Udinese leapfrog Lazio thanks to Di Natale double
Sunday, May 8, 2011
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Udinese Calcio are back in the UEFA Champions League hunt thanks to a 2-1 win against S.S. Lazio, on a day when third-placed SSC Napoli lost by the same margin against lowly UC Lecce.
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Udinese Calcio stole ahead in the race for the last UEFA Champions League place after a 2-1 win against S.S. Lazio moved the Friulani up to fourth place in Serie A at their opponents' expense.
Antonio Di Natale's first-half double took him on to 28 league goals for the season – one shy of last year's tally – but more importantly lifted Udinese two points clear of Lazio, whose reply through Libor Kozák could not prevent defeat. Indeed, the Blucerchiati are now down to sixth, level on points with AS Roma, who drew with newly crowned champions AC Milan on Saturday.
Like Lazio, third-placed SSC Napoli also met with disappointment, slumping to a third defeat in four league matches against relegation-threatened US Lecce. Javier Chevantón's 88th-minute winner took Luigi De Canio's side out of the bottom three, where UC Sampdoria now lie following their last-gasp defeat by city rivals Genoa CFC. Despite Napoli's 2-1 loss, though, the Partenopei remain six points above Udinese and need just a point from their last two matches to secure UEFA Champions League football next term.
That same reward is at least some comfort for FC Internazionale Milano, who overcame ACF Fiorentina 3-1 the day after learning that they had missed out on the Scudetto for the first time in six years. Giampaolo Pazzini, Esteban Cambiasso and Coutinho plundered the goals for the Nerazzurri.
At the other end of the table, there were wins for Calcio Catania and AC Cesena at Brescia Calcio and Cagliari Calcio respectively, while Parma FC secured their top-flight status with a goalless draw at Bologna FC, who, on 41 points, are still not quite safe with two matches to go.
