Napoli faced a disappointing 2-0 defeat at home against Lazio on Saturday, leading to jeers from their fans. This outcome significantly boosts Inter Milan, who are now closer to clinching the Serie A title next week.
Matteo Cancellieri and Toma Basic scored for Lazio, who might have extended their lead had they converted a penalty and capitalized on several missed chances.
Inter can secure the league title if they defeat Torino next Sunday and if Napoli fails to overcome struggling Cremonese two days prior. Meanwhile, AC Milan still has a chance to delay Inter’s celebrations, requiring victories in their next two matches—first against Hellas Verona on Sunday and then against Juventus at home the following week.
With five rounds remaining after this weekend, Inter is 12 points ahead of Napoli and 15 ahead of Milan, following their victory over Cagliari on Friday.
Lazio made a strong start in Naples, taking the lead in the sixth minute through Kenneth Taylor
Lazio almost doubled their advantage in the 31st minute when Tijjani Noslin was fouled by Stanislav Lobotka in the box, but penalty taker Vanja Milinkovic-Savic saved Mattia Zaccagni‘s spot-kick, and Zaccagni squandered the rebound. After several missed opportunities, Lazio found their second goal in the 57th minute. A well-timed run by Nuno Tavares led to a pass to Cancellieri, who mishit the ball but it fell perfectly for Toma Basic to score. This loss marks Napoli’s first home defeat in Serie A this season.