Napoli beat Lazio 3-0 in battle for Champions League place
milan — Lorenzo Insigne atoned for a glaring first-half miss to help Napoli win 3-0 at Lazio in Serie A on Sunday and all but guarantee his team a spot in next season’s Champions League.
Jose Callejon marked his 200th appearance for Napoli with the opening goal as Maurizio Sarri’s team moved seven points clear of fourth-place Lazio.
Napoli remained four points behind second-place Roma, with seven rounds remaining.
“We were aware that today there was a lot at stake,” Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina said. “Now we’re looking ahead and we’ll work to try and catch Roma.
“The race is open. We have a difficult fixture list, but we’re in good health and we know we can play for it right until the end.”
Lazio was looking to move to
We have a difficult fixture list... we know we can play for it right until the end
Pepe Reina, Napoli keeper
within a point of third place and was full of confidence after reaching the Italian Cup final with an aggregate victory over city rival Roma. Napoli had meanwhile lost its semifinal to Juventus.
But it was Napoli that took the lead with one of its trademark team moves. Dries Mertens found Marek Hamsik with a through ball and he crossed for Callejon to tap in at the far post.
Insigne should have doubled Napoli’s lead on the stroke of halftime but he curled his shot wide with only the goalkeeper to beat.
However, the Italy international did score six minutes into the second half, finishing off Allan’s chipped pass from outside the area.
Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi made a double substitution immediately afterward, bringing on Keita Balde Diao and Wesley Hoedt.
Keita almost scored with his first touch, but was denied by Reina.
Lazio had a series of chances to get back into the game. It went closest in the 71st minute, but Insigne got back to block Patric’s shot on the line.
Inisgne finished off the match in style for Napoli with a goal in stoppage time.
“We’re fourth in the table and in the Italian Cup final, no one would have predicted that,” Inzaghi said. “We faced a great team, we had to be perfect and instead we made some mistakes which our opponents didn’t forgive.” —