With the game-winning goal in AC Milan’s 1-0 win against Napoli on Sunday, Olivier Giroud gave his club a big boost in the Serie A title battle. Three minutes after the break, veteran forward Giroud redirected home a stray shot at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona to put Milan two points ahead of local rivals Inter Milan. Inter, who have a game in hand, had taken the lead with a 5-0 thrashing of Salernitana on Friday, but now lie second, a point behind Napoli. The Frenchman’s ninth league goal came on an eventful night for the 35-year-old, as it was his first away from the San Siro since joining Chelsea in the summer.
“I always try to do my job when I’m in the area, to be in the right place at the right time,” Giroud told DAZN.
“I don’t want to talk about the Scudetto right now but we’re hoping to win something this year. We’re ambitious and we’ll fight to the end.”
When Giroud was flattened by Kalidou Koulibaly midway through the first half, it appeared like he would not finish the game. He was down for over two minutes while medical workers sought to stitch up a seeping gash above his ankle.
Seven minutes before halftime, Giroud collided with David Ospina, leaving the Napoli goalkeeper prone on the turf, but he eventually got up and continued.
Just before the hour mark, a recovering Ospina did well to tip over Ismael Bennacer’s low drive, while Theo Hernandez and Alexis Saelemaekers could have extended the lead late on in a truly remarkable effort that enhances their title credentials.
It comes after two heartbreaking draws against bottom-placed Salernitana and Udinese, which had put Napoli in command of the league on goal difference entering into this week’s meetings.
Despite having a virtually full-strength lineup and a large crowd behind them, Luciano Spalletti’s team was the league’s form team in 2022 but failed to ignite.
“Today was a tremendous opportunity for us that we squandered, but we can’t cry about it since there are still a lot of games to play,” Napoli captain Lorenzo Insigne remarked, upset.
“No one here will remember us if we play like we did tonight.”
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