MILAN: A first-half winner from Jose Callejon handed Napoli the points from a 1-0 win at Inter Milan on Sunday that closed the gap on Roma in second to a point. Maurizio Sarri’s men travelled to the San Siro buoyed by Roma’s earlier 3-1 derby defeat to Lazio that left the capital contenders nine points adrift of leaders Juventus. By the end of a San Siro sizzler that saw Stefano Pioli’s outplayed hosts stage a brief, second-half comeback, Callejon’s 43rd minute opener proved the difference to a win that put Napoli in firm contention for the second automatic Champions League qualifying place.
Roma remain second at nine points behind Juventus with four games to play.
But Luciano Spalletti’s men are now just one point ahead of Napoli, who remain seven points ahead of Lazio, in fourth.
Inter’s fourth defeat in a six-match winless run, meanwhile, left the Nerazzurri in seventh, but now three points behind city rivals AC Milan and eight behind fifth-placed Atalanta.
Earlier, Milan spurned the chance to take the advantage, suffering a second league setback since their takeover by a Chinese consortium.
Milan travelled to relegation-haunted Crotone looking to make up for a shock 2-1 San Siro defeat to struggling Empoli last week.
But for the second game in succession since the Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux bought the seven-time European champions from long-time owner Silvio Berlusconi, Vincenzo Montella’s side disappointed in a 1-1 draw.
Marcello Trotta fired Crotone into an eighth-minute lead and it took until the 50th minute for Milan to level, veteran defender Gabriel Paletta bundling home a messy goal from close range. “We should be disappointed and angry for the result,” Montella told Mediaset Premium.
Even if Milan do finish sixth, though, the Europa League spot allotted to the Italian Cup winners could be up for grabs.
In the June 2 Cup final, Juventus, set for a Champions League spot, face Lazio — who look set to finish fourth and book a spot in Europe’s second tier club competition.
“We still believe we can reach the Europa League,” added Montella. “We’ve still to face Atalanta and sixth place still offers a way in.”— AFP
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