Juventus go top, Genoa hold Napoli
ROME: Champions Juventus returned to the top of Serie A with a 4-0 home rout of Cagliari yesterday, while former leaders Napoli dropped to second after being held to a goalless draw at Genoa.
First-half efforts from Daniele Rugani, Gonzalo Higuain and Dani Alves and a late own goal from Luca Ceppitelli helped Juve ease to their fourth win of the season and up to 12 points, one ahead of Napoli on 11.
Inter Milan beat Empoli 2-0 away after a firsthalf double from Mauro Icardi to go fifth on 10 points, while Roma jumped to third, also on 10, after thrashing Crotone 4-0.
Juve were criticised after their loss to Inter on Sunday and boss Massimiliano Allegri made six changes to his team, with record signing Gonzalo Higuain restored to the starting lineup.
However, it was defender Rugani who opened the scoring with a poacher’s finish, reacting first to tap past Marco Storari after the keeper saved from Higuain’s volley.
Higuain did get on the scoresheet in the 34th minute when he fired home the rebound after Storari had blocked Miralem Pjanic’s effort.
Dani Alves added a third six minutes later with his first for Juve, lashing the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the box after being picked out by a Pjanic corner.
Napoli, Serie A’s top scorers heading into yesterday, were held at Genoa despite enjoying the lion’s share of possession and were left ruing two penalty appeals that were turned down.
Marek Hamsik struck the woodwork as Maurizio Sarri’s side were forced to settle for a point, with a foul on Arkadiusz Milik in the box and Lucas Ocampos’s handball going unpunished.
Inter took the lead against Empoli after 10 minutes when Icardi met Antonio Candreva’s delightful chipped cross with a diving header.
They doubled their advantage seven minutes later when Icardi was picked out by Mario and slotted calmly past Lukasz Skorupski for his sixth goal of the season.
At the Stadio Olimpico, Roma eased past promoted Crotone in a 4-0 triumph that hinted that Luciano Spalletti’s side could be title contenders again. – Reuters