AC Milan wins consecutive games for 1st time since February

AC Milan’s Japanese midfielder Keisuke Honda (R) vies with Lazio’s Italian midfielder Marco Parolo during the Italian Serie A football match AC Milan vs Lazio at San Siro Stadium in Milan on September 20, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / GIUSEPPE CACACE

MILAN — AC Milan has won consecutive Serie A matches for the first time since February.

The Rossoneri beat visiting Lazio 2-0 on Tuesday to follow up a 1-0 win over Sampdoria on Friday.

Carlos Bacca opened the scoring in the first half and M’Baye Niang converted a penalty after the break.

Milan moved within one point of Serie A leader Napoli, which visits Genoa on Wednesday.

Lazio, which is winless at the San Siro against Milan since 1989, remained three points back.

After Lazio midfielder Danilo Cataldi gave the ball away, Juraj Kucka’s through ball left Bacca with only the goalkeeper to beat and he easily slotted the ball past Serie A debutante Thomas Strakosha.

Strakosha, a 21-year-old Albanian, was filling in after regular Lazio starter Federico Marchetti injured his calf during the warmup.

A hand ball by Stefan Radu led to Niang’s penalty after good work from Bacca, who joined Napoli’s Jose Callejon atop the scoring chart with five goals each.

Milan’s previous consecutive wins came against city rival Inter Milan in the derby and Palermo on Jan. 31 and Feb. 3 of last season. Milan finished seventh last season, missing out on European football.