Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Coppa Italia match.
Sunday’s defeat to Parma (1:3) was poorly timed for Lazio. On Thursday, the Romans will play a cup match at the Stadio Olimpico against a fiery Napoli, where the Serie A leaders will be aware of their opponents' weaknesses in transition.
Lazio
After the international break, Lazio performed confidently against Bologna (3:0), but then failed to score in the Europa League against Ludogorets (0:0 with 1.11 xG from 20 shots). Against Parma, they allowed 1.55 xGA despite having 72% possession, and their bench failed to positively impact the game. Clearly, injuries to Matías Vecino, Boulaye Dia, Nuno Tavares, and Gaetano Castrovilli have affected the team's condition — each player could have bolstered the attack.
Napoli
Napoli navigated a challenging stretch since late October, only underperforming against Atalanta (0:3). A month after that setback, the Neapolitans claimed victories over AS Roma and Torino (both 1:0), capitalising on their rivals' errors. In the Coppa Italia Round of 16, Napoli dismantled Palermo (5:0), with the coach giving opportunities to reserves—Cyril Ngonge scored twice by the 12th minute, and David Neres contributed with a goal and an assist.
Lazio vs Napoli Prediction
In their last five away games, Napoli have conceded only one goal. Lazio's sharp downturn will prevent them from defeating Serie A's leaders in regular time.
