Zlatan Ibrahimovic double helps AC Milan beat Napoli; plus Romelu Lukaku scores twice as Inter Milan overcome Torino; Real Sociedad three points clear at top of La Liga
Sunday 22 November 2020 23:07, UK
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice as Serie A leaders AC Milan beat 10-man Napoli 3-1 on Sunday to record their first league win in Naples for more than 10 years.
The 39-year-old powered a bullet header into the bottom corner in the first half before bundling in his second of the night after the break to take his league-high tally to 10 goals in six games this season.
Dries Mertens pulled one back for the home side to give them hope, but a clumsy challenge by Tiemoue Bakayoko earned the Napoli midfielder a second yellow card with 25 minutes left on the clock and Jens Petter Hauge eventually scored Milan's third in stoppage time.
Yet there were concerns for the visitors when Ibrahimovic was forced off with a muscle problem with 11 minutes remaining, and the Swede was pictured sitting on the bench with an ice pack strapped to the back of his left leg.
The result means unbeaten Milan retain top spot on 20 points, two clear of Sassuolo in second and six ahead of sixth-placed Napoli.
It also ended an 11-match winless league run for the Rossoneri in this fixture and marked only their second Serie A victory away to Napoli in the 21st century, the other a 2-1 win in October 2010 in which Ibrahimovic also scored during his first spell at the club.
Meanwhile, Romelu Lukaku scored twice as Inter Milan completed a thrilling second-half comeback from two goals down to beat Torino 4-2 in Serie A on Sunday, ending a four-match winless run in all competitions.
Simone Zaza struck late in the first half to give the visitors a deserved lead, and Cristian Ansaldi doubled their advantage from the penalty spot after the break.
A hitherto limp Inter performance was sparked to life by the goal and Alexis Sanchez and Lukaku both scored within five minutes of the spot-kick to draw the hosts level.
The Belgian striker then scored a penalty of his own with six minutes remaining, before setting up substitute Lautaro Martinez for a last-minute fourth.
Inter, who face Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, move up to fifth place on 15 points, while Torino are 18th with five points.
Two magnificent goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan eased Roma to a 3-0 victory over Parma.
Borja Mayoral opened the scoring in a lively first half, followed four minutes later by Mkhitaryan's first goal of the afternoon - a perfectly struck long-range volley just under the crossbar. Five minutes from half-time, a well-worked team move was rounded off by Mkhitaryan from a Rick Karsdorp cross.
Sassuolo won 2-0 at Hellas Verona to move top of Serie A for a few hours at least, ahead of AC Milan's match at Napoli later Sunday.
Verona dominated the match, hitting the woodwork four times, but Sassuolo broke the deadlock three minutes from the interval. Jeremie Boga latched onto Domenico Berardi's pass and curled it into the far top corner. Berardi got onto the scoresheet himself in the 76th minute as Verona failed to close him down before he unleashed a shot that took a slight deflection to dip under the crossbar.
Elsewhere, Benevento were 1-0 winners against Fiorentina while Bologna came from behind to beat Sampdoria 2-1.
Barcelona were facing an injury crisis as well as a results crisis on Sunday after defenders Gerard Pique and Sergi Roberto were ruled out for significant periods following injuries sustained in Saturday's 1-0 La Liga defeat by Atletico Madrid.
A Barca medical report said centre-back Pique, who limped off the pitch in the second half in tears, had sprained the internal lateral ligament in his right knee as well as sustaining a partial injury to the anterior crucial ligament.
The statement did not state how long Pique would be out for but reports in the Spanish media estimated he would be out for between three and five months.
Right-back Sergi Roberto, meanwhile, ruptured a muscle in his thigh and would be out for two months, added Barca.
The loss of the two defenders add to previous injuries to Samuel Umtiti and Ronald Araujo and leave coach Ronald Koeman with only three defenders (Clement Lenglet, Jordi Alba and Sergino Dest) available for Tuesday's Champions League trip to Dynamo Kiev.
Barca will also be without forward Ansu Fati for the next four months after he underwent knee surgery earlier this month, while midfielder Sergio Busquets is out with a knee problem but is due back by the end of the month.
Meanwhile, Alexander Isak scored the only goal as Real Sociedad prevailed 1-0 at Cadiz, meaning they moved three points clear at the top in La Liga.
