MILAN — Napoli secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Torino, allowing them to maintain their position at the top of the tightly contested Serie A standings while at least one opposing team dropped crucial points on Sunday.
The match’s lone goal was scored by Scott McTominay in the first half, helping Napoli create some distance from one of its closest competitors as Lazio suffered a 3-1 defeat to relegation-threatened Parma.
Lazio remains level on 28 points with Atalanta, Inter Milan, and Fiorentina, but Napoli has increased its tally to 32 points. However, the other three clubs have opportunities to narrow the gap, with Fiorentina set to face Inter later Sunday and Atalanta traveling to Roma for a match on Monday.
The encounter at Torino showcased plenty of action, as Napoli broke the stalemate in the 31st minute. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia skillfully maneuvered into the penalty area from the left flank and laid off a pass for McTominay, who finished decisively into the bottom corner.
Torino had a chance to equalize shortly after but missed a golden opportunity when Saul Coco stumbled and failed to tap the ball into an open net from close range.
Despite numerous chances to increase their lead, Napoli found Torino’s Vanja Milinkovic-Savic in excellent form, making several key saves to keep his team in the match.
In another surprising turn of events, Lazio’s impressive streak of seven consecutive wins came to an abrupt halt following a draw against Ludogorets in the midweek Europa League match. The disappointment continued on Sunday as they faced their first defeat since October.
In a particularly frustrating first half for Lazio, two of their goals were ruled out, and a penalty was overturned after a VAR review, leaving them with a sense of indignation.
On a brighter note, Parma managed to secure the win, moving four points clear of the relegation zone.
In a different encounter, Patrick Vieira celebrated his inaugural victory as Genoa’s coach with a 2-0 triumph over Udinese, who played with a man down for the majority of the match.
Udinese’s Isaak Touré was dismissed just two minutes into the match for elbowing Genoa’s Alessandro Zanoli in the face, leaving his team at a disadvantage.
Genoa took the lead in the 13th minute through Andrea Pinamonti, and an own goal from Udinese defender Lautaro Giannetti in the second half effectively sealed the outcome.
Vieira was appointed during the international break to replace the dismissed Alberto Gilardino, and his previous match ended in a 2-2 draw against Cagliari, making this victory a significant achievement for the new coach.
