ROME: AC Milan kept on Lazio's heels at the top of Serie A as it beat 10-man Napoli 2-1 at the San Paolo Stadium in Naples Monday. Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the goals for Milan as Michele Pazienza was sent-off for the host for a pair of handballs before Ezequiel Lavezzi hit an ingenious late consolation. Milan now trails Lazio by just two points in second place while Napoli, which was by far the better side for long periods, even with 10 men, remains sixth. Napoli, as ever, was slow out of the blocks and the first chance fell to Milan as Robinho's low shot was saved by Morgan De Sanctis on the quarter hour. But on 22 minutes they were ahead as Robinho played a one-two with substitute Massimo Oddo before finishing inside the far corner. However, Napoli's disorganized defending was the true architect as it had seven defenders and its goalkeeper in the area but still failed to pick up the Brazilian's run. The reaction from the host was swift as four minutes later Lavezzi got down the right and crossed for Marek Hamsik, whose near post toe-poke went wide. Hamsik then crossed from the left but Edinson Cavani missed his shot and substitute Hassan Yebda attacked with the wrong foot, playing the ball almost back to where it had come from. Andrea Dossena got down the left and crossed for Cavani but he didn't get hold of his shot and it bobbled wide. Pazienza was then dismissed, somewhat harshly, for a second yellow card after picking up both for handball offenses. Zlatan Ibrahimovic tried an acrobatic effort from seven yards that De Sanctis parried in stoppage time. And before the half-time whistle Christian Abbiati made a stunning one-handed save from Lavezzi's diving header after Hamsik's pin-point cross. Even down to 10 men, Napoli was on the attack after the break and Lavezzi volleyed just over from Dossena's center. But Milan was dangerous on the counter and Ibrahimovic should have done better than curl a shot into De Sanctis's arms when well placed. Midway through the second period Milan wasted a two-on-two break as Ibrahimovic's pass to Pato was too strong and De Sanctis blocked the Brazilian's shot from an angle. Napoli paid again for poor defending on 71 minutes as Oddo burst down the right and crossed into the center where the unmarked Ibrahimovic headed home from six yards out. Lavezzi was a thorn in Milan's side all night and a determined run down the right saw him skip past Sokratis Papastathopoulos with a clever back-heel and tee up Cavani who, having an awful night, shot well wide. But on 78 minutes he went shoulder to shoulder with Papastathopoulos again and after they both fell over, Lavezzi over the ball, the Argentine managed to quickly stand up and flick the ball over Abbiati and in off the bar. De Sanctis made a late save to deny Mathieu Flamini and even charged forwards for a couple of corners but Napoli were left frustrated despite a stirring fight-back and inspired play from Lavezzi. – Agence France
