Lazio wins to delay Napoli’s Serie A title celebrations

Felipe Anderson celebrates after scoring against Sassuolo on May 3, 2023.

Domenico Cippitelli/LiveMedia/Sipa/AP

CNN
 — 

Napoli’s Serie A title celebrations remain on hold after the league leaders’ closest rivals Lazio beat Sassuolo 2-0 on Wednesday.

Felipe Anderson put the home team ahead in the first half, with the Lazio defense then having to fend off waves of Sassuolo attacks.

Davide Frattesi came closest to equalizing when his strike crashed off the bar.

And the three points were sealed late on when Toma Bašić tapped home after a swift counterattack.

Lazio’s win puts the Rome team 15 points behind Napoli, who will secure the club’s first Serie A title in 33 years if they draw or beat Udinese on Thursday.

The title will be only the third time Napoli has won Serie A and the first since the club’s golden era of spearheaded by Argentine great Diego Maradona.

In Naples, photos showed Napoli fans in the Quartieri Spagnoli district of the city watching Lazio’s game on Wednesday, no doubt hoping the Rome team would slip up.

Napoli has been the dominant team in Serie A this season.

Coached by Luciano Spalletti, Napoli has been dynamic in attack – the team has scored 68 goals – and mean in defense, conceding just 22 goals in 32 matches. The Serie A leaders have lost just three league games this season.