ROME: Subdued leaders Juventus drew 1-1 at dynamic Napoli on Sunday in a Serie A big match to see Roma move within six points. Napoli captain Marek Hamsik equalized Sami Khedira’s early goal at Naples’ San Paolo as Juventus stayed top on 74 points from 30 games, with Roma trailing on 68 and Napoli sitting four further points adrift with eight games remaining. Lazio are fourth on 60 after winning 2-1 at Sassuolo on Saturday. Khedira fired low under Rafael’s arms in the seventh minute after a textbook pass-and-go with Miralem Pjanic in the Bianconeri’s only telling action of the game.
The champions then sat deep until the break seeing Napoli Hamsik misfire twice before Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne also had no luck trying to beat Gianluigi Buffon. Game tactics did not change in the second half and Hamsik finally found the net connecting with a Mertens assist on the hour.
Juve had a mild uneventful reaction but suffered from poor ball handling and created no chances for ex-Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain.
A last chance went begging for Napoli on 64 as Mertens stormed past Buffon after a defensive blunder to hit the post from a tight angle.
“I think Napoli did more (than Juve),” Hamsik said. “In the first half Juve scored but we tried on several occasions.
“Maybe we lacked some strength toward the end, but it was fine as it ended.
There are eight games left. We have the time to catch Roma. There is still Roma-Juve to be played (in the third from last round).”
In Pescara, AC Milan were held 1-1 at the bottom side in a lacklustre showing that endangers their Europa League ambitions.
The Devils fell behind on an embarrassing own goal in the 12th minute when Gabriel Paletta’s backward pass was not controlled by young goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Milan remained sluggish but Mario Pasalic at least levelled on 41, and they were denied a late victory when defender Alessio Romagnoli nodded against the post with five minutes to go.
Milan stayed in seventh place, four points off the Europa League zone.
“We should have done more in the first half,” Milan boss Vincenzo Montella said. “We should have been quicker when in possession and off the ball: we need to improve this.
“Especially against teams who sit back we have to find different solutions moving around the pitch better, we are working on it but we still haven’t seen lots of results.”
Atalanta meanwhile won 5-0 at Genoa and moved to fifth, filling the second available berth for the tournament.
Argentinian Alejandro Gomez scored a hat-trick, converting a penalty and twice striking from close range in the 63rd and 83rd after Andrea Conti opened with a bicycle kick.
The seaside hosts had Mauricio Pinilla dismissed shortly before Gomez netted his second, while Mattia Caldara, the league’s top scoring defender, netted his sixth for 4-0 on 76 minutes.
Fiorentina edged Bologna 1-0 from a header by substitute Khouma Babacar and Crotone won 2-1 at Chievo but stayed in the drop zone in third-last place.
Second-last Palermo crashed 3-1 at home to Cagliari, who got a brace from Macedonian Artur Ionita and in the 86th brought on Kwang Song Han, the first North Korean footballer to appear in an Italian League.
Earlier in Turin, forward Andrea Belotti completed Torino’s comeback from two goals down to a 2-2 draw with Udinese to move level at the top of the scorers’ chart.
The international nodded home with seven minutes left, after twice hitting the bar, and with 23 goals matches Roma’s Edin Dzeko, who netted a brace in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat of Empoli.
Jakub Jankto opened the scoring with an impressive drive in the top-left corner on 50 minutes and Stipe Perica tapped in 18 minutes later as visiting Udinese went 2-0 up.
Emiliano Moretti pulled one back in a scramble another two minutes later before Belotti fiercely headed past the in-form Simone Scuffeton 83 minutes. Il Toro sit in ninth position and Udinese are 12th. Inter Milan are at home to Sampdoria to close match day 30 on Monday. — DPA
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