Napoli 1-0 Genoa
The Scudetto race is well and truly back on!
For so long, events in Naples were akin to those football games where, with each passing moment, each mislaid pass, each broken down attack, frustration grew as the betting odds on a possible title race drifted wider and wider.
Then, an unlikely scorer that sports betting fans never considered, emerged as the matchwinner.
Raul Albiol had not scored in his previous 64 matches, so he was not an obvious choice to head home a Jose Callejon corner.
But that’s exactly what he did as Napoli frustration finally ended.
It looked like it may be another tough night after captain Marek Hamsik limped off and Lorenzo Insigne rattled the crossbar during the opening half.
Yet, the Partenopei would not be denied and Albiol was duly mobbed by his relieved teammates.
Only a goal line clearance denied Insigne a second as Napoli desperately tried to kill off spirited Genoa, always a threat on the counter-attack.
Before the match, midfielder Jorginho said they would face every remaining game this season as a final, and this was the first hurdle overcome to close the gap on leaders and champions Juventus to two points.
It was also good a day for Inter Milan after four-star Mauro Icardi inspired a five-star showing at Sampdoria.
With Lazio surprisingly being held at home by Bologna, Inter moved up to the fourth spot and inflicted a massive blow on their opponents’ hopes of a top-six finish.
And it was Icardi, taking his tally to the league season to 22, who was the star of the show.
A 14-minute hat-trick broke his drought, which went back to January 5, and crushed the side he played for in 2013.
Ivan Perisic had put Inter ahead before Icardi led the romp with his 100th, 101st, 102nd and 103rd goals in Serie A.
Goals win matches and now we have a title lifeline for Napoli and a Champions League lift for Inter.
There’s still plenty to play for!
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