Napoli in firm control of Serie A after final games of year

MILAN: Only AC Milan will end the year less than 10 points behind runaway Serie A leaders Napoli.

An own-goal in stoppage time saw Milan snatch a 2-1 win at home to Fiorentina on Sunday to remain eight points adrift of Napoli, who beat Udinese 3-2 the previous day.

The other four teams in the top six were playing each other in the final round before the Italian league pauses for the World Cup and the traditional winter break. It resumes Jan. 4.

Juventus beat Lazio 3-0 to move above the capital side into third, 10 points behind Napoli. Lazio and Inter Milan are a point further back after the Nerazzurri came from behind to win 3-2 at sixth-place Atalanta.

It was a sixth straight league win without conceding a goal for Juventus, which has soared back up the table after a dreadful start to the season.

Juventus broke the deadlock two minutes from halftime in Turin when Adrien Rabiot won the ball in midfield and picked out Moise Kean who raced forward before lifting the ball over onrushing Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel.

Kean doubled his tally in the 54th minute when he slotted into an empty net after Provedel parried Filip Kostić’s effort into his path.

Arkadiusz Milik sealed the match in the final minute when he tapped home a low ball across the area from Federico Chiesa, who has only recently returned from a lengthy injury layoff.

American midfielder Weston McKennie didn’t dress for Juventus. He heads to the World Cup having not played since Oct. 29 due to a thigh injury.

Dzeko double

A superb performance from Edin Dzeko helped Inter secure a victory over one of its closest rivals for the first time this season.

Ademola Lookman’s penalty had given Atalanta the lead but Dzeko netted twice, either side of