A Matias Vecino daisy-cutter gave Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio a shock victory at the Stadio Maradona, inflicting only the second Serie A defeat of the season for Napoli.
The other loss was 1-0 away to Inter on January 4. Mario Rui was suspended and Giacomo Raspadori injured, while Mattia Zaccagni and Alessio Romagnoli returned, with Patric starting despite not being 100 per cent fit.
Lazio had the first big chance on five minutes, as Luis Alberto’s free kick was flicked on by Matias Vecino and Giovanni Di Lorenzo had to perform a goal-line clearance, as it was going into the far top corner.
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s strike was deflected just over the bar, but Ivan Provedel crucially got his fingertips to a Chucky Lozano cross before Victor Osimhen could tap in behind him.
Napoli began to build the pressure, with shots deflected wide, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia’s free kick off target and Zielinski drilling past the post after an Osimhen back-heel flick.
However, Lazio took the lead somewhat against the run of play, as Kvaratskhelia’s headed clearance was allowed to bounce and Matias Vecino thumped it in low on the half-volley from well outside the box into the near bottom corner.
Eljif Elmas went on a run from his own half and saw the finish deflected over by Romagnoli, but there was a huge double chance when Osimhen’s header thumped the crossbar, then Provedel made a desperate save on the Kim Min-jae headed follow-up from seven yards and Di Lorenzo eventually handled.
Napoli poured forward trying to get this game back on track, but Elmas was booked for bringing Matteo Cancellieri down just outside the area and on the resulting free kick Sergej Milinkovic-Savic clipped the woodwork.
Napoli 0-1 Lazio
Vecino 67 (L)
Player statistic
| 21' |  |
Patric |
| Victor Osimhen | |
63' | ||
| 67' |  |
Matías Vecino | ||
| Eljif Elmas | |
89' | ||
| 90+4' | |
Adam Marusic |
Match statistic
