Serie A leaders Napoli suffer rare loss to Lazio

Football

Serie A leaders Napoli suffer rare loss to Lazio

Published: 05 Mar. 2023, 08:19 Updated: 05 Mar. 2023, 17:57

Napoli's Kim Min-jae in action during a Serie A game against Lazio at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples, Italy on Friday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Serie A leaders Napoli suffered a rare defeat on Friday, losing 1-0 on Lazio to drop only their second game of the 2022-23 season.

A 67th minute goal from Matías Vecino snapped Napoli's eight-game Serie A winning streak as the Partonopei stayed uncharacteristically quiet at the other end of the pitch.

Napoli had a chance to equalize in the 79th minute, when Victor Osimhen hit the post and Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel managed to get his hands to the Kim Min-jae rebound shot.

The one loss will do little to upset Napoli's momentum, but the lack of offensive flair is unusual for such a high-scoring club.

Napoli lead Serie A with 21 wins, two draws and two losses for 65 points, 17 points ahead of Lazio, who move into second on 48 points. Inter Milan, the only other team to beat Napoli this season, are in third with 47 points.

Friday's game was the club's first league loss at home since April, 2022.

Speaking after the game, Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti admitted his team just didn't play well enough.

“There just wasn’t enough quality," Spaletti said after the game. "We passed it around in the messiest way and we rushed moves down the flanks where they were allowing us more movement.

“After doing it three or four times, we had the chance to go into the centre, but we lacked patience and didn’t attempt enough passes to free the midfielder. The midfield was the key to this game, for both teams.

“Lazio defended well, were fortunate on the crossbar and great save, while we were naïve with the clearance to the edge of the area for Vecino’s shot. He found that tiny gap between Rrahmani and the post, so congratulations to Vecino for that finish.”

Napoli have a chance to redeem themselves in front of the home crowd next Saturday as they face sixth-place Atalanta.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]