Napoli 1-2 Lazio: Luis Alberto & Daichi Kamada score as Maurizio Sarri’s side beat defending champions

Lazio beat Napoli 2-1 at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Serie A to pick up their first league win of the season.

The defending champions started the first half brightly with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia looking particularly sharp on his return to the starting XI. Napoli moved the ball well at a high tempo and won the ball back quickly whenever they lost it.

However, it was Lazio who took the lead against the run of play in the 30th minute following a wonderful back-heeled finish from Luis Alberto. Napoli wasted no time though and replied instantly when the ball fell to Piotr Zielinski on the edge of the box and the Polish midfielder fired home with the help of a deflection just two minutes later.

The rest of the first half was an end-to-end affair with Victor Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia leading the Napoli threat, and Alberto and Felipe Anderson offering incision for Lazio.

Napoli again came out strong in the second half but Zielinski passed on an early chance to put them ahead.

And Maurizio Sarri’s side would make them rue that miss, when, in the 52nd minute, Lazio took the lead again with a wonderful attacking move. Felipe Anderson drove forward on the right wing before pulling the ball back to Luis Alberto on the edge of the box. The Spaniard elegantly let the ball run through his legs, thus leaving it for Daichi Kamada to finish into the bottom corner.

Napoli dominated possession for the lion’s share of the rest of the match but it was Lazio who had the ball in the back of the net a further two times; on both occcasions, however, they were ruled out for offside.

Coming into this match Lazio had lost their opening two Serie A matches to Lecce and Genoa. It was an extremely poor start for the side that finished second in the league last season. It’s always a tough task to come to The Maradona Stadium but, just as they did last season, Lazio found a way to keep Napoli’s attack quiet and punished them going the other way.

A well-earned victory for Maurizio Sarri’s side should now put them in good stead moving forward.

Lazio’s midfield maestro was masterful in his performance on Saturday.

Alberto was at the heart of all of Lazio’s attacking play while also managing the tempo and keeping things ticking when his side was in possession. The Spaniard opened the scoring with an audacious back-heel finish and then followed it up with a dummy to give Kamada the space to score the winner.

Napoli: Meret 6, Di Lorenzo 6, Rrahmani 7, Jesus 5, Olivera 5, Lobotka 7, Anguissa 6, Zielinski 7, Politano 5, Osimhen 6, Kvaratskhelia 6.

Subs: Rui 6, Raspadori 5, Lindstrom 6, Simeone N/A.

Lazio: Provedel 7, Marusic 6, Romagnoli 7, Casale 6, Hysaj 6, Cataldi 7, Kamada 7, Alberto 8, Anderson 8, Immobile 6, Zaccagni 7.

Subs: Guendouzi 7, Pellegrini 6, Pedro N/A Isaksen N/A.

30′ – LAZIO TAKE THE LEAD! Felipe Anderson does well down the right-hand side and pulls the ball back to Luis Alberto in the six-yard box who beautifully back-heels the ball past Alex Meret.

32′ – NAPOLI RESPOND INSTANTLY Politano’s ball into the box is cleared only as far as Zienlinski who gets the ball out of his feet and fires home with the help of a deflection from Romagnoli.

47′ – EARLY CHANCE FOR NAPOLI Kvaratskhelia floats in a cross towards Osimhen who chests the ball down for Zielinski to hit of the half volley but his attempt is straight at Provedel.

52′ – GOAL FOR LAZIO! Felipe Anderson drives down the right wing once again and pulls the ball back to Luis Alberto on the edge of the box. The Spanish midfielder lets the ball run through his legs leaving it for Daichi Kamada who fires home into the bottom corner.

71′ – ANOTHER DISALLOWED GOAL FOR LAZIO Two minutes after being denied a debut assist due to VAR, Guendouzi is now denied a debut goal. A poor clearance from Juan Jesus falls to the Frenchman just inside the Napoli box before he fires home but the goal is chalked off due to offside.

1937 – Lazio have won two away games in a row against Napoli for only the second time in their Serie A history. The last time was 1937.