A late Simone Pepe goal earned Juventus a 1-0 win at Lazio on Monday to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for Europe.
The 87th-minute strike from the Italian winger was tough on fourth-placed Lazio, who dominated the match but had to play the last nine minutes with 10 men after Cristian Ledesma was sent off.
The result left Lazio on 60 points with three Serie A matches to play — one point above AS Roma and Udinese with seventh-placed Juventus a further three points adrift.
Photo: AFP
The teams finishing fifth and sixth qualify for the Europa League.
“It was a satisfying win because Lazio played better,” Pepe told Sky Italia television. “They didn’t allow us to play and we had to defend for long periods, but in the end we showed our spirit and that we are united as a team.”
In an opening half controlled by Lazio, two chances in as many minutes fell to Christian Brocchi.
The midfielder had a volley blocked on 25 minutes before a bullet header went wide of the post.
The home team continued to press and striker Sergio Floccari forced Gianluigi Buffon into a scrambling save with a low shot six minutes later.
Juventus, though, had the best first-half opportunity when Alessandro Matri’s 8m shot was blocked by the feet of keeper Fernando Muslera.
Stephan Liechtsteiner then went agonizingly close for Lazio seven minutes into the second half, his half-volley going just over the bar.
With 20 minutes to go the home side upped the tempo and Buffon threw himself to his right to stop a 35m piledriver from Hernanes before holding on to another powerful free kick from the Brazilian.
Ledesma was sent off in the 81st minute when he received his second caution of the night for a trip on Felipe Melo.
Pepe then sank Lazio when he controlled a deep cross and his deflected shot beat Muslera.
On Sunday, AC Milan defeated Bologna 1-0 to go eight points clear of second-placed Inter and move to the brink of their first Serie A title in seven years.
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
More than 180 years of horse racing came to an end in Singapore on Saturday, as the Singapore Turf Club hosted its final race day before its track is handed back to the Singaporean government to provide land for new homes. Under an overcast sky, the air-conditioned VIP boxes were full of enthusiasts, socialites and expats, while the grounds and betting halls below hosted mostly older-generation punters. The sun broke through for the last race, the last-ever Grand Singapore Gold Cup. The winner, South African jockey Muzi Yeni, echoed a feeling of loss shared by many on the day. “I’d
PREDICTION: Last week, when Yu’s father made a wrong turn to the former champions’ parking lot, he said that his son could park there after this year With back-to-back birdies on the 18th hole, Kevin Yu fulfilled his driving range-owning dad’s prediction that he would win the Sanderson Farms Championship and become Taiwan’s third golfer to claim a US PGA Tour title. The Taoyuan-born 26-year-old, who represented Taiwan in the Olympic golf at Paris, saw off Californian Beau Hossler in a playoff at the Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday. Having drained a 15-foot putt to claw his way into the playoff, Yu rolled in from five feet on the first extra hole, ensuring he joined Chen Tze-chung (LA Open in 1987) and Pan Cheng-tsung (RBC
Francesco Bagnaia yesterday profited from a mistake by rookie Pedro Acosta to win the Japan MotoGP sprint and close the gap on overall championship leader, Jorge Martin. Spaniard Acosta crashed with four laps to go while leading the field at Motegi, allowing defending world champion Bagnaia to take first ahead of Enea Bastianini and Marc Marquez. Spain’s Martin finished fourth and saw his overall lead over Italian Bagnaia in the championship standings cut to 15 points. “I am very happy because with these conditions, it’s not very easy to win and gain points,” Bagnaia said after a sprint race that took place under
RSS