Defending champions Napoli climbed to second in Serie A Sunday when a 2-0 win at Lazio left them lurking a point behind leaders AC Milan.
Lazio's 66-year-old coach Maurizio Sarri returned to the bench despite undergoing heart-surgery on Monday.
But Antonio Conte's men secured a fifth win in six outings with both goals coming in the first half from Leonardo Spinazzola and Amir Rrahmani.
⏹️ Full time: #LazioNapoli 0-2
— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) January 4, 2026
💙 #ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/071ZR0uqLY
It was a bad-tempered game with three red cards late on as tempers flared in pouring rain.
Tijjani Noslin and Adam Marusic received marching orders for Lazio and Lazio's Pasquale Mazzocchi also walked in the closing stages.
"I have to congratulate my team, playing against Lazio at the Olympic Stadium in this way, with so few technical errors, is something powerful," said Conte, whose team has at this stage of the season, exactly the same record as in January 2025.
Milan have 38 points to Napoli's 37 but Inter Milan can leapfrog them both if they beat Bologna later Sunday.