Playing for 90
Fansided

Serie A: Champions League spot up for grabs at San Paolo in Napoli – Lazio showdown

By Francesco Pellegrino

facebooktwitterreddit

Playing for 90’s Serie A expert, Francesco Pellegrino, previews the blockbuster clash for the final Champions League spot

The biggest game in final round of Serie A is not the battle for the league title, but the showdown at the San Paolo in Napoli.  Two teams that were polar opposites since the turn of the new year will clash in Naples as Napoli play host to Lazio.  Lazio has been fantastic and one of the best teams in Italy since January.  Napoli on the other hand found themselves suffering terrible results against teams such

Lazio has been fantastic and one of the best teams in Italy since January.  Napoli on the other hand found themselves suffering terrible results against teams such as: Empoli (L), Parma (D), Atalanta (D), Verona (L), and Inter (D).  It has been no secret since Ancelotti has been removed as manager of Real Madrid that Rafa Benitez would be leaving the Amalfi Coast in Naples for the Spanish sun in Madrid.  He will be taking on the Serie A

It has been no secret since Ancelotti has been removed as manager of Real Madrid that Rafa Benitez would be heavily touted to leave the Amalfi Coast in Naples for the Spanish sun in Madrid.  He will be taking on an experienced Serie A  manager in the form of Stefano Pioli.

More from Playing for 90

Pioli is a man that is often overlooked, but has managed some of the bigger mid-table sides in Italy to survival, playing smart football along the way.  So what can we expect tomorrow at the Stadio San Paolo when these two teams clash for that coveted final Champions League qualification spot?

A game that will see both teams leaving it all out there.  Blood, sweat, and tears is not just a phrase easily used in this case because there is a certainty of this game being confused with the World Wrestling Entertainment.  There has been no secret to the amount of transfer money a team will have expendable should they qualify for Champions League. In fact, owners make it no secret that they will spend big should they enter Europe’s biggest tournament.  In this case it will come down to the team that plays the more organized game.  You’d have to expect Lazio to be the more likely to take this result despite playing on the road.  All season Napoli has felt a lot of pressure from their fantastic home crowd and having that tied in with Rafa’s departure will not make life easier.

Napoli’s attack is certainly more potent than Lazio’s despite Lazio having a better goal difference, having scored more goals with a far better defense. Higuain, Mertens, Hamsik, and Insigne have showcased their talent as a unit, but Lazio’s defense is so sound that it will take more than a special showing to put one past Federico Marchetti.

Rafa Benitez is set to take charge of Napoli for one last time against Lazio.

Stefan de Vrij also has proven that they are worth every penny for Lazio President Claudio Lotito. In fact, he will have to be the difference in the back for Lazio to halt Napoli’s aggression.

It’s Lazio’s strength in the counter-attack that will pose Napoli the biggest threat with Felipe Anderson, Antonio Candreva, and Miroslav Klose linking up beautifully all season long.

Picking a winner is a difficult task because the truth is both teams know that a result tomorrow is imperative for their club’s global growth.  Napoli has seen itself rise to a Top 20 UEFA ranked club and should they have beaten Atletico Bilbao for the Champions League spot last season, they could have possibly been a Top 15 team.

More from Champions League

Lazio, meanwhile, have balanced their books and built from the ground up over the years and despite all the criticism Lotito has faced for his tight pockets he has put a product on the field that the Roman fans could be proud of.  Not to mention that he has already secured the services of Hoedt for next season strengthening his defense even further.

A loss for Napoli would be more critical than Lazio missing Champions League.  Napoli are already losing their manager in Rafa Benitez and are rumored to be replacing him with Sinisa Mihaljovic. In addition, it is reported that Callejon is set to depart the club permanently.  Yet, the biggest issue would be Higuain’s status because he wants to play on the biggest club stage and missing out on it for two straight years would damage his top striker credentials.

Lazio on the other hand will have basically the same team next year.  They run the risk of Klose leaving the club when his contract is completed and there is a lot of heat surrounding Felipe Anderson going to play with his long-time friend Neymar at Barcelona for a hefty fee, which will in turn allow more spending power for Lazio.

Frankly, fans of Serie A should be putting their support behind Napoli for the final Champions League spot.  This is not to take anything away from Lazio, but Lazio will be continuing to grow and develop with less pressure and in two years it appears Serie A will have their fourth Champions League spot back, which will benefit Lazio and the rest of the league even further.  This is a game that no fanatic of the sport should miss tomorrow and it is the perfect one-off matchup to prepare everyone for the Juventus versus Barcelona Champions League Final in Berlin.

Home/Champions League