Lazio emerged 4-2 winners in a pulsating game against Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo in their key Serie A clash on Sunday night.
Marco Parolo and Antonio Candreva struck to put the visitors in a commanding position. Gonzalo Higuain scored twice in ten second half minutes while Parolo was dismissed for two bookable offences.
Faouzi Ghoulam also saw red for the hosts and Higuain missed from the penalty spot. Ogenyi Onazi scored a late winner within seconds of coming on and Miroslav Klose headed home in injury time.
Jose Callejon missed a glaring chance after a scrappy start to the game, he was put through one-on-one with Federico Marchetti but contrived to put his effort wide of the post. Lazio had chances of their own on the counter but contrived to waste them through wayward passing.
Just after the half hour mark, the Aquile led with their first effort on goal. The Partenopei defence gave too much space to Parolo who struck a rasping effort that took a slight deflection and Mariano Andujar could only help it into the far corner.
In pushing for an equaliser, the Partenopei left themselves dangerously open at the back and they were once again only spared by poor Lazio passing in the attacking third.
Inevitably, Rafael Benitez’s side were punished for playing such a high line right on the stroke of half-time. Senad Lulic played in Candreva, who had virtually the entire Napoli half to himself before he calmly slotted the ball past Andujar.
Ten minutes after the break, the game erupted into life as Higuain tapped home from close range, following Callejon’s dangerous low cross to give the home side a fresh impetus.
The pendulum had swung and it was now Lazio who could barely cope and seconds later Dries Mertens fired an effort past Marchetti, only to see it cleared off the line by Stefan De Vrij at the last second.
In what was now a breathless affair, after 62 minutes the game took another twist as Parolo was dismissed for a second bookable offence and Benitez’s side took advantage almost immediately as Mertens found space on the left before playing in Higuain, who showed his composure inside the box and fired home to level affairs.
Just as Napoli were on top, Ghoulam picked up two bookings within five minutes to level up the numbers with twenty minutes to play.
Higuain wasted his chance to complete his hat-trick as Lulic fouled Christian Maggio in the box and the Argentine blazed the resulting penalty over the crossbar.
Remarkably, Lazio retook the lead with five minutes to go as Onazi, with virtually his first touch, side footed home from the angle to silence the home supporters.
To compound matters, in injury time Klose stooped to head home Cristian Ledesma’s free kick to ensure that Lazio claimed the final Champions League spot.
