Napoli’s Romelu Lukaku celebrates scoring their second objective with Scott McTominay. Photograph Reuters
MILAN:
Romelu Lukaku stored Napoli on the right track for a Champions League spot with a last-gasp winner in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over rock-bottom Verona, the Belgium ahead’s first objective of the season.
Lukaku pressured residence Giovane’s cross to present third-placed Napoli all three factors with the final kick of the sport on the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi.
Napoli had regarded like dropping factors in northern Italy when Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro levelled Rasmus Hojlund’s early opener within the sixty fifth minute.
However Lukaku, who solely performed his first recreation of the season in late January, gave Napoli an enormous win with each Como and Atalanta pushing for a top-four putting.
Nevertheless Napoli’s title defence is all however over as they path runaway league leaders Inter Milan, who host Genoa in Saturday’s late match, by 11 factors after an injury-ravaged season.
Napoli had been lacking key midfielders Scott McTominay, Kevin De Bruyne and Andre-Frank Anguissa on Saturday, in addition to captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
Verona, beneath interim coach Paolo Sammarco following the sacking of Paolo Zanetti earlier this month, are 10 factors from security after a twelfth straight match with no win.
Como, who face Inter within the first leg of the Italian Cup semi-finals on Tuesday, strolled to 3-1 victory over strugglers Lecce to proceed their push for a first-ever qualification for European soccer.
Cesc Fabregas’s crew are two factors behind Roma, in fourth and Juventus’ opponents on Sunday, and 5 behind Napoli.
Star man Nico Paz began on the bench for Como forward of that conflict with Inter, the Argentine starlet approaching halfway by the second half with the hosts already two objectives to the nice.
Como went behind early to a high-quality Lassana Coulibaly header, however Tasos Douvikas, Jesus Rodriguez and Marc Oliver Kempf all netted earlier than half-time to safe a easy three factors.
Como moved two factors forward of sixth-placed Juve who face Roma making an attempt to remain in contact with the Champions League locations after being eradicated from Europe’s elite membership competitors by Galatasaray on Wednesday.
