Juventus have won their 14th consecutive match without defeat in the Italian league, beating Spezia 1-0 on Sunday without glory at home, a result allowing them to consolidate their 4th place.
With 53 points, the Turinese are now six points ahead of Atalanta Bergamo, who have one more game to play, and four points behind Napoli and AC Milan, who meet on Sunday evening. in the match at the top of the 28th day of Serie A at the Diego-Maradona stadium.
Provisional leaders Inter Milan are 5 points clear after their 5-0 victory against Salernitana on Friday.
Four days after their 1-0 victory in hold-up mode on the lawn of Fiorentina – the former team of new Turin striker Dusan Vlahovic – in the semi-final first leg of the Italian Cup, the Old Lady has this time could count on a goal from Alvaro Morata. The Spaniard was impeccably served by Manuel Locatelli (1-0, 21st) for his first goal since mid-January, after a poor clearance from goalkeeper Ivan Provedel.
Despite good chances in the second half, La Spezia coach Thiago Motta’s men could never come back against the team-mates of Adrien Rabiot – two teammates in PSG’s midfield a few years ago.
Milan win clash against Napoli
Olivier Giroud paved the way for AC Milan, who took control of the Italian championship by winning in Naples 1-0 thanks to a goal full of opportunism from the Frenchman.
The Rossoneri, the only leaders, now have a mattress of three points ahead of the Neapolitans pushed back to the last step of the podium after this last match of the 28th day.
But Stefano Pioli’s men are only two steps ahead of their neighbors Inter, who have one game less – a meeting to be rescheduled against Bologna.
In a closed match, poor in shots, the opening at the Diego-Maradona stadium came from a badly repelled long free kick: an uninspired strike from Milan’s right side Davide Calabria turned into an offering for Olivier Giroud who deflected in one step into the nets of David Ospina (49th).
A goal all the more fortunate as the French world champion, before his eighth goal of the season in Serie A, had almost given up his place after the first period.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic warmed up for a long time all half-time to be ready to replace the striker of the Blues, victim of a gash above the left ankle after a late intervention from Kalidou Koulibaly (25th).
Olivier Giroud finally gave way to Ante Rebic (68th) due to a sprained other ankle.
And “Ibra”, affected in recent weeks by an Achilles tendon, had to wait for the last minutes (89th) to take his first steps on the ground since January 23.
The end was more animated but the Milanese held the shock and washed away the insult of the defeat in the first leg at San Siro (1-0).
This first Neapolitan defeat since mid-December in Serie A puts an end to a series of eight matches without defeat. But the band of Lorenzo Insigne retains four more units than its first pursuer, Juventus Turin, which continued its rise on Sunday.
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