Serie A: Inter end Napoli’s unbeaten run; Juve, Milan win as action resumes after World Cup break

Rome (Italy): Italy’s Serie A restarted with leaders Napoli seeing their unbeaten run ended as Inter Milan inflicted the season’s first defeat on the Partenopei with a 1-0 victory.

Serie A had been on a World Cup-enforced hiatus since November 14. Napoli were flying high before Wednesday’s game as they led the table with 41 points and were the only unbeaten side in Europe’s top five leagues, while Inter Milan had picked up 30 points after 15 rounds.

Napoli dominated possession at San Siro, but it was the home side that scored the only goal in the 55th minute, as Federico Dimarco crossed from the left and Edin Dzeko steered a header into the net.

Napoli’s defeat allowed second-placed AC Milan to cut the gap to five points as the Rossoneri won 2-1 away at Salernitana thanks to goals from Rafael Leao and Sandro Tonali.

Juventus registered their seventh consecutive win as the Bianconeri edged past Cremonese 1-0 with Arkadiusz Milik’s free-kick in stoppage time, reports Xinhua.

The two capital clubs were locked on 30 points after Wednesday as Roma beat Bologna 1-0 thanks to Lorenzo Pellegrini’s penalty, while Lazio fumbled a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1 to Lecce.

Elsewhere, Atalanta came from 2-0 down to hold Spezia 2-2, while Sampdoria beat Sassuolo 2-1 away. The matches between Torino and Hellas Verona, Fiorentina and Monza, and Udinese against Empoli all finished 1-1.

–IANS