Hojlund fires Napoli into Serie A lead as AC Milan held at Juve | The Express Tribune

MILAN:

Rasmus Hojlund struck again for Napoli with the winning goal in Sunday’s 2-1 victory over struggling Genoa, a strike which alongside AC Milan drawing 0-0 at Juventus lifted the Serie A champions into top spot.

Fresh from his midweek double against Sporting Lisbon, Hojlund was on hand to score on the rebound with 15 minutes remaining as Napoli came from behind to claim three points in Naples.

The 22-year-old pounced after Andre-Frank Anguissa’s powerful shot was pushed out by Genoa goalkeeper Nicola Leali, taking his club tally to four goals since moving to Napoli from Manchester United.

Napoli have 15 points from their six league matches and lead Roma, 2-1 winners at Fiorentina, on goal difference.

“It’s my job and the team’s job to win as many games as possible so it’s just important to keep working hard, recovering and focussing on the next match,” Hojlund told DAZN.

Coach Antonio Conte had been considering taking off Hojlund before the Denmark striker netted the winner, due to his midweek exertions in the Champions League.

“I think he asked me if I was tired and if I could keep playing and I just said that I had good energy and I was still fresh, and I said ‘yeah, just let me play’,” added Hojlund.

But Antonio Conte’s team had to do it the hard way, with Anguissa bundling in the leveller in the 57th minute after teenager Jeff Ekhator had given Genoa a half-time lead with just his second Serie A goal.

Napoli will stay top through the international break thanks to Christian Pulisic blasting a penalty over the bar as Milan were held by fifth-placed Juve in Sunday’s drab headline clash.

Pulisic howler

Pulisic wasted a golden opportunity to put Milan ahead in Turin after Santiago Gimenez was clumsily brought down by Lloyd Kelly seven minutes after half-time.

The USA forward had his head in his hands following his awful effort which ended Milan’s winning run at five games and allowed Napoli to reclaim first place.

Substitute Rafael Leao fluffed an opportunity to snatch the points in stoppage time after being put through by Luka Modric, and Milan drop down to third, two points from the leading pair.

“We should have won, we had chances but something was missing. We have to do more,” said Adrien Rabiot, who returned to the Allianz Stadium with Milan after five years at Juve.

“It’s only the start of the season but winning here would’ve been significant.”

Earlier, Matias Soule and Bryan Cristante struck in the first half in Florence as Roma claimed a third straight win in Italy’s top flight, which came after going behind to a Moise Kean rocket in the 14th minute.

Kean almost added to his first goal of the season when he smashed another powerful effort off the post in the 38th minute, not long after Cristante had headed Roma into the lead.

Roberto Piccoli was also unlucky not to level with a volley, which rattled the crossbar in the 74th minute, but Fiorentina remain winless on three points and one place above the relegation zone.

For Roma, it was a fine end to the week following a frustrating Europa League defeat to Lille in which Gian Piero Gasperini’s team wasted three chances to equalise late on from the penalty spot.