Napoli Hosts Unbeaten Lazio as Gattuso Makes Return
Napoli names Vanja Milinković-Savić in goal, replacing Alex Meret, and positions Noa Lang behind Rasmus Højlund for their match against league leaders Lazio. Nuno Tavares returns to the starting lineup for Gennaro Gattuso’s team after recovering from a muscular issue.
The match kicks off at 12:30 CET (11:30 GMT) on Sunday at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, with referee Luca Pairetto officiating the contest.
Gattuso returns to Naples, where his Lazio squad remains unbeaten after 10 games, achieving nine victories and one draw, totaling 28 points. Following Roma’s 3-0 triumph over Sassuolo on Saturday, Lazio’s lead has been narrowed to just one point. A win today would extend Lazio’s advantage to four points before the forthcoming international break.
In stark contrast, Napoli faces significant challenges. Max Allegri’s side sits 14 points behind Lazio with only 14 points collected this season. They enter the match after consecutive defeats, including a 2-0 loss at Juventus and a 4-1 setback against Porto in the Champions League, increasing pressure on their coach.
Napoli is grappling with a lengthy injury list. Key players Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Leonardo Spinazzola, Stanislav Lobotka, Benoit Badiashile, David Neres, Alisson Santos, Costantino Favasuli, and Alessandro Buongiorno are sidelined. Though Mathias Olivera is not fully fit, he is still set to start.
On the Lazio side, they will miss captain Mattia Zaccagni due to a thigh injury, along with Albert Gudmundsson, who has been out for several weeks. Napoli’s Luca Marianucci is suspended after receiving a red card in the match against Juventus, while Lazio has no suspensions.
Official Line-ups Announced:
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Napoli: Milinković-Savić; Beukema, Rrahmani, Marín; Vergara, De Bruyne, Gilmour, McTominay, Olivera; Lang; Højlund
Coach: Allegri -
Lazio: Mandas; Floriani Mussolini, Šutalo, Provstgaard, Nuno Tavares; Frattesi, Belahyane, Taylor; Isaksen, Pinamonti, Noslin
Coach: Gattuso
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