Napoli Triumph Over Nine-Man Lazio as Sarri Returns Swiftly

The reigning champions Napoli rose to second position in Serie A on Sunday following a 2-0 victory against Lazio, placing them only one point adrift of table-toppers AC Milan.

Maurizio Sarri, the 66-year-old Lazio manager, resumed his duties from the touchline just days after heart surgery performed on Monday.

Antonio Conte's squad claimed their fifth success in the last six fixtures, netting twice during the initial period courtesy of Leonardo Spinazzola and Amir Rrahmani.

The encounter turned fractious, featuring three red cards in the dying minutes as frustrations boiled over in torrential downpour.

Lazio's Tijjani Noslin and Adam Marusic were dismissed, with teammate Pasquale Mazzocchi following suit right at the end.

"I must applaud my players; taking on Lazio at the Olimpico under these circumstances with hardly any slip-ups is remarkable," Conte remarked. His Napoli boasts identical results to those from January 2025 at this juncture of the campaign.

AC Milan hold 38 points compared to Napoli's 37, though Inter Milan could surpass them if victorious over Bologna later on Sunday.