(Reuters) – Napoli opened a four-point lead over Juventus in the race for third place in Serie A after Fabian Ruiz’s second-half goal helped them win 1-0 at Torino on Saturday.
With two matches left, Napoli are third on 73 points, ahead of fourth-placed Juventus, whose chances of winning the title ended after Friday’s 2-1 shock defeat at relegation-threatened Genoa. Torino are tenth on 47 points.
After a dispiriting first half in which Napoli struggled to finish off their chances, central midfielder Ruiz found the breakthrough, firing in a low effort in the 73rd minute.
Ruiz took advantage of Tommaso Pobega’s blunder and got past two defenders before finding the net as Luciano Spalletti’s side recovered from Lorenzo Insigne missing a penalty on the hour mark.
Torino’s best chance to score came in the first half when striker Andrea Belotti attempted a back-flicked header, but Napoli goalkeeper David Ospina dived at full stretch to make a brilliant save.
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
