A point gained at the weekend with a draw away to Parma is still good in the context of finishing second and steering away from their top four rivals to an extent, specifically AC Milan, who lost out to Udinese. Napoli may have given their fans some hope of re-entering the title race after beating Milan in the weekend before last, but that was merely a fire that was extinguished against Parma.
With Inter Milan managing a sensational comeback to win 4-3 against Como to consolidate their place at the summit of the Serie A standings, it’s time for Napoli to do the same with second place, as they host a troubled Lazio side at the Stadio Maradona on Saturday.
Napoli’s draw with Parma ended a five-game winning streak that placed them as the most in-form team in the division, and that remains the case heading into the weekend. With Champions League qualification certain at this moment, Conte’s side must get a few more wins to guarantee second place for his soon-to-be dethroned champions.
Maurizio Sarri is not a happy man with his team’s performances this season, and there are suggestions he could be leaving in the summer. With the end of another troubled campaign approaching, the experienced coach will want to end the season with silverware, with the Coppa Italia their best bet, as a semi-final second leg awaits after the first leg with Atalanta ended in a 2-2 draw.
On to their Serie A campaign, there is not much left to achieve apart from a higher finish than their current standing. Lazio are trailing local rivals AS Roma by 13 points, with the latter currently sitting in the final European spot; as such, a gap will be difficult to overcome given the limited games left. Beyond pride and the Coppa Italia, Lazio have nothing much to play for as they travel to Naples.
There are fresh injury boosts for Conte’s side, with key defender Amir Rrahmani now set to make his return after missing the last seven games with a hamstring problem. The defender is not expected to start against Lazio, but can be given some minutes off the bench if the game favours such a move.
However, skipper Giovanni Di Lorenzo is still out of contention, although he is close to returning, as next week’s clash with Cremonese could be the time he is included in the squad. Conte is still missing key attackers David Neres, Antonio Vergara, and Romelu Lukaku, with the latter experiencing another problem in what has been an injury-hit campaign at the Stadio Maradona.
Conte will once again rely on the in-form Scott McTominay, who has three goals in his last five games, including the equaliser against Parma last weekend, as Kevin De Bruyne and Rasmus Hojlund will complete the attacking setup.
Conte might prefer to use a back three of Juan Jesus, Alessandro Buongiorno, and Mathias Olivera. Matteo Politano and Leonardo Spinazzola will take up the wing-back slots, with Frank Anguissa and Stanislav Lobotka in central midfield.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Jesus, Buongiorno, Olivera; Politano, Anguissa, Lobotka, Spinazzola; De Bruyne, McTominay; Hojlund
Sarri will be boosted by the timely return of their skipper Mattia Zaccagni after a recent absence, although it is yet to be determined whether he will be involved from the start, there is a chance the manager might play him from the opening whistle.
There are still several injury problems, as Adam Marusic and Nicolo Rovella are still out of contention, while first-choice keeper Ivan Provedel has the company of third-choice stopper Alessio Furlanetto in the treatment room.
There are further positives for Sarri as key centre-backs Mario Gila and Samuel Gigot have resumed training, but the chances of them starting or playing any minutes are slim heading to the Stadio Maradona.
Daniel Maldini is still a significant doubt, meaning Boulaye Dia might start ahead of Tijjani Noslin and Petar Ratkov in the starting lineup.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Motta; Lazzari, Romagnoli, Provstgaard, Tavares; Basic, Cataldi, Taylor; Isaksen, Dia, Zaccagni
Conte continues to work around his team without key attackers, and this has been the theme for the whole season, which is probably the main reason for their lack of fight in the title race. However, his team are the in-form side in the division over the last six games, and McTominay is a big reason for that.
McTominay has three goals in his last five appearances, including the equaliser against Parma last weekend, as the Scotsman will be key to Napoli’s chances against Lazio. He will also prove to be a menace for Sarri’s defence, making him the danger man on the pitch ahead of this huge clash at the Stadio Maradona.
Lazio have a wretched record on the road this season, having failed to score in 10 out of their 16 games. Sarri’s side probably have nothing left to achieve apart from a domestic cup, and certainly not a place in any of the European competitions, as they are set to enter the Stadio Maradona as the underdogs.
Napoli are more or less favourites to clinch Champions League football for next season, as well as currently leading the chase to finish second. While the objectives are clear, and given their stellar home form, Conte’s men are expected to take three points against Lazio on Saturday.
