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Final yr, Napoli and Lazio completed first and second in Serie A. Once they meet on Sunday, they’re going to be combating for fourth place.
Each groups had woeful begins to this season however whereas issues have a lot improved for Lazio, Napoli’s type stays so poor that rumors are swirling of a possible third coach in lower than a yr for the defending champion.
French coach Rudi Garcia began the season however was fired in November. Outcomes have hardly improved beneath Walter Mazzarri, who has received 5 of his 13 matches in all competitions. Napoli is eighth in Serie A and 21 factors behind chief Juventus.
Even earlier than Napoli misplaced within the Italian Tremendous Cup ultimate on Monday, there have been studies that membership president Aurelio De Laurentiis was set to satisfy with Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese coach was fired by Roma.
Nonetheless, there have been already flickering indicators of enchancment. Napoli received its final Serie A match earlier than the journey to Saudi Arabia for the Tremendous Cup. Though it wanted a late objective to beat backside membership Salernitana 2-1, that snapped a run of 4 matches and not using a win or perhaps a objective for Mazzarri’s workforce.
Napoli — with out key gamers together with Victor Osimhen due to the Africa Cup of Nations or harm — went on to beat Fiorentina 3-0 within the Tremendous Cup semifinal in Riyadh earlier than narrowly shedding to Inter Milan 1-0 whereas taking part in half an hour with 10 males after Giovanni Simeone was despatched off.
Napoli was incensed by the sending off and different refereeing choices and nobody spoke to the media aside from De Laurentiis.
“It’s a Napoli that’s going by modifications, completely different new gamers are coming in and we’re destined to alter,” he mentioned.
“Credit score to the winners, however I noticed a Napoli workforce that’s rising. With 10 males and with numerous absentees the workforce made life troublesome for Inter.”
Lazio fared a lot worse in opposition to Inter because it was humiliated 3-0 of their semifinal final Friday.
That halted a run of 5 straight wins for Lazio, throughout which it conceded solely two objectives, together with a confidence-boosting victory over metropolis rival Roma to achieve the Italian Cup semifinals.
“There’s a hole between us and Inter however it’s not as massive as what we noticed,” Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri mentioned after the Tremendous Cup loss.
“The workforce appeared scared, we had been late to every little thing. It is occurred earlier than the place we have had blackouts after a run of constructive matches, however not like this. Shedding on this method actually annoys me.”
Lazio was sixth within the league, only a level behind fourth-placed Fiorentina and two above Napoli forward of the match in Rome. Fiorentina hosts Inter on Sunday.
“There are classes in all unfavourable experiences, I mentioned that to the workforce after the match,” Sarri mentioned. “If we wish to compete we now have to have one thing extra by way of techniques and willpower.
“It is a large lesson and we have to take it ahead.”
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