TURIN, Italy: Lazio came from behind to beat Cagliari 2-1 on Sunday and move three points clear at the top of Serie A, while Juventus eased the pressure on coach Luciano Spalletti with a 2-0 home victory over Napoli.
Lazio lead the standings with 28 points after Inter Milan, three points behind in second, lost 3-1 to city rivals AC Milan on Saturday. Juventus are seventh on 17 points, three ahead of eighth-placed Napoli.
With Inter's defeat in the Derby della Madonnina handing them the chance to pull clear, Lazio made a cautious start at the Stadio Olimpico and fell behind when M'Bala Nzola struck for Cagliari in the 21st minute.
Gustav Isaksen equalised nine minutes before halftime, finding the net with a delicate effort from the edge of the area.
Lazio's pressure finally told in the 83rd minute when Alfonso Pedraza, falling as he met Isaksen's cross, hooked the ball back for Andrea Pinamonti to head home the winner.
Cagliari finished with 10 men after Adam Obert was shown a second yellow card for bringing down Isaksen in the closing stages.
Lazio have won nine of their opening 10 Serie A matches for the first time, but coach Gennaro Gattuso warned his players against becoming distracted by the standings.
"It is best that we don’t look at the table right now, or it’ll make us dizzy. We’ve got to push hard, rest, then push hard again," Gattuso told DAZN Italia.
"This is a team that believes in itself and is happy to spend time together. I am also starting to fully understand these players and what they are capable of."
JUVE CLAIM LATE WIN
Juventus struck twice in the final 20 minutes to beat Napoli in a high-pressure encounter for both coaches.
Spalletti had come under scrutiny after a run of poor results, while Napoli coach Massimiliano Allegri, who served a touchline ban, has also faced criticism following his side's sluggish start to the season.
Juventus defender Juan Cabal hit the woodwork during an open first half, but neither side could break the deadlock before the interval.
Kerim Alajbegovic put Juventus ahead in the 70th minute, driving towards the edge of the area before unleashing a screamer into the top corner.
Napoli's task became harder five minutes later when Luca Marianucci received a second yellow card for a stamp on Cabal.
Jeremie Boga sealed the victory three minutes from time with another long-range strike, driving the ball low into the far corner.
— Reuters
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