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12/14 10:10 CST Milan draw and Napoli loss could see Inter end the round on top
if it wins at lowly Genoa
Milan draw and Napoli loss could see Inter end the round on top if it wins at
lowly Genoa
By DANIELLA MATAR
AP Sports Writer
MILAN (AP) --- Teenage defender Davide Bartesaghi scored his first senior goals
but couldn't prevent AC Milan from being held to a 2-2 draw at home to Sassuolo
in Serie A on Sunday.
However, the Rossoneri actually moved into the sole lead of Serie A, a point
above Napoli after Antonio Conte's side lost 1-0 at Udinese.
Inter Milan can overtake both of them if it wins at relegation-threatened Genoa
later.
Sassuolo had only won one of its past three matches but it took the lead at San
Siro in the 13th minute. The visitors won the ball back from a Milan defensive
throw-in and Andrea Pinamonti laid it off for the onrushing Ismal Kon, who
forced his way into the area before lifting it over Mike Maignan.
Milan leveled in the 34th minute as Ruben Loftus-Cheek rolled the ball across
the area for Bartesaghi to power in from close range.
The 19-year-old Bartesaghi doubled his tally immediately after halftime when he
ran onto Christopher Nkunku's smart pass and fired inside the near post.
Christian Pulisic and Loftus-Cheek both had goals disallowed for Milan before
Sassuolo equalized in the 77th minute through substitute Armand Laurient
following another Pinamonti assist.
Laurient, who had changed the match when he came on, almost scored a stunning
winner in the 88th minute following a solo run from his own half but his effort
crashed off the left post.
Napoli stunned Napoli knew it could move atop the standings following Milan's result. However, it was Udinese that had the better of the chances and twice thought it had broken the deadlock only to have both goals struck off on video review. Keinan Davis's strike was ruled out in the 52nd minute for offside and Nicol Zaniolo also saw his effort chalked off in the 69th because there was a foul in the buildup. Between those decisions, Udinese also hit the crossbar through Jakub Piotrowski. The hosts finally broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute when Jurgen Ekkelenkamp curled a magnificent strike into the far top corner from outside the area. Rasmus Hojlund should have leveled two minutes from time but he somehow fired over an open goal from point-blank range, while Lorenzo Lucca --- who joined Napoli from Udinese in July --- hit the post in stoppage time. Fiorentina jokes At the other end of the table, Gift Emmanuel Orban scored twice -- including in stoppage time -- as Hellas Verona won 2-1 at last-placed Fiorentina in a relegation battle to move to within two points of safety. Fiorentina was without a win and eight points from safety. Its fans displayed a banner addressing their Verona counterparts with the words: "whoever finishes last pays for the drinks." ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer |
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