Gonzalo Higuain struck a controversial brace including a late penalty in a 2-1 win over Genoa to send Rafael Benitez’s SSC Napoli up to third place in Serie A on Monday.
Higuain opened the scoring for the hosts in the seventh minute and fired Napoli back in front from the penalty spot in the 75th minute to cancel out Iago Falque’s 56th-minute strike.
Napoli’s 10th win of the campaign left them 13 points behind leaders and reigning champions Juventus, but Benitez’s men are now only six points behind title challengers AS Roma and two points ahead of both SS Lazio and UC Sampdoria.
Photo: AFP
“It was an important game for us. We wanted to move back up to third place and now we’ve closed the gap on Roma,” Higuain told Sky Sport. “Mathematically, we can fight for second place and that’s what we plan to do.”
Higuain’s double strike has relaunched his bid for Serie A’s Capocannoniere top goalscorer’s award. The Argentine now has 12 in 20 league games to sit one behind fellow countryman Carlos Tevez of Juventus.
“It’s nice, but the important thing was to win this game,” Higuain said.
However, Genoa had reason to join the growing calls in Italy for the introduction of technology following a number of dubious decisions.
Higuain gave Napoli the perfect start when he nodded past Mattia Perin from close range after the goalkeeper pushed a long-range shot from Jose Callejon into his path, but replays suggested the Argentine was offside when Callejon unleashed his shot.
Napoli then saw a perfectly good appeal for a penalty waved away, despite Facundo Roncaglia sliding in to block a pass with his arm.
The hosts then spurned several chances to double their lead, Dutch midfielder Jonathan de Guzman sending one effort just over the bar, before seeing his low drive from close range cleared off the goal-line.
Callejon then smacked the crossbar and Genoa were given hope of an upset when Falque controlled well in the penalty area to beat Rafael Cabral down low at the goalkeeper’s near post.
Genoa gave M’Baye Niang his debut following his on-loan signing from AC Milan last week, the French striker replacing Ioannis Fatfetzidis just after the restart, but failing to get power on his sole shot just after the hour mark.
Napoli restored their lead in the 75th minute when Higuain made no mistake from the penalty spot, but the decision — following Juraj Kucka’s slight push the Argentine — was controversial.
Earlier on Monday, Udinese claimed a precious 2-1 victory over Empoli to move up four places to ninth, ahead of both Inter and AC Milan.
Veteran striker Antonio di Natale struck for the visitors in the 19th minute and, after Riccardo Saponara leveled from the penalty spot just before the interval, Silvan Widmer sealed the points with a freak winner.
Widmer fired in a cross from the right flank that goalkeeper Luigi Sepe allowed to go over his head and inside his far post.
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