Lukaku keeps Inter top
But Ronaldo’s first Serie A hattrick keeps Juve level on points
ROMELU LUKAKU scored twice as Inter Milan held on to top spot in Serie A yesterday with a 3-1 win over Napoli to keep the pressure on Juventus who earlier swept past Cagliari with Cristiano Ronaldo netting his first hattrick in the Italian top flight.
Antonio Conte’s Inter ended their 23year wait for a league win in Naples to stay in pole position, level on points with Juventus after 18 games, but ahead on goal difference.
Lazio are third, six points adrift but with a game in hand, after stretching their winning run in the league to nine matches on Sunday with a 2-1 victory over Brescia.
“It’s an important victory, winning away to Napoli is never easy,” said Conte after his 100th Serie A win as a coach but first in Naples.
“Napoli have in recent years always been behind Juventus, while Inter was a long way back. This year we have reduced the gap.”
Inter’s three goals all came from mistakes from Napoli, runners-up the past two seasons but only eighth this term.
Lukaku broke through on 14 minutes with a powerful solo run through the Napoli defence, with goalkeeper Alex Meret fumbling the second into goal in the 33rd minute.
Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik pulled a goal back for Napoli four minutes before the break.
But Lautaro Martinez added the third after the hour mark, following another mix-up in the Napoli defence, to give Inter their first win at the Stadio San Paolo since October 1997.
“We made lots of mistakes and scored three goals on our own,” said Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso.
“The lads are worried because they are used to challenging for the Scudetto and this year it’s like this.”
In Turin, Ronaldo struck for the fifth consecutive league game as the champions bounced back from their Italian Super Cup defeat by Lazio.
“Amazing feeling to kick off 2020 with a hattrick and a victory,” tweeted Ronaldo, who brought his league tally to 13 goals.
Ronaldo, 34, broke the deadlock just after the interval.
The Portuguese striker added a second from the penalty spot on 67 minutes then set up substitute Gonzalo
Higuain nine minutes from time, before completing his hattrick a minute later.
Lukaku and Ronaldo’s goals overshadowed Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s return for AC Milan as the Swedish star came off the bench in the 55th minute in a goalless draw against Sampdoria.
But there was little else to cheer for the hosts who extended their winless run to three games and remain 12th in the table.
“I felt a lot of adrenaline, emotion, it brought me back nine or 10 years,” said Ibrahimovic.
“I wanted to get on the pitch, score a goal and then celebrate like a
God in front of the Curva!
But it will happen next time.” –
AFP
are considering a loan approach for Atletico Madrid’s France midfielder Thomas Lemar, 24, with a £51m (RM265m) option-to-buy.
SPURS and England midfielder Harry Winks, 23, is a possible target for Manchester City and Manchester United.
CHELSEA and Manchester United have contacted 32-yearold Paris St-Germain and Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani, who is believed to be close to joining to Atletico Madrid, about a January move.
MANCHESTER CITY are targeting Inter Milan’s Slovakia defender Milan Skriniar, 24, who has also been monitored by Barcelona and Real Madrid.
INTER MILAN have made a £20m (RM104m) bid for Tottenham and Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen, 27, but manager Antonio Conte would prefer to sign Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal, 32.
HOWEVER, Inter chief executive Giuseppe Marotta says the Serie A giants have had no contact with Eriksen about a January transfer.
INTER are also leading Aston Villa and Newcastle United in the race to sign France striker Olivier Giroud, 33, from Chelsea.
MANCHESTER UNITED are interested in Leicester City’s England midfielder James Maddison, 23, but are aware that it is difficult to conclude big transfers in January.
EVERTON have joined the race to sign St Etienne’s French defender Wesley Fofana, 19, who is wanted by a host of clubs across Europe.