Venezia and Hellas Verona on Monday were still looking for their first win of the year after the relegation- threatened clubs drew 1-1 in Serie A.
Venezia winger Alessio Zerbin scored in his first start since joining last year on loan from SSC Napoli. Zerbin’s initial shot in the 28th minute was blocked, but he swept home the rebound.
Cameroon international Jackson Tchatchoua equalized for the visitors with 14 minutes remaining when he tapped in from close range to finish off a quick counterattack down the right wing.
Photo: AP
Verona are fourth-from-bottom, while Venezia remained second last, three points ahead of AS Monza, who missed the chance to move off the bottom by losing 2-0 at Genoa.
It could have been worse for visiting Monza but for inspired goalkeeping by Stefano Turati, who notably saved a first-half penalty from Andrea Pinamonti, but Monza were vulnerable in the air and Turati could not prevent Genoa from making their superiority count in the second half.
Koni de Winter stole in at the back post to head home a cross in the 61st minute, and then Johan Vasquez glanced home another cross from the right with six minutes left.
Genoa moved into 11th place in the table.
LA LIGA
AP, VITORIA-GASTEIZ, Spain
Pablo Duran’s second-half volley on Monday gave RC Celta de Vigo a 1-1 draw at Deportivo Alaves and snapped a three-game losing streak in La Liga.
Duran took a pass outside the penalty area and flicked it into the air before cracking a long-range volley into the net.
Alaves went ahead after six minutes when Kike Garcia scored from the penalty spot after a video assistant referee-assisted penalty awarded for handball. It was the former Middlesbrough striker’s fourth goal in his past two games.
Alaves missed a chance to record successive league victories for the first time this season and are 17th, one point above the relegation zone.
It was the fourth straight game without a win for Celta, who remained in 13th place.
Tallon Griekspoor on Friday stunned top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4) in the second round at Indian Wells, avenging a devastating loss to the German at Roland Garros last year. Zverev, the world No. 2 who is heading the field of the prestigious ATP Masters event with No. 1 Jannik Sinner serving a three-month drugs ban, is the first Indian Wells men’s top seed to lose his opening match since Andy Murray in 2017. It was a cherished win for Griekspoor, who had lost five straight matches — including four last year — to the German. That included a five-setter
Donovan Mitchell on Wednesday scored 26 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers punched their ticket to the NBA playoffs with a hard-fought 112-107 victory over the Miami Heat. A seesaw battle in Cleveland saw the Heat threaten to end the Cavs’ 11-game unbeaten streak after opening up a seven-point lead late in the fourth quarter, but the Cavs clawed back the deficit in the closing minutes to seal their 12th straight victory and a place in the post-season. The Cavaliers improved to 52-10, maintaining their stranglehold on the Eastern Conference with 20 games of the regular season remaining. Mitchell was one of six Cleveland
Five-time champion Novak Djokovic on Saturday tumbled out of the Indian Wells ATP Masters, falling in his first match to lucky loser Botic van de Zandschulp as two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz advanced. “No excuses for a poor performance,” 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic said after 37 unforced errors in a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 defeat. “It doesn’t feel great when you play this way on the court,” he said. “But congratulations to my opponent — just a bad day in the office, I guess, for me.” Djokovic is just the latest in Van de Zandschulp’s string of superstar victims. He
Manchester United on Thursday settled for a 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Europa League round-of-16 tie. United led on Joshua Zirkzee’s goal in the 58th minute, but the hosts equalized 12 minutes later after Bruno Fernandes’ hand ball and Mikel Oyarzabal sent Andre Onana the wrong way from the penalty spot. The Europa League could be a way for United to finish the season with a trophy after crashing out of the FA Cup on Sunday. A spot in the quarter-finals is to be on the line at Old Trafford in the second leg on Thursday next