Napoli, Juve close in on Roma

Football | Italy

Marek Hamsik celebrates © Gallo Images

 

Napoli and Juventus both won in Serie A to move within two points of leaders AS Roma as AC Milan lost 2-0 to Fiorentina with jeers and whistles from their fans echoing round the San Siro on Saturday.
Rafael Benitez's Napoli narrowly beat Catania 2-1, with Jose Callejon and Marek Hamsik both scoring their sixth goals of the season, to join Juventus on 28 points and leapfrog them into second place on goal difference.
Paul Pogba scored the decisive goal in Juve's 1-0 win at Parma, while Fiorentina went fourth after condemning a dismal Milan to their fifth defeat in 10 league matches, leaving Massimiliano Allegri's side in 10th place on 12 points.
Both of Napoli's goals were pearls, with Spaniard Callejon rifling home the opener from distance in the 15th minute after a neat passing move.
Hamsik doubled the home side's lead five minutes later when he raced on to Lorenzo Insigne's lay-off and smashed an unsaveable shot past Catania goalkeeper Mariano Andujar.


Lucas Castro brought the away side back into it in the 25th minute when he finished off a impressive team goal, only their seventh of the season so far, which included a stunning backheeled pass from Maxi Lopez.
Only a superb display by Argentina international Andujar prevented Napoli from winning by a bigger margin and Catania remain second bottom on six points.
Fiorentina jumped above Inter Milan and Hellas Verona into fourth place on 21 points after Juan Vargas's heavily deflected 25th minute free kick and a Borja Valero tap-in 17 minutes from the end.
French midfielder Pogba struck for Juve in the 76th minute of a scrappy affair at the Ennio Tardini stadium, finishing well after Fabio Quagliarella's brilliant looping shot rebounded to him off the bar.
However, Antonio Conte's side had to thank their former striker Amauri for missing from close range eight minutes after the break when he inexplicably chose to backheel Jonathan Biabiany's cross instead of shooting normally.
Napoli and Juve will be hoping leaders Roma fail to get their 11th straight win at Torino on Sunday (1945 GMT), which would put Rudi Garcia's five points clear of their title rivals again.