Lazio and Napoli lose ground on top four after cagey Serie A stalemate
With both clubs still smarting from Super Cup defeats to Inter Milan in Saudi Arabia, Lazio and Napoli had added motivation to bounce back on their return to Serie A action.
It was the home side who started the brighter at a fever pitch Stadio Olimpico as they wasted the game’s first real opening when Gustav Isaksen fired over from the edge of the area.
That strike aside though, the first half was a rather cautious affair for both sides, who went into the break having failed to muster a single shot on goal.
Defending Serie A champions Napoli were particularly shy in the first half, but they did offer a little bit more after the interval, albeit without creating anything noteworthy in front of goal.
In coming forward though, the visitors left themselves a little more exposed at the back and Lazio thought they’d taken full advantage of that when Taty Castellanos ghosted in behind, perfectly cushioned the ball down with his chest, and then produced a sumptuous overhead kick into the far corner, only for the assistant referee’s flag to cut short his celebrations.
The Biancocelesti were starting to build up a head of steam, but they were still struggling to work Pierluigi Gollini in the Napoli goal, as Danilo Cataldi again demonstrated when he flashed an effort inches wide of the post.
The hosts came even closer shortly after, but such was the pattern of the game, it wasn’t a great surprise to see Castellanos’ flicked effort cleared off the line by Leo Skiri Ostigard when he had the goal at his mercy.
Napoli’s best effort came through Piotr Zielinski, whose free-kick curled narrowly wide of the post, but that was as close as they came in their quest to score for the first time in four Serie A away games.
Lazio will be rather disappointed that they couldn’t take advantage of the Partenopei’s goalscoring woes, primarily because they missed the chance to move level on points with fourth-placed Atalanta BC.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Alessio Romagnoli (Lazio)
