AC Milan late goal rescues draw at bottom club Salernitana. Fiorentina, Lazio, Genoa win
Sassuolo's Andrea Pinamonti, right, scores the opening goal during the Serie A soccer match between Sassuolo Calcio and CFC Genoa 1893 at Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia, Italy, Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. Credit: AP/Massimo Paolone
ROME — Fiorentina moved up to fourth in Serie A after winning at Monza 1-0, while Lazio climbed into the top half of the table with a comfortable 2-0 victory at struggling Empoli on Friday.
AC Milan needed a late goal to salvage a point at bottom club Salernitana and Genoa came from behind to beat Sassuolo 2-1.
AC Milan, three points ahead of Fiorentina. Lazio jumped two places into ninth.
A major shock was averted at Salernitana, where the home side led 2-1 with a minute left and looked like recording only its second win of the season.
Fikayo Tomori put Milan 1-0 up with a header after 17 minutes but Salernitana grew into the game and got the equalizer it deserved shortly before halftime when veteran Argentine defender Federico Fazio headed home from a corner.
Antonio Candreva put Salernitana ahead in the second half, but Milan substitute Luka Jovic scored in the last minute to secure a point.
Fiorentina’s match-winner was Lucas Beltrán but Monza goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio will shoulder much of the blame. With six minutes on the clock, Di Gregorio tried to play the ball out but his pass was too close to Beltrán, whose outstretched leg diverted the ball into the net.
Sassuolo's head coach Alessio Dionisi gestures during the Serie A soccer match between Sassuolo Calcio and CFC Genoa 1893 at Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia, Italy, Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. Credit: AP/Massimo Paolone
In Empoli, Lazio returned to winning ways after two straight losses.
Mattéo Guendouzi got the opener after eight minutes when he rifled home through a crowd of players following a goalmouth scramble.
Mattia Zaccagni doubled the lead midway through the second half when he stabbed home from close range.
Empoli has the poorest attack in the league with just 10 goals in 17 games and although it matched Lazio at times, the result left it third from bottom.
Sassuolo's scorer Andrea Pinamonti, center right, and his teammate Armand Lauriente, center left, celebrate the opening goal during the Serie A soccer match between Sassuolo Calcio and CFC Genoa 1893 at Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia, Italy, Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. Credit: AP/Massimo Paolone
Genoa came from behind to beat Sassuolo 2-1 and end its four-game winless streak.
Sassuolo took the lead through Andrea Pinamonti after 28 minutes and Genoa equalized in the second half when Albert Gudmundsson converted from the penalty spot after Martin Eric was adjudged to have handled the ball.
Gudmundsson, whose goal was his second in two games, was also involved three minutes before time in the match-winner. His pass to Caleb Ekuban led to the goal that also lifted them above Sassuolo into 14th place.
