TURIN, Italy (AP) — Substitute Matteo Politano scored late to give Napoli a 1-0 win over fellow title chaser AC Milan and close the gap on Serie A leader Inter Milan on Monday.
With Napoli starting the night in third place, one point behind AC Milan and 10 behind Inter, both clubs knew a win was needed to keep alive their title aspirations.
However, neither showed much urgency or guile in a game that featured few clear scoring chances.
Politano, who replaced Leonardo Spinazzola just five minutes earlier, eventually broke the deadlock with 11 minutes remaining when he fired home a low shot after the Milan defense failed to clear a cross from the left.
Milan poured forward in the final minutes but could not get an equalizer and dropped to third.
Napoli was seven points behind Inter with seven matches remaining. AC Milan was two points further back.
McKennie stars for Juve
U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie scored for Juventus to beat Genoa 2-0 and was named man of the match.
McKennie netted 17 minutes after kickoff to add to a fourth minute opener from Brazilian defender Bremer.
McKennie missed two chances to add to his tally and the woodwork also came to Genoa’s rescue when Jonathan David hit the post.
Genoa defender Aaron Martin missed a golden opportunity to bring the visitor back into the game with 15 minutes remaining when Mattia Perin got down brilliantly to save his penalty kick and his rebound.
The result enabled Juventus to close the gap on fourth-placed Como to one point. Como was held by Udinese to 0-0.
Cesc Fabregas’ men were on top for most of the game but could not find a way past Maduka Okoye in the Udinese goal.
The result brought Como’s five-game winning streak to an end in Serie A but the point kept alive its hope of winning a Champions League place.
Udinese was comfortably in mid-table, in 11th.
Atalanta hammers Lecce
Atalanta remained on track for a top four finish with a comprehensive 3-0 win at Lecce.
Giorgio Scalvini opened the scoring when he hammered home after some lovely footwork inside the box and former Lecce striker Nikola Krstovic doubled Atalanta’s lead early in the second half with some clinical finishing.
Lecce goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone kept his side in the game with several fine saves but he could do nothing about the third goal, a vicious strike from Giacomo Raspadori.
The result was the fifth defeat in its last six games for Lecce and left it third from bottom in the table, equal on points with the team above it, Cremonese.
Atalanta was seventh, one point behind Roma.
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The Associated Press
