Runaway Serie A leaders Napoli lose for only second time

NAPLES, Italy (AP) — Runaway Serie A leaders Napoli fell to solely their second loss within the league once they had been overwhelmed 1-0 by Lazio on Friday.

Matías Vecino’s second-half strike was sufficient at hand the guests the victory that lifted them into second spot in Serie A, some extent above the Milan groups.

Napoli, nonetheless, has a 17-point benefit however may see it trimmed barely if AC Milan wins at Fiorentina on Saturday or Inter Milan beats Lecce the next day.

Lazio’s first victory in Naples in virtually eight years adopted a high-intensity match at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, however with few concrete goal-scoring alternatives. That was unsurprising because the groups have conceded the least in Serie A.

Lazio got here closest to taking the lead within the fifth minute when Luis Alberto whipped in a free kick and Vecino’s header was headed off the road by Napoli defender Giovanni Di Lorenzo with goalkeeper Alex Meret overwhelmed.

Napoli upped its recreation within the second half and will have damaged the impasse within the 58th minute when Di Lorenzo’s cross was back-heeled on by Victor Osimhen however Piotr Zieliński drilled narrowly extensive of the suitable upright.

Lazio went in entrance 9 minutes later, throughout Napoli’s greatest interval of the match. Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia tried to go clear a cross however the ball got here to Vecino who hit an ideal strike into the bottom and into the underside left nook.

It was the primary aim Napoli conceded in six matches in all competitions.

Napoli may have levelled 11 minutes from time however Osimhen — who had netted 11 targets in his earlier 10 matches — headed Kvaratskhelia’s cross off the crossbar from point-blank vary. Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel then pulled off a surprising save to maintain out a header from Kim Min-Jae on the rebound.