Napoli were eliminated from the Italian Cup in the last-16 stage by Lazio on Thursday, as Tijjani Noslin netted a hat-trick to secure a 3-1 victory for the Serie A leaders. Noslin's stunning performance brought his season's total to five goals and ensured Lazio's progression to the quarterfinals. They will now face either Inter Milan or Udinese, with the two teams set to meet in two weeks' time at the San Siro.
The match saw Noslin open the scoring in the 32nd minute with a header, but Giovanni Simeone quickly equalized for Napoli. Lazio regained the lead just before halftime, with Noslin finishing off a well-worked team move with a clever dummy and strike. After the break, Noslin sealed his hat-trick with another header, this time from a precise cross by Mattia Zaccagni, who had earlier seen a penalty saved.
This cup clash served as a prelude to Sunday’s Serie A encounter between the two sides in Naples, where Napoli will look to defend their slim league lead. Heading into the weekend’s fixtures, Napoli hold a one-point advantage over Atalanta, with Lazio, Inter, and Fiorentina all trailing by four points.
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