Lecce’s Norwegian midfielder Kristoffer Askildsen (L) heads for the ball with Napoli’s Cameroonian midfielder André Zambo Anguissa (R) during the Serie A match at the Via del Mare stadium in Lecce. Napoli’s bid for their first Serie A title since 1990 was revived by an own goal from Antonino Gallo, securing a 2‑1 win at Lecce on Friday. The runaway league leaders are now 19 points clear of second‑placed Lazio after Gallo’s inadvertent back‑pass from a Mario Rui cross slipped through the fingers of surprised Lecce goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone midway through the second half.
Lecce had been level with Napoli after Federico Di Francesco’s powerful strike cancelled out Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s 18th‑minute header. Di Francesco’s second league goal of the season was Lecce’s first since mid‑February and left a tired Napoli at risk of another defeat after a 4‑0 loss to champions AC Milan the previous weekend. Instead, Lecce remain eight points above the relegation zone in 16th place, while Napoli move a step closer to a historic Scudetto with their seventh consecutive away win, achieved without top scorer Victor Osimhen.
“It wasn’t easy getting the result after that defeat to Milan… this result gives us some comfort ahead of the coming matches,” Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti told DAZN. Osimhen may return for Wednesday’s first leg of the all‑Italian Champions League quarter‑final against third‑placed Milan, who face Empoli on Friday, but Napoli have likely lost his replacement Giovanni Simeone to a thigh injury suffered late in the game. “Osimhen wants to play every match, but these are situations that need to be assessed properly,” Spalletti added. “Right now he needs proper training because all he’s done is some basic running.”
Spalletti’s side need only four more wins from their final nine matches to secure the title, but a stronger display will be required to combine domestic success with a place in the Champions League last four. Their task will ease if Lazio fail to beat Juventus, although the situation could change if Juventus have their 15‑point penalty for illicit transfer activity revoked later this month. Juventus are 11 points behind Lazio ahead of their clash at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday night.
Romelu Lukaku’s miserable return season at Inter Milan continued with more missed chances, culminating in a late 1‑1 draw at Salernitana. Antonio Candreva’s miscued cross over the head of bemused Inter goalkeeper André Onana in the final minute moved Salernitana ten points above the relegation zone and left Inter at risk of losing a Champions League spot. Inter would have been out of sight before Candreva’s fortuitous strike had they capitalised on their chances; Robin Gosens scored their first open‑play goal in a month in the sixth minute, but Lukaku proved the worst culprit in Salerno.
Lukaku, who was racially abused by Juventus fans midweek, headed a simple opportunity straight at Guillermo Ochoa in the first half and later scooped a diving header onto the bar from inside the six‑yard box in the 65th minute, with Ochoa brilliantly saving Stefan De Vrij’s rebound. The long‑time Mexico goalkeeper had already denied Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Denzel Dumfries with smart stops seconds before Lukaku’s blunder, which follows his incredible miss in last week’s home loss to Fiorentina. “Our big regret is that we couldn’t get that second goal; right now we keep paying a heavy price for not killing matches off,” Inter coach Simone Inzaghi said.
Fourth‑placed Inter are 23 points behind Napoli and head to Benfica for the first leg of their Champions League quarter‑final on Tuesday, winless in six matches and amid a goalscoring crisis. Inzaghi’s side sit level on 51 points with local rivals Milan and one ahead of Roma, who play Torino on Sunday, while Atalanta can also overtake Inter on goal difference if they beat Bologna.
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