AC Milan closed to inside 5 factors of Serie A leaders Napoli with Wednesday’s 2-1 win at Salernitana whereas Lazio slumped to a 2-1 defeat at promoted Lecce. First-half strikes from Rafael Leao and Sandro Tonali in Salerno moved champions Milan as much as 36 factors, closing the hole on Napoli who face Inter Milan on the San Siro within the day’s large match as Italy’s high flight will get again underway. Milan will keep second no matter outcomes elsewhere and will probably be hoping for a Napoli slip-up forward of the upcoming weekend spherical of fixtures wherein they host sixth-placed Roma, 1-0 winners over Bologna on their return to motion.

Stefano Pioli’s facet are additionally 5 factors forward of third-placed Juventus forward of their match at struggling Cremonese.

Milan ought to have run out larger winners on the Stadio Arechi however a mixture of wasteful ending and an outstanding show from Salernitana’s new goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa denied Milan the targets they show deserved. “We were almost perfect because we could have scored one or two more goals to win more comfortably,” Tonali instructed Sky.

“We’re aware of the importance of what we did last season, we’ll defend the title to the last bead of sweat we’ll leave on the pitch.”

Veteran Mexico worldwide Ochoa moved to Salernitana, in 14th on 17 factors, after the World Cup and made his presence felt within the absence of injured Luigi Sepe. The 37-year-old pulled off an outstanding double save from from Olivier Giroud and Charles De Ketelaere with eight minutes left which allowed Federico Bonazzoli to lash in Lassana Coulibaly’s deep cross and provides the house facet some hope within the ultimate minutes.

Lecce stun Lazio

Six factors behind Milan are Lazio, whose defeat at Lecce got here after Ciro Immobile had given them a half-time lead together with his 189th Serie A objective, which took him above Alessandro De Piero and Beppe Signori within the all-time scoring charts.

However they got here unstuck after the break on the Stadio Via del mare in Italy’s deep south, lacking the prospect to go third above Juve and being caught on 30 factors by native rivals Roma.

Gabriel Strefezza levelled for Lecce simply earlier than the hour mark after Federico Di Francesco’s shot was saved by Ivan Provedel.

And Di Francesco was once more key when the hosts took the lead, his brilliantly volleyed cross discovering Lorenzo Colombo for a tap-in which moved his group as much as twelfth, 9 factors away from the relegation zone. Mario Pasalic snatched a last-gasp 2-2 draw for Atalanta at Spezia with a stoppage-time leveller to finish a comeback from two targets down.

Spezia have been main with 13 minutes remaining due to first-half finishes from Emmanuel Gyasi and M’Bala Nzola, however younger gun Rasmus Hojlund pulled one again and Pasalic bundled residence the leveller with seconds remaining. Gian Piero Gasperini’s facet, who misplaced striker Duvan Zapata to harm, are seventh on 28 factors whereas Spezia keep one place above the relegation zone.

Spezia are 5 factors forward of Sampdoria, who claimed their second win of the season, 2-1 at Sassuolo, due to Manolo Gabbiadini‘s spectacular bicycle kick within the twenty fifth minute and a Tommaso Augello strike shortly afterwards. Verona keep backside of the division on six factors regardless of snapping a 10-match shedding streak with their 1-1 draw at Torino.

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