Lazio stay on Juve’s heels after victory over Genoa; Milan held

Bid for a first Serie A title in 20 years on track as a 3-2 victory at Genoa on Sunday kept them one points behind leaders Juventus, but four Serie A football matches were postponed amid growing coronavirus fears in northern Italy.

Reigning champions Juve had edged out bottom club SPAL 2-1 on Saturday, but Lazio responded to keep the pressure on at the top, extending their unbeaten run in the league to 20 games in the north-western port city.

Third-placed Inter Milan, who are six points behind Juve, saw their game scheduled for later on Sunday at the San Siro postponed, with Thursday’s Europa League match against Bulgarian club Ludogorets at risk, along with next weekend’s league clash with Juventus in Turin.

Three other top-flight matches were also pushed back — between Torino and Parma, Atalanta versus Sassuolo and Hellas Verona against Cagliari.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced late on Saturday evening that all sporting events in two northern regions would be suspended on Sunday.

Strong measures are being taken in Italy with over 132 confirmed cases in an outbreak that has claimed two lives in the country.

“I think it’s right to take the necessary precautions,” said Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi.

“Do a lot of prevention, try to defeat and understand the problem by stopping the championship, because we shouldn’t underestimate what is happening.”

In Genoa, Adam Marusic scored the opener for Lazio with less than two minutes on the clock before Ciro Immobile, the top flight’s leading scorer this season, netted his 27th Serie A goal of the campaign six minutes into the second half.

The Italian striker pulled six goals clear of Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo. Francesco Cassata pulled one back for the relegation-threatened hosts, but Danilo Cataldi secured Lazio all three points despite Domenico Criscito’s late consolation.

“We’re doing something great. The lads know it and I’m not hiding from saying it,” said Inzaghi.

“In 21 games between the championship and the Super Cup we have won 17 times. In other championships we would be first, but here you have to fight with Juve and Inter.

“We are there in the chase and we will try to fight.”

Earlier, Ronaldo scored for a record-equalling 11th consecutive Serie A game in his 1,000th professional match as Juventus extended their lead at the top of the table with a 2-1 win at SPAL.

The 35-year-old tapped in six minutes before the break to equal the mark held by Gabriel Batistuta and Fabio Quagliarella.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has scored 25 goals in all competitions this season for Juventus -- including 16 in his last 11 appearances -- and 21 in Serie A.

Aaron Ramsey added a second after an hour before Andrea Petagna pulled a controversial goal back from the spot for SPAL, after a penalty was awarded by VAR officials because the pitchside monitor not working.

“Today we had goals scored using VAR when VAR wasn’t working,” said Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri.

“It seems to me a great injustice -- if the monitor does not work, the referee must decide,” he added.

Ronaldo came close to a second when his free-kick hit the crossbar as Sarri’s side earned a valuable three points against an outfit they had failed to beat away from home in the previous two seasons. It got Juventus back on track on their travels after consecutive defeats at Napoli and at Hellas Verona, and ahead of next week’s first-leg, last-16 Champions League trip to Lyon.

Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini made his first start since being sidelined with a cruciate ligament knee injury last August, playing for 55 minutes in Ferrara.

AC Milan missed the chance to move ahead of sixth-placed Napoli into the Europa League places with a 1-1 draw at 10-man Fiorentina.

Agence France-Presse