Serie A: Lazio Can Dent Napoli’s Scudetto Aspirations

Lazio vs Napoli

After bowing out of the Europa League, both Lazio and Napoli are back to dealing with Serie A matters as they’ll go face-to-face for the second time this 2021/2022 season.

Lazio were narrowly beaten by Porto while Napoli were eliminated by Barcelona, so both calcios are eager to get back on the winning track come Sunday evening at the Stadio Olimpico.

The hosts are currently sixth at the standings with 43 points and they’re fighting for a spot in Europe, whether it’s in the Europa League or Champions League. Meanwhile, their visitors in Napoli have bigger fish to fry as they continuously aim for their first Scudetto in over three decades.

The pre-match SBOTOP betting odds expect another tight affair between these two sides despite what happened in their last encounter. Napoli were dominant against Lazio before, so the hosts have all the motivation to go hard for this contest.

Both sides are unbeaten in the league in quite some time, so something has to give when these two lock horns anew.

Talking Points

Ciro Immobile looks good to go for Lazio

The good news for Lazio is that Ciro Immobile looked spry in his last appearance. The 32-year-old Italian has missed several games since he has been bothered by niggling injuries and a non-COVID illness.

Against Porto last night, Immobile scored the first goal of the game inside 20 minutes. However, the game finished with a 2-2 draw and the Portuguese side is now through to the next round of the Europa League with an aggregate of 3-4.

He’s the main star and focal point for Maurizio Sarri’s squad, so the team goes wherever he takes them. This season, Immobile is their top scorer with 23 goals and three assists in all competitions, and he’s the favourite to take home the Capocannoniere race once again.

Lazio are notorious for being heavily dependent on Ciro Immobile, which is puzzling since they have strong attacking talents at their disposal. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Pedro have eight goals apiece along with 14 total assists. Meanwhile, Felipe Anderson and Mattia Zaccagni have five goals each and 11 total assists.

Defence is Napoli’s calling card

A key reason as to why Napoli believe that they can gun for the top spot is because of their unrelenting backline. As of this writing, I Partenopei have the league-best mark of only 18 goals conceded.

Towering centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly remains in great form after leading Senegal to their first-ever AFCON title weeks ago, while the young Alex Meret is one of the league’s top young goalkeepers.

Their rotation up front is deep since they have five players who can score at any given time. Victor Osimhen is their top scorer with 11 goals, while Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens have eight each and Piotr Zielinski and Eljif Elmas has seven and six.

Napoli have dropped points in back-to-back games recently and they’re keen on not letting it happen again this weekend. 

History

Games between Lazio and Napoli have been generally competitive, but it’s the latter who has been the better calcio. I Partenopei have won eight of their last 10 league matches (L2), and they’ve scored 27 goals and conceded only 10 during the said period.

However, Lazio have won their last two Serie A home matches against Napoli without conceding a single goal after enduring six straight home losses before. Overall, I Biancocelesti have only lost one of their last 25 home league matches (W19, D5).

In terms of which team has the better recent form, Napoli have the advantage since they’ve picked up the most points (15 in seven fixtures) and they’ve conceded the least goals (4) so far in 2022.

Their last meeting took place in November where Napoli dismantled Lazio at home with a 4-0 scoreline. Dries Mertens led the way with his brace, while Piotr Zielinski and Fabian Ruiz also found the back of the net.

Betting Tip

The Serie A 2022 odds are giving Napoli the slim advantage. A win by I Partenopei is installed at 2.49, while I Biancocelesti aren’t far behind at 2.91 and chances for a draw are at 3.10 in the 1X2 market.

Both sides are capable of producing goals and Serie A 2022 highlights, so having Over 2.50 @ 2.18 sounds like a decent alternative bet.

But there’s a reason why Napoli are Scudetto contenders while Lazio are not. I Partenopei have been the more cohesive unit compared to Lazio so far this season, so we’re confident about their chances to take all three points this weekend.

 

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