Inter could not have imagined a more satisfying way to win 20th Scudetto | Nicky Bandini
21 HRS AGO - Simone Inzaghi’s thrilling tactics have seen Nerazzurri pull clear of their city rivals – and the Expand
21 HRS AGO - Simone Inzaghi’s thrilling tactics have seen Nerazzurri pull clear of their city rivals – and the rest of the Italian top flightHow else could it end but like this: tempers boiling over and the red card being shown to one player after another as Inter sealed their 20th league title with a win over neighbours Milan? Denzel Dumfries and Théo Hernández were first to be sent off after squaring up in midfield at the start of injury time. Milan’s Davide Calabria followed moments later for throwing a forearm into the face of Davide Frattesi at a corner.And then the final whistle went, transforming a ruck into revelry as the rest of Inter’s players and staff rushed from the dugout to join their colleagues on San Siro’s pitch. They carried giant Scudetto shields displaying the No 20 against the colours of the Italian flag. The two Milan clubs began this season tied on 19 league titles apiece. Now Inter will be the first to affix a second gold star to their club badge. Continue reading... Collapse
European football: Müller stars on 400th league start as Bayern run riot
3 DAYS AGO - Müller double and Kane free-kick secures 5-1 win at Union BerlinNapoli miss out on chance to close Expand
3 DAYS AGO - Müller double and Kane free-kick secures 5-1 win at Union BerlinNapoli miss out on chance to close in on Serie A European placesBayern Munich’s Thomas Müller scored twice on his 400th Bundesliga start and Harry Kane bagged his 33rd league goal of the season in a 5-1 victory at Union Berlin. Leon Goretzka and the 18-year-old Mathys Tel were also on target as Thomas Tuchel capped a successful week featuring a Champions League semi-final place and a comfortable win on the road.Second-placed Bayern ceded the title to Bayer Leverkusen last week but have moved to 66 points from 30 matches, three points clear of VfB Stuttgart, who visit Werder Bremen on Sunday. Continue reading... Collapse
European football: Bayern sink Cologne to delay Leverkusen’s coronation
13/04/2024 - Tuchel’s side win 2-0 but lose Coman for Arsenal gameJuventus out of Serie A title race after draw Expand
13/04/2024 - Tuchel’s side win 2-0 but lose Coman for Arsenal gameJuventus out of Serie A title race after draw with TorinoBayern Munich struck twice in the second half to earn a 2-0 win over Cologne and bounce back from two straight league losses, delaying Bayer Leverkusen the title for 24 hours at least. Xabi Alonso’s side are 13 points ahead and poised to wrap up their first championship with a win over Werder Bremen on Sunday.Bayern’s only hope of silverware this season rests with the Champions League and they host Arsenal on Wednesday in their quarter-final second leg, after the 2-2 draw in London last Tuesday. They suffered a serious injury blow against Cologne, however, with the winger Kingsley Coman taken off in the 50th minute and ruled out for several weeks with an adductor muscle injury. Continue reading... Collapse
European football: Ajax’s season hits new low after 6-0 Feyenoord thrashing
07/04/2024 - Fenerbahce concede Turkish Super Cup after walking offJuventus beat Fiorentina to end four-game Expand
07/04/2024 - Fenerbahce concede Turkish Super Cup after walking offJuventus beat Fiorentina to end four-game winless Serie A runAjax’s disastrous season hit a new low on Sunday when they suffered a humiliating 6-0 defeat to bitter rivals Feyenoord in Rotterdam, their largest ever loss in De Klassieker and the joint-fifth biggest defeat in the club’s history.Ajax have been hit by issues on and off the pitch this campaign but while they were depleted by injury, few would have foreseen their capitulation as they managed one shot at goal compared to 30 for their hosts at De Kuip. Igor Paixao and Yankuba Minteh grabbed a brace each for the home side to go with goals for David Hancko and Quinten Timber, who made his Netherlands debut last month. Continue reading... Collapse
European roundup: Atlético climb into top four, Inter close in on Serie A title
01/04/2024 - Saúl Ñíguez’s late winner ends Atlético Madrid’s poor runInter beat Empoli; Bologna dream of Expand
01/04/2024 - Saúl Ñíguez’s late winner ends Atlético Madrid’s poor runInter beat Empoli; Bologna dream of Champions LeagueSaúl Ñíguez came off the bench to score a late winner, giving Atlético Madrid a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Villarreal, as Diego Simeone’s side climbed back into La Liga’s top four with eight games left.It was a much-needed win for Atlético after two consecutive losses had left them in danger of missing out on a Champions League spot next season. The visitors started well and were in control when Axel Witsel headed in from a corner to give Atlético the lead in the ninth minute. But Alexander Sørloth took advantage of a mistake by Antoine Griezmann to equalise five minutes after the break. The France forward stepped on the ball and lost possession before Villarreal found Sørloth who fired a tidy finish past Jan Oblak. Continue reading... Collapse
Simone Inzaghi’s innovations make the improbable probable for Inter | Nicky Bandini
11/03/2024 - The Serie A leaders showed their freedom and flexibility against Bologna, and their ability to Expand
11/03/2024 - The Serie A leaders showed their freedom and flexibility against Bologna, and their ability to score goals that are beyond any other teamMarco Parolo was only joking when he posed the question to Simone Inzaghi last December. “Back when you were coaching me at Lazio you offered us players a dinner for the first goal assisted by one wing-back and scored by the other,” said the former Italy international during an interview after Inter’s home win over Udinese. “What are you trying for now? A goal set up by the defender from one side of your back three and scored by the one on the other side?”The translation is a little unwieldy. In Italian, Parolo was contrasting “un gol da quinto a quinto” with one “da terzo a terzo”, but English does not offer an equivalent for this shorthand reference to footballers’ positions as “fifths” and “thirds”. The sentiment was what mattered. Parolo was marvelling like the rest of us at the fluidity of an Internazionale side in which it can seem like every Collapse
Inter go 15 points clear as Alexis Sánchez nets controversial winner to sink Genoa
04/03/2024 - Internazionale stretched their lead at the top of Serie A to 15 points with a 2-1 home win over Expand
04/03/2024 - Internazionale stretched their lead at the top of Serie A to 15 points with a 2-1 home win over Genoa on Monday, but controversy lingered over the decision to award the hosts a decisive penalty.Simone Inzaghi had good reason to celebrate his 300th Serie A match as a manager, with his Inter side winning all nine of their league games so far this calendar year and equalling the points total they achieved in the whole of last season. Continue reading... Collapse
European roundup: Bellingham sent off in Real Madrid’s draw at Valencia
03/03/2024 - Vinícius scores twice as Real battle back from 2-0 downBorussia Dortmund stay fourth in Bundesliga Expand
03/03/2024 - Vinícius scores twice as Real battle back from 2-0 downBorussia Dortmund stay fourth in Bundesliga after winJude Bellingham was sent off for the first time at Real Madrid when he protested to the referee who ruled out his 99th-minute winner against Valencia. The Englishman confronted referee Jesús Gil Manzano saying “it’s a fucking goal” after the match official had blown the full-time whistle a fraction of a second before the ball was crossed in for him to head past Giorgi Mamardashvili. Had it stood, It would have been his 21st goal of the season, securing a 3-2 victory at Mestalla. The final whistle appeared to go in two seconds before the ball went into the net.Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said he had never seen anything like it before and insisted that Bellingham had not insulted the referee. The club are likely to appeal the card, which brings with it an automatic suspension. While still in the dressing room, Bellingham retweeted a post calling the decision a scandal. Continue Collapse
European football: Osimhen hat-trick crushes Sassuolo, Inter thrash Atalanta
28/02/2024 - Kvaratskhelia adds another two as Napoli win 6-1Inter beat Atalanta 4-0 to stretch lead at top to Expand
28/02/2024 - Kvaratskhelia adds another two as Napoli win 6-1Inter beat Atalanta 4-0 to stretch lead at top to 12 pointsVictor Osimhen scored a hat-trick in Napoli’s 6-1 thrashing of the struggling Sassuolo in Serie A on Wednesday, the champions’ first win under their caretaker coach Francesco Calzona.Sassuolo took the lead against the run of play in the 17th minute through the midfielder Uros Racic but Amir Rrahmani levelled and Osimhen scored twice to put the visitors 3-1 up at half-time. Continue reading... Collapse
|
Internazionale beat Milan 2-1 to win Serie A title – as it happened
1 DAY AGO - Inter secured their 20th Serie A title with a sixth consecutive victory over Milan in an Expand
1 DAY AGO - Inter secured their 20th Serie A title with a sixth consecutive victory over Milan in an ill-tempered derby2 min: Pavard slides in with an interception to stop Leão racing down the left.1 min: The ball is recycled back to Maignan in goal, before Milan try their luck with a punt down the left. Continue reading... Collapse
Ndicka’s collapse stirs dark memories but rapid response a sign of progress | Nicky Bandini
15/04/2024 - Reaction after Roma player’s fall – and fans’ patience in stands – shows Italian football now Expand
15/04/2024 - Reaction after Roma player’s fall – and fans’ patience in stands – shows Italian football now better equipped for such incidentsIt was easy to fear the worst when Evan Ndicka fell. The Roma defender was away from the play, with no opponents in his immediate vicinity, as he doubled over and then collapsed with a hand on his chest. Twelve years to the day after another footballer, Piermario Morosini, died after suffering cardiac arrest during a Serie B match, the dread of a possible repeat was immediate and overwhelming.Daniele De Rossi was one of the first to see what happened, turning and yelling for the medical team. Roma’s goalkeeper, Mile Svilar, and an opponent, the Udinese striker Lorenzo Lucca, were quickest to reach Ndicka and by their gestures confirmed that urgent treatment was required. Others signalled for quiet from the crowd and fans at the Bluenergy Stadium swiftly acquiesced. Continue reading... Collapse
Inter sink Udinese with last-gasp Frattesi goal to stretch lead at the top
08/04/2024 - Internazionale took another step towards the Serie A title as a stoppage-time goal from Davide Expand
08/04/2024 - Internazionale took another step towards the Serie A title as a stoppage-time goal from Davide Frattesi secured a 2-1 come-from-behind win at UdineseFive minutes into added time, Lautaro Martínez unleashed a low shot that Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye managed to tip onto the post but Frattesi pounced to slot home the rebound. Continue reading... Collapse
European football: Leverkusen close on Bundesliga glory after Bayern crash
06/04/2024 - Florian Wirtz scores only goal for unbeaten Bundesliga leadersGerman champions slump from 2-0 up Expand
06/04/2024 - Florian Wirtz scores only goal for unbeaten Bundesliga leadersGerman champions slump from 2-0 up to lose at HeidenheimThe Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen battled past Union Berlin 1-0 on Saturday with a Florian Wirtz goal to equal a league record unbeaten run of 28 consecutive matches and all but secure their first league title with a 16-point advantage at the top and six matches remaining.Xabi Alonso’s team, who have not lost in 41 matches across all competitions this season, can clinch the Bundesliga and their first trophy in 31 years with a victory at home against Werder Bremen next week. They are also set to break an 11-season stranglehold on the league by Bayern Munich, who have won every Bundesliga title since 2013. Continue reading... Collapse
Inter v Napoli lacks fireworks and grabs headlines for wrong reasons | Nicky Bandini
18/03/2024 - Match that promised much failed to deliver and ended up being remembered for troubling accusations Expand
18/03/2024 - Match that promised much failed to deliver and ended up being remembered for troubling accusations made by Juan JesusIt should have been one of this season’s grand occasions. Inter v Napoli as winter turns to spring: a passing-of-the-baton moment with Serie A’s champions-elect hosting the team who shocked the world when they won the Scudetto last year. We wanted fireworks. We got two flamed-out teams, and a game overshadowed by accusations of a player using racist language.Technically, there were pyrotechnics. Inter were welcomed to San Siro by supporters setting off illuminations and displaying a banner with the words “Fieri di voi” – “Proud of you”. After the disappointment of a midweek Champions League defeat by Atlético Madrid, ultras from the Curva Nord made a deliberate show of gratitude for what has nevertheless been a remarkable year. Continue reading... Collapse
Lecce sack their manager, Roberto D’Aversa, for head-butting Verona player
11/03/2024 - Serie A side Lecce lost 1-0 at home to Verona on SundayD’Aversa butted Verona’s Thomas Henry on Expand
11/03/2024 - Serie A side Lecce lost 1-0 at home to Verona on SundayD’Aversa butted Verona’s Thomas Henry on pitch after gameLecce have fired their manager, Roberto D’Aversa, after he head-butted an opposing player at the end of their loss to Verona at the weekend, the Serie A club said on Monday.D’Aversa head-butted the Verona striker Thomas Henry in the aftermath of their 1-0 home defeat on Sunday, and the club released a statement later that day condemning the incident, and have now dismissed the 48-year-old. Continue reading... Collapse
Juventus at a crossroads as Vlahovic, Allegri and youngsters fluff their lines | Nicky Bandini
04/03/2024 - Not quite in a crisis but a long way from success, Juve’s squad have taken the wrong road, on and Expand
04/03/2024 - Not quite in a crisis but a long way from success, Juve’s squad have taken the wrong road, on and off the pitchMassimiliano Allegri could only find one explanation for Juventus’s 2-1 defeat by Napoli. “Football was invented by the devil,” he said. “A badly-struck penalty but the ball winds up in the net, then [Daniele] Rugani misses from two metres out at the other end.”Long-time observers had heard this turn of phrase before; the devil is one of Allegri’s go-to scapegoats. On a weekend that began with Lazio receiving three red cards in a brutally bad-tempered defeat to Milan, it made a refreshing change from talking about referees. Continue reading... Collapse
European roundup: Bayern lose further ground, Milan beat eight-man Lazio
01/03/2024 - Freiburg grab late equaliser to dent Bayern’s title hopesPellegrini, Marusic and Guendouzi see red Expand
01/03/2024 - Freiburg grab late equaliser to dent Bayern’s title hopesPellegrini, Marusic and Guendouzi see red for LazioFreiburg’s Lucas Höler scored an 87th-minute equaliser to snatch a 2-2 draw against visitors Bayern Munich, whose Bundesliga title hopes suffered a further blow.The result left champions Bayern seven points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who can pull further ahead with a win over Cologne on Sunday. Continue reading... Collapse
European football: Girona back on track against Rayo, Roma boost top-four bid
26/02/2024 - Sávio’s late double seals 3-0 win over 10-man Rayo VallecanoDybala leads win over Torino; Expand
26/02/2024 - Sávio’s late double seals 3-0 win over 10-man Rayo VallecanoDybala leads win over Torino; Fiorentina fightback stuns LazioGirona moved back into second place in La Liga with a 3-0 win over 10-man Rayo Vallecano on Monday evening. Michel’s side are six points behind the leaders, Real Madrid, after ending their three-game winless league run.After a goalless first half at Estadi Montilivi, Girona finally broke down their stubborn opponents in the 52nd minute, when Viktor Tsygankov drilled home a cutback from Miguel Gutiérrez. The Rayo Vallecano substitute Pep Chavarría came on in the 64th minute and was then sent off in the 76th for two yellow cards in quick succession. Continue reading... Collapse
|
Internazionale seal historic 20th Serie A title with derby victory over Milan
1 DAY AGO - Internazionale clinched their 20th Serie A title by beating Milan in a feisty derby at San Siro, Expand
1 DAY AGO - Internazionale clinched their 20th Serie A title by beating Milan in a feisty derby at San Siro, giving Simone Inzaghi’s side an unassailable lead in the standings. A goal from Francesco Acerbi and Marcus Thuram in each half proved sufficient to secure Inter’s victory, with Fikayo Tomori scoring late in the game to reduce the deficit.The match also featured three red cards in stoppage time, with Milan being reduced to nine men as tensions flared. Theo Hernández and Davide Calabria got their marching orders along with Inter’s Denzel Dumfries. Continue reading... Collapse
European football: Roma’s Ndicka ‘in good spirits’ after collapsing
14/04/2024 - Defender taken to hospital after second-half incidentRoma’s match at Udinese abandoned; Inter held Expand
14/04/2024 - Defender taken to hospital after second-half incidentRoma’s match at Udinese abandoned; Inter held by CagliariThe Roma defender Evan Ndicka is recovering in hospital after collapsing on the pitch during Sunday’s Serie A meeting with Udinese. The game at the Bluenergy Stadium was abandoned after 72 minutes with the score at 1-1 after the 24-year-old Ivory Coast international went down off the ball.Ndicka was carried off on a stretcher after undergoing treatment on the pitch, but Roma later confirmed that the player was “feeling better” and “in good spirits” after being taken to hospital for checks. Continue reading... Collapse
Daniele De Rossi’s derby delight brings ‘cinema’ to Roma celebrations | Nicky Bandini
08/04/2024 - Hired on a caretaker basis to the end of this season, De Rossi’s unique relationship with Roma Expand
08/04/2024 - Hired on a caretaker basis to the end of this season, De Rossi’s unique relationship with Roma gives him an obvious appealDaniele De Rossi insisted he had not yearned for these moments. Interviewed by Dazn before Saturday’s Rome derby, he gave us a glimpse of vulnerability he might not have allowed in his playing days. “No, this little bit of anxiety you have beforehand, I really didn’t miss that,” he said candidly. “But that’s the beauty of our sport and our city.”More than 20 years have passed since De Rossi took part in this derby for the first time, coming off the bench in a 2-0 win for Roma. He played 30 more, and it is easy to see why some nervousness may persist. De Rossi endured some of the lowest moments of his career against Lazio, including a red card for punching Stefano Mauri in 2012 and defeat in this fixture’s only-ever major cup final at the end of the same season. Continue reading... Collapse
Will modern man Motta do an Alonso and stick with Bologna over Juventus? | Nicky Bandini
02/04/2024 - Manager once mocked for a throwaway line has his team shooting for the Champions League and Expand
02/04/2024 - Manager once mocked for a throwaway line has his team shooting for the Champions League and admirers on his tailThe calendar showed 1 April, but there was nothing fishy about a league table that showed Bologna in fourth place. Thiago Motta’s side have held that spot for more than a month, even if it was striking to see after Monday’s 3-0 win over Salernitana that they had closed to within two points of Juventus in third. The gap was 20 at the start of February.April Fools’s Day in Italy is known as Pesce d’Aprile – April Fish. The tradition is for children to stick paper pesci on people’s backs and see how long they go unnoticed, but journalists have been known to mark the occasion with made-up stories, as happens in other countries. Bologna supporters must hope the headlines now linking their manager to Juventus turn out to be fake news. Continue reading... Collapse
European roundup: Leverkusen hold on to beat Freiburg; Inter held by Napoli
17/03/2024 - Xabi Alonso’s side reopen 10-point gap over Bayern with 3-2 winJuan Jesus earns Napoli point; Expand
17/03/2024 - Xabi Alonso’s side reopen 10-point gap over Bayern with 3-2 winJuan Jesus earns Napoli point; Kylian Mbappé hits PSG hat-trickBayer Leverkusen held on to win 3-2 at Freiburg to reopen their 10-point lead over Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga table.Florian Wirtz put the visitors, who are unbeaten across all competitions this season, in front after two minutes with a scintillating solo run but Ritsu Doan’s clever shot in the 10th minute drew Freiburg level. Continue reading... Collapse
European football: Harry Kane scores hat-trick as Bayern put eight past Mainz
09/03/2024 - Bayern Munich demolish Mainz 8-1 to cut gap at the topAtlético Madrid beaten by Expand
09/03/2024 - Bayern Munich demolish Mainz 8-1 to cut gap at the topAtlético Madrid beaten by relegation-threatened CádizHarry Kane scored a hat-trick in Bayern Munich’s 8-1 demolition of Mainz on Saturday to set a Bundesliga record as the champions cut the gap on leaders Bayer Leverkusen to seven points.Kane opened his account in 13th minute, tapping in from close range as Bayern looked to end a run of one win in their last four league games. They added another through Leon Goretzka after Kane’s effort bounced off the post seven minutes later. Continue reading... Collapse
European roundup: Leverkusen go 10 points clear, Napoli beat Juventus
03/03/2024 - Bundesliga leaders beat Köln to capitalise on Bayern slipFrenkie de Jong and Pedri injured in Expand
03/03/2024 - Bundesliga leaders beat Köln to capitalise on Bayern slipFrenkie de Jong and Pedri injured in Barcelona drawBayer Leverkusen went 10 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and continued their unbeaten run with a 2-0 win at struggling neighbours Köln, who went down to 10 men in the first half of a hotly contested derby on Sunday.Köln had Jan Thielmann sent off after 14 minutes for stepping on the back of Granit Xhaka’s ankle and Leverkusen took the lead through Jeremie Frimpong in the 37th minute. The home side were still very much in the game until Álex Grimaldo scored his ninth league goal of the season in the 73rd minute. Continue reading... Collapse
Paul Pogba ‘shocked and heartbroken’ at four-year ban for positive drugs test
29/02/2024 - Juventus player banned after testing positive for testosteronePogba confirms he will appeal to Expand
29/02/2024 - Juventus player banned after testing positive for testosteronePogba confirms he will appeal to court of arbitration for sportThe France and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has said he is “sad, shocked and heartbroken” after being handed a four-year ban from football for a doping offence that could signal the end of his career.Pogba, who will be almost 35 when the ban ends, said he would appeal to the court of arbitration for sport over what he called an “incorrect” verdict and that the “full story” was not known.The World Cup winner was provisionally suspended by Italy’s national anti-doping body, Nado Italia, at a tribunal in September last year. Pogba tested positive for testosterone – a banned substance – after Juventus’s 3-0 league win at Udinese on 20 August, and a B sample confirmed the positive result in October. Continue reading... Collapse
|
