Miroslav Klose and Manolo Gabbiadini left the Coppa Italia semi-final in the balance, as Lazio and Napoli drew the first leg 1-1.
This gives Rafa Benitez’s holders the advantage, as they have an away goal.
These teams had won the last three editions of the Coppa Italia. The hosts missed Stefano Mauri, Federico Marchetti, Senad Lulic, Lorik Cana, Abdoulay Konko, Michael Ciani, Bruno Pereirinha and Filip Djordjevic. Napoli were without Walter Gargano, Christian Maggio, Lorenzo Insigne, Juan Camilo Zuniga and Michu.
Miroslav Klose and Manolo Gabbiadini left the Coppa Italia semi-final in the balance, as Lazio and Napoli drew the first leg 1-1.
This gives Rafa Benitez’s holders the advantage, as they have an away goal.
These teams had won the last three editions of the Coppa Italia. The hosts missed Stefano Mauri, Federico Marchetti, Senad Lulic, Lorik Cana, Abdoulay Konko, Michael Ciani, Bruno Pereirinha and Filip Djordjevic. Napoli were without Walter Gargano, Christian Maggio, Lorenzo Insigne, Juan Camilo Zuniga and Michu.
The Partenopei had won five of their last six meetings with Lazio, home and away, not losing here since a 3-1 result in 2011.
The Aquile had a great chance after just eight minutes, as Miroslav Klose’s header cracked against the far post from a corner.
Gonzalo Higuain perhaps thought he was offside and prodded straight at Etrit Berisha from point-blank range. Moments later Marco Parolo saw his effort deflected over from six yards on a corner.
Lazio broke the deadlock with a classic counter-attack goal, as Felipe Anderson sprinted forward and Klose timed the run perfectly on his through ball, sliding it past on-rushing Mariano Andujar.
Higuain went close again, his angled drive skimming the woodwork after Berisha flapped at a cross.
The Aquile should’ve been 2-0 up on the stroke of half-time, but Andujar desperately parried when Klose sprung the offside trap to go clear on goal, then Felipe Anderson’s follow-up was cleared off the line by Miguel Angel Britos.
Napoli hit the woodwork after the restart, as David Lopez nodded a Manolo Gabbiadini corner on to the top of the bar. Gabbiadini’s deflected strike was then fingertipped round the base of the upright.
The pressure eventually paid off with an equaliser. Higuain ran on to a Dries Mertens through ball, Berisha managed to send him wide so the delicate finish towards an empty net was going off target, but Gabbiadini followed the move to tap in at the back post.
Andujar palmed a fierce Klose snapshot over the bar, Miguel Angel Britos crucially blocked Keita Balde Diao from completing a give-and-go with Felipe Anderson and Mauricio’s header glanced wide from a corner.
Napoli had the better of the second half overall and Gokhan Inler’s powerful shot was pushed round the post.
Lazio 1-1 Napoli
Scorers: Klose 33 (L), Gabbiadini 58 (N)
Lazio: Berisha; Basta, De Vrij, Mauricio, Radu; Cataldi, Biglia, Parolo; Candreva (Keita 72), Klose (Perea 81), Felipe Anderson
Napoli: Andujar; Mesto, Albiol, Britos (Koulibaly 76), Ghoulam; Inler, David Lopez; Mertens, De Guzman (Hamsik 81), Gabbiadini (Callejon 72); Higuain
Ref: Damato