Neapolitan Ambition Meets a Mid Table Roman Holiday

Napoli are currently sitting comfortably in second place, looking down at the rest of the peninsula with that specific brand of Neapolitan arrogance that only comes from having 66 points and a city that treats every home game like a canonization. They are hunting for the top spot, or at the very least, trying to ensure that the title race doesn't turn into a tedious victory lap for someone else.

Then we have Lazio. Ah, Lazio. Currently languishing in 9th place with 47 points, they are the footballing equivalent of a luxury car that refuses to start on Monday mornings. They have the pedigree and the beautiful kits, but they also have the consistency of a wet paper towel. Being 19 points behind their hosts suggests that the eagle on their crest might actually be a very lost pigeon this season.

This is billed as a choc between heavyweights, which is technically true if you consider one heavyweight to be in the middle of a title charge and the other to be face-down in a bowl of cold carbonara. Napoli are clinical, aggressive, and playing for stakes that actually matter. Lazio are playing for... well, perhaps a nice pat on the back and a Europa League spot if everyone above them simultaneously forgets how to play football.

EXPECT Napoli to suffocate them from the first whistle. While Lazio might try to play some intricate football in the middle of the park to prove they still have a pulse, Napoli’s front line is likely to be far too busy running through a Roman defense that has looked more like a tourist attraction than a barrier lately.

It won’t be pretty for the visitors, but it will be SPECTACULAR for the fans in the south. The Stadio Diego Armando Maradona doesn't do mercy, and given the 19-point gap, neither should Napoli.

Napoli 3-0 Lazio