The in-form Dusan Vlahovic struck twice in the second half as Juventus moved to the top of Serie A with a 3-0 victory over Lecce.

Juventus were frustrated for much of the first half as they looked for their fifth successive victory in the league.

The away side had to wait until the hour mark before Vlahovic made his mark on the game. He quickly added another for his 11th goal of the campaign, and second successive brace, and Gleison Bremer’s late header added the icing on the cake to lift Juventus above Inter Milan at the summit.

Juventus could have opened the scoring in the first minute after Vlahovic got on the end of a cross but could not quite guide his first-time effort on target.

Lecce threatened five minutes in as Nikola Krstovic found himself in space on the edge of the area but shot just wide.

Juventus were next to go close in the 13th minute but Filip Kostic’s strike from just inside the area kept rising over the bar. Krstovic found himself with another chance but once again lifted an effort over the crossbar.

Juventus created the first chance of the second period when an inswinging corner found the head of Weston McKennie but he nodded straight at keeper Wladimiro Falcone, who was comfortably able to deal with the danger.

The away side were having a little more joy breaking down the Lecce defence in the second period and had another chance a couple of minutes later but Vlahovic guided his diving header just wide of the far post.

Juventus broke the deadlock on the hour mark when Andrea Cambiaso lifted the ball into the box and Vlahovic volleyed into the ground and into the back of the net to make it 1-0.

Juve doubled their advantage in the 68th minute as Kostic’s cross was lifted towards McKennie at the back post, who headed across for Vlahovic to tap home his second of the evening.

The visitors claimed their 16th win of the season and added a third goal in the 85th minute when Samuel Iling-Junior’s free-kick found Bremer, who bulleted a header past Falcone.

Jude Bellingham inspired Real Madrid with a goal and an assist as they came from two goals down to earn a last-gasp 3-2 win over rock-bottom Almeria in LaLiga.

The visitors hit the front inside a minute through Largie Ramazani and doubled their lead at the end of the first half when Edgar Gonzalez slammed a shot into the top corner from outside the area.

Bellingham kick-started Madrid’s comeback from the penalty spot in the 57th minute and they were on level terms 10 minutes later when Vinicius Junior nudged home from inside the area.

The game looked to be heading for a draw, but Madrid snatched the points nine minutes into stoppage time when Bellingham nodded across for Dani Carvajal, who poked home at the back post.

Osasuna made it back-to-back wins with a 3-2 victory over Getafe.

David Garcia edged the hosts in front inside 10 minutes with a close-range finish and they doubled their lead just after the half-hour mark through Iker Munoz.

Getafe fought back to level terms with two goals in four second-half minutes, Borja Mayoral bringing the visitors back into the contest and Nemanja Maksimovic making it 2-2, but Jesus Areso’s intended cross from near the corner flag ended up in the back of the net via a post to give Osasuna all three points.

In Germany, Bayern Munich slipped to a shock 1-0 home defeat to Werder Bremen to lose further ground to Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

The visitors, who had Justin Njinmah’s strike ruled out in the 25th minute after a VAR check, were not to be denied when Mitchell Weiser cut in from the left and fired into the roof of the net to give them a deserved lead.

Goalkeeper Michael Zetterer denied Leroy Sane and Mathys Tel late on to earn Werder a first league win over Munich since 2008.

Augsburg came from a goal down to beat Borussia Monchengladbach 2-1 at Borussia Park.

Jordan Pefok bundled home from close range to give the hosts a lead, but Augsburg hit back in the second half.

Phillip Tietz brought Augsburg level with a neat header two minutes into the half and the winner came four minutes later as Arne Engels found the bottom corner from inside the box to help Augsburg move above their opponents in the table.

In Serie A, Szymon Zurkowski scored a hat-trick to help Empoli move within two points of safety with a 3-0 win over Monza.

Zurkowski put the hosts in front in superb fashion with a spectacular volley and doubled their lead with a header seven minutes before the break before he rounded off his treble with a right-footed tap-in after the break.

Frosinone came from behind to end a run of five straight defeats with a 3-1 win over Cagliari.

Sulemana bagged his first Serie A goal to give Cagliari a half-time lead, but Frosinone scored three times after the break.

Luca Mazzitelli’s pinpoint header brought them level before Matias Soule found the top corner from a free-kick and Kaio Jorge added a third in stoppage time.

Bottom side Salernitana slipped to their 13th league defeat of the season as they lost 2-1 to Genoa.

Salernitana edged in front in the second minute thanks to Agustin Martegani, but they were not ahead for long as Mateo Retegui equalised 10 minutes later and Albert Gudmundsson’s penalty secured Genoa’s comeback victory.

AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan and his team-mates walked off the pitch during the first half of the 3-2 Serie A win at Udinese on Saturday evening.

The 28-year-old France international left the action shortly after his team had taken the lead, apparently indicating to referee Fabio Maresca that he had heard racist abuse from the crowd at the Stadio Friuli.

Maignan was followed by the other Milan players but they returned to the pitch soon after and play was able to resume around seven minutes after Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s goal had broken the deadlock.

Maignan was beaten three minutes later by a Lazar Samardzic shot, before substitute Florian Thauvin scored to give Udinese the lead.

However, fellow sub Luka Jovic earned the visitors a point with a close-range finish with eight minutes remaining, before another second-half replacement – Noah Okafor – won it in added-time.

Before the Maignan incident, Olivier Giroud had been denied in the 16th minute when his shot was saved at the near post by Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye.

The France international striker had another chance three minutes later but he failed to get clean contact on a  ball from Theo Hernandez and Okoye saved.

The visitors opened the scoring in the 31st minute when Loftus-Cheek netted his third Serie A goal of the season,  sidefooting Hernandez’s cutback into the corner with the aid of a slight deflection.

After the incident involving Maignan,  the hosts levelled when Samardzic’s curling left-footed shot from just outside the area gave the goalkeeper no chance.

Udinese took the lead in the 62nd minute, through Thauvin. The 30-year-old former Newcastle winger capitalised on weak defending from Fernandez and Tijani Reijnders before beating the exposed Maignan with a left-footed shot.

Yacine Adli should have done better for the visitors when unmarked at the far post in the 79th minute, then Giroud headed wide, under pressure, soon after.

The visitors equalised in the 82nd minute, Jovic reacting quickly to finish off from close range after Giroud’s deflected shot had struck the bar, just seven minutes after the Serbian’s introduction.

Giroud saw a shot tipped over in added time before Okafor got the visitors’ winner in the third minute of added-time, blasting in unmarked at the far post after Giroud had won a header.

The goal extended Milan’s winning run to four matches and reduced the gap on table-topping city rivals Inter to six points.

Massimiliano Allegri will not allow his Juventus players to be distracted from their mission of qualifying for the Champions League after a year out of Europe.

A seventh-placed finish last season, thanks in part to a 10-point deduction for capital gain violations, meant the Bianconeri were not even able to compete in the Europa Conference League this term, leaving their midweeks largely free.

That has not translated into a waltz to the Serie A title, however, with leaders Inter Milan still two points out in front despite Juve winning 12 of their last 15 matches and remaining unbeaten in the league since September.

Head coach Allegri remains wary that any complacency creeping in could allow rivals like AC Milan and Fiorentina to overtake them, and he stressed that Sunday’s match at mid-table Lecce represents an excellent opportunity for his side to demonstrate how much they have improved.

He told reporters: “Playing at Lecce is difficult, they played well against Inter and Lazio, defending really well, and they’ve got good results from their last four home matches.

“We have to focus solely on getting a positive result. The main objective is to not concede – that’s happened to us in our last four away games.

“We’re still missing lots of points in our mission to qualify for the Champions League. That’s what we are chasing, that is our goal.

“We can see that Inter are doing great things, they’ve collected 51 points already and are favourites for the Scudetto. We’re improving, but we know that winning at Lecce will be complicated. Celebrating a win is always easy but you’ve got to play the game first.

“Some horses need to wear blinkers and some don’t. Those who need to wear them worry about looking at others but blinkers help you focus on what is in front of us. We haven’t achieved anything so far – we’re only halfway there.”

Federico Chiesa and Adrien Rabiot are ruled out of the game at Stadio Via del mare, with breakthrough wing-back Andrea Cambiaso unlikely to feature.

“The squad is in good shape, we’re training in the right way,” said Allegri. “We won’t have Rabiot or Chiesa tomorrow: the former has a calf problem while Federico has suffered a recurrence of his knee issue and will be assessed in the next few days.

“Cambiaso has come on a lot and I’m happy, he’s great technically and is becoming an important player for us.”

Lecce have three players absent due to the Africa Cup of Nations: Zambian striker Lameck Banda, Tunisia’s Hamza Rafia and Ahmed Touba of Algeria. Albanian defender Kastriot Dermaku faces a late fitness check.

The Apulian club are 13th but starting to look over their shoulders after losing three of their last four games and scoring only once in that period.

AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli has admitted his side must strengthen in the January transfer window if they are to chase down leading duo Inter Milan and Juventus in Serie A.

Milan head to struggling Udinese on Saturday looking to close a seven-point deficit to second-placed Juve, and with Pioli eyeing reinforcements in defence and midfield.

“Our decisions don’t change and the club are working on it. There are two weeks remaining,” he said.

Pioli pointed out the need for a “complete” defender, saying any new recruit would need to be able to help with build-up play from the back.

Milan have improved defensively since Simon Kjaer returned from injury, but the Denmark centre-half’s future is uncertain with his contract due to expire in the summer – perhaps a contributing factor in their search for a new defender.

“Simon is a leader,” Pioli said. “He knows what to say and he takes position. But for all of us, it’s too early to speak about the future.”

Udinese claimed a 1-0 win over Milan at San Siro in November, one of only two games they have won all season, and Pioli is determined to avoid a repeat.

“Only tomorrow’s game counts, not what we did in the past against them,” he said. “We are different teams now. They are in a good moment, but the same is true of us.

“We must be fearless and try to perform at our best. It’s a hard game tomorrow, but we want better results than in the first part of the season. Surely, we’ve had a good week.

“Milan must earn as many points as possible, that’s what we want from every single game. All games are worth three points and we want to take them home tomorrow.”

Reserve goalkeeper Marco Sportiello and defender Alessandro Florenzi have returned to training after injury, but Malick Thiaw, Fikayo Tomori and Pierre Kalulu all remain out while Ismael Bennacer and Samuel Chukwueze are at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Udinese sit only one point above the relegation zone, but have taken four points from their last three games to offer some hope amid a miserable run.

It could have been better, but last weekend they conceded a late penalty in a 2-2 draw with Fiorentina, the seventh time this season they have lost a lead – having dropped 14 points from winning positions.

With away games against Atalanta and Juventus to come, things will not get any easier so coach Gabriele Cioffi would love what would be a third straight win over Milan.

Martin Payero could return from the muscle problem that kept him sidleined against Fiorentina, but Gerard Deulofeu, Jaka Bijol and Enzo Ebosse remain out.

Alessio Zerbin scored a late brace from the bench to guarantee Napoli their place in Monday’s Supercoppa Italiana final with a 3-0 victory over Fiorentina in Riyadh.

Napoli, the 2014 winners back when this tournament had a two-team format, set up a clash with either Serie A leaders Inter Milan or Lazio after Giovanni Simeone struck first in a semi-final played in Saudi Arabia.

Jonathan Ikone missed a penalty which would have taken Fiorentina in at the break level and the Tuscan club were thoroughly thwarted in their efforts to outwit Napoli, who rubber-stamped the win in the last 10 minutes with Zerbin’s quickfire brace.

Napoli were first to threaten amid a frustrating opening period, with Matteo Politano letting rip from distance only to see Fiorentina goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano push the shot wide for a corner.

In the 22nd minute the Azzurri made the breakthrough as Simeone collected Juan Jesus’ sumptuous ball from deep and buried it with a diagonal drive.

Fiorentina needed to change tack quickly or suffer a further setback and they got some false hope when Lucas Beltran tucked home only for the goal to be ruled out as Giacomo Bonaventura was offside.

Their luck appeared to have turned just before half-time, however, as Ikone went down in the Napoli box thanks to Mario Rui and duly won a penalty.

It was not to be for the French forward as he beat Pierluigi Gollini but also the crossbar with his wayward attempt from the spot.

When play resumed Napoli looked to rub salt in the wound but Jens Cajuste could not keep his strike down after being set up by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the edge of the box.

Arthur continued the trend of sending shots over the bar as Fiorentina began to probe more effectively come the hour mark.

Napoli seemed content to sit on their one-goal advantage and set up camp in their own half, leaving Fiorentina to chase the game. A revolving door of substitutions from the blue side took any momentum out of promising moves from La Viola, though.

Indeed one of those new Napoli faces made their introduction count in the 84th minute as Zerbin, freshly on the pitch for Pasquale Mazzocchi, took his time when the ball fell to him following a corner and calmly slotted in.

Two minutes later it was 3-0 and game over as Zerbin raced forward on a counter-attack to beat Terracciano with a low finish.

Napoli have signed Ivory Coast midfielder Hamed Traore on loan for the rest of the season.

Traore, 23, links up with the Italian champions having made 13 appearances for Bournemouth since arriving from Sassuolo last January.

“From Ivory Coast to Napoli. Welcome Hamed!,” Napoli posted on social media, announcing Traore’s arrival.

Traore began his career at Empoli and initially joined Bournemouth on loan.

The move was made permanent in May 2022 for a reported £20million fee.

A Cherries statement read: “Everyone connected with AFC Bournemouth wishes Hamed well for the remainder of the season.”

Dusan Vlahovic scored twice to help Juventus cut the gap behind Serie A leaders Inter Milan to two points with a 3-0 win at home to Sassuolo.

The Serbian netted his first after 15 minutes when he curled a superb effort into the top corner from 25 yards beyond goalkeeper Andrea Consigli.

And it was 2-0 minutes before half-time, Vlahovic sending a free-kick in off the crossbar as Max Allegri’s team made light work of dispatching 14th-place Sassuolo.

It takes the 23-year-old’s tally to nine goals this season and three in his last two league games, after he netted a stoppage-time winner against bottom side Salernitana in the previous game.

Substitute Federico Chiesa added a third in the closing minutes as Juve stretched their winning run in the league to four games.

Domenico Berardi had a chance to cut the arrears in the second half but failed to beat Wojciech Szczesny, as the visitors otherwise put up little resistance after falling two behind.

It was an 11th victory for Juve in their last 13 games and means they remain within striking distance of Inter in the title race.

The two are due to meet at San Siro on February 4, but before that Juve must navigate games against Lecce and Empoli to ensure they keep on Inter’s coat tails ahead of the showdown in Milan.

Roma have announced former captain Daniele De Rossi as their new head coach after sacking Jose Mourinho earlier on Tuesday.

De Rossi, 40, who spent 18 years as a player at Roma, has agreed a short-term deal until June 2024, his hometown club said on their official website.

Roma owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin said: “We were aware of Daniele’s unbreakable bond with the club but his enthusiasm for accepting the position for the next few months convinced us even more of his ability to be a guide for the players and a proud representative of the club’s values. Welcome home, Daniele.”

Roma ended Mourinho’s two-and-a-half-year spell in the role on Tuesday morning following one win in their last five Serie A matches. They are ninth in the table.

The former Chelsea and Manchester United boss led Roma to the Europa League final last season after winning the Europa Conference League the campaign before.

De Rossi said: “I would like to thank the Friedkin family for entrusting me with the responsibility of Roma’s head coach role.

“The excitement of being able to sit on our bench is indescribable. Everyone knows what Roma means to me.”

Former midfielder De Rossi, who helped Italy win the 2006 World Cup as a player, won the Coppa Italia with Roma in 2007 and 2008 and scored 63 goals in 616 appearances in all competitions for the Giallorossi.

He was a member of Italy’s coaching staff when they won Euro 2020 and his first job as manager ended in the sack in February 2023 after four months at SPAL.

On Mourinho’s departure, the Friedkins added: “We would like to thank Jose on behalf of all of us at AS Roma for his passion and efforts since his arrival at the club.

“We will always have great memories of his tenure at Roma, but we believe that an immediate change is in the best interests of the club.”

Mourinho replaced Paulo Fonseca as Roma’s head coach in May 2021 and guided them to a sixth-placed finish and the Conference League title in his first season.

Roma finished in sixth place in Serie A again last term and reached the Europa League final in Budapest, where they lost 4-1 on penalties to Sevilla after a 1-1 draw.

Mourinho won three Premier League titles, the FA Cup and three League Cups during two spells in charge of Chelsea after winning the Champions League with Porto.

The 60-year-old also won the Champions League as manager of Inter Milan, claimed the LaLiga title with Real Madrid, triumphed in the Europa League with Manchester United and took over at Roma after his departure from Tottenham.

Jose Mourinho has been sacked by Roma, the Serie A club have announced.

The former Chelsea and Manchester United boss, who led Roma to the Europa League final last season after winning the Europa Conference League the campaign before, will leave them “with immediate effect”.

Roma, who have won only one of their last five Serie A matches to slip to ninth in the table, said on their official website: “AS Roma can confirm that Jose Mourinho and his coaching staff will leave the club with immediate effect.”

Club owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin added: “We would like to thank Jose on behalf of all of us at AS Roma for his passion and efforts since his arrival at the club.

“We will always have great memories of his tenure at Roma, but we believe that an immediate change is in the best interests of the club.

“We wish Jose and his assistants all the best in their future endeavours.”

Mourinho replaced Paulo Fonseca as Roma’s head coach in May 2021 and guided them to a sixth-placed finish and the Conference League title in his first season.

Roma finished in sixth place in Serie A again last term and reached the Europa League final in Budapest, where they lost 4-1 on penalties to Sevilla after a 1-1 draw.

Mourinho won three Premier League titles, the FA Cup and three League Cups during two spells in charge of Chelsea after winning the Champions League with Porto.

The 60-year-old also won the Champions League as manager of Inter Milan, claimed the LaLiga title with Real Madrid, triumphed in the Europa League with Manchester United and took over at Roma after his departure from Tottenham.

Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri insists he is planning for the longer term as well as focusing on the present and is not concerned about silencing his critics.

Allegri’s in-form side can cut the gap on Serie A leaders Inter Milan back to two points with victory at home against Sassuolo on Tuesday night.

Juve have gone three seasons without mounting a sustained challenge for the Serie A title since being crowned champions for the ninth consecutive time in 2019-20.

But Allegri does not share some fans’ obsession with reclaiming the crown this season, pointing out there is still much work to do just to secure a top-four finish.

He told a press conference: “We spoke as a team and we know that we’re still missing a lot of things to reach our goal of Champions League qualification, we’re taking things one step at a time, so tomorrow we have Sassuolo and then we’ll think about Lecce.

“We need to avoid making long-term predictions and it’s better to stay focused on the short-term.

“I’m not thinking about whether or not I’ve won the fans back on side, we’re doing well because of the guys who go out onto the pitch and win matches.

“Everybody around the team does our best to put the team in the best place to go out and do just that.

“There are two big differences between ourselves and Inter. The first is that they are a team built to win the Scudetto.

“We started off on a different path and we have to keep working without the obsession of winning the Scudetto.

“We are Juventus and we have to do our very best, but football doesn’t end on May 25. We also have to think ahead to the seasons to come for this group of players.”

Juve will be without suspended defender Federico Gatti, but Allegri confirmed both Adrien Rabiot and Federico Chiesa are back in contention after injury.

Italy striker Moise Kean has not featured since early December and is continuing to work his way back from a leg injury.

The Bianconeri are bidding to extend their unbeaten league run to 15 matches – 17 in all competitions – but lost for the only time in the league this season at Tuesday night’s opponents in September.

Allegri added: “The group has worked well, as always, in the last few days and we know the importance of tomorrow’s game.

“We had a bad night in the first game against Sassuolo and we know we’re coming up against a good team.

“The three points up for grabs tomorrow are important and we’ll have to be very careful tactically.

“Sassuolo are dangerous if you make mistakes against them, so we’ll have to be switched on.”

AC Milan beat Roma 3-1 at San Siro to secure a third successive Serie A victory.

Milan went ahead through Yacine Adli’s low strike before Olivier Giroud doubled their lead with a header in the second half.

Roma threatened a comeback when Leandro Paredes pulled one back from the penalty spot but Theo Hernandez’s powerful effort made the game safe in the 84th minute.

Victory sees Milan remain third in the Serie A table, four points off second-placed Juventus, while Roma drop into ninth.

Although Roma started brightly, it was the hosts who took the lead 11 minutes in when Tijjani Reijnders flicked the ball to Adli on the edge of the box and the midfielder switched it onto his left foot to fire low into the bottom corner.

Milan took control of the game following their opener and dominated possession, but their next real shot did not come until the 28th minute when a quick run from Christian Pulisic was followed by an effort which was held by Mile Svilar.

They tested the visiting defence again minutes later when Hernandez burst down the left flank and his attempted cross rolled off the crossbar and behind.

Roma then had a chance on the half-hour mark as Bryan Cristante tapped the ball through to Mehmet Zeki Celik, who fired the ball towards the far post, forcing Mike Maignan into a fingertip save to turn the ball behind.

A brilliant cross from Rafael Leao on the left picked out Pulisic, who headed just wide, before Maignan made a good low save from Leonardo Spinazzola’s effort.

Milan started the second-half well and they had a great chance from Hernandez’s free-kick, but Matteo Gabbia’s header flew well wide.

They eventually doubled their lead in the 56th minute when a cross floated into Simon Kjaer on the right and he headed across into the six-yard box, where Giroud was lurking at the back post to nod home for his 10th league goal this season.

Milan had another chance when a curling low crossfield pass from Leao found Pulisic on the right but the American sliced his shot wide and Davide Calabria had a crack from distance fly past the post.

Roma were awarded a penalty when Lorenzo Pellegrini was fouled in the box and Paredes smashed the ball from the spot to pull one back in the 69th minute.

After their goal, the visitors began to get a grip on the game and continued to push moments later when Giroud headed away Pellegrini’s free-kick before the Roma midfielder had a powerful effort saved by Maignan.

However, Milan wrapped up victory in the 84th minute when a brilliant backheel from Giroud found Hernandez who hammered the ball over Svilar and into the roof of the net.

They nearly had another in the closing stages when Yunus Musah went on a curling crossfield run and hit the post.

Hakan Calhanoglu and Lautaro Martinez both scored twice as Inter Milan won 5-1 at Monza to extend their lead at the top of Serie A.

Marcus Thuram was also on target as Simone Inzaghi’s side moved five points clear of Juventus, who host Sassuolo on Tuesday night.

Inter had started brightly, with Federico Dimarco flashing an early chance across the face of goal with an angled drive from the edge of the area.

The visitors were awarded a penalty in the 12th minute for handball by Roberto Gagliardini as he jumped to block a header from Martinez. The decision was given after a review by the referee on the pitchside monitor.

Calhanoglu confidently dispatched the spot-kick low into the bottom right corner.

Before Monza could recover, they fell further behind in the 14th minute.

Dimarco got away down the left following a swift counter attack and played the ball across the six-yard box where Martinez swept it in from close range.

Inter showed little sign of sitting back, with Thuram volleying wide after another dangerous ball from Dimarco.

Monza thought they had reduced the deficit in the 28th minute when Matteo Pessina nodded in from a free-kick when the ball dropped through to the back post – only for the goal to be ruled out following a lengthy VAR review for offside.

There was a stoppage before half-time when Monza forward Dany Mota and Inter defender Benjamin Pavard both needed to be bandaged up following a clash of heads.

Thuram blasted wide of the right-hand post from 20 yards after another swift counter attack.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan sent a half-volley from the edge of the box flying just wide as Inter looked to further extend their lead in the second half.

Calhanoglu picked up a caution in the 59th minute, which will see him suspended for the next Serie A game against Fiorentina following the Italian Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.

The Turkey midfielder showed no signs of letting that concern him as he slotted in Inter’s third goal following another breakaway.

After clearing from a Monza corner, Mkhitaryan darted down the left and cut the ball back for Thuram who unselfishly laid it off for Calhanoglu to net his second of the night.

Pavard’s towering header was clawed away by Monza keeper Alessandro Sorrentino, before the hosts were awarded a penalty with 20 minutes left following a foul by Matteo Darmian on Mota.

Monza captain Pessina rolled the spot-kick into the bottom left corner, sending Yann Sommer the wrong way.

Inter were awarded their second penalty of the night in the 84th minute when Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro went through the back of substitute Davide Frattesi. Martinez confidently converted for his 18th Serie A goal of the season.

Four minutes later, Thuram cut inside from the left to fire in a low drive after yet another surging run from Mkhitaryan to complete the rout.

Amir Rrahmani rescued Napoli right at the death as the reigning Serie A champions laboured to fight back and beat bottom side Salernitana 2-1 at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Walter Mazzarri’s team, who had lost four of their last six matches including last weekend’s 3-0 reverse at Torino, were looking for a first home win in seven attempts, such is the extent of their decline since claiming the Scudetto under Luciano Spalletti last season.

Matteo Politano’s penalty – the club’s first league goal since December 16 – had spared their blushes before half-time after Antonio Candreva heaped more woe on the underperforming Azzurri with his first-half opener.

Mazzarri’s men were frustrated in their bid to complete the comeback, with last term’s star man Khvicha Kvaratskhelia doing his best to grab a second-half winner – seemingly to no avail.

That honour eventually fell to Rrahmani as, six minutes into second-half stoppage time, the Kosovan centre-back capitalised on a defensive mix-up to fire Napoli up to sixth place in the table.

True to recent form, the Partenopei struggled from the get-go. Norbert Gyomber tried to catch out the home defence with a snapshot from distance in the 12th minute, but Pierluigi Gollini was alert to the danger and pushed the ball around a post.

Loum Tchaouna soon let rip with his left boot after being put through by Candreva, but again Gollini made the block.

Just before the half-hour mark Candreva fired Salernitana ahead in superb fashion. Domagoj Bradaric set him up before he put Politano on the ground and then beat Gollini with a fine finish.

Napoli took the hint and tried hard to bite back before the break, with Guillermo Ochoa keeping out Giovanni Simeone, Politano missing the mark from an excellent position and Gianluca Gaetano trying his luck from distance only for Salernitana’s Mexican goalkeeper to watch it sail wide.

Politano did level four minutes into stoppage time, though. Federico Fazio fouled Simeone in the Salernitana box and the Italy winger made no mistake from the penalty spot.

Jens Cajuste enjoyed a double chance to turn the game in Napoli’s favour when play resumed; first the Swede headed just wide from a corner, then he smashed off-target with his right foot with Ochoa beaten.

Kvaratskhelia forced a frantic save from Ochoa in the 72nd minute as Napoli pushed harder for the win, with the Georgian coming even closer in the last 10 as he arrived from the left flank to unleash a rocket that took a deflection off Gyomber and shaved paint off a post as it went out.

Ochoa continued to fight fires, next repelling Giacomo Raspadori, but right at the death he and Fazio would make a hash of clearing a cross, allowing Rrahmani to ping in a dramatic winner.

Stefano Pioli is suitably wary of a backlash from Jose Mourinho’s wounded Roma as AC Milan look to make a positive response of their own to a midweek cup setback when the Serie A giants clash at San Siro on Sunday.

The Rossoneri were dumped out of the Coppa Italia quarter-finals by Atalanta on Wednesday night, with Roma enduring a derby defeat by Lazio to exit the competition.

Pioli’s Milan are better placed in the league as they occupy third place – six points clear of Fiorentina – compared to a lowly eighth for Mourinho’s men, but the home boss knows complacency could soon lead to disaster for the 2021-22 Scudetto winners.

He said at a press conference: “We have to recover straight away, we have to do it for own good and for the fans.

“We are Milan – criticism is part of the game. From day one I’ve always made sure my players are in the best condition possible to express themselves.

“We’re in the second half of the season now and we have to do even better than we did in the first half, making sure we at least guarantee ourselves third place.

“If we can then achieve even more then we will try and do our best but that isn’t entirely up to us. We have to prove we can improve significantly.

“I’m expecting an open and competitive match in which we’ll have to produce a high-level performance and win all our one-on-one battles.

“Roma are experienced, physical and organised, they don’t concede many and know how to hurt you whether going forward or from dead balls.

“Mourinho is a top boss and you can always tell it’s a big match when he heaps praise on his opponent.”

Beyond Wednesday’s upset, Roma are struggling for league form, winning only one of their last five and getting nothing away from home since beating Sassuolo in Emilia-Romagna on December 3.

Trying to put the Lazio loss to bed, Mourinho told asroma.com: “It’s very easy. The game is over and we lost. We did many things well in accordance with our limitations. We did other things not well. We analysed what we did well and not well yesterday.

“We talked, we analysed, always seeking to improve within our limitations. And we start again, from my personal point of view, as I have done for over 23 years.

“Game played, game analysed, game over. And next game. There is no other story.”

On Milan, he added: “I face a team who play for the title, a team that won the Scudetto two years ago, a team who play to win the Scudetto, even if this year the distance in points between them and Juventus and Inter is a distance that will not be easy to bridge. They will put everything into this match.”

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.