Higuain, Milan end goal droughts
AC Milan ended a four-match goal drought and striker Gonzalo Higuain was on target for the first time in two months as they came from behind to beat SPAL 2-1 in Serie A on Saturday.
The Argentine forward, without a goal since Oct. 28, endured another frustrating evening until Hakan Calhanoglu touched Davide Calabria's cross into his path and he smashed the ball into the roof of the net in the 64th minute.
Higuain, who until then had taken to lifting up his shirt and putting it in his mouth after every frustrated attack, rushed to the touchline where he was mobbed by players and coaching staff.
Milan, without a league goal since their 2-1 win over Parma on Dec. 2, were in more trouble when Andrea Petagna gave SPAL the lead in the 13th minute, turning past Alessio Romagnoli and scoring with a deflected shot.
But the hosts got a reprieve three minutes later courtesy of SPAL's Filippo Costa whose clearance went straight to Samu Castillejo and he rifled the ball home to end Milan's spell of 395 minutes without a league goal -- their longest since 1984.
Milan had Suso sent off for a second bookable offence.
Milan climbed to fifth in the table with 31 points, one behind Lazio who are fourth and in the last of the Champions League slots.
Meanwhile, Napoli's Dries Mertens scored two minutes from time to give his second-placed side a 3-2 win over Bologna after the struggling visitors twice fought back to equalise.
Arkadiusz Milik put Napoli ahead on two occasions but Bologna, without a win in 12 league matches, hit back with goals by Federico Santander and Danilo.
Carlo Ancelotti's Napoli stayed nine points behind leaders Juventus, who have 53 points after a 2-1 win at home to Sampdoria, as the championship reached the halfway mark.
Milik scored in the 16th minute, prodding the ball home after a series of rebounds, only for Santander to level for Bologna just after the half hour, the Paraguayan getting in front of his marker at a free kick to power home a header.
Napoli regained the lead with a Milik header six minutes after the restart only to concede another goal from a set piece, Danilo this time scoring in the 80th minute as Koulibaly's absence was sorely felt.
Belgian Mertens then came to the rescue, cutting inside to score from the edge of the area with a shot which bounced under Lukasz Skorupski.
The defeat kept Bologna in the relegation zone in 18th place with 13 points.
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