MILAN: AC Milan moved back into the Champions League qualifying spots with a 2-0 victory at Genoa in Serie A on Monday.

Fabio Borini and Suso scored a goal each to put Milan in fourth place.

Andrea Conti set up the first goal, cutting back from the byline in the 72nd minute and finding an unmarked Borini. Patrick Cutrone then picked out Suso in the 83rd with a long ball and the Spain international sprinted forward before scoring off the base of the left post.Milan also got help from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. He made a spectacular double save in the 68th minute, first denying Miguel Veloso and then smothering Daniel Bessa’s follow-up from close range.

Late on Sunday, Jose Callejon ended his scoring drought as Napoli beat 10-man Lazio 2-1 to stay in touch with Serie A leaders Juventus.

Arkadiusz Milik scored the other goal for Napoli and hit the woodwork twice as Napoli moved to within six points of Juventus provisonally.

Napoli took the lead in the 34th minute. The play was spread from left to right and Dries Mertens picked out Callejon who fired into the bottom right corner for his first goal of the season.

Napoli doubled their lead three minutes later as Milik finally scored by curling a magnificent free kick into the top right corner.

Napoli seemed comfortable and hit the woodwork twice more in the second half through Fabian Ruiz and Callejon but Lazio got back into the match in the 65th thanks to a precise shot from Naples-born forward Ciro Immobile.

Lazio’s hopes of getting something from the match were diminished five minutes later when defender Francesco Acerbi was sent off following a second yellow card.

Luis Muriel marked his return to Serie A by scoring two goals against his former club to help 10-man Fiorentina draw 3-3 against Sampdoria after a dramatic finale.

Fabio Quagliarella also scored twice as the veteran forward continued his remarkable goalscoring run.

Sampdoria moved a point below the final Europa League qualifying berth, with Fiorentina three points further back.

Muriel, who also played for Udinese and Lecce in Italy, joined Fiorentina at the beginning of the month. He scored the opener against his former club in the 34th minute, holding off two defenders before firing across into the bottom right corner.

His second was more spectacular as he turned Joachim Anderson just inside the Fiorentina half and sprinted downfield before dispatching a diagonal shot.

That restored Fiorentina’s lead after the home side had Edimilson Fernandes sent off following two yellow cards and seen Gaston Ramirez equalise just before halftime with a stunning free kick.

Quagliarella thought he had won it for Samp with an 81st-minute penalty after Vitor Hugo’s handball and another goal four minutes later.

However, there was another twist to come as German Pezzella flung himself at Federico Chiesa’s deflected cross to equalise with the last action of the game.

Duvan Zapata became the first Atalanta player to score four goals in a single Serie A match since 1952.

Gianluca Mancini headed in the opener before Zapata ran riot in Atalanta’s 5-0 win over relegation-threatened Frosinone.

Bologna remained in the relegation zone after they drew 1-1 at Spal, who are four points above the bottom three.

Empoli are three points above the drop after it drew 2-2 at Cagliari, following Diego Farias’ stoppage-time equaliser for the home side.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2019