historically, boasting victories in their last four visits to Naples, having won five out of the last eight encounters overall.

Additionally, the capital club has just recorded six consecutive Serie A wins, fueling optimistic visions among fans for their first Scudetto since the 1999-2000 season.

Gattuso remains tight-lipped about such ambitions, even though his team shares the best defensive record in the league and have scored two or more goals in their last eight matches.

This century, only four teams have previously accrued 28 points after ten matchdays, placing Lazio three points ahead of reigning champions Inter de Milão.

During this run, Lazio has also seen contributions from 12 different goalscorers, with Gustav Isaksen netting four times in his last five matches.

Isaksen found the net in last week’s 2-1 victory against Cagliari, as the Biancocelesti took advantage of Inter’s defeat in the Milan derby to secure sole possession of first place.

Now, Gattuso is set to return to a club where he previously won the Coppa Italia but was later dismissed, aiming for an impressive sixth consecutive away victory in Serie A.

Team News

The atmosphere in Naples is tense, with Allegri grappling with a lengthy injury list that has impacted the team for weeks.

Unavailable players include Alessandro Buongiorno, David Neres, Costantino Favasuli, Alisson Santos, Leonardo Spinazzola, Benoit Badiashile, and Stanislav Lobotka, while two full-backs are under pressure to recover in time.

Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Mathias Olivera both suffered muscular injuries over the weekend, when Luca Marianucci received a red card against Juventus and subsequently incurred a one-match suspension.

Despite his age and inconsistent fitness history, Kevin De Bruyne may be called upon again, having scored three goals in his last five league games.

Without European commitments to influence selections, Gattuso has made few changes thus far, expecting a consistent Lazio lineup to take the field on Sunday.

However, he will need to substitute captain Mattia Zaccagni, who is likely sidelined until next month due to a thigh injury.

Albert Gudmundsson remains out following a shoulder dislocation while on international duty, but Adam Marusic and Nicolo Rovella have recently returned to full training, allowing for most other squad members to be available.

Napoli probable starting XI:

Meret; Beukema, Rrahmani, Marin; Politano, Anguissa, De Bruyne, McTominay, Vergara; Young, Hojlund

Lazio probable starting XI:

Mandas; Floriani Mussolini, Sutalo, Proxgaard, Tavares; Frattesi, Belahyane, Taylor; Isaksen, Pinamonti, Noslin

Facing difficulties in Serie A, risking another early exit from Europe, and contending with a substantial injury list, Napoli is poised for their third consecutive defeat.

While Lazio’s impressive streak will eventually come to an end, they are expected to capitalize on Napoli’s frail defence and achieve a seventh successive victory.