Filip Kostic continued Juventus’ push to European Serie A places with the only goal in Sunday’s 1-0 win at Inter Milan, a result which also saw Napoli extend their lead to 19 points thanks to a 4-0 thrashing of Turin.
Serbian winger Kostic brought home the winner in the 22nd minute of a disappointing encounter at the San Siro, his third league goal of the season enraging Inter who couldn’t believe he wasn’t ruled out for a handball by Adrien Rabiot.
Inter coach Simone Inzaghi described the goal as “unacceptable in the era of VAR”, saying he could “barely speak” about the game, so outraged was he at the decision.
VAR officials took several minutes to decide there was no footage confirming the handball and delivering Kostic’s strike, allowing seventh-placed Juve to move to 41 points, seven from Champions League positions .
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“The referee’s decision has to be accepted, when it’s going well for you and when it’s not,” an irate Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri told DAZN when asked for his thoughts on the incident.
Allegri’s side will be hoping their 15-point penalty for illicit transfer activity will be waived as it would put them second, a position now occupied by Lazio who won a tense Roma derby 1-0.
Inter have been wildly inconsistent all season and their ninth defeat of the campaign came against a Juve side missing a host of injured or unfit players.
Napoli now only need 15 more points to secure the league title, even if Lazio win all of their remaining 11 matches. Without the deduction, Juve would still trail Napoli by 15 points.
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The only negatives for Juve were substitute Federico Chiesa limping seven minutes from time and Leandro Paredes receiving a red card alongside Inter’s Danilo D’Ambrosio as tempers flared after the final whistle .
– Naples marches –
Victor Osimhen took his league-leading tally to 21 with two imposing headers with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scoring a 35th-minute penalty in an easy win for elected champions Napoli in Turin.
Kvaratskhelia also scored Tanguy Ndombele’s first Serie A goal in the 68th minute after an excellent hold-up from Osimhen as Napoli took another step towards a first league title since 1990 in front of an army of supporters in Turin.
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“No one deserves this more than Napoli fans… I’m really happy to make them smile,” Osimhen told DAZN.
It seems only a matter of time before Napoli seal a historic Scudetto, which will follow a jaw-dropping football campaign that has convinced Osimhen they can win the Champions League too.
Once Kvaratskhelia scored his 14th goal of the season, Torino offered no resistance. They fell to 11th, level on 37 points with Bologna and ninth-placed Fiorentina, who won their seventh consecutive game in all competitions 1-0 against Lecce.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)
