Napoli 1-1 Lazio
Napoli and Lazio played out an exciting 1-1 draw in an exciting, high-tempo showdown at the Stadio Maradona on Sunday afternoon. Lazio took the lead before the half-hour mark when Davide Frattesi burst forward and finished with his left foot.
The hosts drew level early in the second half. Noa Lang delivered a cross and Scott McTominay lunged to meet it, with the ball also striking Alfonso Pedraza’s foot before finding its way into the net to make it 1-1.
The Azzurri then had a golden opportunity to take the lead when Kevin De Bruyne produced a superb touch to control a long ball from Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, but his right-footed effort was denied by the onrushing Christos Mandas. The match ended 1-1.
Massimiliano Allegri gave his assessment of the performance:
“I’m pleased with the players’ performance and their overall attitude. We need to keep going like this. There’s still plenty of time to climb the table. Difficult periods are part of football, but with hard work and belief, we can get back on track.
“We were a little more hesitant in the first half, although we still created chances. It was a completely different game after the break and we played much better.
“What I’d say to the fans is that the team are giving everything they have in terms of professionalism, commitment and quality. We now have the international break to recharge our batteries and welcome some players back into the squad.
“I’ve been through plenty of difficult periods in my career, but I’ve always managed to steer the ship into port, even in stormy seas. With the same spirit and a disciplined approach, I’m confident we can climb the table.
“These players need support and hopefully we can soon regain the right level of calmness. Today was a small but important step towards pulling together again. We’re not out of contention for anything yet. There are still plenty of games to play and we can achieve our objectives.”
Amir Rrahmani wore the captain’s armband and spoke of his pride at leading the team:
“Wearing the Napoli captain’s armband is a privilege because it means representing a great fanbase and a great club. We put in a good performance today against strong opposition in a difficult match.
“We deserved the equaliser and had further chances to score in the second half. We probably deserved to win, but things didn’t quite go our way.”
Napoli 1-1 Lazio (HT: 0-1)
Scorers: Frattesi 28, Pedraza (own goal) 48.
Napoli: Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Rrahmani, Marin; Vergara (Politano 74), De Bruyne (Giovane 83), Gilmour (Anguissa 69), McTominay, Olivera; Lang; Hojlund (Lucca 74). Coach: Allegri.
Lazio: Mandas; Floriani Mussolini (Lazzari 61), Sutalo (Leite 33), Provstgaard, Nuno Tavares (Pedraza 46), Frattesi (Cancellieri 78), Belahyane, Taylor; Isaksen, Pinamonti (Dele-Bashiru 61), Noslin. Coach: Gattuso.
Referee: Pairetto.
Bookings: Noa Lang, Vergara, Gilmour, Pedraza.
