Serie A: Napoli lose first game of the season; AC Milan win to cut lead at the top
Edin Dzeko busted open the Serie A title race on Wednesday with the only goal in Inter Milan’s 1-0 win over Napoli which cut the leaders’ advantage at the top of the league to five points.
The Bosnia captain’s powerful header 10 minutes after the break was enough to end Napoli’s unbeaten record and put Inter eight points away from the pacesetters.
Simone Inzaghi’s side sit fourth and are back in the discussion for the Scudetto after their third straight league win, one which puts some pressure on a Napoli team who threatened to run away with the league before the World Cup.
Inter should have been ahead before Dzeko netted the winner, with Matteo Darmian wasting a perfect lay-off from the Bosnia captain midway through the first half when he smashed over the bar.
An underwhelming Romelu Lukaku also shot over as Inter failed to fully capitalise on their clear superiority over a disappointing Napoli, and they almost paid the price when Giacomo Raspadori’s late shot was well-saved by Andre Onana.
Second-placed AC Milan were the main beneficiaries of their local rivals’ win at the San Siro, their title defence boosted by a 2-1 win at Salernitana in the day’s first match.
Rafael Leao and Tonali struck in the first half as second-placed Milan moved to 36 points, five behind league leaders Napoli who play away to Inter Milan later.
Forward Leao gave Milan a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute when he picked up a clever pass from midfielder Tonali and went around goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa for a brilliant finish.
Striker Olivier Giroud then sent his header wide but it did not prove to be a huge miss for the visitors as Tonali doubled their lead within five minutes with a long-range strike into the bottom corner after his first attempt was blocked.
Brahim Diaz, who twice came close in the first half, finally found the net around the hour-mark following a set piece but the goal was disallowed because he was offside. Milan could have added more goals but they missed chances, including from Giroud.
Salernitana substitute Federico Bonazzoli got a consolation goal for the hosts in the 83rd minute after he connected with a cross at the back post and beat goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu
Also lurking are Juventus, who sit third and a further two points off the pace following their last-gasp 1-0 win at Cremonese.
Cremonese seemed to be in control in the first half, denying Juventus chances inside the box and taking advantage of defensive mistakes, but the teams went into the break locked at 0-0.
The game heated up as both sides went looking for a winner, with Cremonese hitting the post through Cyriel Dessers’ powerful shot from inside the box after 69 minutes.
Juventus earned a free kick one minute into stoppage time, with Milik sending it over the wall and into the bottom-right corner as keeper Marco Carnesecchi got a hand to the ball but could not stop it from going in.
Lecce staged a second-half comeback to beat Lazio 2-1 at home on Wednesday, inflicting a second Serie A defeat in a row on Maurizio Sarri’s side.
Ciro Immobile, who was making his first start since October after returning from a hamstring injury, put the visitors ahead after 14 minutes when he received a through ball inside the box and finished into the far-left corner.
Lecce equalised in the 57th minute when Gabriel Strefezza was first to the ball after Lazio keeper Ivan Provedel had blocked a shot and he finished into the empty net.
Lorenzo Colombo completed the comeback in the 71st minute when he was left unmarked inside the box to tap the ball home from a cross.
Lazio mounted a late push to get an equaliser but could not find an opening against a defensive Lecce.
