Napoli beat Juve to close gap at top

Turin (Italy), April 23: Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly’s stunning lastgasp goal kept Napoli’s title hopes alive with a 1-0 win at Juventus on Sunday closing the gap to just one point on the Serie ‘A’ champions.

Koulibaly headed in the winner off a Jose Callejon corner in the final minute to give Napoli their first ever victory at the Allianz Stadium.

Six-time defending champions Juventus’s lead at the top of the table has been cut to just one point with four games left. It was just their third league defeat this season and a first since November 19.

Juventus have 85 points from 34 games with Napoli, bidding for a third Scudetto after 1987 and 1990, on 84.

Maurizio Sarri’s side pushed forward and had numerous chances, while Juventus, apart from a Miralem Pjanic free-kick hitting the post, created little.

Napoli captain Marek Hamsik threatened twice to break the deadlock while Lorenzo Insigne had a goal disallowed for offside in the first half.

The champions now have a difficult run-in to the season, including trips to Inter Milan and Roma — both fighting for Champions League places.

Elsewhere, Lazio and Inter kept their push for Champions League football alive on Sunday. Lazio crushed Sampdoria 4-0 to stay fourth. Inter are a point further back in fifth, just outside the Champions League places, after a hard-fought 2-1 win over Chievo. — AFP