🇮🇹 Lazio make Napoli wait longer; Inter on fire; Milan and Roma stumble | OneFootball

There were plenty of Serie A games to catch up on this Wednesday. Here is what went down.

Lazio make Napoli wait for title again

Scorers: Anderson 14′, Basic 90+2′

Lazio needed to win to mathematically keep the title race alive, and a 2-0 victory over Sassuolo was just enough.

Ciro Immobile made it clear he was eager to find the net and scored within minutes of kick-off, only for VAR to rule the goal out after it was previously awarded by mistake.

But Felipe Anderson then ensured the hosts grabbed the lead without a doubt when he used his skills to control a ball over the top and stabbed home for 1-0.

Unfortunately for Sassuolo, Domenico Berardi, Armand Laurienté couldn’t inspire a comeback with only two of 13 efforts on target.

Toma Basic then eased any pressure with a late second for the hosts.

The result means Lazio are 15 behind Napoli and Sassuolo are 12th. The league leaders must wait another 24 hours to lift the title potentially.

Inter hammer Verona

Scorers: Gaich 31′ (OG), Çalhanoğlu 36′, Dzeko 37′, 61′, Lautaro 55′, 90+2′

Despite a dominant first half of football Inter needed a bit of luck to crack Hellas Verona, but once they did, there was no stopping them.

The visitors had 80% possession during the opening 45 minutes, with Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez leading the line, but neither striker was firing as well as we know they can.

Nothing could beat host goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipò until Adolfo Gaich headed Federico Dimarco’s cross into his own net just before the break. And then the floodgates opened.

In a flurry of six minutes it was 3-0, as Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s long-range effort dipped perfectly into the net, and Dzeko found the net from close range.

Coming out into the second half the demolition of Verona continued as Dzeko bagged a brace and Martinez finally joined in on the action with two goals himself.

The result means Inter are fourth in the table while Verona are in the relegation zone (18th).

Milan held by Cremonese

Scorers: Messias 90+3′; Okereke 77′

A heavily changed starting line up for Stefano Pioli could only pick up one point as Milan’s top-four hopes suffered a blow.

With big guns Olivier Giroud, Rafael Leao, and others on the bench ahead of a crunch Champions League semi-final, the reserves struggled against Cremonese.

Milan had a staggering 74% possession of the ball and 18 attempts to six, but the visitors found the net first late in the second half via David Okereke.

Some heroics from Junior Messias were needed in the dying moments to ensure the hosts didn’t walk away with nothing and he flicked home a free-kick routine for 1-1.

Cremonese finished with ten men as Charles Pickel was sent off, but even with the advantage Milan couldn’t strike again and they sit sixth in the table while their opponents are second from the bottom.

Roma stumble at Monza

Scorers: Caldirola 39′; El Shaarawy 24′

Jose Mourinho hasn’t had a lucky run regarding injuries and that unlucky theme continued with a 1-1 draw.

Tammy Abraham led the way for the visitors and teed up the opener allowing Stephan El Shaarawy to stab home a rebound from close range.

But the lead wouldn’t last for long as momentum shifted in favour of Monza (60% first-half possession) and they equalised as a result.

Luca Caldirola was left unmarked at the back post and volleyed past a stunned Rui Patricio for 1-1.

Despite an entire second half to go, neither side could find the back of the net again and Roma now sit seventh in the table while Monza picked up a key point against a top side and are 10th.

From earlier…

Juventus edge past Lecce

Scorers: Paredes 15′, Vlahović 40′; Ceesay 37′ (P)

Juventus’ pursuit of achieving Champions League football season has hit another boost as the club won for the first time in six games.

Massimiliano Allegri’s side played an entertaining first 45 minutes of football in front of home fans to edge past Lecce despite a slow second half.

World Cup winner Leandro Paredes opened the scoring when his direct free-kick beat goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone for his first club goal.

The hosts thought they had doubled the lead until Fabio Miretti’s goal was overturned after a VAR check.

Lecce then kept things interesting when Assan Ceesay scored from the penalty spot after Danilo’s handball.

But a now-confident Dušan Vlahović was the hero on the night after ending his 773-minute goal drought in Serie A with an instinctual volley for 2-1.

The only negative for Allegri will be seeing Mattia De Sciglio subbed off early through injury and the club confirmed he tore his ACL.