Napoli stay top as Juventus hit seven

NAPOLI clung to top spot in Serie A with a 2-0 win over tailenders Benevento yesterday, after Gonzalo Higuain hit a rapid hattrick and Sami Khedira two in three minutes as champions Juventus piled on the pressure in the title chase with a 7-0 win over Sassuolo.

Juventus were 4-0 up by halftime after Alex Sandro opened the scoring on nine minutes in Turin with a quick-fire Khedira brace and a Miralem Pjanic goal burying an overwhelmed Sassuolo who are rooted in 15th position.

Argentine ace Higuain dominated the second half with a hattrick in a 20-minute spell to bring his league tally to 13.

But Napoli replied with goals in either half from Dries Mertens and Marek Hamsik keeping Maurizio Sarri’s side one point ahead of the six-time defending champions.

“We cannot afford any slipups with Napoli having an extraordinary championship.

“It was important to win today so we could definitively break away from the chasing pack,” said Juventus coach Mas- similiano Allegri.

“Many players are beginning to reach their peak.”

Earlier, Roma got back to winning ways to move closer to the Champions League places with Turkish winger Cengiz Under scoring the only goal within the first minute in Verona.

Roma stay fifth but move to within a point of Inter Milan who occupy the final Champions League spot after being held 1-1 by Crotone on Saturday.

AC Milan missed the chance to move into the Europa League places, being held 1-1 at Udinese with Davide Calabria sent off on 68 minutes.

Atalanta beat Chievo 1-0 with Gianluca Mancini’s winner on 72 minutes at first disallowed, then given after viewing VAR.

Midtable Fiorentina won 2-1 at Bologna with Federico Chiesa getting the winner after 71 minutes after Jordan Veretout’s opener was cancelled out by Erick Pulgar.

Cagliari earned a 2-0 win over relegation rivals SPAL in Sardinia, with goals from Luca Cigarini and substitute Marco Sau. – AFP