Higuain sticks to one-goal-per-game habit

Rome, Feb. 4, (GNA/dpa) - Napoli beat Lazio 2 - 0 Wednesday as Gonzalo Higuain tallied his 23rd goal to help the Serie A leaders stay two points clear of champions Juventus.

The game at Rome's Stadio Olimpico was interrupted halfway through the second half as home fans chanted slogans against Napoli fans, which will likely lead to a stadium closure based on a law against territorial discrimination.

The win raises the Naples side to 53 points from 23 games.

Higuain was denied by Federico Marchetti on seven minutes after being set up by a backward pass and lucked out on 24 as the keeper blocked his deflection but was stunned as the ball bounced off the Argentine's chest.

Spaniard Jose Callejon virtually secured Napoli's seventh successive win three minutes later, lobbing home to finish off a counter-attack to stay on target in the last four games.

In Turin second-place Juve beat Genoa 1-0 on Wednesday to set a club record of 13 straight league victories.

Juve also had some luck on their winner as Colombian Juan Cuadrado stormed on the right to have his low cross deflected from Genoa defender Sebastian De Maio on the half hour.

The Bianconeri substitute Simone Zaza fired onto goalkeeper Mattia Perin on 55th minutes and was sent off for a rude foul in injury time.

"We must go on like this and be ready for the direct clash with Napoli [on February 13] and play a great game," Cuadrado said.

"We must think about Frosinone [Sunday], a difficult game. We must recuperate and try to win there."

Colombian forward Carlos Bacca opened for AC Milan in a 2-0 win at Palermo, where M'Baye Niang on 33 minutes converted from the spot as the Devils stayed in sixth position.

Third-place Fiorentina (45) won 2-1 over promoted Carpi from a last-gasp textbook drive by new Argentine signing Mauro Zarate.

Borja Valero gave the hosts an early lead, and La Viola's coach Paulo Sousa was dismissed for his protests on 66 minutes, seven before Carpi levelled with substitute Kevin Lasagna.

Inter Milan had Mauro Icardi on target to edge Chievo 1-0 and stay one point behind the Florentines.

Empoli drew 1-1 at home to Udinese, levelling late from Manuel Pucciarelli after Riccardo Saponara missed a penalty as Duvan Zapata opened for the Udine guests.

Sampdoria drew 2-2 with Torino, whose Andrea Belotti scored a brace, and bottom side Verona rallied to win 2-1 over 10-man Atalanta, who had Boukary Drame sent off on 55th minutes.

Earlier Wednesday, Frosinone beat 10-man Bologna 1-0 in a fixture between promoted sides.

Bologna came close in the first half from Alex Ferrari's flick and had defender Marios Oikonomou dismissed in the 64th minute after a second yellow card.

Frosinone substitute Federico Dionisi converted a penalty on 77th minutes. They are still second-last on 19 points from 23 games, while Bologna sit 10th on 29.

Roma won 2 - 0 at Sassuolo Tuesday to remain in fifth place

GNA