SERIE A
Giroud sends Milan to the Serie A summit
Olivier Giroud's second-half goal sent AC Milan back to the top of Serie A as they battled to a 1-0 win away at Napoli on Sunday.
Olivier Giroud's second-half goal sent AC Milan back to the top of Serie A as they battled to a 1-0 win away at Napoli on Sunday.
Victory means that Stefano Pioli's table-toppers now have 60 points, two ahead of city rivals and reigning champions Inter -- who have played a game fewer -- and three more than Napoli in third.
Chances were few and far between in a nervous encounter, with the hosts only managing two shots on target throughout the 90 minutes at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
After a low-key first-half in which neither side really threatened, Giroud netted the only goal of the game as he turned in Davide Calabria's cross-shot four minutes after the break.
Adam Ounas curled one wide for Napoli and Hirving Lozano dragged an effort wide late on as they tried in vain to find an equaliser.
Theo Hernandez and Alexis Saelemaekers were denied by smart saves from Napoli goalkeeper David Ospina on the counter in the closing stages as they sought to seal the victory.
Earlier on Sunday Juventus strengthened their place in the top four as Alvaro Morata's first Serie A goal since December earned them a 1-0 victory over Spezia
- 25 David Ospina
- 6 Mário Rui
- 22 Di Lorenzo
- 26 Koulibaly
- 13 Rrahmani
- 68 Lobotka (81')
- 8 Fabián (75')
- 24 Insigne (66')
- 20 Zielinski (81')
- 21 Politano (66')
- 9 Victor Osimhen
- Substitutes
- 99 Franck Zambo (81')
- 1 Alex Meret
- 5 Juan Jesus
- 37 Andrea Petagna
- 33 Adam Ounas (66')
- 59 Alessandro Zanoli
- 31 Ghoulam
- 11 Hirving Lozano (81')
- 4 Diego Demme
- 14 Mertens (75')
- 12 Davide Marfella
- 7 Elmas (66')
- 16 Mike Maignan
- 2 Davide Calabria (79')
- 19 Theo Hernández
- 23 Fikayo Tomori
- 20 Pierre Kalulu Kyatengwa
- 79 Kessié Franck
- 8 Sandro Tonali (66')
- 4 Bennacer
- 9 Giroud (67')
- 30 Junior Messias (79')
- 17 Rafael Leao (89')
- Substitutes
- 10 Brahim Diaz
- 83 Mirante
- 33 Rade Krunic (66')
- 12 Ante Rebic (67')
- 46 Matteo Gabbia
- 7 Samu Castillejo
- 5 Fode Toure
- 25 Florenzi (79')
- 11 Ibrahimovic (89')
- 27 Daniel Maldini
- 1 Tatarusanu
- 56 Alexis Saelemaekers (79')
Substitutions
Eljif Elmas (66', Lorenzo Insigne), Adam Ounas (66', Matteo Politano), Rade Krunic (66', Sandro Tonali), Ante Rebic (67', Olivier Giroud), Dries Mertens (75', Fabián Ruiz), Alexis Saelemaekers (79', Junior Messias), Alessandro Florenzi (79', Davide Calabria), André-Frank Zambo Anguissa (81', Piotr Zielinski), Hirving Lozano (81', Stanislav Lobotka), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (89', Rafael Leão)
Goals
0-1, 48': Giroud
Cards
Referee: Daniele Orsato
VAR Referee: Paolo Valeri, Mauro Vivenzi
Pioli (7',Yellow) Koulibaly (23',Yellow) Rrahmani (36',Yellow) Giroud (38',Yellow) Theo Hernández (76',Yellow) Victor Osimhen (76',Yellow) Mike Maignan (82',Yellow) Adam Ounas (91',Yellow) Florenzi (92',Yellow)
