The Daily Star Ireland
On Thursday, Lazio will host Napoli in a Coppa Italia match, aiming to recover from their recent Serie A loss.
Lazio
Recent form: WWWWDL
Lazio will be eager to bounce back after a 3-1 defeat to Parma in their last match. Despite dominating possession with 72% and registering 23 shots, they managed just one goal, courtesy of Valentín Castellanos (80′). Parma, with 12 shots, scored three times, thanks to Dennis Man (6′), Anas Haj Mohamed (53′), and Enrico Delprato (90′).
Defensively, Lazio has been solid in recent games, conceding only three goals in their last six outings. However, it remains uncertain whether this strong defensive form will hold against Napoli.
SSC Napoli
Recent form: WWLDWW
Napoli enters this match following a 1-0 win over Torino. They had 52% possession and 16 shots, with six on target. Scott McTominay’s goal in the 31st minute was the match’s only goal. Torino had five shots, but only one was on target.
Napoli’s recent matches have been low-scoring affairs, averaging just 1.5 goals per game over their last six. Their attack has only averaged 0.83 goals per game during this stretch.
Head-to-Head
In their most recent encounters dating back to November 2021, Napoli has won three times, Lazio has won twice, and one match has ended in a draw. Over these games, 14 goals were scored, with Napoli contributing nine and Lazio five. The average goals per game is 2.33.
Their last league meeting, on January 28, 2024, ended in a 0-0 draw. Lazio had 39% possession and 10 shots, with just one on target. Napoli had five attempts but couldn’t hit the target.
Team News: Lazio
Lazio will be missing Matías Vecino (thigh injury), Boulaye Dia (ankle injury), Gaetano Castrovilli (arthroscopy), and Nuno Tavares (hamstring injury).
Team News: Napoli
Napoli has most of their squad available, with only Pasquale Mazzocchi (calf injury) sidelined.
Prediction
We expect Lazio to score while keeping Napoli at bay, with a narrow 1-0 win for Lazio in a hard-fought match. Experts anticipate under 3.5 goals in this game.
