Lazio stunned Napoli with a clinical 3-0 victory at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, effectively silencing the home crowd.
Napoli entered this Serie A clash sitting second in the table, aiming to solidify their position. Lazio, meanwhile, arrived in tenth place looking to improve their form.
The visitors struck early to silence the home fans. In the 6th minute, Matteo Cancellieri found the net to give Lazio an immediate advantage.
Napoli struggled to find a response as the first half progressed. Their frustration boiled over in the 29th minute when Stanislav Lobotka received a yellow card.
The situation worsened just two minutes later. Mattia Zaccagni coolly converted a penalty in the 31st minute, doubling Lazio's lead before the break.
Danilo Cataldi picked up a booking shortly after, ensuring the physical intensity remained high. Lazio headed into the tunnel with a comfortable two-goal cushion.
Napoli needed a quick tactical shift to break down the resolute Lazio defense. Their high possession stats had yielded nothing of substance during the first 45 minutes.
The second half began with Napoli pushing hard to reduce the deficit. However, Lazio remained disciplined and dangerous on the counter-attack.
In the 57th minute, Toma Bašić delivered the final blow. He fired home to make it 3-0, effectively ending any hopes of a Napoli comeback.
Kenneth Taylor entered the referee's book in the 60th minute. Napoli continued to press, but the Lazio goalkeeper remained untested throughout the match.
The final statistics highlighted Napoli's inefficiency. Despite 67% possession and 11 shots, they failed to land a single effort on target.
Lazio proved much more effective with their opportunities. They recorded an expected goals (xG) value of 2.26, dwarfing Napoli's meager 0.49.
This result leaves Napoli in a precarious spot as they fight for top-tier positioning. Lazio will take great confidence from a dominant performance on the road.
