Juventus climbed to second in Serie A with a hard-fought 1-0 home victory over Lecce.
Arkadiusz Milik’s 57th-minute goal enabled Juve, surprisingly beaten 4-2 by Sassuolo last time out, to return to winning ways and end Lecce’s unbeaten start to the season.
However, Massimiliano Allegri’s men were made to work hard for the win by the visitors, who went into the contest one place and one point above their opponents in the table.
The hosts had the first-half chances, although only one was a significant opening.
After Enrico Chiesa dragged a low right-foot shot wide from 20 yards in the 13th minute, Milik saw a long-range effort easily claimed by Lecce goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone eight minutes later.
The best opportunity of the opening half came in the 27th minute when Danilo found Chiesa but the Italy international’s left-foot shot from 10 yards went just wide of the far post.
Lecce continued to frustrate the hosts and – an Adrien Rabiot header from Nicolo Fagioli’s free-kick which was punched away by Falcone in the 41st minute apart – the hosts rarely threatened.
Pontus Almqvist tested the home defence with a couple of of strong runs early in the second half which came to nothing, before the home defence were put under pressure by Remi Oudin’s free-kick and Gabriel Strefezza’s corner.
Lecce boss Roberto D’Aversa was given a yellow card in the 56th minute for protesting about the award of a Juventus corner and a minute later the hosts made the decisive breakthrough.
Poland international striker Milik tapped home from close range after Rabiot had headed Weston McKennie’s cross goalwards. The effort was allowed to stand following a VAR check for offside.
Lecce, still seeking a first away success of the season following draws at Fiorentina and Monza, saw plenty of the ball in the closing quarter of the contest.
However, despite a glut of changes from both teams, 10 in the final 27 minutes of the contest, the visitors were unable to put significant pressure on the Juventus defence.
The visitors’ slim chances of an equaliser were not helped when Mohamed Kaba, a 70th-minute replacement, was harshly given a second yellow card for simulation in the third minute of added time.
The final whistle came four minutes later, signalling an end to Lecce’s five-match unbeaten record – the first time they had achieved such a feat in Serie A.
For Juve, a second win in three home matches moves them above their opponents and AC Milan, to within two points of pacesetters Inter.
De Rossi demands more from 'tired' Roma ahead of crunch run
Daniele De Rossi acknowledged his Roma team may be tired, but he insisted they must not allow themselves to be embarrassed.
Roma fought back to draw 2-2 with last season's Serie A champions Napoli in a pulsating fixture on Sunday.
Tammy Abraham's late header secured a point for De Rossi's team, who took the lead through Paulo Dybala's penalty before going behind to goals from Matias Olivera and Victor Osimhen.
With Serie A set to have five teams in the Champions League next season, Roma occupy fifth spot with four matches remaining, but sixth-placed Atalanta are just two points behind with a game in hand.
There is also the small matter of a Europa League semi-final against Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen on the cards over the coming weeks, and De Rossi set the stall out.
"We drew, it is not a result to throw away, but it is not the result or the performance that we wanted," Roma coach Daniele De Rossi told Sky Sports Italia.
"At times you can steal the ball off Napoli, but we then gave it back again too many times. Napoli had a lot of chances in the first half, we did better in the second, but we have to do better.
"Look, we are tired, but we cannot start thinking that we’re tired and that means we can be embarrassed in the final few weeks of the season."
Roma host Leverkusen on Thursday before taking on Juventus on May 5, with a crunch clash against Atalanta – who are also into the Europa League semi-finals – set to follow after the away leg against Xabi Alonso's team.
Key to a successful end to the campaign for Roma will be keeping Dybala fit. The Argentine has been involved in the joint-most goals (12) in Serie A since the turn of the year, scoring nine and setting up three, level with Juve's Dusan Vlahovic.
Napoli 2-2 Roma: Late Abraham header denies wasteful hosts
A wasteful Napoli were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Roma in Serie A, with a late Tammy Abraham header securing a point for the visitors.
The visitors took the lead from the penalty spot a minute before the hour mark, with Paulo Dybala converting after Juan Jesus fouled Sardar Amzoun.
However, Napoli equalised six minutes later through Matias Olivera's deflected shot, and completed the turnaround with their own penalty six minutes from time as Victor Osimhen tucked away after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was felled by Renato Sanches.
The hosts could not hold on, though, and were pegged back with two minutes to go. Substitute Abraham's header from a corner was eventually awarded following a VAR review after he had initially been ruled offside.
Data debrief
Napoli remain eighth in the Serie A table on 50 points, the exact amount they had registered after their opening 19 games of last season.
Though his penalty was not enough to earn Roma victory, Dybala continued his impressive start to 2024, during which he has been involved in the joint-most goals in Serie A with 12 (nine goals, three assists).
Inter's 'leader' Inzaghi upping the standards, says assistant Farris
Simone Inzaghi has set and maintained high standards at Inter, so says his Nerazzurri assistant Massimiliano Farris.
Inter clinched their 20th Serie A title by beating fierce rivals Milan in Monday's derby.
That meant that Sunday's home meeting with Torino was something of a celebration for Inter and their fans, and the team delivered with a 2-0 victory.
Hakan Calhanoglu scored both of Inter's goals, and Farris, who spoke to the media instead of his boss, piled the praise on Inzaghi.
In quotes reported by Football Italia, Farris told DAZN: "We've tried to build a positive environment. We lost important players [last summer], but we welcomed important players who made themselves loved.
"Going to the pitch and working this season was a pleasure. We had a lot of fun and it's the players' merit.
"We are Inter, we have great value, and we couldn't afford to lose games like we used to. He's our leader, he kept a high bar in difficult moments.
"Today, we are repaid for everything, and we can enjoy more of what happened in the previous two years. In football, defeats [hurt] more than victories, but now we must enjoy this moment."
With victory over Milan, Inzaghi became the second-fastest coach to reach 600 points in Serie A, after Carlo Ancelotti.
Farris added: "Simone already said it in the previous interviews. We’ve been fighting for every target across the last three years. We have won cups, we reached a Champions League final.
"We are aware that in the first season, we missed something that we could have taken home [the title].
"Perhaps it was the price to pay, as staff members, when you get to a club like this, but I think this season's achievements give value to all other trophies.
"Today's atmosphere was incredible, so good. Ninety minutes and more of celebrations and it was fair to start those who have brought the team here. This doesn't mean the others didn't contribute. On the contrary, everyone was helpful, I should name them all. I wouldn't even call them reserves."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
