Lukaku Finds the Net as Scudetto Contenders Napoli Secure Narrow Win Over AC Milan

Scudetto contenders SSC Napoli clinched only their second victory in eight Serie A matches, overcoming AC Milan with a tight 2-1 scoreline, thanks to first-half goals from Matteo Politano and Romelu Lukaku.

With Inter having stretched their advantage at the top of the Serie A table to six points earlier in the day, Napoli understood the significance of securing a win against the visiting Rossoneri.

Antonio Conte’s squad came out with fervour, and their rapid start was rewarded just 65 seconds into the match when Giovanni Di Lorenzo launched a long ball that Politano controlled expertly, before finishing clinically into the bottom corner, leaving Mike Maignan with no chance.

Catching a surge of momentum, Napoli aimed to exploit their lead further, and after Frank Anguissa’s audacious flick went narrowly wide, they solidified their advantage with a second goal in the 19th minute.

Billy Gilmour’s perfectly timed pass found Lukaku unmarked in the box, and the Belgian forward composed himself expertly before slotting the ball coolly into the far corner.

Reeling from Gli Azzurri’s early dominance, Milan sought to reclaim a foothold in the match as the first half wore on.

Despite enjoying possession in the final third, clear-cut chances were few and far between, with Napoli preserving their two-goal lead heading into the interval.

The hosts successfully stifled Sergio Conceicao’s men during the opening stages of the second half, with Santiago Gimenez wasting a chance by shooting over from just outside the box.

As the clock passed the 65-minute mark, the Rossoneri squandered a golden opportunity to pull one back when Gimenez’s meek penalty was stopped by Alex Meret after Philip Billing had brought down Theo Hernandez in the box.

That miss seemed to weigh heavily on Milan, but the visitors eventually found their way back into the game with six minutes left, as Hernandez’s low cross was neatly finished off by substitute Luka Jovic.

 

With that goal marking the seventh time in their past eight league games that they had scored in the last 20 minutes, Conceicao’s side pushed hard for an equaliser, but Napoli stood resolute under pressure, claiming their first home victory against Milan in their last seven encounters.