Lowly SPAL hold sluggish Napoli; Atlanta hammer Udinese 7-1

ROME: Napoli failed to gain ground on Serie A pacesetters Juventus and Inter Milan as they were held to a 1-1 draw at struggling SPAL on Sunday.

Arkadiusz Milik put Napoli in front early in the first half but Carlo Ancelotti’s side were soon pegged back by a Jasmin Kurtic strike.

Substitute Fabian Ruiz hit the post for the visitors as they pushed for a winner after the break, but the home side held on to avoid defeat for just the third time this season.

Leaders Juventus (23 points) and second-placed Inter (22) were held to surprise draws by Lecce and Parma respectively on Saturday, but Napoli’s draw left them in fourth place on 17 points.

Third-placed Atalanta surged to within three points of Juve with a 7-1 hammering of Udinese featuring a Luis Muriel hat-trick.

Gian Piero Gasperini’s side set records in the process, becoming the first team in the three points for a win era to score 28 goals in nine games and equalling the biggest win in their Serie A history, a 7-1 triumph over Triestina in 1952.

Meanwhile, Bologna coach Sinisa Mihajlovic was absent as he continues his treatment for leukemia but his side got back to winning ways in Serie A with a 2-1 success at the expense of Claudio Ranieri’s Sampdoria on Sunday.

Mihajlovic had returned to the bench in Turin last weekend for a 2-1 defeat to defending champions Juventus, but he was back in hospital for chemotherapy again as his team ended their five-match winless run to hand Ranieri his first defeat as Sampdoria coach after taking over two weeks ago.

Goals from Rodrigo Palacio three minutes after the break and Mattia Bani 12 minutes from time ended Bologna’s run without a win stretching back over a month and moved them 10th, just one point off the Europa League berths.

Manolo Gabbiadini pulled a goal back for Sampdoria after an hour but they remain rooted to the bottom of the table on four points after their seventh defeat in nine games.

“If Bologna won today it’s because they fully believed in victory.” said Ranieri.

“After the second goal we fell apart, we all wanted to do something individually and not as a team.”

Former Yugoslav international Mihajlovic played for Sampdoria during his playing career and also coached the Genoa outfit for two seasons.

And the visiting fans paid tribute to the Serb unfurling banners: “Winning men always find a way. Onwards Sinisa.”

Ranieri, 68, took over this month with his first game in charge a goalless draw against his former club Roma last weekend.

Agencies