Napoli Passes Big Test of Serie A Leadership with 2-0 Win at AC Milan

Soccer Football - Serie A - AC Milan v Napoli - San Siro, Milan, Italy - October 29, 2024 Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo
Soccer Football - Serie A - AC Milan v Napoli - San Siro, Milan, Italy - October 29, 2024 Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo
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Napoli Passes Big Test of Serie A Leadership with 2-0 Win at AC Milan

Soccer Football - Serie A - AC Milan v Napoli - San Siro, Milan, Italy - October 29, 2024 Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo
Soccer Football - Serie A - AC Milan v Napoli - San Siro, Milan, Italy - October 29, 2024 Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo

Antonio Conte’s Napoli passed a big test of its Serie A leadership with a 2-0 win at AC Milan on Tuesday.
Romelu Lukaku and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored first-half goals at the San Siro and Napoli opened up a seven-point lead over defending champion Inter Milan, which visits Empoli on Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.
Lukaku muscled a defender to the ground before scoring from the center of the area early on. Then Kvaratskhelia dribbled past two defenders before launching an angled shot into the far corner before the break.
Milan center forward Alvaro Morata had a potential goal waved off for offside early in the second half.
Milan is eighth, 11 points back.
Napoli returns to the San Siro in less than two weeks to face Inter. The Partenopei have rebounded strongly after a 10th-place finish last season and are in position to earn their second title in three years.
Conte was hired in June after Napoli went through three different coaches last season.
Napoli hasn't lost since falling 3-0 at Hellas Verona in its season debut on Aug. 18.
Also, Bologna won 2-0 at Cagliari with goals from Riccardo Orsolini and Jens Odgaard; and Lecce beat nine-man Hellas Verona 1-0 with a goal from Patrick Dorgu.



Bayern Have Attacking Options to Replace Kane, Says Kompany

 Bayern's head coach Vincent Kompany claps hands during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP)
Bayern's head coach Vincent Kompany claps hands during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP)
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Bayern Have Attacking Options to Replace Kane, Says Kompany

 Bayern's head coach Vincent Kompany claps hands during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP)
Bayern's head coach Vincent Kompany claps hands during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich at the Signal-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP)

Bayern Munich have enough talented players to replace injured striker Harry Kane, starting on Tuesday with their German Cup round of 16 tie against holders Bayer Leverkusen, coach Vincent Kompany.

The England captain, who has netted 20 goals across all competitions this season and leads the Bundesliga scorers' list with 14, suffered a thigh muscle injury in Saturday's 1-1 league draw at Borussia Dortmund.

Kane is expected to be out for a couple of weeks but Kompany said he hoped he could still return to action before the winter break starts on Dec. 22. Bayern are top of the Bundesliga with a four-point lead over Eintracht Frankfurt.

"It is difficult to say at this moment but there is a chance for him to still play this year," Kompany told a press conference on Monday.

"But he will miss several games and to replace him, you know you cannot replace the goals or the player one-for-one. That's why he is a top player."

Kompany said players like Thomas Mueller, Serge Gnabry, Michael Olise and Leroy Sane had enough experience to fill the gap.

"We have talent in the team and need to solve it differently. We won't be lacking talent tomorrow but it will look different," Kompany said.

"We have many options. Thomas Mueller, Mathys Tel, Gnabry, Olise, Leroy. I now named almost everyone. Obviously, Harry has scored 20 goals... but we have dangerous players in attack."

Bayern last won the German Cup in 2020 and have failed to get past the quarter-finals since, losing in the second round in three of the past four seasons.

"We play the Cup holders tomorrow. One of the top two or three games in Germany, and I hope our performance will match the importance of the game," Kompany said.