The race for the Champions League qualifying spots is getting tighter in Serie A.
Roma, Atalanta and Lazio all received on Sunday to maneuver inside three factors of Inter Milan and Juventus, which occupy the ultimate qualifying positions for European soccer’s prime membership competitors.
Second-place AC Milan is barely one other level additional forward, and 9 factors behind runaway Serie A frontrunner Napoli.
Roma beat 10-man Fiorentina 2-0, Lazio received at Sassuolo by the identical rating for its first victory of the brand new yr, and Atalanta destroyed Salernitana 8-2.
Paulo Dybala scored each objectives in Rome — each on assists from Tammy Abraham. Fiorentina needed to play many of the match with 10 males after Dodô was despatched off within the twenty fourth minute following a second yellow card.
Roma ultimately made the numerical superiority depend 5 minutes earlier than the break when Abraham chested down a ball excessive for Dybala’s spectacular volley.
And the 2 mixed once more eight minutes from time when Abraham raced into the suitable aspect of the realm earlier than rolling throughout for Dybala to fit house.
STUNNING GOAL
Jérémie Boga’s beautiful aim set Atalanta on the way in which to a lopsided victory.
Boga minimize inside from the left and beat three gamers earlier than managing to get a shot away that was deflected in off Salernitana defender Domagoj Bradarić to present the hosts a fifth-minute lead.
Boulaye Dia leveled simply 5 minutes later however the floodgates then opened and Atalanta was 5-1 up by halftime with Ademola Lookman’s penalty and objectives from youngsters Giorgio Scalvini and Rasmus Højlund. Teun Koopmeiners additionally scored earlier than the break, tucking away the rebound after his preliminary penalty had been saved by Guillermo Ochoa.
Both penalties have been awarded for fouls by Federico Fazio on Højlund.
Lookman doubled his tally early within the second half, whereas Éderson and Nadir Zortea have been additionally on the scoresheet towards their former group. Hans Nicolussi Caviglia netted for Salernitana.
FIRST WIN
Lazio had began the yr poorly, dropping at Lecce after which conceding two objectives late on to attract 2-2 towards Empoli final weekend.
It misplaced key ahead and captain Ciro Immobile within the fifteenth minute at Sassuolo when he limped off with a muscular drawback.
Lazio struggled to carve out scoring probabilities however was handed the chance to interrupt the impasse proper on the finish of the primary half when Sassuolo defender Jeremy Toljan blocked Sergej Milinković-Savić’s header with an outstretched arm.
Mattia Zaccagni struck the ensuing penalty into the underside left nook.
Lazio had probabilities to double its lead however didn’t handle to till stoppage time when Milinković-Savić nodded on a protracted aim kick and Anderson caught Sassuolo defender Ruan Tressoldi napping to hurry into the realm and spherical goalkeeper Gianluca Pegolo earlier than depositing into an empty web.
It was Sassuolo’s sixth defeat in its previous seven matches and left it seven factors above the relegation zone.
NZOLA’S PENALTY
M’Bala Nzola’s first-half penalty was sufficient to present Spezia a 1-0 win at Torino to go 9 factors away from the drop zone.
Bologna fought again to win 2-1 at Udinese.
Source web site: www.thehindu.com
