Lazio Vs Napoli Prediction: Three-Point Mission Of Biancocelesti, Partenopei Will Be Overwhelmed

Lazio has a mission to get three points so that the way to the Champions League is wide (photo: x @OfficialSSLazio)

JAKARTA - Two interests will compete. Napoli tried to maintain their position at the top of Lazio's standings wanting to secure a place in the Champions League zone. Both will fight at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome on Saturday 15 February in the heated Serie A continuation. This match became very important for both teams.

As the host, Lazio came to this game with high confidence after winning a big 5-1 win over Monza last week. In that match, Pedro scored two goals, while Taty Castelanos, their top scorer of the season, also added to his coffers.

Previously, Lazio also won at home to Cagliari, keeping them in the top four, only narrowly ahead of Juventus.

Despite appearing solid in the Europa League group stage and becoming a strong candidate for the trophy, Lazio's main focus remains on domestic competitions. They want to return to the Champions League next season, but competition with Fiorentina, AC Milan, and Bologna is still very tight.

Unfortunately, Lazio's recent home record isn't very convincing. In the last five matches in Serie A played at Stadio Olimpico, they only won once against Monza who was almost certain to be relegated.

Victory against Napoli will be a historic achievement for Lazio. Marco Baroni's men have beaten Partenopei twice this season's 3-1 in the Coppa Italia and 1-0 in Serie A thanks to Gustav Isaksen's goal. If Lazio wins again, this will be the first time in 30 years they have recorded three wins in a season over Napoli.

On the other hand, Napoli still lead the standings despite heavy pressure. Antonio Conte's men started February with two draws, allowing Inter Milan to cut the difference in points to just one. With 14 games remaining, each point means a lot to Napoli in their efforts to maintain their position at the top and prevent Inter from winning the second straight title.

Napoli had previously had an extraordinary period with seven consecutive league wins before the last two draws. They had taken the lead against AS Roma at the Olimpico, but conceded the equalizer's goal in the final minute.

Then, against Udinese, Scott McTominay's first goal was not enough to secure a win as Udinese equalized and lasted until the end of the game.

With a total of 55 points from 24 matches, Napoli may be 10 points behind their record two seasons ago when they won the Scudetto, but this is still one of their best achievements.

Conte may have complained about a lack of transfer activity in the middle of the season, but he still has a squad strong enough to compete at the top. If they can beat Lazio, Napoli could open a four-point lead over Inter before the Derby d'Italia between Inter and Juventus was played.

In this match, Lazio had a bit of trouble in their squad after Boulaye He had an ankle injury against Monza. If he can't play, then Pedro or Fisayo Dele-Basterior will likely replace him.

In addition, Matias Vecino, Patric, and Elseid Hysaj are also ruled out. However, Lazio can rely on their new recruits such as Arijon Ibrahimovic, Reda Belahyane, and Oliver Provstgaard, who are all on the bench in the previous match.

Captain Mattia Zaccagni will be the key for Lazio in building attacks. In the last three home games against Napoli, he has scored two goals and one assist.

Meanwhile, Napoli lost Khvicha Kvaratskhelia who moved to Paris Saint-Germain in the middle of the season. As his successor, David Neres suffered a muscle injury against Udinese and is expected to be absent until March. This is a dilemma for Antonio Conte in determining who will fill the left wing.

Leonardo Spinazzola, who can play in that position, is also injured. Another option is Noah Okafor, but this loan player is still not fully fit after a long absence in early 2025. Thus, Giacomo Raspadori is likely to appear as a starter in Serie A for the first time since August.

On the back, Alessandro Burongiorno is expected to return to the starting lineup after recovering from a long injury. This could cause Juan Jesus to shift to left-back position. Captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo will also reach a milestone by appearing in the 200nd Serie A match for Napoli.

In attack, Giovanni Simeone has an impressive record against Lazio. The Argentine striker has scored eight goals against Lazio throughout his career, including four in one game.

Unfortunately, his performance has decreased since the beginning of last season, scoring only two goals in that period. Therefore, Romelu Lukaku remains the main choice of Conte as the spearhead of the Napoli attack.

This match is predicted to be tight, considering both teams have a big interest in winning three points. Lazio will try to take advantage of their positive record against Napoli this season, while Napoli want to quickly return to winning ways after two draws in a row.

Both teams had dangerous attacking lines, but weaknesses in their respective defenses could be a decisive factor. Lazio had problems with consistency at home, while Napoli lost some key players at the front.

A draw could be a big possibility, but with high motivation from Napoli to stay away from Inter's pursuit, they may be able to steal a thin win at the Olimpico.

Lazio (4-2-3-1):Provedel; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Tavares; Guendouzi, Rovella; Isaksen, Pedro, Zaccagni; Cabellanos

Napoli (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Burongiorno, Jesus; Anguissa, Lobotka, McTominay; Politano, Lukaku, Raspadori

Score prediction: Lazio 1-2 Napoli