Juve draw hits Napoli’s title hopes
TURIN: Napoli were on Thursday held to a 1-1 draw by Juventus which left them lagging behind in the Serie A title race, on a day in which the dominant topic was the coronavirus cloud hanging over the league.
Dries Mertens opened the scoring in the 23rd minute for Napoli, who performed well in an open game at the Allianz Stadium in Turin but were pegged back eight minutes after halftime when Federico Chiesa’s deflected shot squirmed past David Ospina.
Both players had chances to win the match well saved by Ospina and Juve stopper Wojciech Szczesny but an intense contest eventually petered out into a draw.
Napoli lag six points behind leaders and reigning champions Inter Milan, whose early match at Bologna was the first of four not to take place after their hosts were banned from playing by local health authorities to keep a Covid cluster at the club under control.
Juve, meanwhile, missed the chance to put pressure on fourth-placed Atalanta in the Champions League race, as they sit three points back in fifth having played a game more after the Bergamo outfit’s match with Torino was also shelved.
“We have to look at the game positively, as a point gained,” said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri.
The draw was a great result for AC Milan, who are just one point behind local rivals Inter after two early goals from Olivier Giroud and Junior Messias and a late strike from Rafael Leao earned Stefano Pioli’s side an entertaining 3-1 win over Roma at the San Siro.
Tammy Abraham scored for Jose Mourinho’s Roma.