Overview
Although still maintaining an unbeaten streak, Lazio has drawn 3 of the last 4 Serie A matches of 2025, including 2 consecutive matches against mid-range opponents Udinese and Cremonese.
After the controversial equalizer in injury time that made the away match at Udine last week not complete, Lazio's only victory since the beginning of December is still a remarkable victory when there are only 9 people left on the field against Parma.
However, besides eliminating AC Milan from the Coppa Italia to win a ticket to the quarter-finals against defending champion Bologna, the capital team is still closely following the top 6 Serie A group. In the context of being banned from transfers, they still have the opportunity to compete for a European cup spot. The second phase under Maurizio Sarri continues to be shaped by a disciplined and solid defensive structure.
Including the 1-0 victory over Milan in the Coppa Italia, Lazio has kept a clean sheet in 6/9 home matches this season, with goalkeeper Ivan Provedel playing a key role. However, before welcoming Sarri's old team at the weekend, Lazio had only won 5 points after 8 matches against teams in the top half of the table. This is a statistic showing that they still lack sharpness in the big match group.
In the opposite direction, Napoli may not have won in the last 5 encounters with Lazio in Serie A - although they have won 10/12 previous matches - but they entered this round with positive form.
Right after winning the first title of the season with the Italian Super Cup, the defending Serie A champion continued to close a memorable year with a victory over Cremonese. In the festive atmosphere after Christmas, Napoli had a 2-0 third consecutive victory, thanks to a double in the first half by Rasmus Hojlund, in an overwhelming performance at the Stadio Zini.
Recovery came at the right time, after two consecutive defeats in Serie A and Champions League, helping Napoli recreate the psychological momentum for the race on both fronts.
However, the away issue is still a hot spot. Napoli has lost 7 away matches this season and Antonio Conte's team understands that they cannot bring this habit to 2026 if they still want to defend the Scudetto.
Conte is also facing a personal "debt" when losing both previous encounters with Maurizio Sarri (when the two respectively led Inter and Juventus). Therefore, the clash in Rome is not only a score story, but also an opportunity for Conte to reverse the trend against his compatriot.
Personnel situation
In order to strengthen the force in the context of a fragmented squad, Maurizio Sarri may summon Matteo Guendouzi and Toma Basic after this midfielder duo's suspension expires. However, Lazio still lacks personnel in some important positions.
Nicolo Rovella and Samuel Gigot are injured, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Boulaye Dia are on duty at the African Cup. In addition, last season's number one striker Valentin Castellanos is said to be about to join West Ham, making Lazio's center forward problem even more complicated.
On Napoli's side, Rasmus Hojlund has scored 9 goals in 20 appearances for the club on loan since coming from Manchester United. Notably, in December alone, he scored 5 goals from just 10 shots on target.
Romelu Lukaku has just returned after a long break, but is facing the risk of injury recurrence. Napoli also does not have the services of Kevin De Bruyne, Frank Anguissa, Billy Gilmour and goalkeeper Alex Meret.
In defense, the possibility of Sam Beukema and Mathias Olivera playing is still open. This may cause Antonio Conte's personnel options to be narrowed further before the away trip to Rome.
Expected lineup:
Provedel, Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Pellegrini, Guendouzi, Cataldi, Basic, Isaksen, Noslin, Zaccagni.
Milinkovic-Savic, Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno, Politano, Lobotka, McTominay, Spinazzola, Neres, Elmas, Hojlund.
The match between Lazio and Napoli takes place at 6:30 PM on January 4th (Vietnam time).
