Atalanta, AC Milan move to top of table after victories

MILAN: Napoli risk a 3-0 forfeit for failing to turn up for their Serie A clash against Juventus amid a row over coronavirus protocol in Italy on Sunday, allowing title rivals Atalanta and AC Milan move top of Serie A ahead of Inter Milan who were held at Lazio.

Gennaro Gattuso's Napoli had been top of the league going into weekend's action with two wins in as many games as they target a third Serie A title and first in 30 years.

But Eljif Elmas and Piotr Zielinski's positive coronavirus tests forced the southerners into home isolation on the instructions of health authorities in the Campania region.

The Lega Serie A insisted all the health protocols were in place for the match to safely go ahead as scheduled for Turin at 1845 GMT.

"(Napoli president Aurelio) De Laurentiis asked me to postpone the match, I replied that there are regulations to be respected," Juve president Andrea Agnelli told Sky Sport Italia.

"A 3-0 win? I always prefer to win on the field," Agnelli added whose side had four points after two games as they chase a 10th title in a row.

Amid the turmoil, Andrea Pirlo's champions prepared their game as usual, naming a starting list, despite solid indications of a Napoli no-show for the third game of the season.

The Juventus bus pulled into the Allianz Stadium an hour beforehand, with the players remaining in their tracksuits on the pitch, along with referees and a handful of supporters under the rain.

The match was eventually abandoned 45 minutes after its scheduled start time, with Napoli's fate now depending on a meeting of Italian league officials on Tuesday.

"Honestly, there are people who are competent to deal with situations and problems of this type," said Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte.

Serie A runners-up Inter were held 1-1 in a bad-tempered game against Lazio in Rome where both teams finished a man down.

Lazio played the final 20 minutes without last season's top Serie A scorer Ciro Immobile, who was sent off for hitting out at Arturo Vidal, with Inter's Stefano Sensi also seeing red with minutes to go. But Conte was happy to take a point from the Stadio Olimpico before the Milan derby.

Lautaro Martinez's first-half goal was cancelled out by Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's header ten minutes into the second half. Agencies

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