MILAN: Gonzalo Higuain scored two goals, both of them controversial, to give Napoli a 2-1 win over angry Genoa which lifted them into third place in Serie A on Monday.

Higuain headed the hosts in front after seven minutes from a rebound but replays suggested he was just offside when Jose Callejon fired in a shot which Genoa goalkeeper Mattia Perin parried into the Argentine’s path.

Iago Falque levelled for Genoa in the 56th minute at the San Paolo Stadium but Napoli regained the lead with a controversial penalty awarded for an alleged push by Juraj Kucka on Higuain.

Contact appeared to be minimal but Higuain, oblivious to the Genoa protests, fired home from the penalty spot with 15 minutes left for his 12th league goal of the season.

Napoli’s 10th win of the campaign moved them back into the Champions League playoff spot, with 36 points from 20 games, 13 points behind leaders Juventus but Rafael Benitez’s men are now only six behind second-placed AS Roma and two ahead of both Lazio and Sampdoria.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2015

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