In a frenetic game with a cup final-like atmosphere, Lazio secured its place in next season’s Champions League with a 4-2 win at the Stadio San Paolo in Naples.
With a parochial home crowd behind it, it was Napoli that had the first chance of the game. Gonzalo Higuain flicked the ball on to Jose Callejon who, after beating the Lazio offside trap, placed the ball past an advancing Federico Marchetti, only to see the ball go wide of the post.
Napoli forced Lazio to defend deep but it was the Biancoceleste that took the lead in the 33rd minute. Antonio Candreva laid the ball back to Marco Parolo, who from outside the box, hit his shot over goalkeeper Mariana Andujar and into the net.
Lazio was looking dangerous on the counter-attack and just before the stroke of half time doubled its lead. Senad Lulic took advantage of a Kalidou Koulibaly error and sent Candreva through on goal who calmly slotted the ball past Andujar.
The half time break could not have come soon enough for Napoli, whose players’ heads had dropped, but in the second half they came out firing. In the 55th minute a mistake from Parolo saw Marek Hamsik play through Callejon, who hit the ball across the face of goal for Higuain to tap home.
The stadium erupted into a cauldron of noise as the home fans sensed a comeback. Dries Martens came close to equalising when his shot was cleared off the line by a sliding Stefan de Vrij. Napoli finally equalised two minutes after Parolo picked up his second yellow card. Higuain received the ball inside the box from Mertens and, after a fine touch, slotted home.
Napoli’s numerical advantage ended in the 71st minute as Faouzi Ghoulam received his second yellow card in four minutes and was sent from the field. This did not halt Napoli’s momentum, however, and it was awarded a penalty five minutes later when Lulic was adjudged to have brought down Cristian Maggio in the box. Higuain, on a hat-trick, fired over the bar, missing the chance to hand Napoli the lead.
The drama in this game was not over, however. In the final five minutes of the game, the away side would score two goals. Ogenyi Onazi came off the bench and scored within a minute of his introduction, followed by a Miroslav Klose header from a quickly taken Cristian Ledesma free kick.
While Lazio made sure of its Champions League berth, Napoli, in Rafa Benitez’s last game in charge, was relegated to the Europa League places.
Champions League for Lazio
After a stuttering end to the season, Lazio has finally secured a place in the Champions League, albeit at the behest of a two legged playoff. With two losses in their last three games, the Biancoceleste earned their spot with the difficult task at the San Paolo and can be proud of their achievement. This will be their first foray in Europe’s premier club competition since the 2007-08 season and they will be looking to do better than the group stage elimination they suffered last time. Lazio will, however, need to navigate past a tricky play-off, and being unseeded means a potential tie against Manchester United or Valencia.
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Napoli concede too many goals
Napoli’s Europa League commitments were used by players and Rafa Benitez as an excuse for its disappointing fifth-placed finish this season. However, conceding 54 goals at a rate of 1.42 per game is a better measure for the underwhelming result. They say championships are built on defence, and by comparison, Juventus conceded a miserly 24 goals at 0.63 per game. Napoli’s defence is in fact the worst of any team in the top 10, so it is fortunate that it is prolific in attack. Otherwise, the Partenopei could have finished mid-table. Defensive reinforcements will be needed by the new coach for next season should Napoli expect to challenge for the title.
Prolific Gonzalo Higuain
Higuain has had an incredibly successful season. Two goals last night brings his season tally in Serie A to 18. Add to that goal tally eight assists and Higuain has contributed to 37% of Napoli’s goals this season, a phenomenal effort. Without Champions League football, Napoli may now struggle to keep its prolific striker, with a number of suitors rumoured to be interested in his services. Rafa Benitez may also be keen to reunite with him back at the Bernabeu, so if Napoli wishes to return to the Champions League, it will be hugely important for it to hold off all bids for their target man.
Stefano Pioli’s most successful season
Pioli has certainly had his most successful season as a senior coach. Although silverware eluded him, his unheralded Lazio outfit has been most impressive, finishing third. Outside of having success with youth teams, Pioli has not had a great deal of success as a manager. In the last 10 seasons, he has coached five mid-table Serie B clubs and three Serie A clubs threatened by relegation. Between the successful preseason recruiting and the implementation of a new style of play, Pioli has transformed Lazio into one of the most entertaining teams in Serie A and a potential Scudetto contender next season. Credit must go to Claudio Lotito, the Lazio president, for seeing potential in Pioli.
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