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April 26, 2012

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Loss sets back Lazio push for top-3 finish

LAZIO missed a glorious chance to strengthen its grip on third place in the Italian Serie A yesterday after losing 1-2 at relegation-threatened Novara.

A beautifully-struck free-kick from substitute Giuseppe Mascara 11 minutes from time gave Novara a win that is likely to only delay its return to the second tier.

The home side had taken a first-half lead courtesy of an own-goal from Modibo Diakite, but Lazio pulled level when Antonio Candreva turned in the rebound after Stefano Mauri's shot had been saved.

Novara remains eight points from safety before 17th-placed Genoa kicks off later on against AC Milan.

Udinese can move level on 55 points with Lazio by beating Inter Milan, with the two rivals for the final qualifying position for next season's Champions League set to meet on Sunday.

New hope

Lazio's defeat also gives Napoli and AS Roma new hope of snatching third place.

Elsewhere, Serie A leader Juventus, three points ahead of AC Milan, was traveling to Cesena.

The mid-week matches are those rescheduled from April 14, when the entire Italian football league program was canceled after Livorno's Piermario Morosini collapsed and died during a second division game at Pescara.

On Tuesday, Cagliari, playing at "home" in Trieste, 800 kilometers away from Sardinia, eased its fears of avoiding the Serie A drop with a 3-0 win over Catania.

Cagliari was playing the first of its final three home games in Trieste, a city near the Slovenian border, because of an ongoing row with the Sardinian capital's council over their dilapidated Sant'Elia Stadium.

Goals from Thiago Ribeiro, Mauricio Pinilla and Victor Ibarbo secured an impressive win for Cagliari.

Maxi Moralez's stunning effort from the edge of the area on 72 minutes secured Atalanta a 1-0 win at home over Chievo Verona and moved it up to ninth place.



 

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