Napoli conceded prime spot in Serie A to Inter Milan forward of subsequent weekend’s title showdown in Naples after falling to a shock 2-1 defeat at promoted Como on Sunday. Antonio Conte’s group are a degree behind reigning champions Inter, who narrowly beat Genoa on Saturday, because of Assane Diao’s drilled winner within the 77th minute for Como. Inter go to subsequent in a match which may properly be essential to the vacation spot of the Scudetto, whereas Atalanta lurk an extra two factors again after smashing Empoli 5-0 with Ademola Lookman netting a brace after his penalty row with coach Gian Piero Gasperini.
And Napoli head into that fixture of their worst type of the season, with no wins and simply three factors from their 4 matches in February.
“What we want to consider is our efficiency within the second half. We left our need within the dressing room,” stated Conte to DAZN.
“In the second half it was like there was one other group on the pitch. We have been passive… There are psychological steps that we now have to make and we additionally want time. But the second half wasn’t adequate, neither the method nor the mentality.
“They had extra starvation than us, and when that is the case there’s not lots you are able to do.”
Napoli shot themselves within the foot within the seventh minute when Amir Rrahmani handed the ball into his personal web from miles out, however the away aspect appeared to be on the way in which to a win when Giacomo Raspadori slotted dwelling the leveller 10 minutes later.
But Diao’s third purpose in as many video games determined an entertaining match at Como’s lakeside Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia and put Cesc Fabregas’ group seven factors above the relegation zone in thirteenth place.
The under-21 Spanish worldwide has scored 5 instances since signing from Real Betis in January, one in every of a number of winter signings for rich Como.
‘Having enjoyable’
Backed by tobacco large Djarum, formidable Como have Serie A’s richest house owners and spent closely within the winter switch window within the hope that their first prime flight season in over twenty years doesn’t finish in relegation.Â
“I’m having enjoyable every single day with my teammates and I feel you may see that on the pitch. I can solely thank everybody, the coach, the group, the membership, for the whole lot they’re doing,” stated Diao.
“I can actually really feel the arrogance Fabregas provides me, and that permits me to have enjoyable on the pitch.”
Lookman scored two stylish objectives as Atalanta shot themselves proper again into the title race, however the Nigeria ahead appeared unconvinced about strategies his spat with Gasperini was over.
Gasperini angered Lookman after Tuesday’s Champions League elimination by Club Brugge by calling his star attacker the worst penalty taker he had ever seen.
Asked by Sky Sport if the row was behind him, Lookman shrugged his shoulders and stated “completed?”, fuelling rumours of an exit in the summertime.
Lookman leaving can be an enormous blow for Atalanta as he confirmed all his class in a victory by which Mateo Retegui and Davide Zappacosta additionally scored, with Emmanuel Gyasi inadvertantly opening the scoring within the twenty seventh minute.
Moise Kean is present process assessments in hospital after struggling a head trauma in a problem for the ball halfway by the second half of Fiorentina’s 1-0 defeat at Verona.Â
Kean was stretchered off after collapsing in a worrying repeat of what occurred to teammate Edoardo Bove who had an on-pitch coronary heart assault earlier this season.
Juventus reclaimed their place within the Champions League positions from Lazio with  a 1-0 win over Cagliari in Sardinia.
Dusan Vlahovic, who has been out of favour for the reason that arrival of Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain, scored simply his second purpose for the reason that flip of 12 months within the twelfth minute as Juve moved fourth and two factors forward of Lazio.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
