Alex Sandro scored a derby-winning goal as Juventus bounced back from their Champions League collapse against Tottenham with a 1-0 victory at Torino.
Juve, who surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at home to Spurs in the first leg of their round-of-16 clash in midweek, edged Sunday’s Derby della Mole thanks to Alex Sandro’s 33rd-minute strike.
Sandro tapped home at the back post after Federico Bernardeschi, had barged his way to the byline on the right and driven the ball across goal.
Bernardeschi had started the match on the bench but came on after only 15 minutes after Gonzalo Higuain, who scored twice and also missed a penalty against Tottenham, suffered a knock.
Napoli later clung on to top spot by a point and by their fingernails as lowly SPAL made them work hard to confirm a 1-0 win at the San Paolo.
It seemed to be a case of business as usual when Allan fired the southerners ahead from a Jose Callejon assist in the sixth minute, but SPAL closed ranks, with 20-year-old goalkeeper Alex Meret impressing.
Captain Marek Hamsik thought he had propelled Napoli further clear when he found the back of the net in the 63rd minute. However, a VAR review denied the Slovakian, who had been booked in the process of celebrating his supposed goal.
There was high drama at the other end of the table as basement boys Benevento recorded only their third ever top-flight victory thanks to Cheickh Diabate’s last-gasp clincher in a 3-2 triumph over Crotone.
A first Benevento goal for former Tottenham midfielder Sandro cancelled out Giovanni Crociata’s opener for 17th-placed Crotone and after the hour the hosts went ahead through Nicolas Viola’s screamer from distance.
Ahmed Benali temporarily put the brakes on Benevento’s run to 10 points for the season so far with his headed equaliser, yet Malian substitute Diabate tucked away a Berat Djimsiti to nick it in the 89th minute.
Bologna‘s 2-1 win against local rivals Sassuolo swung on the 86th-minute dismissal of Edoardo Goldaniga.
Andrea Poli hurt his former employers Sassuolo with a coolly taken open in the 12th minute at the Stadio Renato dall’Ara, but the Neroverdi were level before the break thanks to on-loan Fiorentina striker Khouma Babacar, who had an easy finish to make after Domenico Berardi set him up.
Towards the end of an even second half, Goldaniga saw a second yellow and then red for fouling Ladislav Krejci, giving Erick Pulgar the opportunity to drive home a winning goal from the resultant free kick.
Be the first to comment