A Colombian and a Neapolitan sink Napoli

Dag Jenkins
Jan 11, 2023
4 min read

Season 2019-20

Game 19, Serie A

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Napoli 1-0

Lazio not at their best but Ospina mistake and Immobile opportunism give them late winner

Lazio so far were having a wonderful season. After an up and down start (3 wins, 2 defeats and 2 draws-including derby 1-1) the Biancocelesti had improved. The turning point had been a 3-3 home draw against Atalanta when Lazio came back from 0-3 down in the last 20 minutes. They had since won 9 consecutive games (including Milan 2-1 away, after 30 years and Juventus 3-1 at home). Lazio were now in 3rd position on 40 points and gaining consensus as potential title challengers. Juventus and Inter were top on 45 points but Lazio had a game in hand (Lazio vs Verona on February 5).

So far in Serie A Napoli were joint 8th with Torino on 24 points. They had won 6, drawn 6 and lost 6 (including recent 1-3 at home to Inter).

A tricky game for Lazio today. Napoli were struggling in the league but they were potentially dangerous with several top-class players. Lazio however were also hoping to set a new club record of ten consecutive victories.

The match: Saturday, January 11, 2020, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

A Saturday 6 p.m. kick-off attracted about 45,000 spectators to the Olimpico. There was a party atmosphere both for Lazio's form but also for the recent 120th anniversary of the club (January 9 1900).

Lazio were missing midfielder Marco Parolo and forward Joaquín Correa while Napoli had to do without defenders Kalidou Koulibaly and Nikola Maksimović plus forward Dries Mertens. Heavy absences for both sides.

Lazio and Napoli have similar colours so tonight the visitors wore their olive green away kit.

The first shot was for the Neapolitans as Lorenzo Insigne curled in a freekick from the left that Thomas Strakosha tipped over the bar.

Then it was Allan who threatened, he ran forward undisturbed, skipped past Stefan Radu but then his final shot flew over the bar.

Lazio's first opportunity was a powerful, low Sergej Milinkovic-Savic strike but David Ospina was safe. A few minutes later Milinkovic-Savic then had another chance but after an acrobatic but clumsy defensive clearance he mishit his volley from a good position and Ospina slapped it away.

Halftime came with the game goalless. Napoli had started better but Lazio had gradually grown into the game. A tight contest so far with both XI's tactically well positioned on the field.

The second half started with an ambitious Ciro Immobile low, long range effort but Ospina saved comfortably.

Napoli then had the biggest chance so far. Polish midfielder Piotr Zielínski from just inside the area on the left curled a glorious shot which Strakosha got his finger tips to and the ball then came back off the post.

Lazio were in difficulty and in the 64th minute replaced forward Felipe Caicedo with midfielder Danilo Cataldi. Milinkovic-Savic moved slightly further upfield.

Napoli were in a good moment and insisted. Insigne weaved his way forward and inside the box hit a low, cross goal shot which Strakosha did well on, diving down and parrying with one hand.

Lazio did not create much in the second half with Napoli on top for long periods. Simone Inzaghi moved Milinkovic-Savic further back again as he realised Lazio were unbalanced. In the 81st minute the Biancocelesti took off Lucas Leiva for Valon Berisha and a minute later everything changed.

In the 82nd minute Ospina received a back pass on the left of the area and was pressed by Immobile. The Colombian keeper tried to dribble the striker from Torre Annunziata but was dispossessed, Ciro still had a lot to do as he was in an angled position, still quite near the white line of the penalty area on the left, but he turned quickly and shot at goal where Giovanni Di Lorenzo touched it but could not prevent it from going in, 1-0. A gift from Ospina but Immobile had taken it very well.

Napoli then made two more changes: forward Fernando Llorente for Allan (83') and Eljif Elmas for José Maria Callejon (88').

After Lazio's goal the game was far from over. Napoli had a dangerous, low, long range shot by Arkadiusz Milik saved into corner by Strakosha.

Lazio now had space on the break and Immobile almost got his double on a clever through ball by Manuel Lazzari but Ospina was feeling less generous and dived to his left and parried.

The last chance fell to Napoli as they went extremely close to an equaliser. Elmas crossed from the right, Milinkovic-Savic headed away, only as far as Insigne who let the ball drop and struck a perfectly timed volley but Strakosha pulled off another great save, diving low to his right and parrying away.

In the 91st minute Insigne went off for Hirving Lozano and that in a way was the sign of Napoli surrendering. After three minutes of added time the referee blew up. Full time Lazio 1 Napoli 0. The party could continue.

A hard-fought and at a certain point unhoped for win. Lazio had found a way to win even when they had not been at their best. Another sign that it could well be Lazio's year. Lazio were still 3rd on 42 points (with a game in hand) but had gained two on 2nd placed Inter on 46 while Juve were leaders on 48.

Napoli had played well, had their chances and for prolonged spells been in control of the game (72% possession in second half) but lost. The goalkeepers had made the difference, an Ospina blunder and several Strakosha stops had given Lazio the win. Napoli were now joint 11th, on 24 points with Udinese.

Who played for Lazio

Strakosha, Luiz Felipe, Acerbi, Radu, Lazzari, Milinkovic-Savic, Leiva (81' Berisha), Luis Alberto (90' Jony), Lulic, Caicedo (64' Cataldi), Immobile