Lazio's Spanish defender Patric goes for the ball during the Italian Serie A football match between Napoli and Lazio. Photo: AFP
Agency Report/
Matias Vecino’s brilliant long-range strike earned Lazio a 1-0 win at Napoli on Friday as the runaway Serie A leaders lost for only the second time in the league this season.
The Uruguay midfielder drilled in the winner on 67 minutes, unleashing a thumping half-volley from 25 yards to send Lazio up to second but still 17 points behind Napoli.
Vecino had gone close to scoring at the start when he glanced at Luis Alberto’s free-kick toward goal only for Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo to head over from under his own crossbar.
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa saw his drive from distance deflected just over for Napoli, who had won eight in a row and 19 of their last 20 in Serie A — a run that began with a 2-1 victory away to Lazio in September.
Victor Osimhen, the league’s top scorer with 19 goals, headed powerfully against the bar from a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia cross, and Ivan Provedel produced a terrific stop to keep out the rebound from Kim Min-Jae.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic grazed the crossbar with a free-kick late on for Lazio, who climbed above both Milan clubs courtesy of a third successive victory.
It is only the fourth time in 25 Serie A matches this season that Napoli has failed to win.
They remain overwhelming favorites for the title — their first since 1990 — but still have to play Atalanta, AC Milan, Juventus, and Inter Milan.
*AFP
0Justice Ayokunle Faji has adjourned further proceedings in the suit filed by Barbican Capital Limited…
Segun Atanda/ The Los Angeles City Council has approved a sweeping "sanctuary city" ordinance designed…
Segun Atanda/ New York prosecutors have opposed dismissing President-elect Donald Trump’s conviction for falsifying business…
Femi Ashekun/ In a bold and controversial move, Musiliu ‘MC Oluomo’ Akinsanya, has defied a…
Matilda Omonaiye/ President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dissolved the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University,…
The Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) has officially launched Project S.C.A.L.E. (Securing Consumer Access for…