AC Milan beat AS Roma, and Napoli beat Salernitana to continue their two-way battle at the top of the Serie A table. Reigning champions Inter Milan, meanwhile, kept up with the top two with the help of a win over Udinese.
The Rossoneri inflicted the first-ever home loss in Serie A on Jose Mourinho by beating his AS Roma 2-1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the opening goal of the game from a freekick in the 25th minute. The Swede sent a low, powerful shot into the far corner, which crept under the wall and over the man lying down, and beat a still Rui Patricio.
Milan’s second goal came about as a result of excellent defending and then a quick counter-attack. Simon Kjaer blocked Tammy Abraham’s goal-bound shot at one end before Theo Hernandez collected the ball inside his half and drove forward with it.
The Frenchman played through Zlatan at just the right moment, and the latter was clumsily brought down inside the box by Roger Ibanez. Franck Kessie scored from the spot to put the Rossoneri in the driving seat.
Hernandez was sent off for an awkward challenge on Lorenzo Pellegrini in the 66th minute, allowing Roma a way back into the game. Former Milan attacker Stephan El Shaarawy scored a consolation goal in the third minute of stoppage time as the joint-league leaders held on to the three points.
Elsewhere, Napoli continued their title charge with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Serie A new boys Salernitana. Piotr Zielinski scored the only goal of the game a minute past the hour-mark. The Pole combined with substitutes Eljif Elmas and Andrea Petagna inside the box before the latter hit the crossbar with his header.
Salernitana failed to clear the ball, which fell to Mario Rui on the edge of the box. The left-back fired it back in, and, after a few deflections, it fell into the path of Zielinski, who finished from close range. Both Salernitana and Napoli had a player sent off in the latter stages of the game.
Champions Inter Milan kept up with the two league leaders by beating Udinese 2-0. Joaquin Correa scored both the goals – his first the result of a wonderful solo run from the left flank to the box and a powerful finish. The Nerazzurri trail AC Milan and Napoli by seven points after 11 matches.
