There is bad blood between Max Allegri and Cesc Fabregas, as they had another row in the press room after the Milan coach was sent off, as the Como tactician apologised for ‘unsporting behaviour.’

There had already been tension between the two coaches when Milan beat Como 3-1 at the Stadio Sinigaglia on January 15, with the Rossoneri winning very much against the run of play.

What caused Allegri-Fabregas row tonight

The situation erupted during tonight’s 1-1 draw at San Siro when Fabregas seemed to reach across the touchline and either tug Alexis Saelemaekers by the shirt or push him when play was on-going.

The Milan winger reacted angrily, sparking a response from the Como team manager, who then got into a shouting match with Allegri.

It seems the initial Fabregas tweak was not spotted by the referee or any of his assistants, because the red cards went to Allegri and the Como member of staff.

This annoyed Allegri, who joked “in that case next time I see someone run past me, I’ll just go into a sliding tackle.”

Afterwards, Fabregas immediately made an apology in all his post-match interviews and the press conference.

“I apologise, it was just a little touch and Allegri’s response was exaggerated, but I admit I shouldn’t have done it,” said the Spaniard.

“It was unsporting behaviour, as Cristian Chivu said the other day, we’ve got to keep our hands to ourselves, especially if you are a coach.

“I would’ve got angry too, so I can only apologise and say I hope it never happens again in my career.”

However, Sky Sport Italia and DAZN Italia reveal Allegri was waiting to come on and give his press conference when he crossed paths with Fabregas, the pair exchanged more tense words away from the cameras.

Lautaro Martinez was forced off with an injury tonight, in one of many painful moments as the Nerazzurri slumped to a 3-1 defeat to Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt.

Cristian Chivu’s side came into the first leg of their Champions League play-off, knowing it was going to be a tough test in the freezing temperatures and on the artificial pitch.

Speaking after the game, Chivu described Lautaro as “lost”, and when prompted to elaborate, confirmed “it’s pretty serious.”

Inter forward Lautaro to undergo medical exams on Friday

Sky Italia are now reporting that the Argentine forward will undergo tests on Friday to establish the seriousness and nature of the injury, which early reports indicated may be calf-related.

It looks unlikely, therefore, that the Argentine will be available for the second leg of the play-off, due to take place next Tuesday at San Siro.

It comes as a major blow to Chivu’s side, who need to overcome a two-goal deficit to progress in Europe and are still attempting to consolidate their lead at the top of Serie A.

Lautaro has been ever-present this season for the Nerazzurri and whilst the club have talented back-up options in the likes of Francesco Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny, their talismanic forward’s absence is sure to sting.

Rafael Leao and Ardon Jashari argue Milan ‘played better’ in their 1-1 draw than they did when beating Como 3-1 last month, but insist the Scudetto race is still open.

These teams met at the Stadio Sinigaglia on January 15 and the Rossoneri ran out 3-1 winners with goals largely against the run of play and heroics from Mike Maignan.

The goalkeeper went from hero to villain this evening, as his howler gifted Nico Paz the opener, until an inspired Jashari ball over the top found Leao for a precise lob.

Leao and Jashari saw strong Milan

“It was a game that we should’ve won, as we played much better compared to the last time we beat Como,” Leao told DAZN Italia.

“We had more of the ball, although we should’ve been more decisive in front of goal in the first half. We conceded, but we kept pushing and had to be more determined on the final cross.”

Milan slide seven points behind leaders Inter in the Serie A table, despite extending their unbeaten run to 24 rounds.

Can they still dream of winning the Scudetto this season?

“There are many games left to play, Serie A is becoming a very difficult league, you never know who can win or lose,” insisted Leao.

“We can only do our best, we’ll try to win the next game and then we’ll see. We want to keep climbing.”

After his goal, the Milan striker made the effort to run over to Maignan and hug the goalkeeper, as if to reassure him after that costly error on Nico Paz.

“He is a very important person for me, we already played together at Lille and he helps me every day. It was a difficult moment after that error, but this is a fantastic group, we have the energy to aim high,” concluded Leao.

Jashari had his first start in midfield alongside Luka Modric, as Adrien Rabiot was suspended, and he provided the decisive assist for Leao.

“I agree with Rafa, it was for sure a difficult game, but we played better than the first game in Como,” Jashari told DAZN Italia.

“We were dangerous when we played behind them, that’s how we scored as well. It’s sad we couldn’t win tonight, but we look forward to the next match.”

Inter fell to a 3-1 defeat on a cold night in Norway to a strong Bodo/Glimt side who used their artificial pitch to their advantage to overcome the Nerazzurri with a quick-fire second-half double.

Speaking to the press after the game, Chivu was quick to acknowledge the inevitable point about the pitch, saying his side “tried, despite the pitch” but also acknowledged that “it’s not an excuse, but I can’t be too harsh on the players,” he said, via FCInter1908.

He added that “[Bodo/Glimt] are more accustomed to this pitch, that’s not an excuse. The tie is wide open, there’s the return leg to come. We knew they are a team that can hurt you on the break, now we’ll try to advance to the next round at San Siro.”

Bodo/Glimt 3-1 Inter – Chivu: ‘Lautaro is lost’

Cristian Chivu also issued a pretty concerning statement that Lautaro Martinez is “lost” and when asked to elaborate on what he means by “lost”, he said “it means Lautaro got injured, it’s pretty serious.”

“I think he’s hurt and he will be out for a while,” he concluded on the matter.

The Romanian added that the Nerazzurri have “a few issues” that “we need to take stock of.”

When asked if his side showed a ‘lack of determination’, Chivu replied that “We asked for pressure on the markers but that was not the problem.”

“The problem is that on some transitions,” he added, “we were surprised by their speed on the break.”

Inter and Chivu must now prepare for the second leg, next week at San Siro. They have a two-goal deficit to overcome, and there can be no blaming of the pitch if they don’t turn the tie around.

Max Allegri insists Milan must see the 1-1 draw with Como as ‘a valuable point’ for the top four, and explains why Cesc Fabregas sparked the situation for his red card.

This Week 24 fixture had been postponed from February 8 because San Siro was being used for the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, but plans for months to move it to Australia were shelved.

Instead, it was just put back by 10 days, and Como took the lead when Nico Paz pounced on a Mike Maignan howler, but Rafael Leao cancelled it out with a fantastic lob on the Ardon Jashari ball over the top.

Allegri looks on the bright side for Milan

“It was not an easy match against Como, who in the first half took advantage of a mistake during a balanced encounter,” Allegri told DAZN Italia.

“Errors can happen, the team reacted well and could’ve made more of other opportunities that we created. We have gained a point on Juventus, Napoli and Roma, so we just need to focus on getting back to winning ways against Parma this weekend.”

Milan are still unbeaten in 24 Serie A rounds, since the opening weekend against Cremonese, but now slide seven points adrift of leaders Inter.

“It was a very balanced and at times even dull game in the first half. We attacked the line well, Leao scored a great goal and Jashari put in a wonderful pass. We’ve got to stay calm, keep working, get players back from injury. We had Saelemaekers and Pulisic back off the bench today, Fullkrug did well as a substitute as always.

“We are currently on track for our objective, and this is a very useful point to achieve those aims.”

The gap with leaders Inter is opening up and this can take some of the pressure off the Nerazzurri going into the Derby della Madonnina next month.

“Football is wonderful because there’s always something unexpected from one day to the next. All we can do is keep working, trying to continue the unbeaten run, and above all get back to winning ways so we can maintain the gap from the chasing pack,” insisted the Milan coach.

Allegri and the Como team manager were both sent off for a tense row on the touchline during the second half, but it wasn’t entirely clear what had sparked it.

“I think there was a foul with Saelemaekers who was on the counter, he was pulled I think by Fabregas. If that’s allowed, then next time someone runs by me, I’ll go into a sliding tackle,” joked Allegri.

“Saelemaekers reacted angrily, I went over there trying to defend my player, then someone came up to me, but nothing really happened.”

The footage shows that there were three players right on the touchline battling for the ball, Fabregas pushed Saelemaekers in the back with the ball in play, but Allegri was penalised for leaving his technical area.

Strahinja Pavlovic was substituted at half-time after struggling with a knock, so are there any updates on the Milan defender?

“Fortunately, Pavlovic is fine.”

Cesc Fabregas apologised for his touchline row with Max Allegri, but was ‘very proud’ of Como’s 1-1 draw with Milan. ‘The one time you aren’t perfect, they hurt you.’

The Rossoneri won 3-1 at the Stadio Sinigaglia when these sides met on January 15, despite Como dominating possession and having more chances.

They made changes in light of that encounter, moving to three at the back and using a False 9 system to give the Milan defence fewer reference points in their marking.

Nico Paz pounced on a Mike Maignan howler to give them the lead, but Rafael Leao ran onto a long Ardon Jashari ball over the top to lob Jean Butez for the equaliser.

Fabregas calms Milan vs. Como tension

There was tension on the touchline between Alexis Saelemaekers, a member of Como’s staff, and Milan coach Allegri, which Fabregas wanted to discuss right off the bat.

“I want to apologise first and foremost, I did something I am not proud of, and was unsporting. We’ve got to keep our hands to ourselves, as Chivu said the other day, especially the coaches,” Fabregas told DAZN Italia.

The Como team manager was sent off along with Allegri for that argument.

“It was a game where our goalkeeper was only really tested at the 70^th minute, which shows how well we did. We showed impressive calm and focus in this atmosphere, especially for such a young and inexperienced squad.

“We lost a silly ball and know that when we leave too much space for the counter-attack against world class players, they can hurt you. It was practically the only time they played it behind us, but that shows you the level, as one time you aren’t perfect, that is when they hurt you.

“We can only try to aspire to the perfect performance, which of course does not exist, but we hope to one day get close to it.”

The former midfielder has become something of a challenger to those who adjust their teams to neutralise the strengths of others, but tonight he showed it can be done in a balanced way.

“I am very proud of this strong performance, now we need to do it again on Saturday if we want to pick up points in Turin. We’ve got to get our heads there too. The team proved that playing one way or another, we still manage to give a good account of ourselves, and it was important to put in this performance after the defeat to Fiorentina.”

Luka Modric was pulling the midfield strings for Milan this evening.

“It’s a true pleasure to watch him play. What can you say, when he’s 41 years old and playing at this level? You try to press him with three or four players, he doesn’t care, he just controls it perfectly and turns to get away. We can be thankful that he is in Serie A and we get to watch him every week.”

Nico Paz will be suspended for the showdown with Juventus in Turin, as he was booked today for a mistimed sliding tackle. Can Como keep up the pace with the European places?

“I try not to talk about the table. We had two tough months, as we were not accustomed to playing every two or three days. We did it with 17 players available, so we need to rotate, have fresh legs, players who are convinced they can play, that’s why I don’t tell them until the last minute who is starting. I want them all concentrated and on their toes.

“The body is not going to be at 100 per cent, the doctors say you should leave 72 hours minimum between matches and we don’t have that, but we’ve got to keep going.”

Bodo/Glimt and Inter played out an exciting match in their Champions League play-off first leg, with Inter collapsing in the second half to slump to a 3-1 defeat.

Football Italia’s Man of the Match was Bodo forward Kasper Høgh.

Bodo/Glimt 3-1 Inter – Player Ratings

Bodo/Glimt: Haikin 6; Sjøvold 6.5, Bjørtuft 6, Gundersen 7, Bjørkan 7; Evjen 6.5, Berg 7, Fet 7.5; Blomberg 7, Høgh 9, Hauge 7.5

Best Bodo/Glimt player: Kasper Høgh – The Danish forward keeps up his impressive form in the Champions League with a goal and two assists this evening, spearheading his side to a massive victory over a strong Inter team. Was a menace for the Inter backline and deserves his plaudits.

Lowest Bodo/Glimt rating: Nikita Haikin – Bit harsh to have to pick a lowest rating but goalkeeper Nikita Haikin did nothing to shout about. He made a few easy saves and potentially could have done more to prevent Inter’s goal but he had a decent game overall.

Coach: Kjetil Knutsen 8 – Continues his giant-killing displays in Europe with tonight’s opponents added to the scalps of Manchester City and Atletico Madrid this season. Put out his strongest team, allowed them to soak up and neutralise Inter’s pressure – and then coached his side to an impressive second half display to pick up an important win.

Inter: Sommer 5.5; Akanji 5.5, Acerbi 5.5, Bastoni 6; Darmian 7 (Luis Henrique), Sucic 6.5, Barella 7, Mkhitaryan 6 (Zielinski), Augusto 6; Lautaro 6.5 (Thuram 6), Esposito 7 (Bonny)

Best Inter player: Nicolo Barella – Not much more the midfielder could have done, playing the regista role in place of the still-absent Hakan Calhanoglu. He created a number of chances for his attackers and was strong in his midfield battles.

Lowest Inter rating: Manuel Akanji – Arguably could have been any of Inter’s back line and goalkeeper but Akanji was especially weak on all fronts. Bastoni was beaten far more often by his man but was more instrumental in Inter’s other phases of play. Acerbi looked weak but less exposed than Akanji, sitting on the right-hand side of the back three.

Coach: Cristian Chivu 5 – Made some questionable adjustments to his side that make you wonder if the Champions League is being seen as second priority to the Scudetto. The Nerazzurri look placid without Federico Dimarco and whilst Darmian and Carlos Augusto were not horrific on the wings, they did not offer the sort of killer final ball that Dimarco can deliver. His substitutions failed to inspire either and matters were made worse when Lautaro Martinez was forced off with an injury.

Inter capitulated in the second-half on a freezing night in Norway, losing 3-1 to Bodo/Glimt after conceding two goals in the space of three minutes in the second half.

The Nerazzurri came into the game with a lot of debate around their hosts’ artificial turf and the freezing temperatures of the Norwegian city ahead of the Champions League play-off first leg.

However, the occasion got the better of Cristian Chivu’s side and has left them with it all to do in the second leg at San Siro next week.

You can relive all the action, as it happened, on our Live Blog.

Bodo/Glimt took the lead after a nervy first twenty minutes, with midfielder Sondre Fet scoring a lovely goal, beating Yann Sommer in the Inter net.

Their lead, however, did not last long. Ten minutes later, Italian youngster Francesco Pio Esposito equalised – after a Nicolo Barella cross was nodded down by Carlos Augusto and turned in by the Italy international.

Inter had a couple of late chances in the first half but neither amounted to a serious attempt on goal.

Bodo/Glimt 3-1 Inter – Second-half double sinks Nerazzurri

The second half started brightly for the Nerazzurri, with Lautaro Martinez hitting the woodwork before Bodo goalkeeper Haikin saved a Carlos Augusto free-kick.

However, after a more tame ten minutes, it was the hosts who would score the next goal, with former Milan forward Jens Petter Hauge converting after an error from Carlos Augusto gifted Bodo/Glimt the ball in a dangerous position.

Things quickly went from bad to worse for Inter, who found themselves 3-1 down just three minutes later, with Kasper Høgh tapping the ball in from close range after good work from Ole Blomberg.

Inter were also forced into a change after Lautaro Martinez felt an issue in his calf, with Marcus Thuram coming on in his place.

However, Thuram and the rest of Chivu’s substitutes offered too little, too late, as Bodo confirmed their victory, with a two-goal advantage heading into next week’s pivotal tie at San Siro.

18-02-2026 20:00

Knockout phase play-offs

Aspmyra Stadion

Bodø/Glimt

Inter

3 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Sondre Brunstad Fet (Assist: Kasper Högh)		20'
		30'		Pio Esposito (Assist: Carlos Augusto)
		45'		Pio Esposito

2nd half

Jens Petter Hauge (Assist: Kasper Högh)		61'
Kasper Högh (Assist: Ole Didrik Blomberg)		64'
Ole Didrik Blomberg		77'

Match statistic

42

Possession %

58

8

Total shots

15

6

Shots on target

4

1

Shots off target

7

1

Blocked shots

4

3

Corners

3

0

Offsides

3

12

Fouls

6

Bodø/Glimt

Inter

Starting lineups

12

Nikita Haikin

Goalkeeper

15

Fredrik Björkan

Defender

6

Jostein Gundersen

Defender

89'

4

Odin Bjørtuft

Defender

20

Fredrik Sjövold

Midfielder

7

Patrick Berg

Midfielder

19

Sondre Brunstad Fet

Midfielder

89'

26

Hakon Evjen

Attacker

10

Jens Petter Hauge

Attacker

9

Kasper Högh

Attacker

78'

11

Ole Didrik Blomberg

Attacker

78'

1

Yann Sommer

Goalkeeper

95

Alessandro Bastoni

Defender

15

Francesco Acerbi

Defender

25

Manuel Akanji

Defender

36

Matteo Darmian

Defender

75'

8

Petar Sucic

Defender

30

Carlos Augusto

Midfielder

22

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Midfielder

76'

23

Nicolò Barella

Midfielder

90'

94

Pio Esposito

Attacker

76'

10

Lautaro Martínez

Attacker

61'

Substitutes

14

Ulrik Saltnes

Midfielder

1

Julian Faye Lund

Goalkeeper

22

Anders Klynge

Midfielder

45

Isak Sjong

Goalkeeper

24

Daniel Bassi

Midfielder

94

August Mikkelsen

Attacker

2

Villads Nielsen

Defender

23

Magnus Riisnæs

Midfielder

8

Sondre Auklend

Midfielder

78'

21

Andreas Helmersen

Attacker

78'

5

Haitam Aleesami

Defender

89'

25

Isak Dybvik Määttä

Midfielder

89'

32

Federico Dimarco

Defender

6

Stefan de Vrij

Defender

13

Josep Martínez

Goalkeeper

12

Raffaele Di Gennaro

Goalkeeper

31

Yann Bisseck

Defender

45

Leonardo Bovo

Midfielder

9

Marcus Thuram

Attacker

61'

11

Luis Henrique

Attacker

75'

7

Piotr Zielinski

Midfielder

76'

14

Ange-Yoan Bonny

Defender

76'

17

Andy Diouf

Attacker

90'

Rafael Leao’s remarkable lob cancelled out a Mike Maignan howler on Nico Paz, as Milan were held 1-1 by Como in this rescheduled tie.

This Week 24 fixture was meant to be played on February 8, but with San Siro out of action for the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games opening ceremony, they planned to move it to Perth, Australia. Months of negotiations broke down and it was instead rescheduled for 10 days later.

Adrien Rabiot was suspended, with Santiago Gimenez injured, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic not fully fit, but Rafael Leao and Ardon Jashari returned to the starting XI. Como knocked Napoli out of the Coppa Italia to reach the semi-finals, but in Serie A were held 0-0 by 10-man Atalanta and lost 2-1 at home to Fiorentina. Alvaro Morata sat out a ban, with Assane Diao and Edoardo Goldaniga sidelined, but Nico Paz was used as a False 9. These sides met on January 15, with Milan winning 3-1 amid Mike Maignan heroics.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Mergim Vojvoda had the ball in the net with a curler off the inside of the right boot after 25 minutes, but only after he had wandered offside.

Rafael Leao’s angled drive tested Jean Butez at the near post, but while Maignan was the hero last month, he was the villain here.

The goalkeeper was so busy looking to where he could play out from the back that he didn’t realise Nico Paz had ghosted into his path, intercepting the pass to score into an empty net.

Milan tried to fight back immediately, Butez flying to push the Fikayo Tomori bullet header over the bar, but Tomori also needed a decisive interception at the other end to prevent Jacobo Ramon tapping in the Nico Paz free kick. On the resulting corner, Maignan made a tricky save from point-blank range on Sergi Roberto.

Strahinja Pavlovic went off with a knock, replaced by Matteo Gabbia for the restart, while Nico Paz was booked and will be suspended for the showdown with Juventus this weekend.

Just as Como were pouring forward seeking a second, they were caught by a moment of Milan magic. A long Ardon Jashari ball over the top sent Rafael Leao running against two defenders and the on-rushing Butez, he let it bounce and placed a precise lob into the empty net from 25 metres out.

Milan nearly turned the game around completely moments later, but Youssouf Fofana couldn’t keep his header down from five yards on the Alexis Saelemaekers cross.

Rafael Leao also saw his header hit the underside of the bar, but he was offside on the Gabbia flick-on from a corner, while Douvikas fired his volley onto the side-netting at the back post.

Max Allegri was sent off following a furious touchline row with a member of the Como staff, which had started with Saelemaekers and the visiting team manager. Saelemaekers was involved in controversy again when Como wanted him to receive a second yellow card for a mistimed challenge on Martin Baturina.

Milan 1-1 Como

Nico Paz 32 (C), Rafael Leao 64 (M)

18-02-2026 19:45

MatchDay 24

San Siro Stadium (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza)

Milan

Como

1 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

32'

Nico Paz

2nd half

		53'		Nico Paz
Rafael Leão (Assist: Ardon Jashari)		64'
		64'		Jean Butez
Rafael Leão		68'
		68'		Jacobo Ramón
Alexis Saelemaekers		87'

Match statistic

54

Possession %

46

6

Total shots

10

4

Shots on target

4

2

Shots off target

3

0

Blocked shots

3

4

Corners

4

5

Offsides

1

11

Fouls

12

Milan

Como

Starting lineups

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

46'

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

55'

30

Ardon Jashari

Midfielder

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

56'

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

62'

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

82'

1

Jean Butez

Goalkeeper

34

Diego Carlos

Defender

77

Ignace Van Der Brempt

Defender

71'

14

Jacobo Ramón

Defender

2

Marc Oliver Kempf

Defender

31

Mërgim Vojvoda

Defender

90'

20

Martin Baturina

Midfielder

6

Maxence Caqueret

Midfielder

78'

23

Máximo Perrone

Midfielder

10

Nico Paz

Midfielder

71'

8

Sergi Roberto

Midfielder

79'

Substitutes

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

8

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Midfielder

2

Pervis Estupiñán

Defender

96

Lorenzo Torriani

Goalkeeper

27

David Odogu

Defender

46

Matteo Gabbia

Defender

46'

56

Alexis Saelemaekers

Midfielder

55'

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

56'

9

Niclas Füllkrug

Attacker

62'

11

Christian Pulisic

Attacker

82'

22

Mauro Vigorito

Goalkeeper

44

Nikola Cavlina

Goalkeeper

18

Alberto Moreno

Defender

42

Jayden Addai

Attacker

19

Nicolas Kühn

Attacker

21

Noel Törnqvist

Goalkeeper

Adrian Lahdo

Midfielder

11

Anastasios Douvikas

Attacker

71'

3

Álex Valle

Defender

71'

17

Jesús Rodriguez

Attacker

78'

33

Lucas Da Cunha

Attacker

79'

28

Ivan Smolcic

Defender

90'

Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen has written a recounting of his life and career in The Player’s Tribune, describing Luciano Spalletti as “like a father to me”, when he moved to Napoli from Lille at a difficult personal time.

In the article, titled ‘A Prayer From the Gutter’, he covers the entirety of his career, from playing barefoot in the streets of Nigeria as a boy, to having to help provide for his family at a young age – before his big break after a heartbreaking rejection.

It is quite the touching tale for the former Napoli man, and he was clearly very fond of his time in Naples.

Osimhen recounted how transfer negotiations at Lille prevented him from being able to go home and visit his dying father at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. He even considered “never playing football again” after the incident, as he was so “disgusted” by how the club operate as a business.

Osimhen said “When I left Lille, I was lost. When I came to Napoli, I was found.”

“I really have to thank the city and the fans and my teammates for turning my life around.

“I remember the first meeting I had when I arrived, I told the coach, Mr. Spalletti, “I am not well. I am very angry right now. Very sad. My head is not straight.””

Osimhen went on to describe Spalletti as “like a father to me. When I wasn’t doing something right, he came for my neck. But he believed in me deep in his soul, I swear. He thought I could be the best in the world.”

Osimhen: ‘Spalletti would sleep in his office at Napoli, I chose Galatasaray for their passion’

The Nigerian forward then described the hard working conditions expected at Napoli:

“We couldn’t even complain, because Mr. Spalletti was sleeping in his office during that time. He had a little bed set up. Like in the army. He had a wife at home, but for five months, he slept there.

“I remember before big matches he would tell us, “You guys don’t understand what will happen if you win the title. Me? They might speak about me for 2 or 3 years. But you players, they will speak about you until you are old men.””

His time at Napoli was summed up quite well in the end by the Galatasaray forward: “To win a title is one thing. But to win a Scudetto for Napoli for the first time in 33 years is true history. This is why I choose the teams that I choose.”

On this topic, he went on to describe why he left Napoli and, in particular, why he chose Galatasaray.

“When I left Napoli, do you know how many people told me, “Do not go to Turkey. Are you crazy?”

“A former agent even told me, “No, no, no. Don’t go there. It’s not a smart move.”

“But I think with my heart. I wanted to play for Galatasaray. How can I go from the emotion of Napoli to just any club? Impossible. Boring.

“I wanted to go to a top 3 club in the world in terms of passion. Those are the kind of people who really understand me. The ones who live football in a different way.”

Inter Milan president Giuseppe Marotta has expressed his eagerness to move on from the controversy surrounding Alessandro Bastoni and Pierre Kalulu’s red card in the Derby d’Italia as his side focus on tonight’s Champions League play-off against Bodo/Glimt.

You can follow all the action from the first leg, in addition to Milan-Como, as it happens, on our Live Blog.

Speaking on Sky, Marotta discussed several topics.

First he was asked about the debate surrounding tonight’s stadium, with Bodo/Glimt’s home pitch being an artificial turf. It has caused problems for some teams visiting the Norwegian side but Marotta dismissed it was any breaking news:

“We don’t want to get into controversy, we know this is an old-school synthetic pitch that inevitably is problematic. We must adapt to this situation too.”

Speaking about the Bastoni debate, the Inter president said:

“I don’t want to add anything else, this is a chapter that left a bitter taste in the mouth. We want to focus on this very difficult match, hoping that all the Italian teams can go through to the next phase in Europe.”

Bodo/Glimt vs Inter – Marotta on Italian football crisis & Stankovic buy-back

Marotta then addressed ongoing issues within Italian football, that he described as “going backwards in terms of quality, results and appeal.”

He added that “The foreign funds arrived during a moment of difficulty and complexity in the Calcio world, and if not for them, the Milanese clubs would be in a much worse situation.”

“Since Oaktree took over, we invested, and can consider ourselves fortunate in that sense. I am not sceptical about foreign funds owning clubs at all. Obviously, they must also have the desire to invest and not just have speculative interests.”

Marotta was then asked to talk about Aleksandar Stankovic, who is enjoying a fantastic season with Belgian Pro League side Club Brugge.

Stankovic joined the Belgian side last summer but the Nerazzurri kept a buy-back clause in his contract.

With his performances improving month-on-month, it seems fairly likely that Inter will activate said clause.

On the matter, Marotta said:

“He is from a fine football family and is doing very well. We have the option to buy him back, and we didn’t put that in the deal for no reason.

“It is premature to talk about it now, we’ll see what happens. He is our player and is having a wonderful experience in the Belgian league and Champions League.”

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Inter head coach Cristian Chivu has spoken to Prime Video ahead of Inter’s Champions League play-off first leg against Norwegian club Bodo/Glimt.

In the interview, he said that “there can be no alibis or excuses” when asked about playing in freezing conditions on an artificial turf in Norway – stating that “the pitch shouldn’t worry us, we have to be mentally and physically ready to play in these conditions.”

Inter vs Bodo/Glimt – Chivu warns of ‘proven’ opposition

He warned his side not to underestimate their opposition tonight, describing the Norwegian club’s “intensity that they are capable of on this pitch.”

Chivu said Bodo/Glimt have “proven themselves with the results they’ve achieved and beyond,” with all quotes via FCInterNews.

Finally, the Romanian coach underlined that the play-off covers two legs.

“There are two games to play, you have to play with maturity and understanding in these conditions. And you have to remember that it will be played over two legs. You have to do everything to secure qualification.”

You can follow all the action from the game, as well as Milan’s Serie A clash against Como, where they look to close the gap on their city rivals in the Scudetto race, on our Live Blog.

Milan director Igli Tare shrugs off Scudetto talk ahead of tonight’s rescheduled clash with Como and assures Rafael Leao ‘is doing much better physically.’

It kicks off at San Siro at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Bodo/Glimt vs. Inter on the Liveblog.

This Week 24 fixture was meant to be on February 8, but the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza needed to prepare for the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games.

For many months, the plan was to move the entire match over to Perth, Australia, until negotiations with the local authorities broke down.

Instead, it was just shuffled along by 10 days once San Siro was back in action.

Tare not interested in Milan title talk

DAZN Italia reporters on the touchline asked Tare before kick-off if this match would be potentially decisive to keep clinging to the Scudetto dream.

“We are not clinging to anything, as there are 14 more rounds to go including this one. We must try to give a sense of consistency to the work we’ve done so far. It won’t be easy, but a win tonight would be very important for the table,” replied the Milan director.

“It is absolutely not crucial for the Scudetto, there is such a long way to go, but we are coming off back-to-back wins and we want to keep building that momentum.”

Leao returns to the starting XI with Christopher Nkunku, though Adrien Rabiot is suspended, with Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek only fit for the bench.

“The positive thing about Leao is that in the last 10 days he is doing much better physically. The issue remains, but he’s certainly stronger now, you can see it in training. We never doubted his qualities.”

Tare was also asked about the controversy over Alessandro Bastoni’s simulation to get Pierre Kalulu sent off in Inter 3-2 Juventus last week, but the former Lazio striker was not interested in getting drawn into the debate.

“These are things that happened in the past and will happen again in future. It is not good for football, we must all take a step back and try to let the referees do their work in the best possible way.

“There’s no point discussing this now, we want to look at the next 90 minutes with positivity.”

Cesc Fabregas gives hints who is playing False 9 for Como this evening against Milan, warning they must ‘not just keep the ball, but hurt them when we have the chance.’

It kicks off at San Siro at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Bodo/Glimt vs. Inter on the Liveblog.

This fixture was originally meant to be on February 8, but had to be moved because San Siro was being used for the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games.

After months of negotiations with the Australian authorities to shift it over to Perth, those plans were abandoned and it was simply delayed by 10 days.

Fabregas reshuffles Como for Milan test

“If we need to motivate lads in a night like this, then we have a problem,” joked Fabregas on DAZN Italia.

“We are coming off a day that didn’t go well with Fiorentina, but the great thing about football is that it gives you the chance to make up for it four days later in an incredible stadium like this.”

Como have eliminated Napoli from the Coppa Italia on penalties and will face Inter in the semi-final next month, but in the last two Serie A games were held 0-0 by 10-man Atalanta and lost 2-1 at home to Fiorentina.

“We are not a team built to play twice a week, so we need to spread out some of the playing time, as we’ve been playing regularly for a while now. I think the lads are doing well, we rotated in the past and the lads responded well, so I have faith in everyone.”

Milan beat Como 3-1 on January 15, despite having far less possession, so Fabregas makes adjustments here with a three-man defence and no recognised centre-forward.

Will Maxence Caqueret, Nico Paz or Martin Baturina be the False 9 this evening?

“They are all sort of False 9, we’ll see mobility, the way we play means creating spaces that we think can be useful to hurt Milan. When one player vacates that space, another can occupy it,” replied Fabregas.

“This is about not just keeping the ball, but trying to hurt Milan when we have the chance.”

Vincenzo Italiano hopes Bologna have ‘turned a corner’ after their crisis and can build on that in the Europa League play-off with SK Brann. ‘It was an odd game in the group phase.’

The first leg kicks off in Bergen, Norway, on Thursday at 17.45 GMT (18.45 CET).

The Rossoblu plane arrived quite late and there was no time for a pitch inspection, but the coach was already concerned with what he could see of the turf.

“It’s dark, but the pitch still doesn’t look in perfect condition, so we’ll be able to evaluate it tomorrow,” Italiano told Sky Sport Italia.

“This is the first leg, we need to get a result that can allow us to do our best in the home match and go through to the next phase of the competition.”

Italiano and Bologna know Brann dangers

Brann have been focusing only on preparing for this game, as the Norwegian domestic tournaments are currently on their winter break.

These sides met at the Stadio Dall’Ara in the Europa League group phase, ending 0-0 despite Charalampos Lykogiannis getting sent off after just 23 minutes.

“They have been in a training retreat in Spain to prepare for this important match. We already faced them in the group phase, but I expect a different atmosphere on their own turf, we already saw other teams struggled here. We must adapt straight away to all the difficulties that it presents,” added Italiano.

“It was an odd game in the group phase, as we went down to 10 men straight away, but even then we did really well. It’s a long game for the play-off, it is decided over 180 minutes, so we’ll see what happens.”

Bologna had been in an epic crisis, crashing out of the Coppa Italia and sliding down the Serie A standings, but got back on track at the weekend with a 2-1 victory away to Torino.

“It was important to end that run of defeats in Serie A, but we must also try to build on that in Europe and the league, as we lost ground there and must show that we have turned a corner. Winning helps you to work with enthusiasm and confidence.

“The Europa League is a good tournament, it is satisfying to go far, and gives you the self-belief that we can also take to Serie A. We had cared about the Coppa Italia too, but unfortunately we went out there.”

Lykogiannis is out injured for this trip, with Lorenzo De Silvestri and Torbjorn Heggem cup-tied.

“I think teams involved in many competitions are always forced to evaluate the fixture list and the fitness levels, so we are forced to rotate,” concluded Italiano.

Bologna squad for Brann

Pessina, Ravaglia, Skorupski; Casale, Heggem, Lucumi, Joao Mario, Miranda, Vitik, Zortea; Ferguson, Freuler, Moro, Pobega, Sohm; Bernardeschi, Cambiaghi, Castro, Dallinga, Dominguez, Odgaard, Orsolini, Rowe

Bodo/Glimt welcome Inter on a freezing cold February evening in Norway, in what promises to be an interesting match as the two sides tussle in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off tie – Nerazzurri head coach Cristian Chivu has decided to start Matteo Darmian in a surprising move.

The match kicks off at 20:00 GMT (21:00 CET) and you can follow all the action from that game, and Milan’s Serie A clash against Como, on our Live Blog.

The Serie A leaders looked strong for most of the Champions League league phase but narrowly missed out on a place in the top eight – which would have seen them bypass this tricky play-off tie altogether.

However, the cards have been dealt and Chivu has opted to rotate his team in part for the match.

La nostra formazione
Forza Nerazzurri pic.twitter.com/xxIMbcQdrP

— Inter (@Inter) February 18, 2026

The second leg will decide the Nerazzurri’s fate in the competition next Tuesday at San Siro, but they will hope to get themselves off to a good start this evening.

Bodo/Glimt vs Inter – Official Lineups

Bodo/Glimt: Haikin; Sjovold, Bjortuft, Gundersen, Bjorkan; Evjen, Berg, Fet; Blomberg, Hogh, Hauge

Inter: Sommer; Bastoni, Acerbi, Akanji; Darmian, Sucic, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Carlos Augusto; Pio Esposito, Lautaro

18-02-2026 20:00

Knockout phase play-offs

Aspmyra Stadion

Bodø/Glimt

Inter

3 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Sondre Brunstad Fet (Assist: Kasper Högh)		20'
		30'		Pio Esposito (Assist: Carlos Augusto)
		45'		Pio Esposito

2nd half

Jens Petter Hauge (Assist: Kasper Högh)		61'
Kasper Högh (Assist: Ole Didrik Blomberg)		64'
Ole Didrik Blomberg		77'

Match statistic

42

Possession %

58

8

Total shots

15

6

Shots on target

4

1

Shots off target

7

1

Blocked shots

4

3

Corners

3

0

Offsides

3

12

Fouls

6

Bodø/Glimt

Inter

Starting lineups

12

Nikita Haikin

Goalkeeper

15

Fredrik Björkan

Defender

6

Jostein Gundersen

Defender

89'

4

Odin Bjørtuft

Defender

20

Fredrik Sjövold

Midfielder

7

Patrick Berg

Midfielder

19

Sondre Brunstad Fet

Midfielder

89'

26

Hakon Evjen

Attacker

10

Jens Petter Hauge

Attacker

9

Kasper Högh

Attacker

78'

11

Ole Didrik Blomberg

Attacker

78'

1

Yann Sommer

Goalkeeper

95

Alessandro Bastoni

Defender

15

Francesco Acerbi

Defender

25

Manuel Akanji

Defender

36

Matteo Darmian

Defender

75'

8

Petar Sucic

Defender

30

Carlos Augusto

Midfielder

22

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Midfielder

76'

23

Nicolò Barella

Midfielder

90'

94

Pio Esposito

Attacker

76'

10

Lautaro Martínez

Attacker

61'

Substitutes

14

Ulrik Saltnes

Midfielder

1

Julian Faye Lund

Goalkeeper

22

Anders Klynge

Midfielder

45

Isak Sjong

Goalkeeper

24

Daniel Bassi

Midfielder

94

August Mikkelsen

Attacker

2

Villads Nielsen

Defender

23

Magnus Riisnæs

Midfielder

8

Sondre Auklend

Midfielder

78'

21

Andreas Helmersen

Attacker

78'

5

Haitam Aleesami

Defender

89'

25

Isak Dybvik Määttä

Midfielder

89'

32

Federico Dimarco

Defender

6

Stefan de Vrij

Defender

13

Josep Martínez

Goalkeeper

12

Raffaele Di Gennaro

Goalkeeper

31

Yann Bisseck

Defender

45

Leonardo Bovo

Midfielder

9

Marcus Thuram

Attacker

61'

11

Luis Henrique

Attacker

75'

7

Piotr Zielinski

Midfielder

76'

14

Ange-Yoan Bonny

Defender

76'

17

Andy Diouf

Attacker

90'

Milan have Rafael Leao and Christopher Nkunku upfront for the rescheduled Serie A clash with Como’s Nico Paz and Martin Baturina.

It kicks off at San Siro at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Bodo/Glimt vs. Inter on the Liveblog.

This Week 24 fixture was meant to be on February 8, but moved because the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza needed to prepare for the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games.

For many months, the plan was to move the entire match over to Perth, Australia, until negotiations with the local authorities broke down.

Instead, it was just shuffled along by 10 days once San Siro was back in action.

Milan are unbeaten in Serie A since the opening weekend, and are the only side keeping up with leaders Inter after winning four of the last five.

Adrien Rabiot was sent off against Pisa and is therefore suspended, with Santiago Gimenez a long-term absentee.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic are also not at 100 per cent, but Rafael Leao returns to the starting XI with Nkunku.

Ardon Jashari is also back in midfield with Luka Modric and Samuele Ricci, forming a new trio.

Como are becoming a truly ambitious club in only their second season back in Serie A under coach Cesc Fabregas.

They knocked Napoli out of the Coppa Italia on penalties last week and will face Inter in the semi-finals next month.

Their Serie A form stuttered a little lately, held 0-0 by 10-man Atalanta with a last-gasp saved Nico Paz penalty, then suffering a surprise 2-1 home defeat to Fiorentina.

Alvaro Morata was sent off in that match and is therefore suspended against his former club, with Assane Diao and Edoardo Goldaniga injured.

Martin Baturina has flourished in recent months, but Maxence Caqueret steps in to provide more physicality to the attack, using Nico Paz as a centre-forward ahead of a three-man defence.

Como have lost all three of their Serie A meetings with Milan since returning to the top flight in 2024, including a 3-1 home result back on January 15 with heroics from Mike Maignan.

Milan vs. Como line-ups

Milan: Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Athekame, Jashari, Modric, Ricci, Bartesaghi; Nkunku, Leao

Como: Butez; Kempf, Ramon, Diego Carlos; Van Der Brempt, Perrone, Sergi Roberto, Vojvoda; Caqueret, Baturina; Nico Paz

18-02-2026 19:45

MatchDay 24

San Siro Stadium (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza)

Milan

Como

1 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

32'

Nico Paz

2nd half

		53'		Nico Paz
Rafael Leão (Assist: Ardon Jashari)		64'
		64'		Jean Butez
Rafael Leão		68'
		68'		Jacobo Ramón
Alexis Saelemaekers		87'

Match statistic

54

Possession %

46

6

Total shots

10

4

Shots on target

4

2

Shots off target

3

0

Blocked shots

3

4

Corners

4

5

Offsides

1

11

Fouls

12

Milan

Como

Starting lineups

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

46'

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

55'

30

Ardon Jashari

Midfielder

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

56'

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

62'

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

82'

1

Jean Butez

Goalkeeper

34

Diego Carlos

Defender

77

Ignace Van Der Brempt

Defender

71'

14

Jacobo Ramón

Defender

2

Marc Oliver Kempf

Defender

31

Mërgim Vojvoda

Defender

90'

20

Martin Baturina

Midfielder

6

Maxence Caqueret

Midfielder

78'

23

Máximo Perrone

Midfielder

10

Nico Paz

Midfielder

71'

8

Sergi Roberto

Midfielder

79'

Substitutes

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

8

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Midfielder

2

Pervis Estupiñán

Defender

96

Lorenzo Torriani

Goalkeeper

27

David Odogu

Defender

46

Matteo Gabbia

Defender

46'

56

Alexis Saelemaekers

Midfielder

55'

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

56'

9

Niclas Füllkrug

Attacker

62'

11

Christian Pulisic

Attacker

82'

22

Mauro Vigorito

Goalkeeper

44

Nikola Cavlina

Goalkeeper

18

Alberto Moreno

Defender

42

Jayden Addai

Attacker

19

Nicolas Kühn

Attacker

21

Noel Törnqvist

Goalkeeper

Adrian Lahdo

Midfielder

11

Anastasios Douvikas

Attacker

71'

3

Álex Valle

Defender

71'

17

Jesús Rodriguez

Attacker

78'

33

Lucas Da Cunha

Attacker

79'

28

Ivan Smolcic

Defender

90'

Fiorentina have a decimated squad for their Conference League play-off against Jagiellonia, as the conditions do not bode well.

The first leg kicks off on Thursday at the Stadion Miejski w Bialymstoku in Bialystok at 20.00 GMT (21.00 CET).

The decider will then be at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence next week.

Coach Paolo Vanoli’s mood was boosted by last week’s unexpected 2-1 Serie A victory away to Como, which lifted them out of the Serie A relegation zone.

However, it came at a cost, because they had to leave several top players behind for this trip to Poland due to fitness concerns.

David De Gea suffered a dislocated finger on his left hand during the win over Como, while January signing Manor Solomon has flu symptoms.

Moise Kean, Dodo, De Gea and Manor Solomon remain in Florence, along with injured Albert Gudmundsson and Tariq Lamptey.

Marco Brescianini, Oliver Christensen and Daniele Rugani are not on the UEFA squad list for this stage of the competition, so are ineligible.

It means Vanoli has had to call up eight players from the Fiorentina youth team, including two goalkeepers.

Luca Lezzerini should therefore play his first UEFA match for the Viola since the 3-2 Europa League defeat to PAOK in November 2016.

No risks will be taken with the most important players, considering the conditions in Poland, where it has been snowing heavily.

This is not a synthetic or even hybrid pitch, so it has suffered more than most from the freezing temperatures.

Fiorentina squad for Jagiellonia

Balbo, Bertolini, Bonanno, Braschi, Comuzzo, Deli, Fabbian, Fagioli, Fazzini, Fortini, Gosens, Harrison, Kouadio, Leonardelli, Lezzerini, Magalotti, Mandragora, Ndour, Parisi, Piccoli, Pongracic, Ranieri, Sadotti

Milan are working hard to sign Luka Modric to a new one-year contract extension, after the legendary Croatian midfielder continues to play an important role for the Rossoneri.

The Croatian veteran has been a huge hit in Lombardy, after signing from Real Madrid last summer on a free transfer in a one-year deal.

So far this season, he has played nearly 2000 minutes for Massimiliano Allegri’s side, in all competitions, scoring twice, assisting three more and being an ever-present cog in the Rossoneri machine.

Milan working hard on Modric contract

According to CalcioMercato, there is a ‘growing optimism’ at Milan that Modric will agree to a new deal, after Allegri has developed a reported ‘relationship of great mutual respect and trust’ with the former Madrid midfielder.

The Croatian will turn 41 in September and it looks increasingly likely that he will continue into yet another year of football – for a man who in his own words just loves playing the sport.

There is already a clause in his contract that allows the club to trigger a one-year extension, with a higher salary of around €4.5 million, if the club qualify for the Champions League.

Of course, the former Ballon d’Or winner also wants guarantees that he will continue to play a starring role for the club – not content to just sit on the bench.

Inter make a chilly trip to Bodo/Glimt this evening, in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off clash against the Norwegian side.

The match promises to be interesting for a number of reasons, with cold temperatures and an artificial pitch for the Nerazzurri to contend with – and the Serie A side have four players at risk of missing the second leg if they receive a booking tonight.

As noted by FCInterNews, Lautaro Martinez, Francesco Acerbi, Henrik Mkhitaryan and Alessandro Bastoni are all in danger of a one-match ban.

Bodo/Glimt vs Inter – Challenging Nerazzurri test with bans on the line

For players like Martinez, Mkhitaryan and Bastoni especially, being without them in the return leg could become a problem if Inter do not pick up a comfortable result in Norway.

However, that is easier said than done.

It is a tricky place for any team to go in the Champions League and strong teams like Manchester City have already slipped up in the freezing cold city of Bodø.

Inter hoped to avoid having to participate in the play-offs but just missed out on a place in the top eight of the league phase, giving them an awkward play-off tie against an unpredictable team.

Follow all the action from the match, as it happens, on our Live Blog.

Torino have confirmed that Scottish forward Ché Adams will miss up to three weeks after being pulled out of training and undergoing medical examinations that revealed a fresh injury.

According to the official statement from the Turin club, Adams has “undergone medical examinations that have revealed a partial sprain in the soleus muscle of his right leg.”

Frustrating blow for Torino as Adams confirmed injured

In short, it means that the forward will miss around 20 days of football, putting him out of action for Sunday’s trip to Genoa and the match against Lazio on March 1.

It will then be touch-and-go as to whether or not he is available for the match against Napoli after that.

It is a frustrating setback for the forward especially, who will want to be in prime condition for this summer’s World Cup.

Fortunately, Scotland qualified automatically and therefore Adams’ injury comes as no real blow to the national set-up, other than concerns if it becomes a reoccurring issue in the run-up to the tournament in North America & Mexico.

Former Juventus midfielder Massimo Mauro has claimed that whilst there is nothing special about struggling left-backs Andrea Cambiaso and Juan Cabal, there is a deeper rooted problem at the club in that they are missing the “five or six players who control the game, the ones they’ve always had.”

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Mauro said “Cambiaso isn’t a leader, he’s just a normal person.”

However, he added that “neither he nor [Juan] Cabal are Juventus’ problem – rather the lack of five or six players who control the game, the ones they’ve always had.”

Mauro, on the whole, was not impressed by the players at Juventus’ disposal and claimed that “the coach [Luciano Spalletti] is the only one the club need to keep.”

Juventus brushed aside by Galatasaray in Istanbul

Juventus were humbled in a 5-2 drubbing at the hands of Galatasaray on Tuesday night, with two goals from former Napoli man Noa Lang and a Juan Cabal red card adding insult to injury. Cabal had only come on for Cambiaso at half-time and it took him twenty minutes to pick up two yellow cards, putting a massive dent in the Bianconeri’s hopes of staying in the Champions League.

It would now take a miracle in Turin for Juventus to qualify for the next round but former players like Mauro remain unconvinced that the club have what it takes to pull it out of the bag.

On the upside, elimination from the continental competition would allow the Bianconeri to focus their efforts on a top four place in Serie A.

Milan are preparing to host Como at San Siro this evening, as the Rossoneri look to increase their pressure on league leaders Inter and prevent their rivals from running away in the Scudetto race. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is set to miss the match, with Christopher Nkunku ready to pair with Rafael Leao in attack.

The match kicks off at 19:45 GMT (20:45 CET) and provides the Rossoneri with a fascinating challenge in Cesc Fabregas’ tricky Como side.

According to Sky Sport, via CalcioMercato, Loftus-Cheek is struggling with his overall fitness and is not ready to lead the line for Milan.

Milan vs Como – Loftus-Cheek to miss San Siro clash

Loftus-Cheek has scored in back-to-back games for the Rossoneri, playing in the front two but now Nkunku will step in to replace him.

The Frenchman has been inconsistent to say the least, since his big money move from Chelsea last summer.

However, Massimiliano Allegri will be hoping that Nkunku can step up in what may turn out to be a pivotal game in the race for the Scudetto.

Juventus and centre-back Gleison Bremer can breathe a sigh of relief following his early withdrawal during Tuesday night’s 5-2 loss away against Galatasaray, as medical tests have confirmed that the Brazilian has not torn a muscle in his leg. 

When is Bremer expected to return for Juventus?

Bremer was forced off the pitch in the 37th minute of Juventus’s 5-2 Champions League play-off defeat against Galatasaray on Tuesday evening with the scores 2-1 in favour of the Bianconeri at the time. Many outlets in Italy suggest that it was not a coincidence that Juventus collapsed in the second half after their most trusted defender went off. 

Initial reports suspected that it was a muscular injury that was troubling Bremer during the first half in Istanbul. 

The club have since been able to rule out any serious tears or lesions, which means that Bremer is not expected to be sidelined for a significant period of time. 

According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Bremer will follow an individualised training programme over the next few days, but a spot in the squad to face Como in Serie A on Saturday evening has not been ruled out. 

A more likely scenario, however, is that Bremer is rested for the Como match and marks his return in the second leg against Galatasaray on Tuesday according to the Pink Paper. 

Milan are due to take on Como in Serie A on Sunday evening, the only league fixture on the schedule for this midweek block of fixtures. Here’s why the Rossoneri and Lariani are facing each other in the league despite Champions League action taking place on the same night. 

Why is Milan vs. Como taking place on Wednesday night?

The Milan vs. Como match was originally scheduled to take place on February 8, during the 24th round of Serie A fixtures, but was later pushed back due to a clash with the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, which revolved around San Siro. 

For much of the 2025-26 season, the Lega Serie A had sought to play this game in Perth, Western Australia instead. There were talks and agreements in place between the Lega Serie A, all 20 member clubs, the FIGC and from UEFA to play the match abroad as a one-off, but the idea was eventually blocked by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in December. 

In the end, the Lega Serie A opted to simply rearrange the match instead of relocating it. 

It will now kick off in San Siro at 19.45 GMT on Wednesday evening.

The latest Serie A match between Inter and Juventus further reignited the rivalry between the Italian football giants, with a referee incident that will have consequences for some of those involved.

Pierre Kalulu’s sending off in the latest derby d’Italia between Inter and Juventus has sparked plenty of reactions from coaches, directors, fans and the media.

The Frenchman received a second yellow card for a foul on Alessandro Bastoni, but the Inter defender appeared to go down too easily on the challenge, leading to a red card for the Juventus defender.

The Nerazzurri were the favourite side going into this game despite failing to beat Juventus, Milan or Napoli in their previous 14 Serie A meetings. If not into Italian football, you can still enjoy football-themed slots at uudet kasinot. They have no post due date and are available from anywhere at any time.

Kalulu’s red card sparked an angry reaction from Juventus directors Giorgio Chiellini and Damien Comolli, who confronted referee Federico La Penna inside the tunnel. Their actions led to a ban and a fine for Comolli as the referee mentioned the incident in his match report.

La Penna will also be suspended for at least one month as referee designator, Gianluca Rocchi, confirmed that the decision to give Kalulu his marching orders was wrong.

On the other hand, Bastoni is not expected to be retrospectively punished for his dive, as TV footage can’t be used for an incident leading to a second yellow card, but only to a straight red.

Inter President Beppe Marotta admitted Bastoni had made a mistake, but also reiterated that the Italian centre-back was subject to exaggerated media coverage.

“Last season, we lost the Scudetto by one point, and there was a confirmed error in Inter-Roma, but we didn’t protest,” Marotta said on Monday.

“This season, Inter have only intervened once, after Napoli-Inter, where a penalty kick, later deemed unfair, had been given.

“If we talk about simulations, I want to remember Juventus-Inter in 2021 and a penalty given despite a clear simulation from Cuadrado with Calvarese as a referee.

“Afterwards, both the referee and the technical bodies confirmed it had been an obvious simulation, and with that win, Juventus qualified for the Champions League, which is worth €60-70m.”

Some fans and journalists in Italy called for Bastoni to be dropped from the Italy national team, mostly because of how he celebrated Kalulu’s red card, but several sources in Italy claim that Gennaro Gattuso will continue to rely on the Nerazzurri star, particularly for the imminent World Cup play-off.

Italy’s chances of receiving an extra spot in next season’s Champions League were dealt another blow after defeats for both Juventus and Inter in the play-off round first legs on Tuesday night. 

The Bianconeri were defeated 5-2 away against Galatasaray in Istanbul, while La Dea fell to a 2-0 loss in front of Borussia Dortmund’s Yellow Wall at the Westfalenstadion. 

These losses mean that Italy remains in fifth place in UEFA’s season association coefficient, which is used to determine which nations receive an additional spot in the following season’s tournament. Only the nations that finish the season in the top two will be afforded an extra Champions League spot. 

As things stand after the conclusion of Tuesday night’s fixtures, England remain top of the rankings with a score of 20.958. Portugal are in second on 16.600, Germany in third with 16.500, Spain in fourth with 15.781 and Italy in fifth with 15.500. 

Unfortunately for Italy, the gap between themselves and Spain has opened up slightly following the conclusion of Tuesday night’s games. 

How are the extra Champions League spots decided? 

The nations that finish the season in the top two on UEFA’s season association coefficient are awarded one additional spot each in the following season’s Champions League. 

So, how does the coefficient ranking work?

Teams competing in the three UEFA competitions (the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League) are awarded points based on their results in the European competitions. Nations are awarded two points for each of its teams’ wins, one for a draw and zero for a defeat. Those points are halved for qualifying matches. 

Bonus points are also awarded depending on each team’s finish in the league phase table. The team that finishes top of the Champions League pile gets an additional 12 points, the team in second gets 11.750, the team in third gets 11.500 and so on all the way down to the team in 36th. The winner of the Europa League league phase is awarded 6 points and 4 for the team at the top of the Conference League table. Points are awarded for places 1-24 in both the Europa League and Conference League. 

Additional bonus points are also awarded for each knockout stage that a team passes through. 

All of those points are added up and are then divided by the number of teams that the nation in question has competing in UEFA competitions. 

Italy’s collective points tally stands at 108.500, which comes to a coefficient score of 15.500 when divided by the number of Italian sides involved in European competition this season (seven). 

That score of 15.500 keeps Italy in fifth place in the season’s association coefficient ranking. 

Bologna have officially announced their signing of Tommaso Pobega on a definitive, permanent transfer from fellow Serie A outfit Milan. 

The 26-year-old has spent the last season-and-a-half on loan at the Dall’Ara from Milan, initially signing on loan with an option to buy in the summer of 2024, reuniting with head coach Vincenzo Italiano, under whom he had played at Spezia. 

Bologna then negotiated a new loan deal for Pobega in the summer of 2025, this time with a conditional obligation to buy. 

How much will Milan receive from Pobega transfer to Bologna?

According to recent reports, the obligation to buy clause was triggered after the first point that Bologna picked up during the month of February, which came in a 2-1 victory away against Torino on Sunday. 

Bologna have confirmed on Wednesday that the obligation to buy clause has been triggered and that Pobega is now a Rossoblu player on a permanent basis. He has put pen to paper on a contract that will run until the summer of 2028 with an option for an additional 12 months. 

It is understood that Milan will receive around €7m from Bologna for the Pobega transfer. 

Juventus conceded five goals in a European match for just the second time in the club’s history with their 5-2 loss away against Galatasaray on Tuesday night, and now the Bianconeri are left needing to make history if they are to qualify for the Champions League round of 16. 

Juventus’s Champions League play-off round got off to the worst possible of starts after a 5-2 thrashing in Istanbul on Tuesday evening: Teun Koopmeiners came up with a half-time brace, but the Old Lady were overwhelmed with goals from Gabriel Sara, Noa Lang (x2), Davinson Sanchez and Sacha Boey. 

Gleison Bremer was forced off with an injury in the second half, and half-time substitute Juan Cabal was also sent off in the 67th minute. 

Not since a 7-0 defeat against Wiener Sport-Club in the second leg of the preliminary rounds of the 1958/59 European Cup have Juventus conceded five or more goals in a European match. 

What do Juventus need to do in the second leg of the Champions League play-off?

Juventus are left needing a three-goal victory at a minimum if they are to keep their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League round of 16 alive. Even more damning for the Bianconeri and their hopes of progressing is previous the precedent set by Lazio, Inter and Roma. 

There has only ever been four times previously that an Italian side has conceded five goals or more in the first of a two-legged European tie. Those results were as follows: 

• Valencia 5-2 Lazio 1999-2000 (Champions League)
• Inter 2-5 Schalke 2010-11 (Champions League) 
• Liverpool 5-2 Roma 2017-18 (Champions League) 
• Manchester United 6-2 Roma 2020-21 (Europa League)

On all four of those previous occasions, the Italian sides were knocked out in the second leg. 

Juventus defender Lloyd Kelly has named and shamed an individual for racially abusing him on social media in the hours following Juventus’s 5-2 loss against Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday night: ‘This I won’t accept’. 

Kelly names and shames racist fan after Galatasaray 5-2 Juventus

The first round of Champions League play-off matches were marred by accusations of racist abuse on Tuesday evening. Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. has accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of making a racist remark during their first leg match in Lisbon, and Kelly has shown evidence of a racist comment that he was subjected to online. 

Posting on his Instagram story on Wednesday morning, the former Newcastle and Bournemouth defender has shared a screenshot of a comment left on one of his posts, which reads: “Go back to the zoo.” 

Kelly himself wrote: “Criticism comes all throughout life and in sports and I’ve always accepted this. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinions but this I won’t accept. 

“Words and actions have meaning and also consequences.” 

He proceeded to tag the individual who left the comment as well as the company that he is believed to work for. 

Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero has had his say on the 5-2 hammering by Galatasaray in the Champions League play-off round on Tuesday evening, and has claimed that it might not be ‘the worst of evils for this side to play one game a week’ if they are to be knocked out of the competition next week. 

Juventus’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League round of 16 were dealt an enormous blow after a 5-2 defeat away against Galatasaray in the first leg of their play-off round tie on Tuesday night. 

Gabriel Sara opened the scoring for the hosts, but Juventus still went in for the interval leading 2-1 thanks to a brace from Teun Koopmeiners. The Old Lady capitulated in the second half, though, with goals from Noa Lang (x2), Davinson Sanchez and Sacha Boey, plus a red card for half-time substitute Juan Cabal in the 67th minute. 

The situation means that Juventus need to win by a three goal margin at a minimum in the return leg at the Allianz Stadium on Tuesday if they are to keep their Champions League campaign alive. 

• Read more: Five disappointing Juventus players of 5-2 Galatasaray defeat

Del Piero: ‘Maybe it’s not the worst of evils for this Juventus side to play one game a week’

Del Piero was among the pundits on Sky Sport Italia for Tuesday night’s hammering in Istanbul. 

The legendary former no.10 was not best pleased with what he saw from Luciano Spalletti’s side, and claims that this sort of performance is what Juventus ‘risk’ if they do not perform at their best. 

“All aspects affected Spalletti, outlining that everything went wrong,” Del Piero said (via Tuttosport). 

“It shows that if Juventus aren’t at their best, then this is what they risk. That’s the reality. They risk making trivial mistakes, which are punished, they risk not having a real presence on the pitch. 

“Galatasaray played an excellent game, they played better. Juve struggled a lot, mentally and physically. 

“When you play every three days and you need to be at your best in every game, that’s where you see the real potential in a team and where it can aspire to finish. If Juve can’t find that, they will struggle with having three games a week, despite what they had shown in the weeks before.”

Del Piero went on to explain what Juventus need to do if they are to have any hope of qualifying for the next round of the Champions League. He also conceded that it might not be the worst thing in the world if this current Juve side were to be eliminated, though. 

“They need to reverse their energy if they are to get through to the next round, because those Galatasaray players were almost possessed.” 

And if the Champions League journey were to come to an end for Juventus next week, Del Piero admitted: “Maybe it’s not the worst of evils for this Juventus side to play one game a week.”

Newspapers in Italy have not looked kindly on Juventus after their 5-2 Champions League defeat away against Galatasaray on Tuesday evening, which has put their chances of qualifying for the round of 16 in major doubt. 

The Bianconeri travelled to Istanbul to begin the first leg of their Champions League play-off round tie with Galatasaray on Tuesday night. 

Luciano Spalletti’s side fell 1-0 behind after a 15th-minute strike from Gabriel Sara, but went in for the interval 2-1 up thanks to a brace from Teun Koopmeiners. The Old Lady capitualted in the second half, though, with goals from Noa Lang (x2), Davinson Sanchez and Sacha Boey and a red card for half-time substitute Juan Cabal. 

• Read more: Five disappointing Juventus stars of 5-2 Galatasaray defeat

Juventus left needing a minor miracle in Galatasaray second leg 

La Gazzetta dello Sport believes that Tuesday evening’s result was not just a damning indictment of Juventus, but of the wider state of Italian football on the whole – Atalanta were also beaten 2-0 by Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night. 

The Pink Paper also criticised Juve’s striking options, pointing out that Lois Openda, for whom Juventus will have to pay in excess of €40m to sign permanently in the summer, can not get into the team ahead of the makeshift false nine, Weston McKennie. 

This striking situation looks even worse when compared to Galatasaray, who had the privilege of being able to field a prime Victor Osimhen and leave Mauro Icardi on the substitutes bench. Both are players that Juventus have looked at signing over the last 12 months. 

Corriere dello Sport, meanwhile, labelled the Galatasaray loss as a ‘defensive disaster’. Naturally, the injury to Gleison Bremer in the first half and the foolish sending off of Juan Cabal in the second did not help Juventus’s cause. 

Corriere dello Sport suggests that Juventus should practice 10 vs. 11 matches in training, given that they have had players sent off in back-to-back matches. 

Turin-based outlet Tuttosport described the Galatasaray loss as a night from hell. They claimed that Galatasaray were ‘superior in everything’ on the night, and claims that Juventus’s dreams of progressing to the next round have all but been extinguished. 

Juventus’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League round of 16 were dealt an enormous blow after a 5-2 defeat away against Galatasaray in the play-off round first leg on Tuesday evening. Here are the Bianconeri players who failed to live up to expectations on the night. 

Juventus took a 2-1 advantage into the break thanks to a brace from Teun Koopmeiners, but the hosts hit back with goals from Noa Lang (x2), Davinson Sanchez and Sacha Boey in a second half that saw half-time substitute Juan Cabal sent off in the 67th minute. 

This means that Juventus will need to win by a three goal margin at an absolute minimum at the Allianz Stadium in the return leg next week if they are to keep their Champions League campaign alive. 

Which Juventus players disappointed the most against Galatasaray? 

Naturally, Juan Cabal has earned his fair share of criticism for earning two bookings within the space of 22 minutes after coming on as a half-time substitute. 

The Colombian was brought on in an attempt to stop Galatasaray’s Baris Yilmaz, but just four minutes after his introduction, he was caught out of position, which led to Yilmaz providing the assist for Galatasaray’s equaliser at 2-2. 

Then, 10 minutes later, he earned his first booking of the game, giving Galatasaray a free-kick that led to Davinson Sanchez’s goal for 3-2. A further eight minutes down the line and he was sent off for his second bookable offence. A nightmare evening for the Bianconeri full-back. 

Lloyd Kelly was also involved in two of the Galatasaray goals on Tuesday night. He was the one marking Davinson Sanchez, who scored from a free-kick delivery for 3-2 a quarter of an hour into the second half. 

The Englishman was also caught sleeping by Victor Osimhen in the 74th minute, giving away possession on the edge of his own six-yard box, which directly resulted in Noa Lang’s second goal of the game for 4-2. 

Much was expected of Turkiye national team star Kenan Yildiz, who failed to live up to expectations back on his home soil. In fact, it was him who lost possession on the edge of his own box that led to Sara’s opening goal of the game a quarter of an hour in. 

Khephren Thuram was also not at his best in Istanbul. The Frenchman had missed the Derby d’Italia against Inter over the weekend due to injury, and it looked at times as if he was still struggling with that issue. 

He lost possession 13 times, misplaced 10 passes and only won one of his five challenges on the night. He also gave the dangerous backpass to Kelly, which led to Lang’s second goal of the game. 

Tuesday night was another game that goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio failed to impress. While there were a handful of saves from the Italian on the night, the former Monza man looked short of confidence and La Gazzetta dello Sport suggests that he should have done better for the Galatasaray goals at 3-2 and 5-2.

Noa Lang was one of the stars of the show as Galatasaray beat Juventus 5-2 in the first leg of their Champions League play-off round clash on Tuesday evening, and has since aimed a subtle dig at his former club Napoli and head coach Antonio Conte: ‘I’m a player who needs to feel appreciated’. 

Juventus’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League round of 16 were dealt a big blow after a surprise 5-2 defeat away against Galatasaray in Istanbul on Tuesday night. Among the Galatasaray goalscorers was former Napoli man Lang, who netted twice in the second half, adding to goals from Gabriel Sara, Davinson Sanchez and Sacha Boey. 

Lang joined Galatasaray from Napoli on loan for a fee of €2m with an option to buy believed to be in the region of €30m during the January transfer window. He had spent just six months at the Stadio Maradona following his €25m transfer from PSV Eindhoven in the summer. 

Tuesday night’s victory for Galatasaray against Juventus was Lang’s first Champions League outing for his new club. 

Of the eight Champions League matches that Napoli took part in this season, Lang was named as a starter just twice and failed to register any goal involvements. He now has two from his first appearance in the competition with Galatasaray. 

What did Lang say about Conte and Napoli after Galatasaray 5-2 Juventus?

Speaking to the press after full-time, Lang explained why Galatasaray have managed to immediately get the best out of him, while Napoli struggled and were willing to cut their losses after just six months. 

“We showed great character in the second half today,” Lang told Sky after full-time on Tuesday night (via Calcionapoli1926). 

“I scored two goals in the second half, we showed that we have great spirit, that we are strong mentally, but the job isn’t done yet,” he warned. 

Lang was asked for his thoughts on his brief spell with Napoli, but replied: “I’d prefer to talk about Galatasaray now. I feel the love of the supporters, the club and most importantly, the coach. I’m a player who needs to feel appreciated. Then, see what happens. Today wasn’t even my best game and I scored twice, but normally I would want to dribble more. 

“Juventus are a strong team, we still have to finish the job. We will play away against a very difficult team. We’re in a good situation but still only halfway there.” 

Milan will be without several of their key first team players when they take on Como, who are also without the suspended Alvaro Morata, in Wednesday evening’s re-arranged Serie A tie. 

This game had originally been scheduled to be played on February 8, during the 24th round of Serie A fixtures, but was postponed due to a clash with the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, which revolved around San Siro. 

For much of this season, there had been talks over a potential move to play this match in Perth, Australia, but this was later blocked by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in December. 

In the end, the match was simply rearranged rather than relocated, and will kick off at 19.45 GMT on Wednesday evening. 

Milan are hoping for a victory to move within five points of league leaders Inter at the top of the Serie A standings. They are coming in off the back of a 2-1 victory away against Pisa last time out. 

Como, meanwhile, were dealt a surprise 2-1 blow by Fiorentina on Saturday but still sit in seventh place in the league table, six points off the top four. Cesc Fabregas’s side will leapfrog Atalanta into sixth if they win or draw this evening, 

Milan are without Adrien Rabiot in midfield after being sent off at the end of the Pisa match on Friday evening, which means a potential opportunity for Ardon Jashari or Samuele Ricci, if not both, in midfield. 

Christian Pulisic is a doubt and remains unlikely to start, but Rafael Leao could, and potentially alongside Ruben Loftus-Cheek according to Sky Sport Italia. Zachary Athekame is expected to keep his place at right wing-back in the absence of Alexis Saelemaekers. 

Alvaro Morata was also sent off in his last match, which means that Tosas Douvikas is expected to lead the line for Como in San Siro on Wednesday night. Support is likely to be provided by the youthful but talented trio of Jesus Rodriguez, Nico Paz and Martin Baturina. 

Milan vs. Como: Probable line-ups 

Milan (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, De WInter, Pavlovic; Athekame, Jashari, Modric, Ricci, Bartesaghi; Loftus-Cheek,  Leao. 

Como (4-2-3-1): Butez; Van der Brempt; Ramon, D.Carlos, Moreno; Perrone, Roberto; Rodriguez, Paz, Baturina; Douvikas. 

Where to watch Milan vs. Como 

Tonight’s match between Milan and Como will be exclusively shown on DAZN in the UK. Supporters in the USA are able to tune in via Paramount+. DAZN also has the rights for the game in Italy. 

Join us for all the pre-match build-up, in-game coverage and post-match reactions on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Inter have to put their Derby d’Italia win over Juventus to one side as Cristian Chivu and his players prepare for a different challenge altogether away against Bodo/Glimt on their artificial pitch in the arctic circle in the Champions League play-off round on Wednesday evening. 

The Nerazzurri picked up a 3-2 win over their rivals Juventus in Serie A over the weekend, but their victory was somewhat overshadowed by the incorrect decision to send off Bianconeri defender Pierre Kalulu following a dive from Alessandro Bastoni. 

Bastoni, speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of tonight’s match against Bodo/Glimt, has since apologised for the way in which he celebrated the decision to send off Kalulu and has confirmed that he is still in the right frame of mind to play despite his family receiving death threats over the last few days. 

Bastoni is expected to keep his place in Inter’s back three away against Bodo/Glimt on Wednesday evening, likely alongside Yann Bisseck and Manuel Akanji. 

The Nerazzurri will be without midfielders Hakan Calhanoglu and Davide Frattesi, neither of whom have travelled due to injury. Pre-match reports suggest that there will be an opportunity for Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Nicolo Barella will be suspended for his next Serie A match, so is also expected to play in Norway this evening. 

Captain Lautaro Martinez is in line to lead the attack for the Nerazzurri and is likely to be partnered by Pio Esposito rather than Marcus Thuram or Ange-Yoan Bonny. 

Kick-off is due at 20.00 GMT. 

Bodo/Glimt vs. Inter: Probable line-ups 

Bodo/Glimt (4-3-3): Haikin; Sjovold, Bjortuft, Gundersen, Bjorkan; Evjen, Berg, Fet; Blomberg, Hogh, Hauge.

Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, Akanji, Bastoni; L.Henrique, Barella, Zielinski, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; L.Martinez, Esposito. 

Where to watch Bodo/Glimt vs. Inter 

Tonight’s game will be available to watch live in the UK on  TNT Sports 1 and online through Discovery+. Supporters in the USA are able to tune in via Paramount+. 

Join us for all the pre-match build-up, in-game coverage and post-match reactions on the Football Italia Liveblog. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport 

Not like that 

An historic gaffe in the Champions League

Bremer ko, Cabal sent off, Galatasaray win 5-2. It will be very tough to qualify for the round of 16 in Turin on the 25th. Spalletti: ‘Backwards step’. Stops for Comolli and Chiellini after the chaos in the San Siro tunnel 

Play-offs: A dark Tuesday. Atalanta cave in Dortmund 

A 2-0 defeat against Borussia 

Flying 

The ninth golf from the skating at the Olympics 

Ghiotto, Malfatti and Giovannini: Italy triumph in the team pursuit 20 years later 

Bastoni: ‘I was wrong’ 

In Norway at 20.00 

An immediate starter after the threats. Inter on the attack against Bodo 

Milan chase 

Playing for the Scudetto

San Siro at 19.45: The rematch against Como

Allegri: ‘No distractions’ 

Corriere dello Sport 

Galagoal 

Bremer goes off and Juve crumble

Five goals against Spalletti | Champions League, play-off first leg: Lesson from Galatasaray (5-2)

A double from Koopmeiners and the first half ended at 2-1. Total darkness after the injury to the Brazilian and the red card shown to Cabal. Lang (ex-Napoli) scores twice. Lucio: ‘Three steps back’. Comolli and Chiellini disqualified. Borussia Dortmund beat Atalanta 2-0 

Racist insults to Vinicius Jr: Real Madrid win in Mourinho’s back yard (0-1)

Bastoni plays the ace 

Inter, from the defender’s apology to the play-off against Bodo (20.00)

‘I exaggerated the contact with Kalulu to have an advantage: I’m sorry. But the death threats to my wife and daughter are unjustifiable’. Chivu: ‘Enough morality, We were also dealt an injustice against Napoli 

Allegri: ‘Mistakes are forbidden’ 

Milan-Como at 19.45, target -5 

Rrahmani, two months out 

Napoli, it never ends: Another KO

Lotito: ‘I’m not selling Lazio’ 

The Flaminio project is presented 

Tuttosport 

Juve, total alarms 

5-2

An historic gaffe against Galatasaray. Requires a big turnaround in the return leg, but they need to secure Champions League football for next year as well 

The double from Koopmeiners after the goal from Sara gives false hope. Then Bremer goes off with a muscular injury, Cabal then gets dismissed. The defence caves and Di Gregorio is dealt a five-goal scoreline. Spalletti: ‘A big step backwards. Let’s just give the ball away!’. Errors and a scare for Yildiz: ‘He has too much responsibility, now that’ll change’ 

Atalanta also flopped, Bodo freeze, Inter seething 

Beaten in Dortmund (2-0) 

Round of 16 at high risk for La Dea. Chivu in Norway: ‘I don’t want excuses for the cold and the artificial pitch’ 

VInicus chaos. Goal and an accusation: ‘Racists!’ 

Real win in Mou’s back yard 

‘Grande Torino, school of art’ 

The 100 years of Susanna Egri 

Ballerina and choreographer, daughter of the legendary director: ‘Here’s how we were saved from the Nazis’

‘Poison distracting Milan, let’s focus on ourselves

The game in hand against Como

Allegri on the controversies between Inter and Juve: ‘I want a self-focused squad’ 

Raffaele Palladino maintains Atalanta can turn the Champions League play-off around with Borussia Dortmund, as it’s ‘only the first half,’ and reveals the cause of tension with Nico Kovac.

It was a bad start in Dortmund, partly because kick-off was delayed by 15 minutes when the hosts were late getting to the stadium due to a traffic jam.

That didn’t seem to affect them, as they scored within three minutes thanks to Serhou Guirassy’s towering header, then the same player set up Maximilian Beier for 2-0 just before half-time.

Palladino trusts Atalanta can fight back

Atalanta were forced into changes in Dortmund, as this week both Giacomo Raspadori and Charles De Ketelaere were ruled out for at least a month by injuries.

“We mustn’t talk about who isn’t here, but instead concentrate on who did play,” Palladino told Sky Sport Italia.

“It’s a pity we were 1-0 down right from the start, because we knew Borussia Dortmund are a very good team with strong individuals who can attack the space, they put in a cross and we didn’t mark properly on that goal.”

Fabio Capello in the Sky Sport Italia studio warned that playing man for man with that Dortmund attack was a recipe for disaster.

“I agree with that analysis, it’s true that their strikers have a lot of technical and physical qualities,” replied Palladino.

“I was struck by their midfielders too, they are complete players. However, our mentality must be to have courage. We studied our opponents, these matches are also helpful to understand our strengths and their strengths.

“It won’t be easy to turn this around, but I believe, the fans will be pushing us on, and this is why we love football, because it gives you the opportunity to turn things around.”

Gianluca Scamacca made his return to the starting XI this evening, but seemed visibly rusty, as Nikola Krstovic was livelier when replacing him for the second half.

“We made too many errors and got stuck going down one flank, we were too predictable, too slow moving it around, but we did much better in the second half, with more possession, more movement, more options in attack, more spaces opening up.

“I got the feeling we were in a position to create something in attack, but we were lacking a little quality in the final third, with the final pass. There were things we didn’t do well tonight, we’ll analyse them with the lads and do better next time.

“Also don’t forget we were up against a strong side that is second in the Bundesliga, only six points behind Bayern Munich. I am sad about the result, but I also note they had only two shots on target and scored both of them. We have to think positive, our dream is to go through, and if we don’t manage it, we’ll know that we gave our all. There are many young players in this squad who gained experience from this for the future.”

It means La Dea have a mountain to climb in the second leg in Bergamo on Wednesday February 25, as they need to win by two clear goals just to force extra time in the Champions League play-off.

“This was just the first half, the second is on our home turf, and just as they put two goals past us this evening, we can do the same in Bergamo,” insisted Palladino.

“The lads know what we need to do, we will get back on our feet and certainly play the second leg with great intensity.”

There seemed to be some tension at the final whistle when Palladino stormed off and didn’t shake hands with Borussia Dortmund coach Kovac.

“I don’t like protesting, they were complaining for every single thing on the touchline. I try to leave the referees to do their job, in good and bad, so I just told him he ought to let the referees get on with it.”

Marten de Roon insists Atalanta ‘must believe’ in turning around the Champions League play-off after a 2-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund. ‘We can hurt them too and build on that.’

The game was delayed by 15 minutes in Dortmund because hosts Borussia were caught in traffic and arrived late to the stadium.

Nonetheless, they opened the scoring within three minutes thanks to a Serhou Guirassy header, then he provided the assist for Maximilian Beier to double their lead before half-time.

De Roon has faith in Atalanta future

“We struggled with their pace at the start, but then it became a more balanced game, we had a couple of chances, and the real pity was conceding the second goal,” De Roon told Sky Sport Italia.

The second leg is in Bergamo on February 25, and Atalanta have a huge task ahead of them to turn this around if they are to enter the Champions League Round of 16.

“We must always believe, and we believe a lot, because the last 25 minutes gave us confidence we can hurt them too. They are dangerous running into spaces, but we know what we can do and want to build on that,” continued De Roon.

“We went into the locker room, closed the door, and told each other we must believe, because we are a strong team. We attacked more in the second half and that meant leaving spaces, but we did well not to concede a third.”

Both goals were conceded with defensive errors, as Guirassy and Beier were left in acres of space to finish their chances, but even more disappointing was the lack of genuine scoring opportunities from Atalanta.

Atalanta crushed Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the Europa League Final back in 2024, but things have changed since then.

“At least we raised the level, as it was the Champions League tonight and not the Europa League,” noted De Roon.

“I was very impressed with Borussia Dortmund, Felix Nmecha has enormous physical presence, but I still believe we can fight it out with them and have our say in Bergamo.”

Atalanta paid a heavy price for defensive distractions, as Serhou Guirassy and Maximilian Beier gave Borussia Dortmund a 2-0 first leg lead in the Champions League play-offs.

La Dea had been on the verge of direct qualification to the Round of 16, until back-to-back defeats to Athletic Club and Union Saint-Gilloise. Charles De Ketelaere and Giacomo Raspadori were both ruled out for at least a month this week, but Gianluca Scamacca returned to the starting XI. Borussia Dortmund had drawn 4-4 away to Juventus, but crumbled with one point from the last three against Bodo/Glimt, Tottenham and Inter. They won their last six Bundesliga ties in a row, despite missing Filippo Mane, Emre Can, Nico Schlotterbeck and Nicklas Sule, so 18-year-old Italian Luca Reggiani got his Champions League debut.

Kick-off had to be delayed by 15 minutes because the Borussia Dortmund team bus was caught in traffic on their way to the stadium.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It took under three minutes for the hosts to take the lead, as Julian Ryerson whipped in a cross from the right and Serhou Guirassy comfortably leapt over Odilon Kossounou for the towering header.

Serhou Guirassy leaps high to head Dortmund into an early lead against Atalanta

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/QuTJrCTGkV

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 17, 2026

Nicola Zalewski drew out the goalkeeper and rolled across from the left, but Daniel Svensson made a crucial block to prevent Mario Pasalic tapping into an empty net from five yards as they came sliding in.

Sead Kolasinac came flying out of defence to set up Zalewski for another dangerous situation, while a ferocious Felix Nmecha strike was charged down by Kossounou and Waldemar Anton’s header was over from a Ryerson free kick.

Borussia Dortmund doubled their advantage just before half-time, as Guirassy completed a give and go with Nmecha to burst down the left and roll across, finding Maximilian Beier unmarked to bundle over the line.

Maximilian Beier doubles Dortmund's advantage

A nice break down the left from Serhou Guirassy has Atalanta on the back foot…

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/Z3A1tZYPBz

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 17, 2026

Nikola Krstovic tested the goalkeeper from distance, while Julian Brandt blasted over after Marco Carnesecchi parried an in-swinging corner, but Krstovic and Zalewski strikes were charged down.

Krstovic put in a fine cross, but it only grazed the head of Kamaldeen Sulemana in a good position, and Lazar Samardzic’s curler was too close to the goalkeeper.

In stoppages, Ramy Bensebaini made a fantastic sliding tackle to stop Krstovic tapping in the Sulemana low roll across from five yards.

Atalanta have it all to do in the second leg on February 25.

Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Atalanta

Guirassy 3 (B), Beier 42 (B)

17-02-2026 20:15

Knockout phase play-offs

Westfalenstadion (Signal Iduna Park)

Dortmund

Atalanta

2 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Serhou Guirassy (Assist: Julian Ryerson)		3'
Luca Reggiani		18'
		40'		Odilon Kossounou
		40'		Berat Djimsiti
Maximilian Beier (Assist: Serhou Guirassy)		42'
		45+1'		Gianluca Scamacca

2nd half

Waldemar Anton

48'

Match statistic

44

Possession %

56

9

Total shots

7

2

Shots on target

3

4

Shots off target

2

3

Blocked shots

2

3

Corners

2

1

Offsides

1

11

Fouls

13

Dortmund

Atalanta

Starting lineups

1

Gregor Kobel

Goalkeeper

24

Daniel Svensson

Defender

26

Julian Ryerson

Defender

49

Luca Reggiani

Defender

5

Ramy Bensebaini

Defender

3

Waldemar Anton

Defender

8

Felix Nmecha

Midfielder

83'

10

Julian Brandt

Midfielder

70'

7

Jobe Bellingham

Attacker

14

Maximilian Beier

Attacker

70'

9

Serhou Guirassy

Attacker

83'

29

Marco Carnesecchi

Goalkeeper

19

Berat Djimsiti

Defender

46'

77

Davide Zappacosta

Defender

72'

47

Lorenzo Bernasconi

Defender

3

Odilon Kossounou

Defender

23

Sead Kolasinac

Defender

13

Éderson

Midfielder

8

Mario Pasalic

Midfielder

15

Marten de Roon

Midfielder

63'

59

Nicola Zalewski

Midfielder

82'

9

Gianluca Scamacca

Attacker

46'

Substitutes

2

Yan Couto

Defender

6

Salih Özcan

Midfielder

33

Alexander Meyer

Goalkeeper

31

Silas Ostrzinski

Goalkeeper

42

Almugera Kabar

Defender

47

Elias Benkara

Defender

40

Samuele Inácio

Attacker

45

Danylo Krevsun

Midfielder

27

Karim Adeyemi

Attacker

70'

17

Carney Chukwuemeka

Midfielder

70'

20

Marcel Sabitzer

Midfielder

83'

21

Fábio Silva

Attacker

83'

31

Francesco Rossi

Goalkeeper

57

Marco Sportiello

Goalkeeper

42

Giorgio Scalvini

Defender

5

Mitchel Bakker

Defender

6

Yunus Musah

Midfielder

69

Honest Ahanor

Defender

45

Dominic Vavassori

Midfielder

90

Nikola Krstovic

Attacker

46'

4

Isak Hien

Defender

46'

7

Kamaldeen Sulemana

Midfielder

63'

16

Raoul Bellanova

Defender

72'

10

Lazar Samardžić

Midfielder

82'

Pierre Kalulu insists Juventus cannot hide behind alibis after their 5-2 defeat to Galatasaray, and wants to put the Alessandro Bastoni incident behind him. ‘It’s a pity.’

The Bianconeri had been leading 2-1 at half-time in the first leg of this Champions League play-off, with a Teun Koopmeiners brace overturning the early Gabriel Sara goal.

They went 3-2 down and a man down after the restart, crumbling to a 5-2 loss that gives them a mountain to climb in the second leg on February 25.

Kalulu surprised by Juventus collapse

“Goals keep coming from our own errors, but the most difficult thing to swallow was the second half performance overall,” Kalulu told Sky Sport Italia.

“Even with a red card, we should not have allowed all those scoring opportunities. We need to figure out what happened tonight, but it’s in the past now and in football you must be able to quickly move on to the next match.”

Gleison Bremer limped off with an injury in the first half, while they were also missing Jonathan David, Emil Holm and Dusan Vlahovic. Was the strain of their recent run of big matches to blame for this capitulation?

“No, you cannot hide behind fatigue when dealing with a Champions League fixture. That’s just the way it went today, it’s very difficult to work out what went wrong, but we’ve got to lift our heads and do better in future.”

Kalulu was in all the Italian headlines this week after his red card in the 3-2 Serie A defeat to Inter, as the second yellow was for a Bastoni simulation.

“Obviously, I was very irritable after that incident, but it is better not to talk too much, because sometimes it doesn’t really help. I just have to focus on the pitch, there are others who can talk about these matters.”

Inter defender Bastoni made a public apology today for exaggerating the contact to get Kalulu sent off, but above all for loudly celebrating the dismissal.

“I didn’t see what he said,” replied Kalulu.

“That match is in the past now, we’ve got to look to the future and not think about it anymore. All I will say is that it’s a pity.”

Juventus midfielder Teun Koopmeiners ‘can’t be happy’ after scoring a brace against Galatasaray as the Bianconeri slumped to a 5-2 loss away at Galatasaray in the Champions League.

Juventus suffered a heavy 5-2 loss against Galatasaray in the first leg of the Champions League knockout play-off on Tuesday.

Koopmeiners’ comments after Galatasaray 5-2 Juventus

Koopmeiners scored his first goals this season and his first two in the Champions League before the break, giving Juventus a 2-1 lead.

“I think we played a good first half; we scored two great goals. We said in the dressing room that we had to keep the ball possession longer, but the way the second half went was not good,” the Dutch midfielder told Sky Sport Italia.

“We must look at the videos and know that there’s a new game next week.”

Juan Cabal was sent off in the second half, after barely 20 minutes from his introduction, while Gleison Bremer suffered a suspected muscle injury in the first half and was forced to be subbed off.

The decider will be played in Turin on Wednesday next week.

“We must improve and score three goals at least; it’s easy,” said the Juventus midfielder.

“I started well with this coach, I scored two important goals in the first half, but I can’t be happy. Because nothing matters when you look at the second half. We scored twice, but we need at least three in the next one.

“I feel well in this position. I think I can contribute with goals. I told myself I had to score more goals. I did it in the first half, but we had to do more in the second.”

Juventus have lost three of their last four games across all competitions, drawing once, and conceding 13 goals in the process.

Juventus’ next game will be at home against Como in Serie A this coming Saturday.

Luciano Spalletti admits Juventus ‘took three steps back’ in their 5-2 Champions League play-off defeat to Galatasaray, warning they are ‘always at risk of conceding goals.’

The Bianconeri had managed to turn around an early Gabriel Sara goal with the Teun Koopmeiners brace to go into half-time leading 2-1 in Istanbul.

It all fell apart after the break, when Juan Cabal replaced Andrea Cambiaso because the Italian was on a yellow card, but he made two crucial errors for goals and then received a red card.

Juve crumbled down to 10 men, as Noa Lang scored twice, plus Davinson Sanchez and Sacha Boey for the 5-2 result.

Check the Football Italia Player Ratings for Galatasaray 5-2 Juventus

Spalletti does not hold back on dire Juventus performance

“We ended the first half badly, tried to get back into shape and changed a few things, but we really dropped off in terms of character,” Spalletti told Sky Sport Italia.

“It was not one step back, but three steps back this evening. Clearly, Cambiaso risked a second yellow card at the end of the first half, in these games when you have someone on a card, it is wise to do something with the substitutions.

“However, we received two more yellow cards in the first 15-odd minutes, then we did further damage to ourselves by not recognising the danger in those situations.”

Is it a problem for Juventus that they consistently concede so many goals, especially in Europe?

“I am convinced that we can lighten the load on the defence if we manage to play football. If we set up barricades and go on the counter, we don’t have players suited to that sort of approach, we don’t have those solid enough to let nothing through,” noted Spalletti.

“So I believe attack is the best form of defence, taking the front foot. If we drop below our standards of quality, then we are always at risk of conceding goals.”

The first, fourth and fifth goals came from giving the ball away and not playing it effectively out from the back, so should Spalletti encourage his defenders to just clear it when under that kind of pressure?

“I want them to play the ball in normal situations, but when there is extreme danger, you kick it away. I want us to create something going forward, not just breaking up the play. Not every situation is the same, sometimes you kick it away and release some pressure. I like to play the ball in general, but there are different situations.

“When down to 10 men, that’s a difficult situation, we made the substitution to take pressure off one player and his replacement receives two yellow cards in 20 minutes, that makes everything tougher.

“Quite apart from the cards, the whole team took a few steps back in various ways today.”

Juventus now have a huge mountain to climb for the second leg of the Champions League play-off, as they need a 3-0 result just to force extra time.

“Of course we’ll try to climb that mountain, try to organise a comeback. Clearly, we must take on responsibility for what happened and for the decisions we take during the match,” noted Spalletti.

“From now on, it’s pointless saying lots of words if we don’t back it up with action. We do some things well recently, but always manage to create problems for ourselves too.

“When it comes to recognising certain situations, we weren’t at the top yet anyway, and today managed to make it worse. The red card added to the difficulties, but we still have to respond and do our duty to a group of fans, a whole city, and a club.”

Gleison Bremer limped off during half-time with a muscular issue, so is there any news yet on his condition?

“We have to evaluate Bremer, as he might have some problems.”

Di Gregorio 5 – A couple of decent saves here and there, but it was always too easy for Juventus opponents to score. The Italian didn’t look confident on set pieces and with distribution.

• Match report – Galatasaray 5-2 Juventus: Cabal catastrophe ruins Champions League play-off

Kalulu 6 – Straight back to action after Saturday’s controversy against Inter, the French played a key role in Teun Koopmeiners’ equaliser, forcing a save from Ugurcan Cakir before the rebound was tapped home.

Bremer 6.5 – Injured early in the first half, but remained on the pitch until the Bianconeri took the lead. Juventus collapsed after he left the field. (34′ Gatti 4)

Kelly 4 – A positive performance in the first half, but the Englishman faded after the break. He lost the ball inside the box for Galatasaray’s fourth goal and lost yet another duel against Osimhen for the fifth.

Cambiaso 6.5 – His forward run right after Galatasaray’s opener paved the way for Koopmeiners’ equaliser. His cross for Kalulu came with a high degree of difficulty. He was booked in the first half and will miss the return leg next week. (46′ Cabal 3 – A terrible impact. In the wrong position for Gala’s equaliser, then caused the free kick that led to the opponents’ third goal. Very few successful passes. Two yellow cards in 20 minutes. A disaster.)

Koopmeiners 7  – He had no goals and no assists in 32 appearances across all competitions this season. No Champions League in his career. All of a sudden, he showed why Juventus paid €60m for him over 18 months ago.

Locatelli 5 – Too many errors in the build-up, and didn’t help the team defensively as he usually does.

Thuram 4.5 – Back to action after missing Saturday’s game against Inter. The Frenchman was sloppy on the ball and made a dangerous backpass that Galatasaray converted in their fourth goal. (80′ Miretti N/A).

Conceicao 5 – Energetic and involved throughout, as always, but his impact faded in the final third, where the decisive pass was missing. (70′ Kostic 5).

McKennie 6.5 – Started as a centre-forward but, as ever, he played all over the pitch. Also provided the assist for Koopmeiners’ second goal.

Yildiz 4.5 – The homeboy didn’t seem fully fit as he often checked on his knee during the match. He also lost possession in a danger zone, leading to Galatasaray’s opening goal. He was never dangerous and was subbed off when the game was practically over (81′ Openda N/A).

Coach: Spalletti 4 – A shocking result, a disastrous second half for the Bianconeri. Still not clear why he replaced Cambiaso after a brilliant first-half performance. Cabal dragged the team down, and this time, Juventus sank rather than reacting.

Galatasaray: Ugurcan Cakir 6; Sallai 6, Sanchez 7, Abdulkerim Bardakci 7 (77′ Singo N/A), Jakobs 6.5 (83′ Elmali N/A); Torreira 7, Gabriel Sara 8.5; Baris Alper Yilmaz 7.5 (77′ Icardi N/A), Yunus Akgun 7.5 (70′ Sané), Lang 7.5 (83′ Boey); Osimhen 8. Coach: Buruk 8.

Atalanta’s Champions League play-off with Borussia Dortmund has seen kick-off delayed by 15 minutes after the hosts got stuck in traffic and were late to the stadium.

It was meant to kick off at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund at 20.00 GMT (21.00 CET).

However, that has been moved to 20.15 GMT (21.15 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Galatasaray-Juventus on the Liveblog.

The second leg for a place in the Round of 16 will be on February 25.

Dortmund traffic surprises Borussia squad

Borussia Dortmund ought to know the traffic in their own city on match days, but evidently were surprised by the situation they ran into on their way to the arena.

They were delayed so much that the kick-off time had to be put back by 15 minutes.

La Dea had been very close to going directly into the next phase as one of the top eight teams in the league table, but fumbled it with defeats to Athletic Club and Union Saint-Gilloise.

Both Charles De Ketelaere and January signing Giacomo Raspadori are out for at least a month with injuries sustained at the weekend, so Gianluca Scamacca makes his return to the starting XI.

There are some surprises in defence, as Giorgio Scalvini and Isak Hien are both on the bench.

Juventus were leading 2-1 with a Teun Koopmeiners brace, but a disastrous performance from Juan Cabal with red card and Noa Lang double create a Champions League play-off mountain to climb.

The Bianconeri made the trip to Istanbul without Jonathan David, Emil Holm, Dusan Vlahovic and Arek Milik, but Khephren Thuram returned after missing the controversial 3-2 defeat to Inter. Weston McKennie was turned into a surprise False 9, flanked by Kenan Yildiz and Francisco Conceicao. The hosts had Mario Lemina suspended, but could count on former Serie A stars Victor Osimhen, Mauro Icardi, Noa Lang and Lucas Torreira. The second leg in Turin is on February 25.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

A Yunus Akgun scorcher flashed just wide, as did the deflected Kenan Yildiz effort at the other end, but Kenan Yildiz was caught napping on a throw-in, so Lucas Torreira laid it off for Gabriel Sara to bend the left-foot finish into the far bottom corner.

Gabriel Sara FIRES Galatasaray ahead @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/bHZKDXTwjM

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 17, 2026

However, the Galatasaray celebrations were still in full swing when Juventus equalised less than a minute later. Andrea Cambiaso surged forward from the kick-off and floated a cross for Pierre Kalulu’s header, which was only parried into the path of Teun Koopmeiners to turn in the rebound.

Koopmeiners responds immediately and Juventus are level@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/PbUwwBUCsR

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 17, 2026

Cambiaso was booked and will be suspended for the second leg, while Osimhen’s half-volley flashed over the bar and his header was well saved by Michele Di Gregorio.

Both Gleison Bremer and Kenan Yildiz were carrying knocks, but Juve managed to turn the game around to lead with another from Koopmeiners. The Dutchman burst through the centre, completed a give and go with McKennie, and blasted into the roof of the net with his left foot.

Koopmeiners puts Juventus in front with a brilliant strike @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/oyvbz6AKcd

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 17, 2026

After several minutes of trying to continue, Bremer was forced off with a thigh issue, replaced by Federico Gatti.

Francisco Conceicao curled off target from a counter-attack and Di Gregorio got down to palm away the Yunus Akgun daisy-cutter.

Former Palermo man Roland Sallai should’ve equalised on the stroke of half-time, but ballooned over at the back post after surprising Cambiaso on a Lang corner.

They did make it 2-2 straight after the restart, as Di Gregorio got a glove to the Baris Alper Yilmaz angled drive, but could do nothing on Lang’s tap-in for his first goal since the January move from Napoli. Substitute Juan Cabal had tried to double up marking elsewhere, leaving Yilmaz alone.

Noa Lang brings Galatasaray right back into it @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/LEdmFZ5OQn

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 17, 2026

Galatasaray turned it around once more, Gabriel Sara’s ferocious free kick taking a mere glance off Davinson Sanchez to wrong-foot Di Gregorio from close range.

REMARKABLE TURNAROUND BY GALATASARAY @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/V9Qhm0MfpT

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 17, 2026

Cabal had given that free kick away with a foul on Baris Alper Yilmaz for a yellow card, and received his second for another failed attempt to stop the Galatasaray captain, reducing Juventus to 10 men after a nightmare performance off the bench.

Juan Cabal sent off after coming on at half-time! @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/EFFzs9QlpC

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 17, 2026

Things went from bad to worse, as Thuram and Lloyd Kelly were too sluggish playing out from the back, allowing Osimhen to steal it inside the box and find Lang for another tap-in.

Noa Lang gets his second of the night! @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/oXcAsUUJqn

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 17, 2026

Ex-Torino winger Wilfried Singo drilled just wide from distance, but the fifth arrived when Osimhen battled with Lloyd Kelly to send substitute Sacha Boey down the right, blasting into the far top corner with a powerful finish.

Boey adds a fifth for Galatasaray @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/Dgbswx8PZR

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 17, 2026

Galatasaray 5-2 Juventus

Gabriel Sara 15 (G), Koopmeiners 16, 32 (J), Lang 49, 75 (G), Sanchez 60 (G), Boey 86 (G)

Sent off: Cabal 67 (J)

17-02-2026 17:45

Knockout phase play-offs

Türk Telekom Arena (Ali Sami Yen Stadium)

Galatasaray

Juventus

5 - 2

Player statistic

1st half

Gabriel Sara		15'
		16'		Teun Koopmeiners (Assist: Pierre Kalulu)
		18'		Andrea Cambiaso
		32'		Teun Koopmeiners (Assist: Weston McKennie)
Gabriel Sara		43'

2nd half

Noa Lang (Assist: Barış Alper Yılmaz)		49'
		59'		Juan Cabal
Davinson Sánchez (Assist: Gabriel Sara)		60'
		67'		Juan Cabal
Noa Lang (Assist: Victor Osimhen)		75'
Sacha Boey (Assist: Victor Osimhen)		86'

Match statistic

62

Possession %

38

22

Total shots

7

9

Shots on target

3

7

Shots off target

2

6

Blocked shots

2

5

Corners

5

1

Offsides

2

8

Fouls

18

Galatasaray

Juventus

Starting lineups

1

Ugurcan Cakir

Goalkeeper

42

Abdülkerim Bardakci

Defender

77'

6

Davinson Sánchez

Defender

4

Ismail Jakobs

Defender

83'

8

Gabriel Sara

Midfielder

34

Lucas Torreira

Midfielder

53

Barış Alper Yılmaz

Attacker

77'

77

Noa Lang

Attacker

83'

7

Roland Sallai

Attacker

45

Victor Osimhen

Attacker

11

Yunus Akgün

Attacker

70'

16

Michele Di Gregorio

Goalkeeper

27

Andrea Cambiaso

Defender

46'

3

Bremer

Defender

34'

6

Lloyd Kelly

Defender

15

Pierre Kalulu

Defender

19

Khéphren Thuram

Midfielder

80'

5

Manuel Locatelli

Midfielder

8

Teun Koopmeiners

Midfielder

22

Weston McKennie

Midfielder

7

Francisco Conceição

Attacker

70'

10

Kenan Yıldız

Attacker

81'

Substitutes

23

Kaan Ayhan

Midfielder

20

Ilkay Gündogan

Midfielder

12

Batuhan Sen

Goalkeeper

21

Ahmed Kutucu

Attacker

19

Günay Güvenc

Goalkeeper

22

Yaser Asprilla

Midfielder

10

Leroy Sané

Midfielder

70'

90

Wilfried Singo

Defender

77'

9

Mauro Icardi

Attacker

77'

93

Sacha Boey

Defender

83'

17

Eren Elmali

Defender

83'

23

Carlo Pinsoglio

Goalkeeper

1

Mattia Perin

Goalkeeper

Jeremie Boga

Attacker

11

Edon Zhegrova

Attacker

17

Vasilije Adžić

Midfielder

4

Federico Gatti

Defender

34'

32

Juan Cabal

Defender

46'

18

Filip Kostic

Midfielder

70'

21

Fabio Miretti

Midfielder

80'

20

Loïs Openda

Attacker

81'

Atalanta coach Raffaele Palladino explains how he prepared his team for a ‘fascinating’ Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund: ‘A maturity test.’

Atalanta visit Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of the Champions League knockout play-off this evening.

Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta – Palladino’s pre-match quotes

You can follow the build-up and action as it happens on the liveblog.

“I’ve tried to convey serenity and tranquillity as we tried to prepare the game in a fascinating stadium,” Palladino told Sky Sport via TMW.

“I see it in the lads’ eyes. I’ve spoken to them, just a few things, very clear. It’s a nice maturity test for us tonight.”

Giacomo Raspadori and Charles De Ketelaere are injured, so Mario Pasalic starts as an attacking midfielder.

“He’s a versatile midfielder who can play as an attacking midfielder too. He did in the past, and he can score,” Palladino said.

“It shouldn’t take long for Raspadori; we’ll assess it with the staff. I hope he returns in two or three weeks, and around a month for De Ketelaere. We’ll try to recover them as quickly as possible.”

Juventus defender Gleison Bremer was forced to be substituted during the first half of a Champions League match against Galatasaray due to a suspected muscle injury.

Juventus defender Bremer suffered a suspected muscle injury during the first half of a Champions League match against Galatasaray on Tuesday.

Bremer suffered a suspected muscle injury vs. Galatasaray

As reported by Gazzetta, the Brazilian repeatedly touched his right thigh before being forced to be subbed off.

Bremer even left the field for a few minutes to get his thigh massaged by doctors, but Juventus were one goal down, so he refused to leave the field.

Teun Koopmeiners, however, scored twice in a few minutes, and Bremer surrendered just after the Dutchman’s second goal.

This evening’s match between Galatasaray and Juventus is the first leg of the Champions League knockout play-off. The decider will be played in Turin next week.

You can follow live updates for Galatasaray-Juventus and Borussia Dortmund-Atalanta in the Football Italia LIVEBLOG.

Atalanta are forced to make big changes for the Champions League play-off, so Gianluca Scamacca is supported by Nicola Zalewski against Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy and Jobe Bellingham.

It kicks off at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund at 20.00 GMT (21.00 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Galatasaray-Juventus on the Liveblog.

The second leg of this play-off for a place in the Round of 16 will be on February 25.

La Dea had been on the verge of direct qualification for the Champions League Round of 16 after a great run of four wins in the first six games, including victories over Chelsea, Olympique Marseille and Eintracht Frankfurt.

However, back-to-back defeats to Athletic Club and Union Saint-Gilloise proved costly.

Raffaele Palladino is forced into changes, as both Charles De Ketelaere and Giacomo Raspadori will be out of action for at least a month.

It means Gianluca Scamacca rushes his return from injury to start, supported by Nicola Zalewski and Mario Pasalic.

Ederson and Marten de Roon bring their experience to pull the midfield strings.

Borussia Dortmund are missing Filippo Mane, Emre Can, Nico Schlotterbeck and Nicklas Sule for the first leg due to injury.

They too had been flying a lot higher in Europe, including a 4-4 draw away to Juventus, 4-1 victory with Athletic Club and 4-0 win over Villarreal, but crumbled with one point from the last three against Bodo/Glimt, Tottenham and Inter.

Dortmund won their last six Bundesliga matches on the bounce.

Guirassy is their top scorer with 15 competitive goals this season, followed by Julian Brandt on 10, Karim Adeyemi and Maximilian Beier with seven each.

With so many defenders missing, 18-year-old Italian Luca Reggiani gets his Champions League debut.

Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta line-ups

Borussia Dortmund: Kobel; Reggiani, Anton, Bensebaini; Ryerson, F Nmecha, Bellingham, Svensson; Beier, Brandt; Guirassy

Dortmund bench: Ostrzinski, Meyer, Yan Couto, Salih Ozcan, Chukwuemeka, Sabitzer, Fabio Silva, Adeyemi, Inacio, Kabar, Krevsun, Benkara

Atalanta: Carnesecchi; Kolasinac, Djimsiti, Kossounou; Zappacosta, De Roon, Ederson, Bernasconi; Pasalic, Zalewski; Scamacca

Atalanta bench: Rossi, Sportiello, Hien, Bakker, Musah, Sulemana, Samardzic, Bellanova, Scalvini, Vavassori, Ahanor, Krstovic

Ref: Gozubuyuk (NED)

17-02-2026 20:15

Knockout phase play-offs

Westfalenstadion (Signal Iduna Park)

Dortmund

Atalanta

2 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Serhou Guirassy (Assist: Julian Ryerson)		3'
Luca Reggiani		18'
		40'		Odilon Kossounou
		40'		Berat Djimsiti
Maximilian Beier (Assist: Serhou Guirassy)		42'
		45+1'		Gianluca Scamacca

2nd half

Waldemar Anton

48'

Match statistic

44

Possession %

56

9

Total shots

7

2

Shots on target

3

4

Shots off target

2

3

Blocked shots

2

3

Corners

2

1

Offsides

1

11

Fouls

13

Dortmund

Atalanta

Starting lineups

1

Gregor Kobel

Goalkeeper

24

Daniel Svensson

Defender

26

Julian Ryerson

Defender

49

Luca Reggiani

Defender

5

Ramy Bensebaini

Defender

3

Waldemar Anton

Defender

8

Felix Nmecha

Midfielder

83'

10

Julian Brandt

Midfielder

70'

7

Jobe Bellingham

Attacker

14

Maximilian Beier

Attacker

70'

9

Serhou Guirassy

Attacker

83'

29

Marco Carnesecchi

Goalkeeper

19

Berat Djimsiti

Defender

46'

77

Davide Zappacosta

Defender

72'

47

Lorenzo Bernasconi

Defender

3

Odilon Kossounou

Defender

23

Sead Kolasinac

Defender

13

Éderson

Midfielder

8

Mario Pasalic

Midfielder

15

Marten de Roon

Midfielder

63'

59

Nicola Zalewski

Midfielder

82'

9

Gianluca Scamacca

Attacker

46'

Substitutes

2

Yan Couto

Defender

6

Salih Özcan

Midfielder

33

Alexander Meyer

Goalkeeper

31

Silas Ostrzinski

Goalkeeper

42

Almugera Kabar

Defender

47

Elias Benkara

Defender

40

Samuele Inácio

Attacker

45

Danylo Krevsun

Midfielder

27

Karim Adeyemi

Attacker

70'

17

Carney Chukwuemeka

Midfielder

70'

20

Marcel Sabitzer

Midfielder

83'

21

Fábio Silva

Attacker

83'

31

Francesco Rossi

Goalkeeper

57

Marco Sportiello

Goalkeeper

42

Giorgio Scalvini

Defender

5

Mitchel Bakker

Defender

6

Yunus Musah

Midfielder

69

Honest Ahanor

Defender

45

Dominic Vavassori

Midfielder

90

Nikola Krstovic

Attacker

46'

4

Isak Hien

Defender

46'

7

Kamaldeen Sulemana

Midfielder

63'

16

Raoul Bellanova

Defender

72'

10

Lazar Samardžić

Midfielder

82'

Juventus CEO Damien Comolli has apologised and admitted that his reaction after the fiery Derby d’Italia against Inter was excessive, but insists that he was ‘trying to defend my club’. 

Comolli has been given a fine of €15,000 and has been handed a Serie A ban until the end of March as a result of his comments and actions during and after the Derby d’Italia between Inter and Juventus on Saturday evening. 

Inter’s victory in the derby was largely overshadowed by the incorrect decision to send off Pierre Kalulu in the 42nd minute. Comolli angrily confronted the referee Federico La Penna in the tunnel at half-time, and later made calls for refereeing chief Gianluca Rocchi to resign after full-time. 

Comolli, speaking ahead of Juventus’s Champions League match against Galatasaray on Tuesday evening, apologised for the way in which he behaved in San Siro on Saturday. 

“I always respect the decisions of the authorities, whatever the decision, I will comply to it,” Comolli told Sky Sport Italia. 

“My passion was excessive, my reaction was excessive, I am sorry if I offended people, but I am here to defend my club, I felt it was an injustice, we reacted the wrong way and were excessive, but we still were on the wrong end of an injustice. 

“I don’t want to respond to other clubs, as we don’t want to talk about the past, we want to focus on the future and what happens on the pitch.”

Alessandro Bastoni, largely responsible for getting Kalulu sent off, has since offered his apologies for the way in which he celebrated the dismissal. Bastoni has avoided punishment from the league, but Kalulu remains suspended. 

“I can’t comment, we are very sorry for Pierre Kalulu, he is the one who is going to be suspended, we think it is very unfair. I saw him in the tunnel after the game, he is extremely frustrated. Our thoughts are all with Kalulu at this moment.”

Comolli and Chiellini protested about referees in general and not just errors against Juventus, calling for Rocchi to stand down.

“We just want to help, to collaborate with the authorities, the FIGC and Lega Serie A, it is not about Rocchi or any one person. We just want to work with all the clubs to improve a system that does not work, that is defective. We never said it was a person, but the system that is the problem, and we want it to be better for the good of Italian football.”

And reflecting on Giorgo Chiellini’s role in the debacle, Comolli said: “I just want to say that as good as he was on the pitch, Chiellini is an even better executive off it. He represents the present and future of Juventus. 

“The more young executives we have, the better it will be for Italian football. I’ve been around a long time, and I have seen few executives as talented as Giorgio in his role. We think about the present and the future, we are not interested in people who live in the past.”

And finally getting around to the topic of the Champions League match against Galatasaray, Comolli said: “I think we need to show personality, which we did at San Siro on Saturday. I asked Kostic to explain the game between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, he said it was impossible, we had to just experience it.”

Cristian Chivu has shared his thoughts ahead of the Champions League play-off match between Bodo/Glimt and Inter on Wednesday evening, and has also been forced to return to the topic of the Derby d’Italia against Juventus in Serie A over the weekend. 

The Nerazzurri have arrived in the arctic circle and are preparing to take on Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of their Champions League play-off tie on Wednesday evening. The two teams will meet again in San Siro next Tuesday. 

Juventus and Atalanta are both in Champions League action on Tuesday night. You can follow the action from those games on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Chivu on Bodo Glimt vs. Inter, Spalletti response and artificial pitch

Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday evening, Chivu had an opportunity to reflect on Inter’s journey in the Champions League thus far and the task that lies ahead of them in Serie A. 

“This is a different competition and we know how important it is and how far we’ve come,” he said. We’ve done quite well without, unfortunately, qualifying for the round of 16. Bodo is a tough team, the club has made great progress.” 

There were, to little surprise, more questions asked about the controversial Derby d’Italia between Inter and Juventus on Saturday afternoon. Inter won 3-2, but their victory was marred by a major refereeing error which led to the wrongful sending off of Pierre Kalulu. 

There have been plenty of takes, comments and apologies since the incident occurred on Saturday. Alessandro Bastoni, largely responsible for getting Kalulu sent off, sat next to Chivu for the press conference and apologised for the way in which he celebrated the red card decision. 

Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti spoke to the press on Monday, defending Bastoni but criticising Chivu for the comments he made about Kalulu after full-time. 

Chivu was asked if he had a response for Spalletti on Tuesday evening. 

He said: “I don’t want to reply to what others say. I say what I say and what I think. I talked about the experiences of my team, and I don’t care what they have to say. The team at the top is always the most hated and criticised. 

“Incidents happen for and against everyone, we were wronged in Naples and I’m saying that for the first time. We moved on. The season is long and we want to be competitive without forgetting about the way we’ve been portrayed.” 

Returning his focus to the task at hand against Bodo/Glimt, Chivu proceeded to give an update on his players’ availability. 

“Everyone wants the formation in Italy, I’ve never told you,” he laughed. I know who will play but I won’t say it. Calhanoglu has a small problem, that could be a matter of days, a week at most.” 

And on Bodo/Glimt’s artificial pitch, which has caused problems for a number of Italian sides in recent seasons, Chivu said: “The concern is always for the safety of the players.

“Bodo have been achieving great results home and away and the club is ambitious. They will want to give it their all. We are also ready to do the same and adapt to this pitch and climate.” 

And on the star players within Bodo/Glimt’s squad and the current quality of Norwegian football, Chivu added: “They have a lot of great players, Norwegian football has grown and Norway will be at the World Cup. We know it won’t be easy, we have to be ready for the intensity and their quality on the flanks, the power of their players. We’re ready to adapt.”

Luciano Spalletti admires the ‘incandescent’ Galatasaray atmosphere and ‘complete striker’ Victor Osimhen, but explains how Weston McKennie can be an effective Juventus centre-forward.

It kicks off at the Ali Semi Yen in Istanbul at 17.45 GMT (18.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta on the Liveblog.

This is the first leg of the play-off for a place in the Champions League Round of 16, and the second is on Wednesday February 25.

Spalletti makes Juventus changes in Istanbul

“Everything seems incandescent, like it’s ready to burn,” said Spalletti on Sky Sport Italia looking around the legendary stadium.

“What matters now is not what we want to become, but what we are now, because we need the right courage.”

The Bianconeri are still smarting from the controversial 3-2 Serie A defeat to Inter, which saw Pierre Kalulu sent off before half-time.

“My players have shown they are real men, who become a real team, so that is the best thing a coach can ask for.

“We have already left what happened in the past, because we are challenging for our future with tonight’s game, not what happened the other day.”

Jonathan David and Emil Holm joined Dusan Vlahovic and Arek Milik on the treatment table, but Khephren Thuram has shaken off a bruise for his return to the starting XI with McKennie unexpectedly as a False 9.

“The fundamental issue is how we press and how we emerge from their press, that is the key. Pressing limits the spaces on the pitch for the opponents and forces them to make decisions quickly,” explained the coach.

“Playing out from the press allows you to create spaces and use your quality. That’s when it all becomes crucial for the result.”

There are plenty of familiar faces in the Galatasaray squad, even if Mario Lemina is suspended, as ex-Napoli players Victor Osimhen and Noa Lang both start, with former Inter centre-forward Mauro Icardi on the bench.

Lucas Torreira, Wilfried Singo, Roland Sallai and Kaan Ayhan also have history in Italian football.

“Osimhen has these great flourishes of pace, determination and physicality, he is a complete striker, but we have centre-backs who can counter him,” concluded Spalletti.

No Italian team has beaten Galatasaray in Istanbul during the Champions League, as the last to win here was Milan when it was still the European Cup in 1963.

Turkiye head coach Vincenzo Montella has had his say on Kenan Yildiz ahead of Juventus’s Champions League play-off match away against Galatasaray on Tuesday evening, and has aimed a friendly dig at Bianconeri head coach Luciano Spalletti: ‘I’ve known him for 30 years … unfortunately’. 

Juventus finished the Champions League league phase in 13th place, three points shy of a spot in the top eight and a guaranteed place in the round of 16. They have been drawn against Galatasaray in the play-off round, and will begin the first leg of that tie at 17.45 GMT on Tuesday evening. 

You can follow the action as it unfolds on the Football Italia Liveblog. 

Montella on Galatasaray vs. Juventus, Yildiz and Spalletti 

Montella, currently head coach of the Turkiye national team, knows full well what the atmosphere can be like at Galatasaray’s Rams Park. 

“The stadium and atmosphere is marvellous, which is true of many places in Turkiye. As a former player, I can tell you this is the kind of atmosphere that inspires you stepping onto the pitch,” Montella told Sky Sport Italia.

And on his current role with the Turkiye national team, he added: “I am very happy, I’ve been here for four years, two at club level and two for the national team. I was welcomed very warmly, I really do feel at home, they care for me quite apart from my role as a coach, and that is the most satisfying thing for me.

There was plenty of praise for Juventus posterboy Yildiz as well, “He is mature enough to play under pressure, both for the national team and Juventus, so I imagine he is super motivated, but the performance of an individual also depends on that of the team, and vice versa.

Lastly, Montella added: “I visited the Continassa training camp last week, it’s always a pleasure to talk to Spalletti about football. We’ve known each other for over 30 years now… unfortunately!”

Kenan Yildiz admits it is ‘exciting’ as a Turkiye international to play Galatasaray in Istanbul, and scoring for Juventus here ‘would be a dream. All I can say about their fans is wow.’

It kicks off at the Ali Semi Yen in Istanbul at 17.45 GMT (18.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta on the Liveblog.

This is the first leg of the play-off for a place in the Round of 16, and the second is on Wednesday February 25.

Kenan Yildiz excited by Galatasaray test

“I feel great, when you are in this stadium with these fans, it’s exciting, but we are fired up for a good performance,” Kenan Yildiz told Sky Sport Italia.

Juventus are fresh off a controversial 3-2 Serie A defeat to Inter, where Pierre Kalulu was sent off before half-time for a highly-contentious second bookable offence.

“The last match was very difficult for us after the red card, but I still think we had a great performance down to 10 men.”

Kenan Yildiz was born and raised in Germany, then moved to Italy for Juventus as a teenager, so this is his first time playing in Istanbul as an opponent.

“We’ll do everything today to get a victory. Scoring would be a dream, but let’s play and then see. This is a very difficult match, as Galatasaray are such a great team, and all I can say about their fans is wow.”

Turkiye coach Vincenzo Montella is in the stands to watch the game.

Alessandro Bastoni has apologised for the manner in which he celebrated Pierre Kalulu’s red card during the Derby d’Italia between Inter and Juventus, has revealed that he has received death threats as a result and has expressed his sympathies with referee Federico La Penna: ‘I thank those who just called me ‘stupid’ and left it at that’. 

Bastoni found himself at the centre of controversy for his involvement in Kalulu’s sending off in the 42nd minute of the Derby d’Italia in Serie A on Saturday evening, which ended 3-2 in favour of the Nerazzurri thanks to a 90th minute winner from Piotr Zielinski. 

Kalulu was sent off for two bookable offences, the latter of which was described as ‘absurd’ and ‘non-existent’ by newspapers in Italy. Bastoni was adjudged to have dived in an attempt to get his opponent sent off. 

To add insult to injury for Juventus, Bastoni was carrying a booking himself at the time and would have been sent off had he been shown a second yellow card for simulation. 

Bastoni also came under criticism for the manner in which he celebrated Kalulu’s sending off. There have even been calls from some supporters for him to be dropped from the Italy national team squad as a result. 

Bastoni on Kalulu red car, death threats and Wirtz comparison 

Bastoni has kept silent since the incident occured on Saturday, until Tuesday afternoon when he joined Cristian Chivu for the pre-match press conferences ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League play-off match away against Bodo/Glimt. 

The Nerazzurri defender spoke to both Sky Sport Italia and the wider media at the press conference on Tuesday afternoon, apologising for the way he celebrated, but not for the way he went down. 

He compared the situation to the incredibly soft penalty that Liverpool were awarded against Inter in the Champions League league phase earlier this season. 

“I wanted to come here because a lot, a lot more has happened than I would have thought or imagined after Saturday. I waited a few days to review what happened,” Bastoni told Sky Sport Italia (via TMW). 

“What I felt was a contact with my arm, which was emphasised when I watched it back. I’m here to take responsibility. What I regret is my subsequent behaviour. A human being has the right to make mistakes but equally the duty to recognise them. That’s why I’m here.” 

He repeated a similar statement at the beginning of his pre-match press conference: “A human being has the right to make mistakes, but also the duty to recognise them, so I’m here for that reason. I’m sorry I reacted like that, it’s right to hold my hands up to that. 

“But, my career and character shouldn’t be defined by an incident like this. I didn’t think I would create so much of an uproar, I noticed a lot of hypocrisy, I heard insiders say things that shouldn’t be said in heaven or earth. I thank those who just called me ‘stupid’ and left it at that.” 

Bastoni was asked whether he thinks he should have come out and made a statement earlier than Tuesday, given the abuse that he has received to which he replied: “No, it didn’t affect me that much. We’re exposed as people. Accustomed to this type of media pile-on and the (club) President rightly explained that. 

“I’m able to handle the situation, I’m more sorry for my wife and daughter who have found themselves on the receiving end of death threats. I also feel sorry for the referee, La Penna, for everyone less used to being exposed like that.” 

And on his current mindset heading into the Bodo/Glimt match on Wednesday, Bastoni said: “Mentally I’m doing very well, the same thing happened in reverse when Liverpool were awarded a penalty against us. Wirtz didn’t have the same trial that I did. 

“Chivu has been consistent. Now I really want to get out onto the pitch. I’m not compromised physically or mentally, so I’m ready to play.” 

Juventus adopt a surprising False 9 approach to Victor Osimhen’s Galatasaray in the Champions League play-off, with Weston McKennie flanked by Kenan Yildiz and Francisco Conceicao.

It kicks off at the Ali Semi Yen in Istanbul at 17.45 GMT (18.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta on the Liveblog.

This is the first leg of the play-off for a place in the Round of 16, and the second is on Wednesday February 25.

The Bianconeri had a dismal start to their Champions League campaign, improving considerably once coach Luciano Spalletti took over from sacked Igor Tudor.

They are fresh off a controversial 3-2 defeat to Inter in Serie A at the weekend, with Pierre Kalulu sent off and therefore suspended for the next league game.

Khephren Thuram missed that match through injury, but has fully recovered and returns to the starting XI.

Jonathan David did not make the trip, but rather than start Lois Openda upfront, Spalletti opts for a surprising new McKennie role as the False 9, flanked by Kenan Yildiz and Francisco Conceicao.

Along with David, Emil Holm, Dusan Vlahovic and Arek Milik remain the long-term absentees.

Galatasaray had started quite strong with wins over Liverpool, Bodo/Glimt and Ajax, but then managed one point from the last four Champions League ties, losing to Union Saint-Gilloise, AS Monaco and Manchester City without scoring, around a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid.

Former Serie A midfielder Mario Lemina is suspended for the first leg of this play-off, but there are no major injury concerns.

The star man upfront is ex-Napoli striker Osimhen, who won the Scudetto under coach Spalletti.

There are other familiar faces, including Lucas Torreira, Noa Lang on loan from Napoli and ex-Inter hitman Mauro Icardi.

Juve have not beaten Galatasaray since a 2-1 home result in September 2023, managing one draw in the last three meetings, though the most recent was in December 2013.

Galatasaray vs. Juventus line-ups

Galatasaray: Ugurcan Cakir; Sallai, Sanchez, Abdulkerim Bardakci, Jakobs; Torreira, Gabriel Sara; Baris Alper Yilmaz, Yunus Akgun, Lang; Osimhen

Galatasaray bench: Batuhan Sen, Gunay Guvenc, Icardi, Sané, Eren Elmali, Gundogan, Ahmed Kutucu, Asprilla, Kaan Ayhan, Singo, Boey

Juventus: Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; Koopmeiners, Locatelli, Thuram; Conceicao, McKennie, Yildiz

Juventus bench: Perin, Pinsoglio, Gatti, Zhegrova, Boga, Adzic, Kostic, Openda, Miretti, Cabal

Ref: Makkelie (NED)

17-02-2026 17:45

Knockout phase play-offs

Türk Telekom Arena (Ali Sami Yen Stadium)

Galatasaray

Juventus

5 - 2