Napoli claim 2-1 win over Milan to keep pace in title race

NAPLES, Italy :First-half goals from Matteo Politano and Romelu Lukaku earned Napoli a 2-1 victory over visitors AC Milan on Sunday to move within three points of Serie A leaders Inter Milan.

Napoli, who came into the contest with only one win in their last seven league matches, have 64 points, six clear of third-placed Atalanta, who lost at Fiorentina earlier on Sunday.

Politano opened the scoring 63 seconds into the match, pouncing on some sloppy Milan defending to power a long-range effort into the bottom corner, before Lukaku doubled the lead in the 19th minute with a scuffed shot following a great interception and pass by Billy Gilmour.

The visitors, who barely managed a shot on target until the second half, wasted a golden chance to pull one back in the 69th minute when Santiago Gimenez's poor penalty was saved by Alex Meret after Philip Billing had been penalised for a foul on Theo Hernandez.

Luka Jovic put Milan on the scoresheet six minutes from time but the defeat left them ninth with 47 points, as pressure mounts on coach Sergio Conceicao amid a poor run of results that has left them nine points off the Champions League qualification spots.