Napoli extended their lead atop the Serie A standings to seven points with a 2-0 victory over AC Milan on Tuesday. Antonio Conte’s side sealed the win in the first half, courtesy of Romelu Lukaku's early strike and a spectacular goal from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Napoli now sits at 25 points, while reigning champions Inter Milan have 18 points and an opportunity to narrow the gap when they face Empoli on Wednesday.
The loss marks AC Milan's third defeat of the season, placing them in eighth, 11 points behind Napoli. Lukaku netted his fourth goal of the season just five minutes into the game, sprinting onto a pass from Frank Anguissa, holding off a defender, and calmly finishing past AC Milan’s goalkeeper, Mike Maignan. Napoli’s Alex Meret made two crucial saves before the half-hour mark to preserve the lead.
As the first half neared its end, Kvaratskhelia added Napoli’s second goal. The Georgian winger cut inside on his right foot from the left wing, eluding Youssouf Fofana, and unleashed a powerful shot that beat Maignan at the far post.
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In the second half, Alvaro Morata appeared to score for Milan with a strong header, but VAR ruled him offside in the buildup. Milan continued to push, and an impressive reflex save by Meret in the 83rd minute denied Rafael Leao, preserving Napoli's two-goal advantage.
In other Serie A action, Bologna climbed to 10th after goals from Riccardo Orsolini and Jens Odgaard secured a 2-0 win over Cagliari. Meanwhile, Lecce moved off the bottom of the table with a 1-0 victory over nine-man Verona, thanks to a goal by Patrick Dorgu in the 51st minute. Verona’s Jackson Tchatchoua received a red card just before halftime, and Reda Belahyane was also sent off late in the game after a second yellow card.
