MILAN: Dries Mertens bagged a brace to help inconsistent Napoli beat Sampdoria 2-0 and close the gap in Serie A on second-placed AS Roma on Monday.
Playmaker Kaka breathed new life into struggling AC Milan by also scoring twice before 18-year-old Bryan Cristante claimed his first professional goal in a 3-0 win over Atalanta to notch up only their fifth league win this season.
Hellas Verona won 3-1 at Udinese helped by two goals from Luca Toni, who netted the first after a blunder from home goalkeeper Zeljko Brkic. Brkic allowed an apparently harmless Toni shot to slip between his legs in the eighth minute.
Parma defender Alessandro Lucarelli provided the day’s highlight when he scored with a cheeky backheel following a corner as Roberto Donadoni’s team came from behind to beat Torino 3-1. Striker Amauri scored his first goal of the season to complete the scoreline.
Bottom club Catania beat Bologna 2-0 in a relegation scrap while improving Genoa overcame lowly Sassuolo by the same score.
Roma lost 3-0 to leaders Juventus in the top-of-the-table clash on Sunday.
Napoli’s win lifted them to 39 points from 18 games, two behind Roma, with titleholders Juventus on 49, a massive eight clear at the top.
Mertens provided the breakthrough for Napoli when he volleyed in Gonzalo Higuain’s cross in the 53rd minute, just as Sampdoria were threatening to take control, and the Belgian curled in a 25-meter free kick nine minutes later.
Napoli coach Rafael Benitez said that his team nearly blew it again after wasting too many chances.
“We had many scoring opportunities and could have made the difference in the first half. The game was more open in the second and they caused us problems, but we got the goals,” he told reporters “I would like to see us stronger in defense and quicker at finishing games off but it’s reassuring to see such attacking football.” Monday’s games were played amid concern about Serie A leading goalscorer Giuseppe Rossi after he suffered a third injury to his troubled right knee in Fiorentina’s 1-0 win over Livorno on Sunday.
Fiorentina said on Monday that Rossi had sustained a second degree sprain to the medial collateral ligament. Although worrying, there was relief that he avoided damage to the anterior cruciate ligament, which has been operated on twice and cost him two years of his career.
Milan, whose coach Massimiliano Allegri confirmed over the Christmas break that he would step aside at the end of the season, climbed to a modest 10th on 22 points.
Former World Player of the Year Kaka, who returned for a second stint at Milan at the start of the season, put them in front 10 minutes before the break with his 100th goal for the club in all competitions.
The Brazilian swept home Urby Emanuelson’s cross from a tight angle after Milan broke following an Atalanta corner.
Yohan Benalouane had a goal disallowed for Atalanta and German Denis was denied by Christian Abbiati as Milan showed signs of faltering before Kaka struck again, firing home a loose ball after Robinho scuffed a Mario Balotelli cross in the 65th minute.
Two minutes later, Cristante celebrated his first Serie A start by scoring a pinpoint 25-meter shot which went in off the foot of the post.
At the bottom, Catania have 13 points, one behind Livorno and Sassuolo and only two adrift of 17th placed Bologna.
Kaka brace breathes new life into Milan
Kaka brace breathes new life into Milan
Guardiola hails Man City’s ‘massive’ win over Newcastle
- Guardiola’s second-placed side closed the gap on leaders Arsenal to just two points with their tense victory at the Etihad Stadium
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom: Pep Guardiola labelled Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Newcastle on Saturday as a “massive” moment in the Premier League title race.
Guardiola’s second-placed side closed the gap on leaders Arsenal to just two points with their tense victory at the Etihad Stadium.
Nico O’Reilly put City ahead in the first half and restored the lead before half-time after Lewis Hall had equalized.
City weren’t at their best in the second half, but they held on to pile pressure on spluttering Arsenal, who travel to Tottenham for the north London derby on Sunday.
Guardiola knew it was essential to make Arsenal sweat.
“Massive. Newcastle is an incredible team, awesome in physicality and speed they have up front. Physicality in the middle. Really tough but the team was unbelievable,” he said.
“It’s coming in best part of the season. Every single game will be similar to today.”
After finishing without a trophy last season, City are back in the hunt for the seventh English title of Guardiola’s reign.
They will have a game in hand on Arsenal after this weekend and are guaranteed to win the title if they win their last 11 league matches.
Guardiola has embarked on an expensive overhaul of City’s squad in the last 12 months, shedding aging stars like Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson and Kyle Walker and bringing in the likes of Marc Guehi, Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki.
The Spaniard is well aware that his new generation largely lacks the experience of winning under the pressure of a title race, which made their gritty success against Newcastle even more meaningful.
“70 percent of the players have never been in that situation, and I don’t play. So we have to live it, they know that every game will be like this,” he said.
“Especially at home, with five home games left. Today was the best crowd of the year, it was unbelievable with our people, really proud to be manager of these incredible people and fans.
“Of course in terms of points it’s important, but we have to improve to have chance to compete until the end. Now we deserve three more days off. Then another battle in Leeds.”
Guardiola singled out O’Reilly for praise after the young England midfielder’s pair of clinical finishes showed he won’t be affected by the strain of chasing Arsenal.
“Nico give us in the middle that physicality that we need. He now plays in his position,” he said.
“He has always played that, he is so complete and so young. I am really pleased the academy produced these incredible players, Nico, Phil (Foden), Rico (Lewis).”
