Dzeko scores again to set Roma on way to 2-0 win at Milan
Edin Dzeko seems determined to retain the Serie A top goalscorer award he won last year and he netted his seventh goal of the season to set Roma on its way to a 20 win at AC Milan on Sunday.
Alessandro Florenzi also scored his first competitive goal since returning from injury which kept him out for nearly a year.
Hakan Calhanoglu was sent off 10 minutes from time to add to the misery for Milan, which slipped to its second successive defeat. Its next match is the derby against Inter Milan on Oct. 15, after the international break.
Earlier, Napoli stayed perfect in Serie A with a 3-0 win over Cagliari. Juventus will also be looking to make it seven wins out of seven when it visits Atalanta later.
Milan coach Vincenzo Montella was under pressure going into the match after two defeats in the opening six Serie A fixtures.
The Rossoneri started to control the match after a scrappy first half and Roma goalkeeper Alisson pulled off a great save to deny former Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci his first goal for Milan, before also keeping out Nikola Kalinic's effort.
But the visitors took the lead against the run of play in the 72nd minute when Dzeko's fierce strike was deflected in by former Roma defender Alessio Romagnoli.
The match was effectively over five minutes later. Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma parried Radja Nainggolan's effort but Florenzi turned in the rebound.
It was Florenzi's first goal since April 2016 and all his teammates rushed over to hug him.
Florenzi tore his cruciate ligament last October and again in February on his return to training.
TARGET PRACTICE
It was more target practice for Napoli, which has now outscored the opposition 25-5 by producing at least three goals in each of the club's Italian league games this season.
Coach Maurizio Sarri's side was two points above Inter Milan after the Nerazzurri won 2-1 at last-place Benevento.
Having finished in the top three spots in five of the last seven seasons, Napoli is looking more and more like it could win its first title since Diego Maradona led the club to its only two Serie A championships in 1987 and 1990.
But Sarri remains cautious.
"It's been six years that people have been saying we could bother Juventus but in the end they still win, which means that they're still a step above everyone else," the coach said.
Serie C - Group A
Yesterday Alessandria-Arezzo ......................... 0-1 Arzachena-Monza ........................... 1-0 Carrarese-Siena .............................. 1-2 Pistoiese-Cuneo .............................. 1-1 Pontedera-Livorno .......................... 2-3 Pro Piacenza-Olbia ......................... 1-3 Gavorrano-Viterbese ....................... 0-3 Lucchese-Piacenza .......................... 0-1 Pisa-Prato ........................................ 2-0
"We've played seven matches, which is just 40 days of the season. Let's see how things develop long-term. Anyone can do it for a month, few for six months and only one squad for a year."
Marek Hamsik scored his first of the season four minutes in at the San Paolo stadium with a low, angled shot after trading passes with Dries Mertens.
It was Hamsik's 114th goal in all competitions for Napoli, moving him within one of Maradona's club record.
Mertens earned a penalty and converted the spot kick to double the advantage before the break and Kalidou Koulibaly added another two minutes into the second half.
BENEVENTO BLUES
Attempting to shake off the label of "worst squad in Europe's five major leagues," Benevento deserved more in its 2-1 defeat against Inter.
The southern club hit both the crossbar and post but couldn't overcome two early goals from Marcelo Brozovic, the second of which was a perfectly curled free kick.
Marco D'Alessandro pulled one back for Benevento before the break with an angled shot that went in off the post after a slight deflection from Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.
It was Benevento's second goal this season — against 18 conceded.
Serie C - Group B
Yesterday Bassano-AlbinoLeffe ....................... 1-0 Gubbio-Sudtirol ............................... 1-0 Teramo-Fermana ............................ 0-0 Triestina-Renate .............................. 0-1 Fano-Ravenna ................................. 0-1 Modena-Mestre .......................... postp Padova-Santarcangelo .................... 3-0
Yesterday Napoli-Cagliari ............................... 3-0 Hamsik 4’, Mertens 40’, Koulibaly 47’ Benevento-Inter ............................ 1-2 Brozovic 19’, 22’ (I), D’Alessandro 42’ (B) Chievo-Fiorentina .......................... 2-1 Simeone 6’ (F), Castro 25’, 46’ (C) Lazio-Sassuolo ............................... 6-1 Berardi 27’ (S), Alberto 45+1’ (L), de Vrij 56’ (L), Alberto 57’ (L), Parolo 64’, 69’ (L), Immobile 81’ pen (L) Spal-Crotone .................................. 1-1 Paloschi 39’ (S), Simy 59’ (C) Torino-Verona .............................. 2-2 Falque 31’ (T), Niang 44’ (T), Kean 89’ (V), Pazzini 90+2’ pen (V) AC Milan-AS Roma ......................... 0-2 Dzeko 72’, Florenzi 77’ Atalanta-Juventus .......................... 2-2 Bernardeschi 21’ (J), Higuain 24’ (J), Caldara 31’ (A), Cristante 67’ (A) Napoli Juventus Inter Lazio AS Roma Torino AC Milan Sampdoria Chievo Bologna Atalanta Fiorentina Udinese Cagliari Spal Crotone Sassuolo Verona Genoa Benevento
Serie B 7 7 7 7 6 7 7 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 6 6 5 5 3 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 3 0 2 2 2 3 1 0 0 2 2 1 3 2 0 0 25 5 21 0 20 5 19 0 14 3 19 1 19 9 16 1 14 4 15 1 12 11 12 3 10 10 12 1 8 8 11 2 9 9 11 2 6 7 11 2 12 10 9 4 10 10 7 5 12 13 6 5 4 11 6 4 6 12 5 4 4 12 5 5 4 15 4 4 3 16 3 5 5 11 2 7 2 18 0
Yesterday Foggia-Novara ................................. 2-2
Standings