Juventus moved provisionally nine points clear at the top of Serie A after they came from behind to beat fierce rivals AC Milan 2-1 on Saturday.
Inter kept alive their slender hopes of securing a UEFA Champions League spot with a 1-0 win at 10-man Frosinone, who hit the woodwork three times.
Mario Mandzukic wiped out Alex’s opening score in the first half, before Paul Pogba secured the win for Juventus after an hour. Milan had chances, but goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was resolute.
Photo: AP
Second-placed SSC Napoli were due to host bottom club Hellas Verona yesterday.
“We’re nine points ahead of Napoli, but it’s not over yet, we have to continue winning,” Pogba said. “We played like a mature team today, we deserved to win. I wouldn’t say we’re helped by anyone. We make the difference because we defend and attack all together. People talk a lot, but we just have to continue like this, then we’ll see at the end.”
Milan play Juventus one more time this season, in the Coppa Italia final.
“It’s difficult to analyze this defeat, we didn’t deserve to lose,” Milan coach Sinisa Mihajlovic said. “We have never been lucky this year, the result makes me angry, but we have saved face. We come out of this match with our heads held high and this display has given us confidence with regards to the Coppa Italia. Buffon made the difference and I have nothing to reproach my lads for. Now, apart from [AS] Roma, we’re playing teams which aren’t as good as us on paper. If we play like how we did against Juve we can do well.”
Inter moved into fourth place, two points above ACF Fiorentina and five points behind third-placed AS Roma, which occupy the final Champions League qualifying spot. Roma are due to host Bologna today.
Frosinone remained one point from safety after fellow strugglers Carpi lost 1-0 at AC Chievo Verona. Genoa won 1-0 at US Sassuolo in a match which was delayed for several minutes because of a hailstorm.
In Milan, there was a touching tribute before kickoff to former player and coach Cesare Maldini, who died last week at the age of 84.
AC Milan, who had been on a training retreat since an embarrassing defeat to Atalanta BC the previous weekend, almost took the lead in the eighth minute, but Ignazio Abate’s effort came back off the post.
Minutes later, Buffon pulled off a fantastic save to scoop Mario Balotelli’s free-kick off the line.
Milan did go in front in the 14th minute when an unmarked Alex powerfully headed in Balotelli’s corner.
Juventus leveled with a long ball from Buffon landing at Alvaro Morata, who prodded it through for Mandzukic to fire into the bottom corner, wrong-footing Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Milan almost restored their lead shortly after the break, but Buffon parried a Carlos Bacca strike and somehow pushed Balotelli’s follow-up onto the bar.
Balotelli, who has yet to score in the league since returning from injury, desperately clawed it in, but it was ruled out and he was booked for handball.
Pogba hit the post on the hour mark, before scoring what was to prove the winner five minutes later, chesting down at the back post and scuffing his shot, which nevertheless bounced over Donnarumma.
Mauro Icardi scored the only goal at Frosinone in the 74th minute, heading Ivan Perisic’s cross into the top corner. It was the Inter captain’s 50th goal in 100 matches for the club.
Frosinone had the better chances, but hopes of an equalizer diminished when defender Leonardo Blanchard was sent off for a second yellow card 10 minutes from time.
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