Lazio v Napoli: Rrahmani goal checked, reds, protests, Sarri critical | OneFootball

Lazio-Napoli was not only defined by the result and the technical dominance of the Azzurri. The lunch match at the Olimpico also left its mark on the refereeing front, with protests, contested decisions, and a high-tension finale.

Lazio-Napoli, the Olimpico VAR review: Rrahmani’s goal under scrutiny, red cards and protests. Sarri still critical

The officiating by Davide Massa, one of the most experienced referees in Italian football, inevitably came under the microscope, with a detailed analysis by former referee Luca Marelli for DAZN.

Massa at the Olimpico: experience and complex management

An international referee since 2014 with over 200 Serie A appearances, Davide Massa arrived at Lazio-Napoli with an impressive résumé. The Ligurian referee, assisted by Meli and Alassio, Piccinini as fourth official, and the Di Paolo–Doveri duo at VAR, found himself managing a match that, after a relatively straightforward first half, became increasingly tense.

The final disciplinary tally is clear: two yellow cards and three red cards, with Lazio forced to finish the match with nine men and Napoli with ten.

Previous encounters with Lazio and Napoli

Lazio-Napoli was the thirty-fifth meeting between Massa and the Biancocelesti, the team he has refereed the most in his career. The record shows twelve wins, twelve draws, and ten defeats. There have been twenty-nine previous matches with Napoli, with nineteen Azzurri victories, five draws, and five defeats.

Numbers that provide the backdrop to a match destined to spark debate.

The key moments of the VAR review

The first doubts arose in the first half. In the 20th minute, Cancellieri stayed down after contact away from the ball with Spinazzola, but for Massa there was nothing to sanction. Ten minutes later, Noslin fell in the box, but the referee spotted a handball by the Dutch striker and stopped play.

The most debated incident came in the 32nd minute, on the occasion of Napoli’s second goal. From a free kick came the cross that led to Rrahmani’s winning header. Lazio players protested for a supposed offside, but VAR checked and confirmed the action was regular. Goal allowed.

In the 36th minute, more protests from Lazio for a hard challenge on Basic: Massa played advantage, triggering complaints from the Lazio bench. The first yellow card came in the 43rd minute for Zaccagni, punished for a foul on McTominay, a decision the Lazio captain struggled to accept.

In the second half, Cataldi was booked in the 64th minute, then the episode that definitively changed the match’s atmosphere: in the 80th minute, Noslin received a second yellow for a tactical foul on Buongiorno. A decision judged excessive by Lazio, leading Sarri to protest visibly.

Final brawl and double red card

In the 88th minute, the match degenerated. Marusic and Mazzocchi came to blows along the sideline, in full view of the benches. After an initial assessment, Massa opted for a straight red card for both, ending a match already marked by tension and nerves. After five minutes of added time, amid firecrackers and protests, Lazio-Napoli ended 0-2.

Marelli’s verdict

Luca Marelli clarified the most controversial incidents. On Rrahmani’s goal, the former referee was clear: “There is no offside, Marusic keeps Rrahmani onside. However, the foul called on Noslin, which led to the free kick, was not there.”

Even more critical was his judgment on Noslin’s second yellow: “A very harsh decision, it wasn’t a step on foot. In that case, a verbal warning would have sufficed.” He approved, however, the handling of the final brawl: “Initially, Massa seemed inclined to give yellow cards, but since the two kept fighting, he correctly sent both off.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.