Serie A: Napoli's Slump Continues Against Lazio

Napoli's title aspirations are threatened by Lazio's recent victories, narrowing the gap in the Serie A standings.

Napoli manager Antonio Conte expressed his satisfaction with his team's performance and commitment, despite suffering a defeat at the hands of Lazio on Sunday. This loss marked Napoli's second defeat to Lazio in the same week, resulting in the team relinquishing their top spot in the Serie A standings.

Conte's side had been seeking revenge against Lazio, following a 3-1 away defeat on Thursday that eliminated Napoli from the Coppa Italia. Sunday's home league match presented an opportunity for Napoli to not only avenge their previous loss but also reclaim the top spot in Serie A, which had been taken over by Atalanta.

Lazio's recent victories over Napoli have propelled them to within one point of their opponents, injecting excitement into the Serie A title race. Napoli manager Antonio Conte is not surprised by Lazio's strong position in the standings, acknowledging their consistency. “Lazio are not a meteorite, they are doing very well,” Conte said, demonstrating his admiration for their performance.

Conte reflected on his team's performance, expressing a sense of optimism despite the setbacks. “I'm not disappointed or unhappy, during this journey there are some stumbles, there will probably be others,” he noted. Conte emphasized his desire to see his team maintain their current spirit, while also recognizing the need for improvement in critical areas. “This is the team I want to see but we need to have more quality in the final metres,” he added.

Lazio manager Marco Baroni, who has firsthand experience with winning a Scudetto, is cautious about getting carried away with his team's success. Baroni famously scored the decisive goal for Napoli against Lazio on the final day of the 1989-1990 season, securing the league title for Napoli. Despite his team's impressive form, Baroni remains grounded. “It's hard to make the climb and it takes a moment to drop back down again,” he said, highlighting the challenges of maintaining momentum in the title race.

“I know the league very well, the teams that are at the top, and we have to face them with this attitude. And then in the end we will see.”