SSC Napoli on Sunday matched Juventus with a 1-0 win over SPAL to regain top spot in Serie A from the champions, who had earlier won the Turin derby by the same score.
The two Serie A pacesetters both bounced back from European setbacks to claim their ninth consecutive league wins.
Napoli — shocked 3-1 at home by RB Leipzig in the UEFA Europa League — stayed top with a narrow home victory at the Stadio San Paulo, while injury-depleted Juventus — held at home by Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League — continued their derby domination of Torino 1-0.
Photo: AFP
“I expected a response after the Europa League,” Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri said, before adding that his side should have scored more. “We became too lazy and wanted to walk the ball into the net. We were acting 10 minutes from time as if we were 3-0 up, not 1-0.”
Both clubs could thank Brazilians for the three points, with Alex Sandro scoring for Juventus after 33 minutes and Allan putting Napoli ahead after just six minutes.
Napoli have 66 points after 25 games, with Juventus one point behind.
In Naples, Lorenzo Insigne hit the post after four minutes, before Allan broke through after good work by Jorginho and Jose Callejon.
Marek Hamsik thought he had scored a second after 63 minutes, but the video assistant referee ruled he was offside.
It was a new club record of nine consecutive league wins for Napoli.
“This team appears to only have Serie A in on their mind and have no motivation for anything else,” the Napoli coach said of his side’s bid for a third scudetto and a first since 1989-1990.
In Turin, Juventus top scorer Gonzalo Higuain suffered a sprained ankle, while winger Federico Bernardeschi injured his left knee in the bruising Derby Della Mole.
Higuain has scored 24 times this season for the champions, including a brace in the first nine minutes of last week’s Champions League game in Turin.
The 30-year-old pulled up in agony three minutes into the game at Torino following a clash with rival goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu.
He continued on for another 12 minutes before being replaced by Bernardeschi, who set up Brazilian Alex Sandro to score 20 minutes later, before limping off late in the second half.
Both will be racing to be fit for the Champions League return leg at Wembley Stadium in London on March 7.
Juventus already have a long injury list with Mario Mandzukic, Blaise Matuidi and Juan Cuadrado recovering, but Argentine Paulo Dybala returned from a hamstring injury in the second half.
“Dybala did well for 30 minutes, obviously he’s lacking match fitness, but that will come,” Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said. “I am proud of the lads and today we saw a good reaction, as we enjoyed ourselves, even during difficult moments.”
Torino are ninth, five points off the European places.
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