Marco Baroni was once a hero to Napoli fans. That may no longer be the case following the 2-2 draw with Lazio that put a serious dent in his old side’s title tilt.

The Biancocelesti head coach played for Napoli in the late 1980s, and in fact scored the winner for Napoli against Lazio in May 1990 that secured the club’s second Scudetto. He only played for Napoli for two years and soon left for Bologna, but he never forgot his days in the Partenopei.

“I never look back,” said Baroni in 2021.” Even though Napoli represents the best moment of my career, spent alongside extraordinary teammates, champions who made me feel like a champion in a city that has a great passion for football.”

Baroni retired as a player in 2000 and has since worked for 25 years as a coach, clawing one step at a time to manage to the division he operated in as a player.

After an impressive season with Verona he was given his first big job last summer, taking over from Maurizio Sarri at Lazio. And six months into the job, he’s surpassed all expectations. Moreover, he may have just cost his former side the Scudetto.

The pulsating 2-2 draw with Napoli at the Stadio Olimpico wasn’t a result Antonio Conte’s side wanted. They were three minutes from securing a precious win, one they’d hardly deserved given the overall flow of the game.

Yet they were in the lead, and his makeshift side were showing the kind of grit that moulds teams into champions. That was until Boulaye Dia cut inside off the right-hand side and bent the ball from the edge of the box into Alex Meret’s bottom left-hand corner. 

Pivotal to Napoli’s play in the attacking third, especially in the first half, was Giacomo Raspadori.

The Italian has hardly played this season for Napoli. This wasn’t due to a falling out with Conte or not being wanted by the club. Raspadori was merely a victim of Conte’s decision to switch to a 4-3-3 near the beginning of the season.

Raspadori, diminutive but with exquisite technique, isn’t a winger. A player capable of dropping deep into pockets of space and exploit gaps in the opposition’s defence, the 4-3-3 is a system not suited to his characteristics.

The end result was a mere two starts leading into the Lazio encounter. Yet injuries to David Neres and Matteo Politano, in addition to the sudden departure of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, forced Conte to alter formation.

With no viable wingers available, Conte returned to his roots and opted for a 3-5-2 formation, and this allowed the former Juventus coach to utilise Raspadori in a position he was comfortable in. And the 24-year-old repaid the faith with a fine first-half performance. 

Paired up front with Romelu Lukaku, Raspadori was doing what Raspadori does best – finding chinks in the opposition’s armour, and exploiting them. 

Lukaku was at the top of the system, protecting the ball and bringing others into play, while Raspadori buzzed around him, dropping deep and trying to pull Lazio defenders out of position. The home side were struggling to contain him, and his goal could be the rebirth his career needs.

Ivan Provedel’s goal kick was poor, with the Lazio shot-stopper kicking the ball straight to Scott McTominay. The Scot fed Raspadori deep inside the Lazio half. He turned and slid the ball into Lukaku. The Belgium striker held off Alessio Romagnoli and returned the ball back to Raspadori. 

The former Sassuolo man skipped past Matteo Guendouzi, pushed the ball on to his left foot and rifled the ball through the legs of Provedel to bring Napoli into the game.

Lazio had taken the lead through Gustav Isaksen’s blockbuster of a strike inside the opening two minutes, and Raspadori’s equaliser restored parity.

It was the kind of goal we might see more of in the next few weeks: the front two working together to unlock defences, the kind that would’ve pleased Conte. 

With Lukaku the battering ram, Raspadori was free to float into space, and at times dropped very deep to allow McTominay and Franck-Zambo Anguissa to run beyond him. It was intelligent play, and he was by far Napoli’s standout performer in the first half.

His performance faded somewhat in the second half, but then again so did Napoli’s. Their second goal came from a ludicrous own goal from Adam Marusic that deflected via the backside of Mario Gila.

Conte and Napoli thought they’d be leaving the capital with a vital, but hardly well-earned, victory, until Dia’s late strike.

The Olimpico buzzed at intermittent moments during the contest, but the roar that emanated from the old stadium as Dia’s strike nestled into the bottom corner of the net was deafening. 

The draw does little for Napoli in the title race, with Conte failing to beat Baroni in three attempts this season. For Raspadori, his performance may have just earned him a sustained run in the team.

And Italy boss Luciano Spalletti, in need of more firepower in attack, will no doubt be looking on with keen interest.