Two clubs chasing the Coppa Italia will do battle today in a cup match between Napoli and Lazio. The semifinal clash scheduled for 2:45 p.m. ET will be held at the Stadio San Paolo in Naples and can be live streamed here free.
What They're Saying
Napoli manager Rafa Benitez (via Football Italia): "We'll go out onto the pitch with the idea of winning the game. We're an attacking team. Lazio are a team which creates a lot, but which can also be exploited, so we must take advantage of the chances we get and not give them space. At this point [in the season], you have to show character, to demonstrate what our level is as we've done so many times. We're fighting on three fronts. We have to prove that we're ready."
Lazio manager Stefano Pioli (via Football Italia): "It's a very important game. We have the opportunity of achieving the goal we set ourselves at the beginning of the season when we had two routes into Europe. We're the only ones who wanted the Coppa Italia from the start. We deserve this final. We wanted a different result in the first leg, and I think we deserved a lot more in the first half. It's a result that gives a bit of an advantage to our opponents. We feel good physically and mentally, and we're playing a team which is similar in values to ours, but which has been built up over time."
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: Marek Hamsik has enjoyed a modicum of success with Napoli this campaign. In 26 league appearances, the 27-year-old has four goals and seven assists.
Napoli's Projected Lineup (4-2-3-1): Andujar; Strinich, Albiol, Koulibaly, Maggio; Gargano, Inler; Mertens, Hamsik, Gabbiadini; Higuain
Lazio's Projected Lineup (4-3-3): Berisha; Braafheid, Mauricio, Vrij, Basta; Parolo, Biglia, Cataldi; Anderson, Klose, Candreva
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (lineups and statistics via WhoScored).
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.