38 Friday Sports Friday, December 25, 2020 Hernandez strikes late to keep Milan ahead of Inter in Serie A Roma move up to third, beat Cagliari 3-2 MILAN: Theo Hernandez nodded in a late winner league, because many teams have strengthened and to keep AC Milan top of Serie A heading into the want to have their say,” said Inter coach Antonio winter break with a 3-2 victory over Lazio on Conte, as they try to deny Juventus a 10th consecu- Wednesday. Milan are one point ahead of city rivals tive Scudetto. Inter who earlier extended their winning run to seven “There are seven teams that can fight for it.” Sas- games with a 2-1 success over Hellas Verona. Lazio suolo, boosted by the return of Francesco Caputo, had come from two goals down thanks to Luis Al- moved up fourth with a 3-2 win over Sampdoria. In berto and Ciro Immobile but French defender Her- seventh, Atalanta threw away a two-goal advantage nandez headed in his third goal in as many games in after Luis Muriel scored twice within a minute mid- injury time to seal all three points. Milan shook off way through the first half, only to settle for a 2-2 the continued absence of injured star striker Zlatan draw at Bologna. “It’s a terrible result, we had ab- Ibrahimovic to continue their unbeaten run which solute domination of the match and we could never goes back to last March as they target a first Serie have predicted this ending,” fumed coach Gian Piero A title since 2011. Gasperini. The two Milan clubs have surged ahead of their At the San Siro, Ante Rebic headed in the opener rivals, with Roma moving up to third, six points be- for Milan from a Hakan Calhanoglu corner on 10 hind Inter, after a 3-2 win over Cagliari. “I’m very minutes, with the Turkish midfielder adding a second proud of these lads,” said coach Stefano Pioli from the penalty spot seven minutes later. Milan MILAN: Lazio’s Montenegrin midfielder Adam Marusic (Rear) and AC Milan’s Turkish midfielder Hakan Cal- whose side have 34 points in 14 Serie A games, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma saved an Immo- hanoglu go for a header during the Italian Serie A football match AC Milan vs Lazio Rome on December 23, twice as many as at this stage last season. “They bile penalty but Luis Alberto headed in the rebound. 2020. —AFP are doing something important. With Ibra on the But Lazio’s top scorer grabbed the equaliser before pitch we are stronger, but we are taking advantage the hour mark, finishing off a Sergej Milinkovic-Savic of everyone’s characteristics even without him. cross for his ninth league goal of the campaign, only chester City midfielder Ivan Ilic pulled the hosts scored 34 goals after 14 games. “We showed great “The fire we have inside is making a difference and for Hernandez to have the final say. level on 63 minutes after Inter goalkeeper Samir ruthlessness and determination,” said Conte. we must keep it alight.” Handanovic let a Davide Faraoni cross slip, with “Now we need to unplug for a few days and then Napoli dropped from third to fifth, two points be- Martinez ends goal drought Milan Skriniar failing to stop the Serb tapping in his be even readier to go again.” In Rome, Jordan hind Roma, despite Lorenzo Insigne scoring late to In Verona, Inter extended their winning run as first Verona goal. Veretout scored the opener on 11 minutes, with rescue a 1-1 draw at home with rock-bottom Torino. they target a first Scudetto since 2010 with their But Slovak Skriniar made up for his error six Edin Dzeko also on target in the second half be- Reigning champions Juventus are sixth - 10 points European hopes now over. Lautaro Martinez broke minutes later, getting his head to a Marcelo Bro- fore Gianluca Mancini’s header proved decisive adrift of top spot - after crashing to their first Serie through in the 52nd minute, connecting with an zovic cross to beat Verona ‘keeper Marco Sil- with 13 minutes remaining. Joao Pedro scored A defeat of the season, 3-0 at home against Achraf Hakimi cross to volley in his sixth goal this vestri. Inter equaled their best goalscoring start both Cagliari goals, the second from the penalty Fiorentina on Tuesday. “It’ll certainly be a more even season and first since November 8. On-loan Man- to a season since 1960/1961, when they also spot in injury time. —AFP scored twice as Wolfsburg thrashed sec- Crisis-hit Bundesliga ond-tier minnows Sandhausen 4-0 in the against their rock bottom rivals as Napoli second round of the German Cup Wednes- Napoli coach dropped from third to fifth in Serie A, nine strugglers Mainz out day, despite losing numerous players to points behind leaders AC Milan. The southern- COVID-19 in recent days. With four players ers have taken just one point from the last of German Cup having tested positive for coronavirus in the Gattuso reveals three league games and were also held in their last week and another three self-isolating, last two Europa League games. But on Tues- BERLIN: Crisis-hit Bundesliga club Mainz Wolfsburg were forced to list two reserve day they won their appeal after being handed crashed out on penalties to second division goalkeepers, Lino Kasten and Niklas struggles with a 3-0 defeat and a one-point deduction for side Bochum in the second round of the Klinger, as outfield substitutes. failing to turn up to play Juventus in Turin be- an eye disease cause of coronavirus cases last October. German Cup on Wednesday after Robert Yet the top-flight side cruised to vic- “We arrived at this (Torino) game ex- Tesche scored a dramatic, stoppage-time tory thanks to goals from Yannick Ger- MILAN: Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso be- hausted, we have so many tired players,” said equaliser for the underdogs. hardt, Joao Victor and Weghorst, who has lieves his struggles with an eye disease has Gattuso, whose side lost to Inter Milan and Jean-Paul Boetius and Danny Latza gave now scored 11 goals in his last 11 games. had an impact on the team who extended their Lazio in the last week. “We’ve been playing Mainz a comfortable 2-0 lead, but Bochum “My players showed from the first minute winless run in Serie A to three games with a 1- every three days for four months. “You need fought back through Gerrit Holtmann and that they weren’t going to worry about the 1 draw against Torino on Wednesday. “For a to have your legs, muscles and head ready, a stoppage-time equalizer from Robert difficult conditions and the absentees,” month now there have been rumors that I am even I with the eye problem am not myself. Tesche. Despite having goalkeeper Manuel said Wolfsburg coach Oliver Glasner. In dying, but don’t worry, I am not dying,” said “This is the third time this disease has hit me Riemann sent off in stoppage time, the un- Wednesday’s other games, first-half goal in 10 years, but it will pass, my eye will return the 42-year-old former World Cup winner. “I derdogs triumphed 3-0 in the penalty from Sasa Kalajdzic saw Stuttgart to a 1- suffer from an auto-immune disease, myasthe- to its place and I’ll be more beautiful than shootout after Mainz missed all their 0 win over south-western neighbors nia,” he explained of the illness that affects the before. muscles which control the eyes. “I’ve struggled a lot, now I’m a little bet- penalties. Defeat crowned a miserable Freiburg, while Werder Bremen waltzed to “Seeing double is a big difficulty and I ter, but I was very tired and I was seeing Christmas week for Mainz, who sit second a 3-0 win over Hanover. In-form Rot- haven’t been myself for a month. I think the double. “Only a madman like me would keep from bottom in the league and parted ways Weiss Essen are the last fourth-tier side lads also suffered because of this.” Captain going,” added the former AC Milan and with sporting director Rouwen Schroeder left in the draw after they stunned sec- Lorenzo Insigne struck late to rescue a point Glasgow Rangers midfielder. —AFP on Tuesday. ond-division local rivals Fortuna Duessel- Elsewhere, Dutch striker Wout Weghorst dorf 3-2. —AFP.