Italian football: Milan slip but stay ahead

Leaders Milan saw their 100 per cent start to the Italian season ruined by a 1-0 defeat at Bari yesterday. Milan also had their international midfielder Demetrio Albertini sent off, but the early-season pacemakers stayed one point clear at the top of Serie A as their closest rivals, Juventus and Napoli, fought out a 1-1 draw in Turin.

Carmine Gautieri scored Bari's winner immediately after half-time, breaking away from Milan's defence on the halfway line to beat Sebastiano Rossi with a diagonal shot.

The champions Juventus, due to meet Milan in two weeks, failed to take advantage of their rivals' setback, struggling to contain a Napoli side enjoying their best start to a season since winning the title in 1990. The visitors took a deserved lead in the 51st minute when Fabio Pecchia beat Juve's offside trap before rounding Angelo Peruzzi. Within four minutes, Gianluca Vialli levelled and a weary-looking Juventus held on for a point as Napoli's Brazilian sweeper Andre Cruz struck the bar in the closing minutes.

Parma won 3-1 at Padova, thanks to two from Hristo Stoichkov. Following the dismissal of their coach Ottavio Bianchi, Internazionale bounced back from their midweek Uefa Cup exit against Lugano with an impressive 4-0 thrashing of Torino, who had Ruggero Rizzitelli sent off. Lazio stand fifth after a goalless draw against Roma.