Despite being held to two draws in February, Napoli remain top of the table, maintaining a comfortable lead over Inter Milan in the Scudetto race. The Neapolitans are eager to avenge their two defeats to Lazio in early December, which briefly shook Napoli, though they have since learned from those setbacks.
The battle for Serie A’s top-four spots is just as intense as the title race, with Lazio fending off pressure from Juventus and Fiorentina. They suffered their last league defeat in late January against Fiorentina at home, despite allowing only 0.59 xGA in that match. Their most recent win against Monza (5:1) showed a return to attacking form, but Boulaye Dia’s injury weakens their attacking depth. Notably, before the win over Monza, Lazio had not won a home league match since 24 November.
Since their back-to-back defeats to Lazio in December, Napoli have gone nine league matches unbeaten, collecting 23 out of a possible 27 points. Even in their recent draws against Roma and Udinese (both 1:1), Napoli dominated possession and created a combined 1.75 xG. One concern remains their left-back position, with Mathías Olivera and Leonardo Spinazzola both injured, but Pasquale Mazzocchi is a reliable alternative for Mario Rui.
Napoli have been in better form since December and will be highly motivated to maintain their Serie A lead. They rarely make defensive mistakes, so a draw at worst seems likely for the visitors.
