Napoli’s Serie A championship dreams suffered another blow on Sunday, stumbling to a 0-0 draw against Lazio in a forgettable match.
Missing key attackers Victor Osimhen, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Giovanni Simeone, Napoli’s offense sputtered, failing to register a single shot on target throughout the entire encounter.
Lazio, also depleted due to suspensions, offered little themselves, with the most exciting moment coming from a disallowed Valentin Castellanos overhead kick early in the second half.
The result leaves Napoli languishing in ninth place, a staggering 21 points behind league leaders Juventus. The champions’ title defense seems increasingly deflated, raising concerns about their ability to bounce back.
Lazio, despite the home support boost from having the north end of the stadium closed after a recent racism incident, remain stagnant in sixth.
Their inability to create clear chances, even without key attackers Ciro Immobile and Mattia Zaccagni, highlights their own inconsistencies.
Elsewhere in Serie A, Verona clawed their way out of the relegation zone with a 1-1 draw against Frosinone. Marco Baroni’s side now sits above Udinese and Cagliari, who occupy the bottom two spots, thanks to superior goal difference.
The race for the top spots remains heated, with Inter Milan aiming to reclaim first place from Juventus when they face Fiorentina later on Sunday. A win for Fiorentina, meanwhile, could see them leapfrog Atalanta into fourth place.
As Serie A enters the second half of the season, it’s clear that the fight for both the title and survival is far from over. Whether Napoli can rediscover their spark and Lazio can overcome their shortcomings remain intriguing questions, while the battle against relegation promises to be a nail-biting affair.
