Serie A: Victor Osimhen powers Napoli forward, Juventus lose

Victor Osimhen scores a brilliant volley as Napoli beat Roma to extend their lead at the top of the Serie A table, Juventus lose at home to Monza

Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen fires Napoli in front on Sunday in their Serie A encounter against AS Roma. The log leaders won 2-1. (Photo credit: Sky Italia)

The Italian Serie A seems to be primed for Napoli to lift the Scudetto for the first time since Diego Maradona led them to the title over two decades ago.

Victor Osimhen's smart volley gave the league leaders the lead against Jose Mourinho's AS Roma in the first half.

But Stephan El Shaarawy equalised for the visitors with less than a quarter-hour remaining, and knowing the Portuguese manager and his defensive solidity in the past, you'd think that's points shared.

Napoli has proven to be more than basic this season and wouldn’t settle for a point.

Luciano Spalletti made changes, and one of his substitutes won the game for him. Giovanni Simeone got on the end of a Piotr Zielinski assist to hand the leaders a well-deserved victory.

On what was called a "Super Sunday" in Italy, champions AC Milan lost to Sassuolo in a scandalous way at home.

Stefano Pioli’s side had two goals disallowed, but the visitors were too good to handle as Domenico Berardi scored once and assisted three others to end the game 5-2.

Olivier Giroud and Divock Origi scored for the champions, but it’s now clear as day that AC Milan will not be defending their title as they slipped fifteen points off the top of the log and are level on points with fourth-placed Atalanta.

Nicolo Casle’s early opener for Lazio was cancelled out by Fiorentina’s Nico Gonzales just four minutes after the restart, and Fiorentina would rue missed chances that could have won them the game away to high-flying Lazio.

Mauricio Sarri’s side blew AC Milan away in the League Cup in midweek and look quite good in the Serie A log as they sit in third, two points behind second-placed Inter Milan.

But they couldn’t hold on for a precious win, and on the balance of play, the hosts were lucky to hang on to a point.

It went from bad to worse for the Old Lady of Turin as Juventus slumped to a 2-0 home defeat on Sunday to newly promoted Monza.

The former champions were docked fifteen points by the ruling body for off-field offences but are now in more danger on the league table.

Currently thirteenth on the Serie A log, Juventus is now thirty-odd points off Napoli at the top, and that signals the end of any hopes of a title this season.

Only pride is left to fight for, but with the team struggling to find form and hunters preying on their talents.

It looks like the dark hour is back in Turin.