Naples de Koulibaly ends in style and offers Lazio

In an always empty San Paolo, Naples offers the scalp of Lazio thanks to Ruiz, Insigne and Politano (3-1). The only downside: Insigne came out on injury… On the Roman side, Ciro Immobile scored his long-awaited thirty-sixth goal.

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Near his Vesuvius, Naples had everything to smile in this meeting: an oiled collective, intensity in all areas of play and, icing on the cake, a prestigious victory to come. But then, the bad news arrived six minutes before the end of regulation time: following a bad movement, Lorenzo Insigne grimaces and falls to the ground before asking for a change. One week away from facing FC Barcelona in the knockout stages of the Champions League, the Neapolitan striker leaves the pitch in tears. Obviously, victory takes a back seat.

Motionless, Golden Boot and record

At the start of this meeting, Lazio knew the process to follow: a victory in Naples combined with a draw between Inter and Atalanta gave them the status of vice-champion of Italy. Under heavy rain above San Paolo, visitors were the first to find their way into the net, but Joaquín Correa saw his goal denied for a stroller from Sergej Milinković-Savić beforehand (6^e). Luckier, Naples opens the scoring on a strike from Fabian Ruiz deflected by Luis Felipe into the top corner of Thomas Strakosha (9^e 1-0). With the wind in its sails, the Parthenopeans are close to the break, but Insigne sees his shot miss the goal Lazio (11^e).

Not paid despite its interesting start to the match, Lazio still manages to sow discord in the Neapolitan defense thanks to a very mobile Correa. The shifts are done and on one of them, Adam Marušić manages to serve the inevitable Immobile at the near post for the Roman equalizer (22^e, 1-1). This is the thirty-sixth goal in thirty-seven Serie A games this season for the transalpine center forward, the same total as Gonzalo Higuaín in the 2015-2016 fiscal year. Hit, but not sunk, Napoli give themselves another chance to regain the lead before the break, but Mario Rui’s curled shot grazes Strakosha’s left post (39^e).

Naples for honor

Back from the locker room, Gennaro Gattuso’s men get back in the saddle thanks to Dries Mertens, hung in the area by a delayed tackle from Marco Parolo. Sanctioned by a penalty, Lazio finds itself again led following a cold-blooded opposite of Insigne (54^e sp, 2-1). In reaction, the biancocelesti arise thanks to an individual exploit of Correa on the post of Ospina (56^e). Lazio then takes all the risks and leaves spaces behind: the combination between Insigne, Mertens and Callejón results in a powerful volley, but too crossed by the Spaniard (71^e). Entered following Insigne’s injury, Politano allows the locals to widen a definite gap thanks to a superb collective movement (3-1, 92^e). The victory is for Naples, the story for Immobile.

SSC Naples (4-3-3) : Ospina – Rui (Ghoulam, 78^e), Koulibaly, Manolas, Di Lorenzo – Lobotka (Demme, 78^e), Zieliński (Politano, 85^e), Ruiz – Callejón (Lozano, 78^e), Insigne (Elmas, 84^e), Mertens. Coach: Gennaro Gattuso.
SS Lazio (3-5-2): Strakosha – Acerbi (Bastos, 63)^e), Felipe, Patric (Vavro, 63^e) – Marušić, Parolo, Anderson, 87^e), Alberto, Milinković-Savić, Lazzari, Lukaku, 83^e) – Immobile, Correa (Adekanye, 87^e). Coach: Simone Inzaghi.

So Foot

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