Just three days before their Serie A clash, Napoli and Lazio faced off in the Cup (1:3). Clearly, after their defeat at the Stadio Olimpico, Napoli will be eager for redemption — with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Romelu Lukaku set to return to the starting line-up, but Lazio's core will also be fresh, having tackled the Serie A leaders with their second string.
It can't be said that Napoli are facing a crisis, but compared to the start of the campaign, victories have been harder to come by. Following games against Atalanta (0:3) and Inter Milan (1:1), the southern side are teetering on the edge — any loss of points could cost them their lead. Napoli have accumulated just 20.41 xG over 14 matches (ninth in the league), and they often rely on fortune defensively — allowing only nine goals against an expected 12.65.
The unexpected summer overhaul has yielded immediate results for Lazio. The Rome side, without flashy stars in their squad, are just four points behind Napoli, and in terms of xG, only Atalanta surpass them in Serie A (29.17 vs 32.73). During the cup match against Napoli, Tijjani Noslin shone for Lazio with a hat-trick, and Marco Baroni executed smart rotations — he will have all his key options available in Naples.
Since March 2023, Napoli haven't defeated Lazio (0:1, 1:2, and 0:0). We'll place our trust in the form of the Romans, who have already bested Napoli recently.
