Monday 14 December 2015

Juventus Revive Serie A Battle

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Juventus burst back into the Serie A title race with a come-from-behind 3-1 victory over their fierce rivals Fiorentina.

Juve, who started the season poorly, are six points behind the leaders, Internazionale, after winning six games in a row. Inter won 4-0 at Udinese on Saturday.

Josip Ilicic’s penalty was cancelled out by the former Fiorentina winger Juan Cuadrado, on loan at the Juventus Stadium, with Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala completing the turnround in the second half.

Massimiliano Allegri’s Juve are now fourth before next Sunday’s trip to face lowly Carpi while second-placed Fiorentina, who next entertain Chievo, remain four points shy of Inter.

Wojciech Szczesny excelled in the Roma goal as Napoli were held to a goalless draw at the Stadio San Paolo.

Roma looked like scoring in the first half but Maurizio Sarri’s Napoli turned the screw after the break, with the on-loan Arsenal goalkeeper Szczesny standing between them and a seventh straight home win.

Misfiring Milan were held to a 1-1 draw by the basement team, Hellas Verona, at San Siro.

Sinisa Mihajlovic has watched his Rossoneri drop points to such clubs as Carpi in recent weeks and the club’s mission to return to the Champions League places is looking increasingly fragile.

Milan took the lead through Carlos Bacca shortly after half-time but paid a heavy price for Nigel de Jong’s decision to commit a professional foul. He was sent off and Luca Toni levelled from the spot.

Valter Birsa’s second-half goal led to Chievo beating nine-man Atalanta 1-0 in Verona.

Nicolo Cherubin’s 66th-minute dismissal offered Alberto Paloschi the chance to score a penalty but Marco Sportiello denied him before Birsa produced the winner 10 minutes later.

To compound Atalanta’s disappointment Jasmin Kurtic was sent off for dissent in stoppage time.

Massimo Maccarone scored twice and set up a third goal for Riccardo Saponara as the upwardly mobile Empoli brushed Carpi aside 3-0 at the Stadio Carlo Castellani.


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