AC MILAN starting XI: (4-2-3-1): Maignan, Emerson Royal (subbed for Pulisic), Thiaw, Pavlovic, Terracciano, Fofana, Musah, Chukwueze, Loftus-Cheek (subbed for Camarda), Okafor (subbed for Leao), Morata

Bench: Sportiello, Torriani, Tomori, Calabria, Bartesaghi, Jimenez, Zeroli, Liberali

NAPOLI starting XI (4-3-3): Meret, Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno, Olivera, Anguissa (subbed for Zerbin), Gilmour (subbed for Folorunsho), McTominay, Politano (subbed for Mazzocchi), Lukaku (subbed for Simeone), Kvaratskhelia (subbed for Neres)

Bench: Caprile, Contini, Turi, Juan Jesus, Marin, Ngonge, Raspadori

Goals: Lukaku 5’, Kvaratskhelia 43’

Romelu Lukaku and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored first-half goals on Tuesday night and Napoli opened up a seven-point lead over defending champions Inter Milan, who visit Empoli on Wednesday.

Belgian striker Lukaku muscled a defender to the ground before scoring from the centre of the area early on. Then, Kvaratskhelia dribbled past two defenders before launching an angled shot into the far corner before the break.

Milan’s Spanish forward Alvaro Morata had a potential goal waved off for offside early in the second half.

Rafael Leao threatened for the home side in the closing stages when his superb long-range shot was acrobatically kept out by Alex Meret.

Milan slipped to eighth after their third league defeat of the season, 11 points back.

Napoli, who are on 25 points, return to the San Siro in less than two weeks to face Inter.

The Partenopei have rebounded strongly after a 10th-place finish last season and are in position to earn their second title in three years.

Former Italy, Juventus, Chelsea, Inter and Tottenham boss Conte was hired in June after Napoli went through three different coaches last campaign.

Napoli haven’t lost since falling 3-0 at Hellas Verona in their season debut on August 18.

AAP

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