Soccer-Serie A weekend talking points

By Peter Hall

(Reuters) - Talking points from the weekend Serie A matches

NAPOLI THROW IT AWAY TO LEAVE MILAN CLUBS OUT ON THEIR OWN

A first Serie A title since 1990 looked to be real possibility for Napoli this season until three games ago.

They are still not completely out of the title race, but a defeat by Fiorentina two weeks ago, followed by a draw at home to AS Roma, before Sunday's capitulation against Empoli leaves them trailing leaders AC Milan by seven points.

Going into Sunday's clash, Emploli had not won for 16 Serie A matches – the longest such winless run in Europe's big-five leagues – and were fearing the worst after going 2-0 behind.

Somehow, after a multitude of mistakes, Napoli threw it away to lose 3-2 in the space of seven second half minutes. Their 32-year wait for a Scudetto looks set to continue.

MILAN WILL NOT GIVE IN

With Inter Milan hitting top gear at the right time – their stylish 3-1 win over Roma on Saturday was a third league success in a row – Milan would have been forgiven for feeling the pressure going into their clash with Lazio on Sunday.

That was especially so after Ciro Immobile became the fourth player in the big-five European Leagues (after Robert Lewandowski, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo) to score more than 25 goals in a single season at least three times since the start of 2016-17 with his early opener in Rome.

Chances came and went after Olivier Giroud had levelled, but Milan kept coming, showing incredible spirit to find a stoppage-time winner to regain their lead atop Serie A.

"I am so proud of my players and if I was in their shoes, I'd be angry, as people don't give them enough credit," coach Stefano Pioli told DAZN. "They are lions."

SALERNITANA'S GREAT ESCAPE IS