TURIN, Italy (AP) – Substitute Matteo Politano scored a crucial late goal to secure a 1-0 victory for Napoli against AC Milan, narrowing the gap on Serie A leaders Inter Milan on Monday.
Entering the match in third place, Napoli aimed to close in on both AC Milan and Inter, knowing that a win was essential to maintain their title ambitions.
Match Overview
Despite the high stakes, both teams displayed a lack of urgency, resulting in few clear scoring opportunities throughout the match.
Politano, who had entered the game just five minutes earlier, found the net with 11 minutes remaining, striking a low shot after AC Milan’s defense failed to clear a left-side cross.
In a desperate attempt to equalize, AC Milan surged forward in the closing minutes but ultimately could not find the back of the net, dropping to third place in the standings.
Following the match, Napoli remained seven points behind Inter Milan with seven games left to play, while AC Milan found themselves two points further adrift.
McKennie’s Performance for Juventus
In another match, U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie played a pivotal role in Juventus’s 2-0 win over Genoa, earning the title of man of the match.
McKennie scored just 17 minutes into the match, following an early goal by Brazilian defender Bremer in the fourth minute.
Despite missing two opportunities to add to his tally, McKennie’s performance was instrumental, with Genoa’s goalpost saving them when Jonathan David’s shot hit the post.
Genoa’s Aaron Martin squandered a significant chance to score with 15 minutes remaining when his penalty kick was saved by Juventus goalkeeper Mattia Perin, along with the rebound attempt.
This victory allowed Juventus to close the gap to fourth-placed Como, which was held to a 0-0 draw by Udinese.
Como’s five-game winning streak ended with the draw, but they remained hopeful for a Champions League spot as Udinese comfortably sits mid-table in 11th place.
Atalanta’s Dominance Over Lecce
Atalanta secured a convincing 3-0 victory against Lecce, keeping their hopes for a top-four finish alive.
Giorgio Scalvini opened the scoring with a well-executed shot after impressive footwork inside the box, while former Lecce player Nikola Krstovic extended the lead early in the second half.
Lecce’s goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone made several key saves, but he was powerless against Giacomo Raspadori’s third goal.
This defeat marked Lecce’s fifth loss in six matches, leaving them third from the bottom in the standings, tied on points with Cremonese, while Atalanta remained in seventh place, just one point behind Roma.