Lazio will look to overcome their worst start to a Serie A season in five years on Sunday after they slipped to ninth in the table following a goalless draw with Benevento in midweek.

Gennaro Gattuso's Napoli, meanwhile, are fifth after somehow conspiring to lose against potential Scudetto rivals Inter last time out and travel to Stadio Olimpico equally in need of a win.

Match preview

Lazio - like Sunday's opposition, who won their Europa League group - have succeeded in Europe this term, sealing progress to the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time in 20 years. However, their domestic form has slipped below last season's sky-high standards - perhaps as a direct consequence of their European engagements.

Simone Inzaghi's team have also suffered from the unavailability of several integral players, essentially forcing the Biancocelesti to limit their first-team rotations between midweeks and weekends.

Fatigue has surely been a factor in recent results and, in all, Lazio's dismal home record has proved the most disappointing aspect of their season - they have won just one of the six Serie A games played at the Olimpico so far. Conceding twelve goals in the process, their defence on home turf has been one of the worst in the Italian top flight.

Their manager reportedly met with club president Claudio Lotito to discuss his future at the club during the week, following the worst Serie A start of the entire Inzaghi era, and then gathered his troops for a motivational meeting ahead of this crucial clash.

Though goals have rarely been a problem for the Aquile, particularly in the presence of 2019-20 capocannoniere Ciro Immobile, consistency clearly has.

The European Golden Shoe winner is again Lazio's top scorer, with a tally of seven goals in ten games - and four in their last five.

A striker to instill fear in any defence, Immobile has scored in each of his last four league matches against Napoli and will be determined to stretch that streak to five on the spin, as his team attempts to get back on track before the winter break.

Napoli have also thrived on the continent, but have been found lacking several times domestically. Excluding an emotion-powered 4-0 victory over Roma in the wake of club idol Diego Maradona's untimely death, the Neapolitan side have lost to their other direct rivals - AC Milan, Sassuolo and Inter.

That loss against the Nerazzurri in midweek was far from deserved, with Napoli spurning several glaring chances to take the lead before Romelu Lukaku scored Inter's winner from the penalty spot.

To make matters worse, captain Lorenzo Insigne was sent off for his protests after the penalty was awarded and he has subsequently been given a one-match suspension by the Serie A Disciplinary Commission.

Having benefited from the organisational and motivational skills of their current coach Gattuso, Napoli have conceded the fewest away goals in 2020-21, as only Benevento's Roberto Insigne - brother of Lorenzo - and now Inter's Lukaku have scored against the Partenopei on their travels.

They have not lost two consecutive league matches in almost a year, so will be keen to bounce back from their chastening San Siro experience - when their profligacy was ruthlessly exploited by a dogged Inter XI - on Sunday.

After six consecutive away wins against Lazio, Napoli lost their last meeting in January and cannot afford another slip-up here if they are to remain on the coat-tails of the Milan clubs at Serie A's summit.

Lazio Serie A form: DWLWLD
Lazio form (all competitions): LDWDLD

Napoli Serie A form: WLWWWL
Napoli form (all competitions): WDWDWL

Team News

Lazio, as seems to be a permanent state of affairs, prepare for this crunch clash with absences in all departments of the squad. Coach Simone Inzaghi is still without club captain Senad Lulic, wing-back Mohamed Fares, Lucas Leiva and - most crucially - defensive lynchpin Francesco Acerbi, who was injured in last week's defeat to Verona.

Striker Vedat Muriqi returned to training late in the week and could claim a spot on the bench, as Ciro Immobile and Joaquin Correa again lead the line in Inzaghi's 3-5-2 formation.

Gennaro Gattuso, meanwhile, will be mostly affected by crucial absences in the final third. Dries Mertens has suffered an ankle sprain and will not return until the new year, while Lorenzo Insigne was sent off for insulting the referee in midweek and is suspended as a result.

In addition, Victor Osimhen has travelled to Belgium in order to rehabilitate his long-standing shoulder injury, so Andrea Petagna should deputise up front.

Lazio possible starting lineup:
Reina; Patric, Hoedt, Radu; Lazzari, Milinkovic-Savic, Parolo, Alberto, Marusic; Correa, Immobile

Napoli possible starting lineup:
Meret; Di Lorenzo, Manolas, Koulibaly, Rui; Zielinski, Bakayoko, Ruiz; Politano, Petagna, Lozano

We say: Lazio 1-1 Napoli

With both sides apparently fatigue-affected and set to take the field without key men, this game could be more of a cagey affair than some would expect, given their respective reputations.

Napoli's attacking edge will be blunted by important absences, so even though they may start slight favourites, Gennaro Gattuso's side may have to make do with a point in Rome.

Top betting tip

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