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Milan 0-1 Napoli: Politano strike further dents Rossoneri's Scudetto hopes

Milan trail Serie A leaders Inter by nine points following a 1-0 loss at home to Napoli, with Matteo Politano scoring the decisive goal.

By Daniel Lewis
Matteo Politano

Milan, March 15: Inter loanee Matteo Politano scored the only goal as Milan's Serie A title hopes were dealt another huge blow with a 1-0 defeat at home to Napoli.

Antonio Conte's Inter moved nine points clear at the summit thanks to a late 2-1 win at Torino earlier on Sunday and that gap remains the same following stuttering Milan's fifth league loss of the campaign.

Both sides lacked quality in a low-key first half but it took just four minutes of the second for Napoli winger Politano to make the breakthrough at San Siro.

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Milan had a late penalty appeal rejected for Tiemoue Bakayoko's challenge on Theo Hernandez, shortly before substitute Ante Rebic was sent off for dissent, as Napoli stretched their unbeaten league run away in this fixture to a sixth game.

RESULTS | POINTS TABLE | FIXTURES

David Ospina was quickly off his line to deny Rafael Leao with a good save inside the opening four minutes and Gianluigi Donnarumma kept out Piotr Zielinski's volley at the other end in a lively start.

Clear-cut chances were hard to come by in the first half, however, with Leao's shot from range the only other attempt of note as Milan went into half-time with their clean sheet intact for the fourth league game running.

But Napoli found a way through early in the second period through Politano's scuffed shot across Donnarumma into the bottom-left corner after being played in by Zielinski.

Fabian Ruiz tested Donnarumma with a powerful strike but Milan started to ask more questions of their opponents as the game went on.

However, Leao's weak effort was dealt with by Ospina and Rebic headed straight at the Napoli keeper as the visitors kept their opponents at arm's length.

There was some late drama as Bakayoko caught Hernandez in the box - referee Fabrizio Pasqua deciding, after re-watching the incident on the pitchside monitor, there was not enough contact - before Rebic saw red for something he said to the official after another decision went against Milan.

Story first published: Monday, March 15, 2021, 8:57 [IST]
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