Juve stretch lead as Campagnaro saves Napoli
Argentine defender Hugo Campagnaro scored a superb late volley to
save Napoli's blushes in a 1-1 draw with Lazio which boosted Juventus's
Serie A title defence on Saturday.
Juventus had assured their 17th win of the campaign earlier when
goals by Mirko Vucinic and Alessandro Matri, the latter scoring without
his boot, secured a 2-0 home win over Fiorentina.
It left Napoli needing to beat Lazio at the Olympic Stadium to
restore their three-point deficit but they came up short, dropping two
points to see the gap to Juve grow to five points with Lazio in third a
point further adrift.
Although Lazio are still without Miroslav Klose, Vladimir Petkovic's
side gave no indication they were missing the German striker.
Lazio flew out the blocks and kept the pace high in search of an
early goal, and were rewarded when Sergio Floccari chested down Abdoulay
Konko's inch-perfect cross to rifle a volley past a rooted Morgan De
Sanctis.
Marek Hamsik immediately stung the hands of Federico Marchetti, but
his effort was straight at the Lazio 'keeper.
Indeed, it was De Sanctis who would have most work on the night.
He was forced to scramble for the rebound after Antonio Candreva's
35-metre drive had the keeper in trouble. Moments later he was at full
stretch to palm away Candreva's angled shot from the right.
Just after the half hour Floccari turned his marker to unleash a
right-foot shot from over 20 metres which smashed off De Sanctis's
upright as the keeper looked on.
Napoli thought they finally had the ball in the net on 39 minutes,
but Edinson Cavani's superb bullet header from Juan Zuniga's deep cross
did not cross the line when it rebounded off the Lazio crossbar.
Lazio began with a flourish after the restart and Floccari again had
the ball in the net, only to be ruled offside after he nodded home Andre
Dias's shot from close range.
Napoli were growing increasingly frustrated as they fought for an
equaliser in the face of a disciplined and alert Lazio defence.
Coach Walter Mazzarri eventually sent on Omar El Kaddouri in place of
Giandomenico Mesto and the Moroccan saw his long-range effort parried by
Marchetti.
After Napoli midfielder Goran Pandev was clattered to the ground by
Stefan Radu, earning the Lazio man a yellow card, Gokhan Inler saw a
long-range drive force Marchetti into action again.
However Lazio continued to dominate and spurned the chance to double
their lead when Bosnian defender Senad Lulic lobbed the onrushing De
Sanctis only for Campagnaro to rush back and clear the danger.
After Pandev's looping header from the edge of the area was collected
easily by Marchetti, Napoli looked to have run out of steam.
But from a corner on the right, unmarked Campagnaro rose to smash a
superb volley past the rooted Lazio 'keeper from less than 10 yards out
to pull Napoli level.
An alert Marchetti then parried Pandev's angled strike in the final
minute of time, however Lazio were not finished.
Floccari had the chance to seal it for Lazio in injury time only to
send his bullet header spinning off the crossbar as De Sanctis looked
on.
Candreva, charging down the right, then saw his angled, deflected
drive force a diving save from the Napoli keeper. |