Daily Times

MILAN: Roma stayed top of Serie A on Wednesday after Napoli were held to a 1-1 draw by Lecce, while underwhelming Juventus beat Spezia 2-0. Napoli would have gone first on goal difference with a win over their promoted opponents at the Stadio Maradona but Lorenzo Colombo’s rocket just after the half-hour mark ensured Lecce escaped Naples with a point. Luciano Spalletti’s side sit third after four games, two points behind Roma and one away from second-placed Inter Milan, while Lecce are 15th after earning their second point of the campaign.

Napoli thought they were on their way to a regulation win when Eljif Elmas tapped in Matteo Politano’s mishit shot in the 27th minute. The hosts took the lead just seconds after Alex Meret had kept them level by beating away Colombo’s retaken penalty follow a clumsy foul on Federico Di Francesco by Tanguy Ndombele on his full debut. But Colombo — whose first successful spot-kick was ruled out as the referee had not blown his whistle — was not downhearted and blasted Lecce level four minutes after they went behind. The Italy Under-21 international brought down a clearance and, after not being closed down, spun and unleashed a shot which this time left Meret grasping at air. Napoli pushed the whole second half for the win, but apart from Elmas being denied from close range soon after the break and Victor Osimhen heading over late on, they struggled to create clear-cut chances and had to settle for a point.

Vlahovic strikes again: Juventus are level on points with Napoli in fourth thanks to another superb ninth-minute free-kick from Dusan Vlahovic, his fourth goal of the season, and Arkadiusz Milik’s first for the club in front of new signing Leandro Paredes. Argentina star Paredes was at the Allianz Stadium in Turin after completing his loan move from Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the day. The three points maintain Juve’s unbeaten record but won’t hide another disappointing performance from Massimiliano Allegri’s injury-dogged side. Allegri was without Leonardo Bonucci, Federico Chiesa and Paul Pogba, whose private life has been in the headlines after what he described as threats and extortion attempts from gangsters.

Gabbiadini denies Lazio: Earlier, Manolo Gabbiadini saved a point for Sampdoria in a 1-1 home draw with Lazio, netting his team’s first goal of the season in stoppage time and lifting them out of the Serie A drop zone. Sampdoria are 17th with just two points from their first four games after Gabbiadini expertly lashed home his 92nd-minute leveller which denied Lazio the chance to move level with Roma. Udinese are three points from the summit in ninth after inflicting a first defeat of the season on Fiorentina thanks to Beto’s 17th-minute strike. Empoli and Verona played out a 1-1 draw in the other early kick-off.