Napoli triumphs over Lazio with 20 win, but match ends in chaos with three red cards DANIELLA MATAR January 4, 2026 at 7:02 PM 0 1 / 4Italy Serie A SoccerNapoli's Pasquale Mazzocchi, right, and Lazio's Adam Marusic are separated by Napoli's head coach Antonio Conte during the Italian Serie A soccer match between SS Lazio and SSC Napoli in Rome, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP) MILAN (AP) — Defending champion Napoli recorded a comfortable 20 win at Lazio to move second in Serie A on Sunday as it continued its good form from the end of 2025.
- - Napoli triumphs over Lazio with 2-0 win, but match ends in chaos with three red cards
DANIELLA MATAR January 4, 2026 at 7:02 PM
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1 / 4Italy Serie A SoccerNapoli's Pasquale Mazzocchi, right, and Lazio's Adam Marusic are separated by Napoli's head coach Antonio Conte during the Italian Serie A soccer match between SS Lazio and SSC Napoli in Rome, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP)
MILAN (AP) — Defending champion Napoli recorded a comfortable 2-0 win at Lazio to move second in Serie A on Sunday as it continued its good form from the end of 2025.
Leonardo Spinazzola and Amir Rrahmani scored in the first half of Napoli's first match of 2026.
There was a bad-tempered finish, with three red cards in the final 10 minutes.
Lazio defender Adam Marušić and Napoli counterpart Pasquale Mazzocchi were sent off after getting into a scuffle, that descended into a brawl with Napoli coach Antonio Conte trying to separate the two sides.
Lazio forward Tijjani Noslin had already been sent off in the 81st minute following a second yellow card.
Napoli moved a point below Serie A leader AC Milan and one above Inter Milan, which was playing against Bologna later.
Inter hosts Napoli next weekend.
Napoli had ended last year in fine form with a 2-0 victory over Cremonese, shortly after winning the Italian Super Cup.
The visitors took the lead in the 13th minute. Matteo Politano twisted and turned down the right flank before putting in a cross for Spinazzola to volley home.
Napoli doubled its advantage in the 33rd when Rrahmani headed a Politano free kick into the bottom right corner.
The only negative note for Napoli — apart from the red card — was the sight of David Neres having to be helped off in the 70th minute after the in-form winger went down with an apparent ankle problem, adding to the team's already lengthy injury list.
Second win
Fiorentina started the year by getting only its second win of the season, snatching a 1-0 victory over midtable Cremonese to move to within three points of safety.
Substitute Moise Kean — who had only come off the bench eight minutes earlier — scored in stoppage-time, tapping in a rebound after Cremonese goalkeeper Emil Audero could only parry Niccolò Fortini's header.
The result means that all three teams in the relegation zone have 12 points, although Hellas Verona has played two fewer matches than Fiorentina and Pisa and was hosting Torino later.
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Source: "AOL Sports"
Source: Sports
Published: January 04, 2026 at 06:27PM on Source: RED MAG
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