Napoli had been held to a 2-2 draw at Lazio on Saturday after Boulaye Dia scored late on because the Italian Serie A leaders thought they had been set to maneuver 4 factors away from Inter Milan.
Senegal attacker Dia rolled dwelling a wise low end within the 87th minute in Rome to disclaim Napoli victory and provides Inter an opportunity to maneuver high of the pile with a win at Juventus on Sunday.
Champions Inter are two factors behind Napoli, who’ve drawn three matches in a row and have did not beat Lazio in three matches this season, forward of that conflict between fierce rivals in Turin.
“Lazio are our bogey crew… we must be happy with what we’re doing and be sure that we all the time come off the sphere with our jerseys soaked in sweat,” mentioned Napoli coach Antonio Conte.
Conte needed to cope with the absence of three left-sided gamers with David Neres, Leonardo Spinazzola and Mathias Olivera all injured, and switched Napoli to a three-man defence with Pasquale Mazzocchi coming in as a makeshift wing-back.
And his damage issues received worse when Alessandro Buongiorno, who performed for the primary time in 2025 after recovering from a again damage, had to get replaced by Matteo Politano close to the hour mark and Mazzocchi requested to substituted with 5 minutes remaining.
“When Mazzocchi requested to be taken off it brought on us a giant downside as a result of I needed to put (central defender) Rafa Marin at full-back,” added Conte.
“However I am unable to ask any extra from these boys as a result of what they’re doing is extraordinary.”
– Lazio battle –
Napoli appeared to be amassing a giant three factors when Adam Marusic scored a weird personal purpose within the sixty fourth minute, the defender protruding his left foot to dam Giacomo Raspadori’s deflected drive solely to in some way chip it previous goalkeeper Ivan Provedel and into his personal web.
It was Raspadori who drilled Napoli stage within the thirteenth minute following a neat alternate of passes with Romelu Lukaku, cancelling out Gustav Isaksen’s thumping early opener for Lazio.
Hosts Lazio briefly thought that they had levelled the scores moments later by way of a sensational Mattia Zaccani bicycle kick earlier than the Italy worldwide was dominated offside as he flashed in his distinctive end.
However Dia made certain Lazio received one thing from a keenly-contested match on the Stadio Olimpico and moved three factors forward of Juve in fourth place.
Marco Baroni’s crew are on 46 factors however might be knocked out of Italy’s Champions League positions on purpose distinction if Juve beat Inter.
“It was an excellent match and we performed very well… Actually I feel we had been a bit unfortunate and doubtless ought to have received at present,” mentioned Isaksen.
– Atalanta slip –
Atalanta slipped up once more of their bid for a primary league title with a goalless draw with Cagliari which left the Bergamo outfit 5 factors behind Napoli.
Already hit with accidents together with that of key attacker Ademola Lookman, Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini dropped first teamers like Marten de Roon, Ederson and Charles De Ketelaere forward of his crew’s return leg of a Champions League play-off with Membership Brugge.
Atalanta path that tie 2-1 after a vastly controversial penalty given towards them in stoppage of the primary leg in Belgium on Wednesday.
“We’re up for that match, particularly after how the primary leg ended… Now we have to try to do all the things to get by way of,” mentioned Gasperini.
Gasperini was compelled to carry on De Roon, Ederson and De Ketelaere within the second half as Atalanta struggled to interrupt down resilient Cagliari who’re thirteenth and 5 factors above the relegation zone.
The closest the hosts recreation to taking the lead was when Marco Brescianini poked dwelling from shut vary on the hour just for Stefan Posch to be penalised for a foul on Cagliari goalkeeper Elia Caprile.
AC Milan host Verona within the day’s late match hoping to bounce again from their Champions League defeat at Feyenoord.
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