Share

Caicedo fires title-chasing Lazio one point behind Juve

Milan -  Felipe Caicedo scored the only goal to keep Lazio's dream of a first Scudetto in 20 years alive as a 1-0 win over Parma moved the Romans second in Serie A.

Simone Inzaghi's side are just one point behind leaders Juventus, who fell to a shock 2-1 defeat at Hellas Verona on Saturday, after extending their unbeaten run to 18 league games.

Their last Serie A defeat was on September 25 against Inter Milan, who they host next weekend at the Stadio Olimpico.

Inter are third, three points behind Juventus, before they take on city rivals AC Milan later on Sunday.

A win for Antonio Conte's side in the derby would put them level on 54 points with Juventus but ahead on goal difference, with just one point between the top three teams.

Caicedo broke through just before the interval as the Ecuadorian volleyed home after Parma failed to clear a ball into the box.

Last season's runners-up Napoli's struggles continued as they collapsed to a 3-2 defeat at home to Lecce.

Gennaro Gattuso's side had rekindled hopes of European football next season after league wins over Juventus and Sampdoria, and by eliminating Lazio from the Italian Cup.

"The biggest concern is the fragility of the team today," said Gattuso.

"We're living in fear. We didn't hurt them in the first half an hour when we had five or six shots on goal. We were too passive.

"I saw a team who struggled to help themselves.

"We had a great opportunity to climb the table. For me today we were not a team."

Gianluca Lapadula netted a double, opening the scoring after half an hour, with Marco Mancoscu sealing victory with a superb free-kick eight minutes from time.

Arkadiusz Milik had levelled for Napoli just after the break with Jose Callejon reducing the deficit late on.

The hosts were furious at being denied a penalty for a challenge on Milik, with the Pole booked for diving.

"I don't understand why they don't go to VAR when it's a debatable one," said Gattuso. "It would have taken a minute to see if Milik had been fouled."

Napoli are 11th, four points off the Europa League berths, with Lecce earning a valuable three points as they sit above the relegation zone.

Elsewhere, Mario Balotelli's Brescia earned a point with a 1-1 draw at home against Udinese in new coach Diego Lopez's first game in charge of the basement club.

Jeremie Boga scored late to grab a 2-1 win for Sassuolo at SPAL. 

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1818 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1778 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1084 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 461 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE