Milik brace sends Napoli top

MILAN — Free-scoring Napoli went provisionally top of the Italian league Saturday after a 3-1 win over Bologna thanks largely to a brace from newly signed Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik. Napoli fans were horrified to lose Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain who transferred to Juventus in the summer after he scored 36 goals last season, but freshly signed from Ajax, Milik is on fire. The 22-year-old international has now grabbed four goals in four league games and scored a brace as Napoli came from behind to beat Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League in midweek. Napoli has ten points from four games while Juventus, now boasting Higuain in attack, on nine travels to Inter Milan Sunday and third placed Roma has seven points ahead of its game at Fiorentina. Napoli’s Spanish striker Jose Maria Callejon opened the scoring on 14 minutes taking his own league tally to five so far, but Bologna drew level with a Simone Verdi lob on 56. Milik’s first was also a lob giving Napoli a 2-1 lead on 67 minutes before his fierce left-foot drive on 78 sealed a 3-1 win and sent his side provisionally top. Lazio thumped Pescara 3-0 to climb fourth on seven points with goals from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic with a superb header on 67 minutes, Stefan Radu then nodded home a corner and finally Ciro Immobile scored with a tap in 14 minutes from time. AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca came off the bench to clinch three points with a late strike in a 1-0 win at Sampdoria Friday. Milan’s second win in four outings moved them up to three points off Juventus at the top before the rest of the weekend program. Falcao puts Monaco on top A towering Radamel Falcao header helped send Monaco top in France Saturday as a 3-0 home win over Rennes saw it leapfrog Paris Saint Germain. The win means Leonardo Jardim’s Monaco have 13 points from five games ahead of PSG on ten, while Nice can join Monaco at the top with a win at Montpellier Sunday. This was Monaco’s seventh consecutive win and follows a slick 2-1 triumph over Tottenham at Wembley in the Champions League in midweek. — AFP