OUR man in Rome Marco Di Cosmo (Scioltz) was desperate to share his views on the first Coppa Italia semi-final this midweek between Lazio and Napoli.
Lazio v Napoli | Wednesday 19.45 | Sky Sports 1
Lazio and Napoli face each other for the second time this season, playing for the semi-final of the Coppa Italia. The first leg will be played in Rome, where Lazio are yet to draw a game this season (W8-D0L4) in league action.
The Biancocelesti are playing a really entertaining brand of football and have scored an impressive 1.91 goals-per-game at the Olimpico, while leaking 13 goals in 12 games. Clean sheets are rare for the Romans but they do create plenty of goalscoring chances when their key players are available.
So it’s a huge relief to see young talent Felipe Anderson back to full fitness. I rate the Brazilian among the most exciting talents in Serie A, at the same level with Paul Pogba and Paulo Dybala. Since he rejoined the team from injury, Lazio have recorded three consecutive wins and gained enough confidence to fight for a Champions League qualifying place.
On the other hand, Napoli are still struggling to find continuity, having recently lost at Torino while easily progressing in the Europa League. They remain in third place but the gap to Lazio is down to just two points.
Last season the Neapolitans won the Coppa Italia and they have aspirations to defend their title knowing the Scudetto is now long gone. But with Lazio claiming Coppa Italia honours in 2013, both teams will place plenty of importance on Wednesday night’s match.
Lazio will deploy their best team available, while Napoli should rotate a few given the high number of games they’ve played of late. This won’t affect the team so much as they have a really deep squad, especially in attacking areas with the likes of Manolo Gabbiadini and Dries Mertens ready to take their part.
Both the teams have plenty of defensive issues, and although their meeting at the Olimpico ended just 1-0 to Napoli, I am expecting a more entertaining match and happy to put my faith in Both Teams To Score at evens with Betfair.
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Lazio v Napoli – Both Teams To Score (1/1 Betfair)
