Napoli has kicked off its Serie A title defense with two wins and hopes to keep the perfect record on Saturday against Lazio.
Two star strikers go head to head here as Victor Osimhen and Ciro Immobile share the pitch. Can both produce the goods at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium? Bookmaker William Hill offers odds at 1.85 for Osimhen to get on the scoresheet Saturday and at 4.20 for Immobile to bag a goal anytime.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: September 1st, 12:00 P.M. (EST)
Having scored three goals through the first two outings of the campaign, Osimhen has continued where he left off last season. The 24-year-old had a spectacular run in 2022-23, becoming Serie A’s first-ever African top scorer with 26 goals in 32 games. Lazio was one of only a few teams against whom Osimhen didn’t score last season, so he could carry a chip on his shoulder when he enters the pitch Saturday.
After losing a home game to Lazio last season for the first time since 2015, Osimhen’s teammates shouldn’t have any issues getting up for the contest either. Lazio and AC Milan were the only visiting sides to win at Maradona in Serie A during the 2022-23 campaign and dating back to the start of 2022, Napoli has suffered only four home defeats in total in the league.
It was already a difficult match for Lazio before the ball was kicked this season, and it’s going to be even tougher now with the team likely lacking in confidence after starting off with two losses. Immobile needed only 26 minutes of action in the season opener versus Lecce to open his account for 2023-24, but his strike remains the team’s lone goal so far.
With only four wins to show for across the past 10 league outings, Lazio manager Maurizio Sarri could start facing some very uncomfortable questions soon if things don’t improve quickly. It would be very special for him to kick-start the campaign with a victory over his former team.
Sarri ended a personal five-game losing streak against Napoli last season, and the team’s results in the clash also make for an ugly reading. Over the last six years, Napoli has beaten Lazio 11 times in 14 meetings, scoring 32 goals in the process. The visiting side will definitely be up against on Saturday and will need to produce a top-level performance to have a chance of getting anything on the board.
