Serie A: Napoli beat AC Milan, extend lead at top

MILAN: Napoli’s Romelu Lukaku and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia struck first-half goals to earn a 2-0 win at AC Milan on Tuesday night and stretch their side’s lead at the top of Serie A to seven points.

Napoli has 25 points ahead of champion Inter Milan, who visits Empoli on Wednesday. Milan stays eighth on 14 points.

The host was rocked by Lukaku’s fourth goal of the season in the fifth minute before Napoli found a second two minutes before the interval with a stunning strike from Kvaratskhelia and Milan was unable to force its way back into the game.

It was Napoli’s fifth successive league victory and Antonio Conte’s team is unbeaten in nine games since its only defeat this season on the opening day at Hellas Verona.

Milan came into the game the fresher side, after its game on Saturday at Bologna was postponed due to safety concerns over flooding, but it was Napoli who got off to a flying start.

The visitor made the early breakthrough after an Andre Anguissa pass found Lukaku between two defenders and the striker easily brushed aside Strahinja Pavlovic before taking the ball into the area and drilling a low shot into the far bottom corner.

Milan battled hard for an equaliser and in a five minute spell, it had three chances, with Yunus Musah and Emerson Royal both putting their efforts wide while Napoli keeper Alex Meret got down to parry away Samuel Chukwueze’s shot from a distance.

For all its efforts, Milan found itself a further goal down at halftime when Kvaratskhelia cut inside from the left and found space before letting fly from outside the area with a beautiful bending shot which went under the dive of Mike Maignan.

Alvaro Morata thought he had pulled one back early in the second half, rising high to send a glancing header past Meret but the Spanish striker was offside at the time of Chukwueze’s cross.

The second half brought less chances, with Napoli content to control its lead and Milan unable to take advantage of any opportunities that did come its way.

Rafael Leao came off the bench and forced Meret into a fingertip save with a powerful strike from inside the area, but Napoli’s impressive run continues.

Having conceded three on the opening day, Napoli has since conceded just two goals, and while it laboured of late, struggling to 1-0 wins over Empoli and Lecce, Conte’s side is getting the job done and setting the pace in Serie A. Agencies

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