Milan faced their visit to Cagliari knowing the results of their two pursuers. Napoli’s victory forced the ‘Rossoneri’ to win to recover the difference of three units before the national team break.
– Bennacer does not fail –
Stefano Pioli’s men jumped onto the pitch looking for that victory, and despite accumulating chances, they failed to finish. Frenchman Oliver Giroud missed an opportunity early in the game, Franck Kessié sent a shot to the post, and a shot by Brahim Díaz went wide of the goal. Cagliari goalkeeper Alessio Cragno deflected another great chance from Frenchman Theo Hernández.
His compatriot Giroud was able to make up for his missed chance, offering an assist to Algerian Ismaël Bennacer, who converted with a volley to score the winning goal (minute 59, 1-0).
Milan maintained the lead despite some scares: Mike Maignan saved a shot from Joao Pedro (minute 76), and a header from Leonardo Pavoletti crashed into the post (minute 89).
– Osimhen keeps Napoli in the fight –
Napoli achieved a coveted victory at home against Udinese (2-1), thanks to a brace from Victor Osimhen, and remains in the fight for the title.
Despite the fact that the team led by Luciano Spalletti arrived at the break behind on the scoreboard (0-1) and that murmurs circulated through the Diego Maradona stadium, the Nigerian attacker Víctor Osimhen cleared the doubts of his coach and his public, with a headed goal (minute 52, 1-1) and then with a cross shot (minute 63, 2-1).
With this new brace, a week after the one he also decisively achieved in Verona against Hellas (2-1), Osimhen restored the hopes of the ‘Scudetto’ to Napoli.
“I’m happy to have scored but especially to get the victory”, declared the Nigerian striker after the match. “We believe in the Scudetto and we want to fight until the end. The team showed strength and character.”
Napoli managed the advantage on the scoreboard well until the end of the match, helped by the expulsion of Pablo Marí (82).
– “We are experiencing a decline” –
Inter (3rd) couldn’t get past a draw (1-1) at the San Siro against Fiorentina (8th), and continue to drop points in the fight for the championship, with just one win in the last seven games.
“We played a perfect month of November, December and the beginning of January, now we are experiencing a decline,” Inter coach Simone Inzaghi admitted after the game.
The visitors took the lead thanks to a goal by Uruguayan Lucas Torreira at the start of the second half (minute 50, 0-1). Inter managed to tie the match quickly, with a goal from the Dutchman Denzel Dumfries (55, 1-1), but were unable to achieve a victory that would have re-engaged them in the fight for the title.
“The first half was insufficient, a team like ours should do more”, analyzed Inzaghi. “We must remain calm and find the right path again, because we had accustomed our fans to something else”.
After this result, Simone Inzaghi’s men remain in third place with 60 points, six behind AC Milan (1st) and three behind Napoli (2nd).
The entrance Milan clings to the top of Serie A alone was first published in diary TODAY.
