Napoli push full throttle - Lazio crushed without a hitch

If AC Milan had hoped Napoli would experience troubles against Lazio and suffer a setback in the title race, after only 45 minutes of the duel at Stadio Olimpico, the Rossoneri realized they couldn't have been more wrong.

In fact, the first half was everything the visitors needed. Matteo Politano's brace of assists and the two defenders, Leonardo Spinazzola and Amir Rrahmani's goals in the 13th and 32nd minutes, were more than enough for a 2-0 victory Napoli earned much easier than expected.

Even though they had been winless against the Roman side since September 2022, the Neapolitans ensured that their poor H2H score didn't affect them, taking control of the match from the start.

Lazio did have the first so-so chance over Tijjani Noslin, but everything else during the opening half was about Napoli.

Thirteen minutes into the game, Antonio Conte's men broke the deadlock over Leonardo Spinazzola, who exploited Matteo Politano's cross from the right flank, smashing the ball into the net on the far post.

Nineteen minutes later, the winger recorded another assist, this time with a free-kick cross, which the centre-back Amir Rrahmani turned into a goal with a precise header.

The visitors' edge could have been even larger, but Eljif Elmas' 38th-minute header crashed against the crossbar, preventing Lazio's absolute catastrophe.

The second half was Conte's special - keeping the lead and not giving a rival the slightest hope of making a comeback.

Napoli turned a game into a genuine "snoozefest", skilfully defending their lead, and even with that display, they were closer to a third goal than Lazio to the consolation one.

From Old Trafford to certainty: Napoli tie down their viking

In the 78th minute, Elmas wasted another excellent chance with an unlucky header, while Noslin's second yellow card nine minutes before the end definitely dashed the home crew's hopes.

Still, the red card festival wasn't over then, as Adam Marusic of Lazio and Pasquale Mazzocchi of Napoli were sent off in the dying minutes after a physical altercation, as Matteo Guendouzi's crossbar hit in added time marked the last chance in the match.

SERIE A - MATCHDAY 18

Friday

Cagliari - Milan 0-1 (0-0)

/Leao 50/

Saturday

Como - Udinese 1-0 (1-0)

/De Cunha 18(p)/

Genoa - Pisa 1-1 (1-1)

/Colombo - Leris 38/

Sassuolo - Parma 1-1 (1-1)

/Thorstvedt 12 - Pellegrino 24/

Juventus - Lecce 1-1 (0-1)

/McKennie 49 - Banda 45+1/

Atalanta - Roma 1-0 (1-0)

/Scalvini 12/

Sunday

Lazio - Napoli 0-2 (0-2)

/Spinazzola 13, Rrahmani 32/

17.00: (1.80) Fiorentina (3.60) Cremonese (5.10)

20.00: (2.65) Verona (3.05) Torino (2.90)

22.45: (1.43) Inter (4.50) Bologna (7.50)

***odds are subject to change***