SOCCER: Napoli edge Milan to keep Serie A title hopes alive

Defending champions Napoli secured a hard-fought 1-0 home victory over AC Milan in Serie A on Monday, thanks to a late strike from Matteo Politano.

The win marked Napoli’s fifth consecutive victory, lifting them to second place in the standings with 65 points. They now trail league leaders Inter Milan by seven points, following Inter’s 5-2 win over AS Roma on Sunday. Milan remain in third place with 63 points.

Both sides found it difficult to create clear scoring opportunities in a tightly contested match, as disciplined defending dominated much of the game.

The decisive moment came late in the match when Mathias Olivera delivered a cross from the left that was only partially cleared by Koni De Winter. Politano capitalized on the loose ball, firing a left-footed volley from a tight angle to break the deadlock.

Milan pushed for an equalizer in the closing minutes, but Santiago Gimenez was unable to keep his header on target, summing up a frustrating night for the visitors.

“We conceded very few chances, so credit to them,” Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said. “We were set defensively when we allowed the goal, and we need to be a bit quicker when taking our chances.” -Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico CityEditing by Christian Radnedge/Reuters