The Partenopei Edge The Biancocelesti in Fiery Contest With Three Sendings-Off
First-half strikes from Spinazzola and Amir Rrahmani earned a win for Napoli at Lazio in a match overshadowed by three dismissals.
Three points propels Conte's side to within a single point of Serie A pace-setters Milan, who prevailed on Friday. Inter hold third place but have a chance to go back to the summit with a win in their evening fixture.
Dominance Despite Injury Woes
Despite missing several injured players, Napoli commanded the game with measured build-up play. The first goal arrived when Politano's delivery was volleyed home by the wing-back at the back post.
The advantage was doubled in the first half as the defender powered a glancing header from another Politano free-kick into the bottom corner. Napoli came close to a third goal shortly after when Eljif Elmas watched his header crash against the crossbar.
Flashpoints and Dismissals
After the break saw more injury concern for the visitors when a winger limped off. This incident sparked a brief confrontation, leading to yellow cards for a Napoli defender and Lazio's Tijjani Noslin—who then received a second caution for a foul.
"My compliments to the lads, performing with this level of quality and intensity while preventing the opposition have control is difficult," remarked the winning head coach. "We played at a exceptional level of quality."
Tensions boiled over again near the end as players from both sides became involved in a heated exchange, prompting the manager to step in. Both individuals were shown red cards for their part in the incident.
Other Continental Fixtures
Over in La Liga, Sevilla suffered a 3-0 defeat at home to struggling Levante. Levante took control with a well-worked move before adding two further strikes in the second half to seal a convincing win.
Meanwhile, Los Blancos face major pressure when they play Real Betis, after their arch-rivals increased their lead at the top. Later on late game, Atlético Madrid travel to face La Real.
In France, a landmark capital derby is scheduled as the newly-promoted side face powerhouses Paris Saint-Germain. The fixture represents the first top-flight encounter between the neighbors in decades, adding extra intrigue to the weekend's action.
