Coppa Italia: Lazio Secure Quarterfinal Spot

Lazio secure a 3-1 victory over Napoli, advancing to the Coppa Italia quarterfinals.

Lazio secured a resounding 3-1 victory over Serie A leaders Napoli in the Coppa Italia at the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday night. The triumph was fueled by a stunning hat-trick from Tijjani Noslin, which ultimately led to Antonio Conte's Napoli being eliminated from the competition.

Both Lazio and Napoli fielded heavily rotated lineups for the midweek cup clash. Maurizio Sarri's Lazio side was without several key players, including Nuno Tavares, Matteo Guendouzi, Taty Castellanos, and Boulaye Dia. Meanwhile, Antonio Conte also opted to rest several first-team regulars, with notable absentees including Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Romelu Lukaku, Scott McTominay, and Alessandro Buongiorno.

Lazio burst out of the gates with high energy, immediately putting pressure on their opponents. Their efforts were nearly rewarded in the 20th minute when Pedro was fouled by Elia Caprile inside the Partenopei penalty area, resulting in a penalty kick for Lazio. However, Mattia Zaccagni's attempt was denied by the opposing goalkeeper, keeping the score level.

Undeterred, Lazio continued to push forward and eventually broke the deadlock 10 minutes later. A corner kick from Loum Tchaouna was delivered deep into the box, where Samuel Gigot headed it back into the mix. The ball was then nodded in from close range by Noslin, marking his third goal of the season in all competitions.

The visitors responded swiftly, equalizing just four minutes later. David Neres won the ball in Lazio's half and launched a swift counterattack. He drove forward before unleashing a shot that was parried by Christos Mandas. Simeone was on hand to capitalize on the rebound, scoring at full stretch to level the score.

Noslin had a remarkable start to the game, doubling his seasonal goal tally within an impressive nine-minute span. Lazio's swift counter-pressing allowed them to win the ball back, and a neat combination between Pedro and Mattia Zaccagnis in the box created a scoring opportunity for the Dutchman. With a clear shot on goal from just 10 yards out, Noslin made no mistake.

As the first half drew to a close, Giovanni Simeone came agonizingly close to scoring his second goal of the night. A slick exchange between Billy Gumble and David Neres set Simeone up with a prime scoring chance, but goalkeeper Ivan Provedel's replacement, Nicola Leali's, substitute, Alessandro Plizzari's, replacement, Pietro Terracciano's, replacement, Alessandro Plizzari's, replacement, Nicola Leali's.

Both Lazio and their opponents opted to introduce their first-team regulars in the second half, with notable players such as Guendouzi, McTominay, Lukaku, and Stanislav Lobotka entering the fray. Despite this injection of talent, Lazio remained firmly in control throughout the 90 minutes, effortlessly protecting their two-goal advantage.

Lazio's convincing victory on Thursday propelled them into the Coppa Italia quarter-finals. Their next challenge awaits in the form of the winner of the Inter-Udinese matchup. In a curious twist of fate, Lazio will also face Napoli again in Serie A on Sunday, this time at the Stadio Maradona.