Politano strikes late as Napoli beat Milan and move into second in Serie A
Matteo Politano struck 11 minutes from time on Monday night as Napoli edged out AC Milan 1-0 at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, a win that lifts Antonio Conte's side into second place and reshapes the Serie A title race with weeks still to play.
The goal itself was a scruffy reward for a team that had pushed Milan back for most of the second half. Mathias Olivera arrowed a cross to the back post, the ball was flicked on into the six-yard box, and Politano stretched to get a left-footed volley away from a tight angle. Mike Maignan had no chance. It was exactly the kind of goal a game like this always seemed likely to produce.
How the table looks now
Napoli arrived at the ground in third with 62 points. Milan were one ahead in second on 63. Both sides knew the loser would hand the other side's momentum to the rival chasing Inter, and in the end it was Conte's men who pulled away. Napoli now sit on 65, two clear of a Milan side who have fallen to third.
Inter's lead at the top is seven points. That may still feel comfortable with seven games to go, but Napoli's win means the chasing pack has a clear leader again, and Conte's record in Serie A run-ins suggests he will enjoy every remaining matchweek of this one.
A familiar story for Milan
Massimiliano Allegri's second spell at Milan has brought the team back into Champions League territory, which was the headline task when he returned last summer. A title challenge was probably always going to be a stretch, and Monday night made that plain. Milan had chances, particularly in the first half, but their final ball let them down and their defensive shape gave Napoli too many entries through the middle in the closing twenty minutes.
Allegri will not panic. Third place is still a strong outcome for a club rebuilding, and Milan's Champions League qualification is within their control. But the win in Naples had a finality to it that the numbers alone do not quite capture. The scudetto picture, for Milan at least, has narrowed considerably.
Politano finds Milan again
There is a small side-story to the goal. Politano has now scored in each of his last several league appearances against Milan, a quiet run that has turned him into a specialist in this particular fixture. He is not a player who dominates headlines in the way some of his more celebrated teammates have, but he keeps producing when Conte needs him. On Monday night, that was enough to reset the top of the table.
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