A fiery Serie A encounter between Napoli and Lazio concluded with three players being sent off following a full-scale brawl. Napoli, the current holders of the Italian top-flight title, triumphed 2-0 over Lazio in a Sunday afternoon showdown at Stadio Olimpico. Ex-Manchester United ace Scott McTominay put on another impressive display for Napoli, although he didn’t manage to add to his tally of five goals this season.
Leonardo Spinazzola and Amir Rrahmani netted the goals that clinched victory for Antonio Conte’s squad. However, the match was marred by a dramatic melee in the closing stages. The fracas erupted after a heated exchange between Lazio defender Adam Marusic and Napoli substitute Pasquale Mazzocchi. As Lazio held possession, Marusic and Mazzocchi began shoving each other, prompting referee Davide Massa to halt play as the scuffle escalated to involve players and staff from both sides.
Once order was restored, Massa brandished red cards to both players, Marusic and Mazzocchi. Earlier in the match, Lazio’s Tijjani Noslin had already been sent off after receiving two yellow cards, the second of which was issued in the 81st minute.
Consequently, Lazio not only suffered a 2-0 defeat but also ended the match with just nine players on the pitch following the dismissals of Marusic and Noslin. United loanee Rasmus Hojlund was in the starting line-up for Napoli – but was substituted in the 86th minute, making way for Noa Lang.
The victory propels McTominay, Hojlund and their team-mates to second place in the Serie A standings, trailing leaders AC Milan by a single point. The Neapolitans have clinched the Scudetto twice in the past three years.
Napoli’s next fixture is a home game against Verona in Serie A on Thursday evening. Lazio, on the other hand, sit ninth in the league table and are set to take on Fiorentina on Wednesday night.
Recent weeks have seen rumours circulating that United might be keen on bringing McTominay back to Old Trafford following his stellar season with Napoli. Hojlund, who is currently on loan with the Serie A heavyweights, has been tipped for a permanent move to Italy next summer.