Resurgent Milan out for Napoli revenge as title race intensifies

>> MILAN: Resurgent AC Milan host Napoli looking to avenge a crushing home defeat to the Azzuri last season as the fight for title glory and coveted Champions League places intensifies in Serie A.

A week after leaders Juventus suffered a shock 2-1 reverse at Fiorentina to allow Roma to close to within one point, the Turin giants have reason to be looking over their shoulders as they chase a record sixth consecutive crown.

Roma are only one point behind in second before hosting Cagliari, three days after sweeping Sampdoria aside 4-0 in the Italian Cup, and well-oiled Napoli are only three points further behind.

Milan, eight points behind in fifth place, have the hardest task of Juve’s chasers — beating Napoli.

Milan haven’t beaten Napoli since 2014 and will be without key defender Alessandro Romagnoli and Manuel Locatelli, whose one-match suspensions deprive Milan of stability at the back and a hard-working midfielder adept at creating chances out of nothing up front.

They are set to be replaced respectively by Gustavo Gomez and Argentine midfielder Jose Sosa.

Insigne (5), Dries Mertens (12), Jose Callejon (7) and Marek Hamsik (6) share 30 of Napoli’s league-leading tally of 45 goals so far this season, and key striker Arkaduisz Milik (4) has yet to return from a cruciate knee ligament injury suffered in October.

Colombian Carlos Bacca, who spent a brief spell on the injury sidelines, is Milan’s top scorer with eight goals, just ahead of Suso (5) and Gianluca Lapadula (4).

A third-place finish guarantees a play-off to join the group stages of the Champions League and Lazio striker Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who has hit three goals in his last seven games including the opener in a 2-1 win over Atalanta last week, said: “We want the Champions League, but we’re not the only ones with this objective.”

Lazio, who visit Juventus tomorrow, lost 1-0 to the champions in Rome earlier this season.