Juventus on Sunday stopped Inter from replacing SSC Napoli at the top of Serie A by beating their fierce rivals 1-0 and moving into the UEFA Champions League positions.
Francisco Conceicao made sure that Napoli would stay two points ahead of reigning champions Inter by classily tucking home the winning goal 16 minutes before the end of an entertaining contest in Turin.
Portugal attacker Conceicao netted his fourth goal of the season in all competitions after brilliant work from Randal Kolo Muani to give Juve a third straight league win.
Photo: Reuters
Juve are in fourth place on 46 points, ahead on goal-difference from SS Lazio, who had done wasteful Inter a favor by holding Napoli to a 2-2 draw on Saturday, but Napoli remain at the summit with Antonio Conte’s team and Inter facing off in Naples in two weeks, a match which could well be key to the destination of the scudetto.
“The win tonight gives us confidence and an awareness of what we’re capable of,” said Thiago Motta, whose first season in charge of Juve has been difficult. “They deserve it for the effort they put in during training and the fact that they give everything in every match.”
Juve now turn their attentions to tomorrow’s return leg of a Champions League playoff with PSV Eindhoven, with Motta’s side leading 2-1 following the first leg in Turin.
Sunday’s match was not quite as exciting as the 4-4 draw at the San Siro in October last year, but the scoreline did not reflect the number of chances created by both teams, and in particular Inter.
Simone Inzaghi’s side were left to rue a clutch of missed opportunities in the first half, with Lautaro Martinez wasting the clearest opening.
Argentina striker Martinez smashed over the bar from point-blank range 10 minutes before halftime after being perfectly set up by Denzel Dumfries.
Dumfries was also at fault for Inter not leading at the break when he headed over Martinez’s cross when completely unmarked in the 19th minute and just before halftime smashed an effort off the post with Martinez waiting for a tap-in in the middle of the penalty area.
Neither side created another decent chance before Conceicao, who also forced an excellent save from Yann Sommer in the first half, sent the home fans and Motta wild in celebration.
Inter knew the game was up when substitute Marcus Thuram, who was playing against his brother Khephren while his father Lilian watched in stands, lashed over in the final moments.
“We’re really disappointed, but the boys played well tonight,” Inzaghi said. “Obviously, we needed to be better in front of goal and we should have been ahead at halftime, but the approach in the second half was not quite as good as in the first.”
Earlier, Como pulled away from the Serie A relegation zone with a convincing 2-0 away win at ACF Fiorentina.
Assane Diao and Nico Paz struck in each half to give Como a surprise success in Florence which snapped a three-match losing streak and moved them up to 13th.
Cesc Fabregas’ team are five points above Parma, who sit just inside the relegation zone after losing 1-0 to AS Roma, after a deserved win at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
Wealthy Como invested heavily in the winter transfer window in the hope of staying in Serie A and Diao netted his fourth goal in seven matches since arriving from Real Betis Balompie, but Argentina international Paz has been the star of the show at Como and he sealed the win in the 66th minute with a rocket of a shot which took his league tally to six goals.
Alessandro Nesta began his second spell as AC Monza head coach with a goalless draw with US Lecce which did little to boost their survival hopes.
Monza recalled Italy icon Nesta on Monday last week after firing his replacement Salvatore Bocchetti, but stay bottom, seven points behind Empoli, who sit just outside the relegation zone and were beaten 3-0 at Udinese.
TO FINAL FOUR: France had 22 chances and scored two goals, while Croatia could not manage a single shot on target in 120 minutes. Les Bleus won 5-4 on penalties France on Sunday overturned a two-goal deficit to qualify for the UEFA Nations League Final Four by eliminating Croatia 5-4 on penalties after a 2-0 victory in their quarter-final second leg at the Stade de France. Dayot Upamecano scored the winning spot kick in a nail-biting shootout in which France keeper Mike Maignan made two saves, sending Les Bleus into the semi-finals against Spain. Michael Olise opened the scoring and Ousmane Dembele doubled their lead 10 minutes from time to send the tie into extra time after their 2-0 loss in Split, Croatia, on Thursday. France had a total of
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
BRING THE NOISE: Brazil’s Fonseca attracted a boisterous crowd that brought such dominant soccer-style energy the referee switched to Portuguese to ask for quiet Australia’s Alex de Minaur on Monday put an end to Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca’s challenge at the Miami Open, outlasting the 18-year-old 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in an enthralling contest. Attendance on stadium court had been sparse throughout the day, but the Hard Rock Stadium turned into a mini-Maracana Stadium for Fonseca’s match, complete with Brazilian flags and soccer-style chanting. Fonseca brought his energetic brand of ultra-attacking tennis, but De Minaur was up to the challenge, coping with blistering forehands and a partisan crowd. Such was the dominance of Fonseca’s raucous support that the referee switched to Portuguese for his appeals for quiet. However, De