Sports FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016 45 Seria A roundup Racism mars Lazio v Napoli as Higuain strikes again MILAN: Racist chanting halted play at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday as hosts Lazio suffered a 2-0 defeat that kept visitors’ Napoli’s sterling Serie A season on track. Goals by Gonzalo Higuain, the Argentine’s 23rd in as many league games, and Jose Callejon combined to keep Maurizio Sarri’s men top of the table with a two-point lead on champions Juventus. But the game was marred by a three-minute suspension in the second half on the orders of match officials for racist and insulting chanting aimed at Napoli’s Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly. “I’m glad they stopped the game, it was begin- ning to become embarrassing,” said Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri. Higuain is bidding to beat Gunnar Nordahl’s all-time Serie A record of 35 goals in a sin- gle, 20-team season (1950) and after spurning an early chance was soon into his stride, thanks to a slice of fortune. The Argentine ran on to Callejon’s through ball on 24 minutes only to see Federico Marchetti come out to block, but as the ball bounced up Higuain chested it home. Callejon, who hit a brace in a 5-1 thumping of Empoli last weekend, doubled Napoli’s lead three minutes lat- er. Napoli’s seventh consecutive win equalled a club record from 1988, but winger Lorenzo Insigne said: “The championship is still long and I don’t know how long we can keep this up but we’re play- ing great football thanks to the coach and we want to continue, and see where we end up. Irreplaceable Gonzalo “Gonzalo is irreplaceable, he’s scored 23 goals ROME: Napoli’s David Lopez eyes the ball as Lazio’s Abdoulay Konko challenges him, during a Serie A soccer match at Rome’s now and it would be difficult to do without him.” Olympic stadium. — AP Lazio may now face sanctions for the racist chanti- ng and to add to their problems, Stefano Pioli’s month of competition on three fronts. Inter Milan looked to be heading up to third ing opportunities in a busy first half. AC Milan’s men dropped one place to ninth, with Empoli But despite setting a new club record of 13 con- place after hanging on to Mauro Icardi’s strike early recent revival continued three days after their spec- going the other way thanks to Manuel Pucciarelli’s secutive wins, coach Massimiliano Allegri looked after the restart to secure a 1-0 San Siro win over tacular 3-0 derby win over Inter with a precious 2-0 leveller at the death in a 1-1 draw with Udinese. furious when second-half substitute Simone Zaza Chievo. But Fiorentina striker Mauro Zarate, who win at Palermo thanks to Carlos Bacca’s strike and a But Lazio midfielder Ogenyi Onazi, who is from saw red for a rash, studs-up challenge that left the joined the club last week from West Ham, came off 33rd minute penalty from M’Baye Niang. Nigeria, refused to believe Lazio’s fans are racist: Turin giants exposed for the final minutes. the bench to hit an injury-time winner and secure a Roma, 2-0 winners at Sassuolo on Tuesday, are “Impossible!” He added: “When I’m playing I don’t “Zaza has to learn to calm down and use his last-gasp 2-1 win for Paulo Sousa’s men over Carpi fifth at 12 points behind with Milan just two points hear what’s being said because I’m concentrated brain when you’re going into this kind of tackle,” after Kevin Lasagna had levelled Borja Valero’s early adrift in sixth. There was joy at the bottom of the on my game.” Juventus had a Sebastian De Maio Allegri told Sky Sport. Allegri admitted: “We’ve just opener for the hosts. Fiorentina remain third, eight table, too, with struggling Verona securing their own-goal, from Juan Cuadrado’s angled strike, to come from a run of five or six ‘clean’ games and points off the pace with Inter a point further first win of the campaign after former Milan striker thank for a 1-0 win over Genoa and a 16th win of sometimes to win the title you have to win the behind although Roberto Mancini was again left Giampaolo Pazzini hit an 84th minute winner in a the campaign amid what is set to be a tough ‘dirty’ ones as well.” lamenting seeing his side spurn a host of solid scor- 2-1 defeat of 10-man Atalanta. — AFP PSG set new league unbeaten record PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain established a new Lecomte, Marquinhos headed the resulting corner and they drew level in the 19th minute. released marauding left-back Guerreiro, who fin- Ligue 1 record on Wednesday as they stretched narrowly wide. But Lorient showed that they were Marauding strikers ished confidently past home stopper Kevin Trapp. their unbeaten streak to 33 matches by easing not just in the capital to make up the numbers, A cute backheel from striker Majeed Waris Lorient continued to hold their own, although past Lorient 3-1 at the Parc des Princes. Edinson Lecomte had to be alert to tip away another Cavani was given a rare start by Laurent Blanc and Ibrahimovic set-piece. Uruguayan Cavani almost justified his manager’s decision by opening the restored the hosts’ advantage early in the second scoring in only the sixth minute. period when he caught out Lecomte with an Lorient struck back midway through the first impudent lob, but the ball rebounded back off the half with a well-worked equaliser from Raphael post. Guerreiro. The defending champions forged A matter of seconds later PSG broke their visi- ahead again though with a Zlatan Ibrahimovic tors’ resistance as talismanic striker Ibrahimovic goal 10 minutes after half-time. PSG were not at tapped in Kurzawa’s cross for his 20th league goal their fluent best, but Layvin Kurzawa made it of the season. Full-back Kurzawa had a fantastic three with an excellent strike. Blanc rang the match on his return from a knock that ruled him changes, six in all, from the side that equalled the out of the game at the weekend, and he capped record Nantes set over 20 years ago by winning at his display with a fine volley to seal all three points Saint-Etienne on Sunday. “We can be very pleased for his team. tonight. The record, it really is something”, Blanc Angel di Maria and Cavani both missed said after his side’s 14th win in a row. chances to add a fourth, while Walid Mesloub “About the match itself though my feelings are was denied at the other end by Trapp. But those mixed. We were not in total control at certain late exchanges were mere footnotes in a win that times. “But I have to take my share of the responsi- enters PSG into the record books and keeps them bility. After rotating the team, it is normal to have a staggering 24 points clear at the top of the a few problems.” It did not take the champions- table. With a crucial Champions League last 16 tie elect long to get into their stride and Cavani eased against Chelsea starting on February 16, Blanc any possible early nerves by latching onto an still wants further improvement. “We could have Ibrahimovic through ball, rounding Lorient goal- had more goals, but Lorient could have scored keeper Benjamin Lecomte and slotting into an more too. “I am delighted with the performance empty net. PARIS: Lorient’s Didier Ndong, left, and PSG’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic challenge for the ball of Cavani, but individually and as a team we PSG were in dominant form early on, and after during a French League One soccer Match, Paris Saint Germain against Lorient at Parc could have done better, and I include myself in Ibrahimovic had a long-range free-kick saved by des Princes stadium. — AP that.” — AFP .