Inter’s win over Cagliari last night meant that Antonio Conte’s hosts simply had to win to keep their already fanciful Scudetto hopes alive, but a slow start saw them fall behind.
Lazio had shown their threat down the left numerous times in the opening five minutes, yet Napoli failed to heed the warning and saw Mattia Zaccagni release the underlapping Kenneth Taylor, who in turn squared for Matteo Cancellieri to slot home from close range.
All hope was not lost for the Partenopei, considering that they’d gained a league-high 13 points after going 1-0 down this season, yet despite piling on the pressure, they struggled to work Edoardo Motta in the Lazio goal and went into half time without registering a shot on target.
Things could have been far worse for Napoli if not for the heroics of goalkeeper Vanja Milinković-Savić, who denied efforts from Cancellieri and Nuno Tavares as well as saving a Zaccagni penalty.
Stanislav Lobotka was punished for fouling Tijjani Noslin after a breakaway, yet Zaccagni - who is without a goal in 2026 - saw his tame spot-kick well saved by the hosts’ Serbian custodian.
Despite a double substitution ahead of the restart, the same issues followed Napoli in the second period. Taylor ran at the heart of their defence and dragged an effort wide, but that proved only a temporary reprieve as Lazio doubled their advantage before the hour mark.
Noslin drove down the left and squared for Cancellieri, who fluffed his lines with the goal gaping, but had his blushes spared as his mis-hit effort was picked up and slotted home by Toma Bašić.
In response, the lively Alisson Santos forced Motta into his first strenuous work of the evening with a powerful shot at the near post, before Tavares had the chance to put the contest well beyond the hosts but failed to hit the target from Noslin’s cutback.
Ultimately, Napoli never looked like mounting a comeback, and their failure to secure a first H2H league double over Lazio since 2021/22 all but puts the Serie A title in Inter’s hands. Meanwhile just a second win in seven away league matches sees Maurizio Sarri’s men reclaim ninth place.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Tijjani Noslin (Lazio)
