Napoli move clear at top of Serie A

Milan, Oct. 30: Despite mounting injury problems, Napoli moved clear at the top of Serie A with a 1-0 win at Lecce on Tuesday.

Kevin De Bruyne was the latest player sidelined and the talismanic midfielder will most likely not return until February after a serious thigh injury in Saturday's 3-1 win over Inter Milan.

Frank Anguissa scored the only goal of the match at Lecce after Napoli goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic had saved a penalty from teenager Francesco Camarda.

Defending champion Napoli moved three points clear of Roma. AC Milan moved level on points with Roma after a 1-1 draw at Atalanta. Milan hosts Roma on Sunday. Atalanta remained the only unbeaten team in Serie A but has drawn seven of its nine league matches.

Lecce was two points above the relegation zone.

Napoli struggled to break Lecce down and the home side had a great opportunity to take the lead when it was awarded a penalty early in the second half following a lengthy video review as Juan Jesus was adjudged to have touched Kialonda Gaspar's header with his hand.

Milinkovic-Savic is known as somewhat of a penalty specialist and he lived up to his reputation by denying Camarda. The Serbian has saved five of the last nine spotkicks he has faced.

The 17-year-old Camarda, who is on loan from Milan, looked distraught and was seen in tears on the bench after being substituted in the 70th minute.

That was moments after Napoli had taken the lead as Anguissa met David Neres' pinpoint free kick with a glancing header into the top far corner.

Ademola Lookman scored his first goal of the season as he looks to put his summer transfer saga firmly behind him. Lookman was left out of the squad at the start of the campaign after trying to force a move away from Atalanta in the transfer window. The Nigeria forward only returned to the starting lineup this month. 

He netted a delightful equalizer in the 35th minute, controlling Mario Pasalic’s through-ball as he turned before lashing it into the roof of the net.

Dortmund knock Frankfurt out 

Borussia Dortmund eliminated Eintracht Frankfurt from the German Cup in the second round on Tuesday, winning 4-2 on penalties after the match finished 1-1. Dortmund were faultless from the spot with Fabio Silva, Niklas Suele, Carney Chukwuemeka and Felix Nmecha all converting, while Ritsu Doan and Fares Chaibi both missed penalties for the home side.

Frankfurt's Mario Goetze and Ansgar Knauff, both cup winners with Dortmund, combined to put the home side in front after seven minutes. Goetze threaded the ball through the Dortmund defence, allowing Knauff to stroke home.

Dortmund hit back three minutes after the break, Julian Brandt tapping in a pinpoint Julian Ryerson cross from close range.

The match went to extra time and Germany striker Jonathan Burkardt looked to have sealed it for the hosts when he scored in the 115th minute, but the strike was ruled out for offside.

In the shootout, Can Uzun and former Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi both converted for Frankfurt, but Doan blasted his attempt well over the bar.

Chaibi needed to convert Frankfurt's fourth kick to keep his side in with a chance, but blasted the ball straight at Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, sending the visitors to the last 16.

"We've got a sensational goalie and plenty of good penalty shooters. It feels nice," Brandt told reporters.

The game was a rematch of the 2017 German Cup final, won 2-1 by Dortmund, with current Borussia coach Niko Kovac then in the Frankfurt dugout.

Two-time winners RB Leipzig cantered to a 4-1 victory at neighbours Energie Cottbus, with Johan Bakayoko and Christoph Baumgartner both scoring doubles for the visitors.

Bochum eliminated top-flight Augsburg 1-0 away and Borussia Moenchengladbach won 3-1 at home against Karlsruhe.

Brentford win, Wrexham knocked out

Fourth-tier Grimsby's impressive run in the English League Cup came to an end with a thrashing by Premier League team Brentford on Tuesday. Brentford won 5-0 at Blundell Park, the scene of Manchester United's stunning loss to Grimsby in the second round in August.

Grimsby then beat second-tier Sheffield Wednesday in the third round but got overwhelmed by Brentford, which had five different scorers — Mathias Jensen, Keane Lewis-Potter, Reiss Nelson, Fabio Carvalho and Nathan Collins.

Fulham became the second Premier League club to advance by beating third-tier Wycombe Wanderers 5-4 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw.

Wrexham, the team owned by Hollywood celebrities Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, missed out on making the last eight after losing 2-1 at home to fellow Welsh team Cardiff City.