The result looks all but settled now. Lazio are committing men forward in the hopes of grabbing a dramatic winner, but Napoli are defending admirably. Cataldi has a go of his own from close to 40 yards out and fails to trouble the keeper.
90' +1
IMPORTANT SAVE! Into the first of four minutes of stoppage time and Inler lets fly from long range. He gets great power behind his low, driven shot, but Berisha is up to the task again, diving to his right to knock it behind.
89'
The game has fizzled out with stoppage time approaching. A loud groan echoes through the stadium as Lazio put the ball out of play for a Napoli player down injured. Time is running out for them to grab a lead heading back to Naples for the second leg in April.
87'
STAT ATTACK: Napoli have lost three consecutive Coppa Italia matches at the Stadio Olimpico – excluding the final – against Roma in 2014 and 2006, while falling to Lazio in December of 2007.
85'
CLOSE! Lazio keep the pressure on following the free kick and win a corner. Mauricio rises well to meet the cross, but glances his header just inches wide! That was the closest Lazio have come in quite a while.
83'
The referee is finding himself at the centre of the action as tired legs lead to a number of hard tackles with the game creeping to a close. Inler is the lastest to enter the book, moments after Lazio make their second change, with Klose being replaced by Brayan Perea.
82'
B. Perea enters the game and replaces M. Klose.
G. İnler gets yellow.
81'
M. Hamšík enters the game and replaces J. de Guzmán.
Napoli make their final substitution with just under 10 minutes to play. Jonathan De Guzman, who couldn't quite leave his mark on the match, is the one to give way for the always threatening Marek Hamsik.
79'
K. Baldé gets yellow.
A giveaway in midfield leaves Lazio scrambling at the back. De Vrij intervenes to stop Higuain, but Mesto picks up the loose ball and sprints down the right. Keita is the one left back to defend and the attacker ensures he's not beaten by dragging the right-back to ground. He's shown a yellow card for the rugby-style tackle.
Minute
Description
77'
K. Koulibaly enters the game and replaces M. Britos.
Back come Lazio now, as the pace picks up where it left off before the substitutions. Keita sprints forward and links up well with Felipe Anderson, but Britos manages to put the ball behind for a corner. The defender has hurt himself rather badly, however, and will be replaced by Kalidou Koulibaly.
75'
TREMENDOUS BLOCK! Mertens shows excellent technique on the left, skipping into the area before cutting it back for De Guzman. The midfielder has a clean look at goal, but De Vrij lunges in fearlessly to block the shot!
73'
José Callejón enters the game and replaces M. Gabbiadini.
Rafa Benitez wastes no time coming up with a response. Jose Callejon is up and set to be introduced, with the goalscorer Manolo Gabbiadini the one to be replaced. So fresh legs in attack for both teams, but who, if anyone, will find a winner?
72'
K. Baldé enters the game and replaces A. Candreva.
Lazio are the first team to turn to their bench in the hopes of grabbing a winner. Balde Keita, who is the team's leading scorer in the competition, has come on to replace Antonio Candreva. He will likely take Anderson's spot on the left, pushing the Brazilian to his natural place on the right.
70'
STAT ATTACK: Prior to today, Lazio had played four games in the Coppa Italia this season en route to the semi-finals, outscoring their opponents 14-1. They have had 11 different goal scorers in the competition this season. Baldo Keita (three) and Miroslav Klose (two) are the only ones with multiples.
68'
Napoli pushing for a second! Lazio are on their heels at the moment with the visitors pressing hard for a winner. They have looked much more dangerous, courtesy of some impressive build-up play, and the Biancocelesti are just barely keeping them out.
66'
M. Klose gets yellow.
Klose is forced to make his way off temporarily, but wastes no time getting retribution as he re-enters the field of play, going after Albiol and inflicting a bit of pain on the defender. He is shown a yellow card for his troubles.
64'
Raúl Albiol gets yellow.
Tempers boiling over in a big way here! It's turning into a street fight out on the pitch as a large group of players from both teams come together in a shoving match following Albiol's very poor challenge into the back of Klose. The defender got none of the ball and the German striker is still down injured. It was a shocking challenge from the Spanish defender who is lucky to escape with only a yellow.
62'
STINGING DRIVE! Wonderful build-up play from Lazio! Candreva picks out Klose in the centre and the striker uses the run of Andersen to his left to draw the defender aside and create space for a shot. He unleashes a thunderous strike from 25 yards out, but it is too close to Andujar who tips it over the bar.
60'
M. Gabbiadini gets yellow.
Gabbiadini has five goals now since arriving in Naples and has had a tremendous impact on the team. He has a different sort of impact following the goal, however, sliding late into the back of Biglia to pick up a yellow card.
59'
STAT ATTACK: Lazio are looking for revenge having lost 1-0 at the Stadio San Paolo in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals last season, with the Partenopei eventually going on to win the competition.
57'
M. Gabbiadini has scored a goal for Napoli! Assist by G. Higuaín.
WONDERFUL PLAY FROM HIGUAIN AND NAPOLI HAVE PULLED LEVEL! The striker times his run perfectly and gets on the end of a pass from Mertens to get in behind the defence. He rounds the keeper but the chance looks to be gone as he takes too long to get a shot off, but he surprises everyone by threading a superb ball across the face of goal for Gabbiadini to tap it into an empty net.
55'
The pace is picking up yet again as Lazio push forward on a counter following the Napoli corner. Mesto sees his side are caught out at the back and takes one for the team, picking up a booking for a tackle on Klose in order to stop the attack.
54'
G. Mesto gets yellow.
53'
D. Basta gets yellow.
MASSIVE SAVE! Basta is booked for a late challenge, but more worrying for Lazio is the ensuing free kick. Gabbiadini strikes towards goal and his shot takes a generous deflection, but Berisha reacts brilliantly to get down to his right and put a hand to it to deflect it behind for a corner.
52'
The rain is really coming down now and has been falling steadily throughout the match. The playing coniditons are less than ideal which is making for some panicked moments in defence and tricky work for the goalkeepers. The pitch certainly favours attacking football at the moment.
50'
OFF THE BAR! Poor defending from Mauricio following a Napoli corner allows David Lopez to send a free header towards goal from the top of the six-yard box. His effort cannons off the bar and behind for a goal kick. That was the best chance of the match thus far for the visitors.
48'
Napoli have started the second half very positively. They manage some good pressure and create a few nervy moments for Lazio in defence. Higuain drifts to the right to get into space and picks out Gabbiadini atop the area, but a good intervention from Biglia sniffs out the opportunity.
46'
The players are back out and the second half is underway!
45' +1
That is the end of the first half.
45'
SHOULD BE 2-0! A cross into the area is chested down by Klose, who finds himself in alone behind the defence after beating the offside trap. Andujar does brilliantly to keep out the shot, before Albiol clears the follow-up from Felipe Anderson off the line!
43'
BUNDLED WIDE! Gabbiadini plays a teasing cross into the area. Berisha looks like he's getting to it, but doesn't communicate with De Vrij who heads clear. The pressure stays on and Higuain gets it in the box, where he tends to come alive, but this time he fails to test the keeper as he drags a shot wide from in close!
41'
STAT ATTACK: Napoli entered the competition in the round of 16 last season, defeating Atalanta, Lazio and Roma before registering a 3-1 victory over Fiorentina en route to their fifth Coppa Italia title.
39'
Lazio have all the momentum, but they are squandering it with some sloppy play at the back. A careless pass gives the ball straight to the visitors, but Basta slides in to stop Mertens and bail his side out. The ball is given straight away again, however, and this time De Guzman plays it in for Higuain, but De Vrij slides in to block the Argentine's shot and finally send it clear of danger.
37'
Tempers are starting to rise as the referee is forced to have a talking to with Basta and De Guzman. The Lazio defender did not take kindly to a slight grab of the arm behind the play and the Dutchman doesn't back down, going face to face with the Serbian before the referee comes over to make peace.
35'
Lazio are in front and hungry for more. The rain can do nothing to put a damper on the spirit of these fans! They are back on the front foot and have a tremendous energy about them. Napoli have to be careful or they could find themselves two goals down before the break.
33'
M. Klose has scored a goal for Lazio! Assist by Felipe Anderson.
BRILLIANT! LAZIO TAKE THE LEAD WITH A TRULY CLINICAL GOAL! They win the ball in their own half and break with pace up the pitch, three against three. Felipe Anderson charges forward and weights a stunning ball to pick out the diagonal run of Klose and the striker shows his class with a delicately poised finish past the keeper and in at the far post.
31'
LAZIO PUSHING HARD FOR A GOAL! They are applying relentless pressure on the Napoli net and a an opener seems imminent. First Candreva is played through on goal, but Britos recovers well to slide in and clear. The ensuing corner is not dealt with, falling kindly for Parolo who blasts over the bar. Pressure remains on and Klose makes himself a nuisance, coming close to scoring himself before nearly setting up Candreva for a tap-in!
29'
STAT ATTACK: Lazio have won 14 consecutive Coppa Italia matches at home. They kept seven clean sheets over that span while scoring 41 goals (for an average of 2.9 per game). Their last home defeat in the competition came against Inter in the 2008 semi-finals.
27'
SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE OPENER! For everything Mertens lacks defensively, he sure makes up for it at the other end. The Belgian sends a tremendous ball through for Higuain, who gets in behind the defence, but can't redirect it past Berisha! That really had to be the opener.
25'
The pace has slowed a bit, though the hosts remain on the front foot. They appear very comfortable in possession, with nearly every member of the side getting involved in the play. Napoli need to show a bit more urgency in midfield.
23'
Basta has been a crucial figure for the hosts in attack thus far. He has architechted a number of chances and continues to find space on the flank. Mertens is offering nearly enough support for Ghoulam in defence and his side are being made to pay.
21'
M. Britos gets yellow.
PRESSURE BUILDING! It is end-to-end action at the Stadio Olimpico! Napoli press high up the pitch and Inler shows great strength and determination to win the ball back. He tees up Higuain, but the Argentine's shot is corralled well by Berisha. Back come Lazio into attack and Britos slides carelessly into the back of Klose to pick up a yellow card.
19'
Finally the visitors manage to make life difficult on their opponents, working it around patiently in the final third. The ball is played low and into the area, but isn't dealt with straight away. Gabbiadini gets on the end of it and reaches back to get a shot off, making surprisingly good contact, but Berisha isn't troubled.
17'
Lazio are on the front foot at the moment, enjoying a slight advantage in possession, but they have looked most dangerous on the ball. Napoli have been able to advance into the final third on a few occasions, but have been indecisive with their passing, making life easy on the Lazio defenders.
15'
WASTED OPPORTUNITY! A tantalizing attack from Lazio sees Lucas Biglia send Felipe Anderson through on goal. The Brazilian has a clear shooting chance from the left, but opts to try and cut it back into the path of Marco Parolo. It's a poor decision as Gokhan Inler tracks back to intercept and clear the danger.
13'
STAT ATTACK: Napoli have won four consecutive matches over Lazio, split evenly between home and away games. Gonzalo Higuain has terrorized the Biancocelesti, scoring seven times over that span.
11'
Klose is at it again! Basta is the provider this time, with the right-back advancing into attack and sending an absolutely sensational ball into the box for the German international, beating two defenders to get on the end of it, but his header is sent straight at Andujar this time.
9'
OFF THE WOODWORK! The hosts mount their first positive period of pressure and it nearly results in the opener from a corner kick. The delivery is met by Miroslav Klose, who rises well above Raul Albiol. He heads to ground, but gets an unfriendly bounce as it ricochets off the post!
7'
Superb defensive cover! Dusan Basta steals the ball from Faouzi Ghoulam in midfield and starts Lazio forward on a counter. The visitors are caught short-staffed at the back, but a heavy touch from Antonio Candreva allows Miguel Britos to recover and scramble clear at the vital moment.
5'
Encouraging attack from the visitors! Dries Mertens is sprung into space in the left channel. He breaks into the area but his ball across for Gonzalo Higuain is cleared by Stefan Radu. Possession stays with Napoli and Lucas Biglia commits a foul atop the penalty area with an ill-timed challenge on Gokhan Inler.
3'
The two sides are feeling each other out in the early stages, with the ball being contained largely in midfield. They have both become Coppa Italia giants in recent years, and would love nothing more than a victory to keep their momentum going in the push for third place in the league.
1'
The hosts get us underway! Napoli are sporting a darker denim-like away strip, with Lazio in white and light blue. There's not a lot between them in the league, and there isn't expected to be much between them tonight!
Good evening football fans and welcome to Rome! With just two points separating Lazio and Napoli in the Serie A table, the two teams kick-off the first match of their two-legged tie at the Stadio Olimpico this evening with a spot in the final up for grabs. I am Alex Moretto and I will be your in-game host, guiding you through the match LIVE as it happens!
This semi-final pits the last three Coppa Italia winners against each other, with Napoli winning the title last season and in 2012, while Lazio won in between the two Partenopei successes. In fact, these two teams have shared quite a bit of success in the competition of late, combining to win the competition four times in the last six years.
CONFIRMED TEAM NEWS:
LAZIO (4-3-3): Berisha; Basta, De Vrij, Mauricio, Radu; Cataldi, Biglia, Parolo; Candreva, Felipe Anderson, Klose.
NAPOLI (4-2-3-1): Andujar; Mesto, Albiol, Britos, Ghoulam; Inler, David Lopez; Mertens, De Guzman, Gabbiadini; Higuain.
NAPOLI SUBS: Rafael, Colombo, Koulibaly, Strinic, Jorginho, Callejon, Hamsik, Zapata.
Stefano Pioli has made four changes to his team, following a 3-0 victory over Sassuolo on Sunday. The first is between the posts where Etrit Berisha replaces Federico Marchetti. At left-back, Dusan Basta gives Luis Cavanda a rest, while two noteable changes up top are the inclusion of Antonio Candreva and Miroslav Klose, with the duo sitting out over the weekend. Balde Keita and Stefano Mauri are the ones to give way, the latter of which is injured.
Rafa Benitez has made a wealth of changes following his side's 1-0 defeat on the weekend, with the coach coming under some criticism for his team selection. Three quarters of the back-line have been replaced, with Giandomenico Mesto, Miguel Britos and Faouzi Ghoulam returning to the starting XI. In midfield, Gokhan Inler replaces Walter Gargano, while calls for Manolo Gabbiadini to start have been answered. The recent arrival from Sampdoria is back in the team, along with Dries Mertens, pushing Marek Hamsik and Jose Callejon to the bench.
HALF TIME: LAZIO 1-0 NAPOLI. Miroslav Klose's opener separates the two sides at the break, but there could just as easily had been six goals between the two sides by now. The opening 45 minutes had a wonderful pace to it and chances were not very hard to come by. The hosts are deserving of the lead, and will perhaps consider themselves unlucky not to be up by more.
FULL-TIME: LAZIO 1-1 NAPOLI. Manolo Gabbiadini's second-half equalizer cancelled out Miroslav Klose's opener, as the sides settle for a draw in the first leg of this Coppa Italia semi-final. It was certainly a tale of two halves, with the Biancocelesti dominating the opening 45 minutes, but only had one goal to show for it. Napoli came out strong in the second half, taking the game to the hosts as they head back to Naples for the second leg knowing any sort of win would take them through.
I am Alex Moretto and I would like to thank you all for joining me here today. Good bye!
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