(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Lorenzo Insigne put the brakes on Juventus' Serie A title challenge yesterday with his 100th Napoli goal in a 1-0 win over the champions which takes some pressure off coach Gennaro Gattuso.
Italy attacker Insigne's 31st-minute penalty secured a big three points for Gattuso, whose job is widely reported to be under threat after a poor recent run of results. The 29-year-old bagged the winner after Giorgio Chiellini had been caught by VAR officials striking Amir Rrahmani with his hand while challenging for the ball. The win puts Napoli in fourth, level on 40 points with Roma and Lazio and two behind Andrea Pirlo's third-placed Juve, who had been in good form in recent weeks but could end the day 10 points behind league leaders AC Milan.
Seven-time European champions Milan, chasing a first league title in a decade, were facing Spezia late last night looking to extend their lead on second-placed Inter Milan to five points. Milan hope to take advantage of their two main title rivals having tough opposition this weekend, with Inter hosting a Lazio side on a run of six straight league wins on tonight. Earlier Torino were held to a forgettable goalless home draw by Genoa which leaves Juve's city rivals just two points above the relegation zone. Torino have now drawn half of their 22 matches but have only won twice all season.
Conte apologises for reacting to Juventus ‘provocaton'
Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte apologised for 'reacting badly to provocation in the midweek Italian Cup match at Juventus. Ex-Juve boss Conte appeared to show the finger to his former club's directors at half-time, while footage from broadcaster RAI at the end of the match showed the hosts' chairman Andrea Agnelli apparently telling Conte to 'shut up.
'The truth, everyone has seen it, said Conte, who led Juve to three Serie A titles, on the eve of Inter's league match against Lazio. 'Players, coaches, presidents, we have to set an example in education.
'I'm sorry. I apologise. I reacted badly to a provocation. I could have reacted better, with an applause or a thumbs-up. I will remember it.
The images of Tuesday's incident are not clear enough to show the exact nature of Conte's half-time tirade nor precisely their target, although they certainly appeared to be in the direction the Juve contingent. The same is true of Agnelli's utterances at the end of the match as he left the stand.
However, they are the subject of an investigation by the Italian Federation. Conte returns to the bench on tonight for the Lazio match, having been banished to the stands for the two previous games and fined 20,000 euros ($24,000) for verbally threatening the referee after Inter were held to a 0-0 draw by Udinese.
Serie A results
Torino 0 Genoa 0; Napoli 1
(Insigne 31-pen) Juventus 0
Playing today (all times GMT): Roma v Udinese (1130), Sampdoria v Fiorentina, Cagliari v Atalanta (both 1400), Crotone v Sassuolo (1700), Inter Milan v Lazio (1945)
Tomorrow: Verona v Parma (1945)
Played Friday: Bologna 1 (Sansone 1) Benevento 1 (Viola 60)
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