Lazio Vs Napoli [0–2] – Serie A 2025/2026: How Antonio Conte Tactics Exploited Structural Flaws – Tactical Analysis

Lazio hosted Napoli at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, and the game ended with a convincing 0-2 away win for the Partenopei, keeping them on track to challenge for the Serie A title.

With this win, Napoli keep chasing both AC Milan and Inter Milan, who are above them, Milan with a one-point lead and Inter Milan with a two-point lead.

Therefore, beating Lazio was crucial for Napoli to keep disturbing the top two teams and to make them capable of stealing the lead in the standings if both fail to win their upcoming games.

On the other hand, the home loss aggravates Lazio’s issues and puts them in the ninth spot, already six points away from a European spot.

This means that Lazio are in urgent need of points to finish the season in a higher position, especially if they seriously plan to play in Europe next season.

Things are getting very difficult for them at this point, given that the competition for those spots is already fierce, with teams like Atalanta, Bologna, and Como battling for the sixth and fifth spots, currently held by Roma.

Therefore, Lazio will need to start putting on convincing performances to build winning streaks and join the race for one of those spots; otherwise, it will be very difficult for them to even secure the sixth spot in the end.

In this tactical analysis article, the focus will be on Lazio’s player selection issues, the striker dilemma, defensive errors, and what needs to be fixed.

Lazio Vs Napoli Lineups & Formations

Maurizio Sarri started the match using his preferred 4-3-3 formation, with Ivan Provedel as goalkeeper, Adam Marušić as right-back, Mario Gila and Alessio Romagnoli as centre-backs, and Luca Pellegrini as left-back.

The midfield line was made up of Danilo Cataldi, Mattéo Guendouzi, and Toma Bašić.

Upfront, the attacking line was composed of Matteo Cancellieri and Mattia Zaccagni as wingers, with Tijjani Noslin as the team’s main striker, given that Valentín Castellanos recently left the club.

On the other hand, Antonio Conte started the match in a 3-4-3 formation, with Vanja Milinković-Savić as goalkeeper and a defensive line of Juan Jesus, Amir Rrahmani, and Giovanni Di Lorenzo.

The midfield was composed of Stanislav Lobotka and Scott McTominay as central midfielders, Leonardo Spinazzola and Matteo Politano as wing-backs, with David Neres and Eljif Elmas as wingers, and Rasmus Højlund as the main striker.

Lazio Zonal Marking Issues & Attacking Problems

Lazio started the game against Napoli without the effective, aggressive high pressing needed on Napoli’s ball holders, while Napoli were extremely organised, disciplined, and aggressive on every ball/pass.

This made the difference for Napoli as it enabled them to win more duels and create more goal-scoring situations for themselves.