Raffaele Palladino has called on Atalanta to produce a performance worthy of their remarkable journey as they prepare to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League last-16 second leg at the Allianz Arena, knowing that overturning a 6-1 first-leg deficit represents one of the most daunting tasks in European football.

The occasion carries additional historical significance. Tomorrow’s match will be Atalanta’s 100th game in UEFA competition, and also the fixture in which Marten De Roon could equal a club appearance record.

Palladino confirmed the Dutchman will be involved, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb, adding with a smile that the milestone is “a great satisfaction, a historic result for him and for Atalanta.”

Atalanta boss Palladino gives updates on Raspadori & De Ketelaere

The head coach was also able to deliver positive team news, confirming that Giacomo Raspadori trained with the squad on Tuesday and will be available, while Charles De Ketelaere and Ederson have also returned to fitness after injury absences.

“We have missed these players enormously and we are delighted to have them back,” Palladino said. “We will try to build up their minutes carefully.”

On the match itself, Palladino’s message was simple and unambiguous.

“Tomorrow the team must play with pride,” he said.

“We have nothing to lose and everything to prove. We must be focused on ourselves, as we showed in the first leg, the details make the difference.”

He also pointed to the growth his side have shown since that heavy defeat, arguing that Atalanta’s response against Inter demonstrated a resilience that bodes well.

“Despite conceding six goals we managed to mature and react like a great team.”

Palladino was equally clear that the result is secondary to the performance.

“Recovering five goals is always a mountain to climb,” he acknowledged.

“But I want a match worthy of this club and this occasion. We are proud to be the last Italian side standing in the Champions League, and tomorrow we will fight until the very end.”

Francesco Pio Esposito’s agent has moved to dismiss speculation linking the young Inter striker with a move to the Premier League, insisting the Italian starlet is fully committed to his future at San Siro despite reported interest from Arsenal and Newcastle.

Mario Giuffredi, speaking on Radio CRC, was emphatic on his client’s stance, with quotes via Nico Schira on X.

“Pio Esposito is happy at Inter and will be the club’s future for the next ten years,” he said. “The boy is in love with Inter right now.”

He also pushed back on comparisons being made between Esposito and former Inter striker Christian Vieri, arguing that such parallels only create unnecessary pressure for a player still finding his own identity.

“He needs to develop his own way of playing, comparisons like that serve no purpose.”

The agent’s words come amid growing interest from England, with both Arsenal and Newcastle understood to be monitoring Esposito’s situation ahead of the summer.

Inter & Pio Esposito destined for one another as parties shrug off Arsenal & Newcastle interest

Inter, however, are not believed to be open to a sale unless a truly extraordinary offer arrives, and Giuffredi’s comments suggest the player himself has no desire to leave, with his contract running until June 2030.

The numbers back up the excitement surrounding him.

Esposito has already made 39 appearances across all competitions this season, contributing eight goals and six assists, a remarkable return for a player of his age operating at the highest level.

He has also caught the eye of Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso, who is expected to call on him for the World Cup playoff semi-final against Northern Ireland and a potential final on 31 March.

It has been a rapid rise for a player who came through Inter’s academy alongside brothers Salvatore and Sebastiano, before a standout loan season at Spezia, where he scored 20 goals and helped the club reach the Serie B playoff final, convinced Inter he was ready for the first team.

Gianluigi Donnarumma haș been named in the starting lineup for Manchester City this evening, as they welcome Real Madrid to the Etihad Stadium with a 3-goal deficit to overturn from the first leg.

The Italian shot-stopper has been Pep Guardiola’s number one since he arrived last summer from Paris Saint-Germain.

He will need to be at his best tonight, with every goal the Premier League giants conceding tonight having a massive impact on their potential comeback.

Donnarumma starts, Calafiori on the bench in UCL action

Meanwhile, Arsenal host Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates Stadium after the first leg finished all square at 1-1 in Germany.

Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori is not included in Mikel Arteta’s starting lineup, with former Leverkusen man Piero Hincapie playing at left-back.

Calafiori received praise in the Premier League at the weekend after a tremendous scorpion block to deny Everton a first half opener.

The former Bologna man is, however, on the bench for the Gunners and may be deployed by Arteta later in the match.

Roma’s attempt to overturn Wesley’s red card suspension has failed, with the sporting judge rejecting their appeal and confirming the Brazilian will miss the club’s next Serie A fixture against Lecce.

Roma had argued the second yellow card shown to Wesley during Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Como was the result of mistaken identity, claiming the foul on Diao had actually been committed by Rensch rather than Wesley.

Under VAR protocol, a case of mistaken identity would be grounds for intervention, but the sporting judge ruled that no such error had occurred, stating there were no grounds to apply the relevant article of the regulations, according to CalcioMercato.

Blow for Roma as no grounds for Wesley suspension being overturned

The VAR analysis, as detailed on DAZN’s Open VAR programme, supports that conclusion.

Officials Fabbri and Gariglio reviewed the incident immediately and confirmed without doubt that Wesley, not Rensch, made the challenge, with his right leg clearly making contact.

The on-field referee also clarified that he had initially played advantage following a separate Pellegrini challenge before whistling for Wesley’s foul, which VAR confirmed was not on the ball.

The 2-1 result stands, Wesley’s suspension is upheld, and Gasperini will be without the wide man for the Lecce game.

The silver lining for Roma is that he will be able to give his all in the Europa League quarter-final second leg against Bologna, a match that carries enormous importance with the tie level at 1-1, with Tsimikas likely to cover against Lecce when the Brazilian takes his place in the stands.

Reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport indicate that Michele Di Gregorio has lost his no.1 status for the remainder of the season and that Mattia Perin is expected to be Juventus’s go-to shot stopper until the 2026-27 season. 

Di Gregorio has made a series of high-profile errors between the sticks for Juventus in 2025-26, which led to his being dropped for the last four matches between Serie A and the Champions League play-off second leg against Galatasaray. 

Head coach Luciano Spalletti had hinted that he would give Perin a run of two or three games in an attempt to take some of the pressure off Di Gregorio, but that run has now extended to four matches, and La Gazzetta dello Sport suggests that the situation is unlikely to change between now and the end of the 2025-26 season. 

After that, there is a possibility that neither Di Gregorio nor Perin stay on with Juventus after the summer transfer window according to Tuesday’s report. 

The Pink Paper claims that Juventus need to raise around €11m to avoid making a capital loss on Di Gregorio, who joined on loan with an obligation to buy from Monza for a reported €18m in the summer of 2024. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that there are still options for Di Gregorio elsewhere in Serie A, and that it is not out of the question that another side picks him up this summer. 

Could Juventus replace both Di Gregorio and Perin this summer?

Perin, meanwhile, is now 33, has never been Juventus’s first choice, and is unlikely to claim the no.1 spot if the Bianconeri are to bring in another stopper this summer, which reports elsewhere claim is likely to happen. 

Perin had been linked with a move to Genoa during the January transfer window, and La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that it is not out of the question that he again seeks a move away for a sort-of ‘last dance’ as a no.1 in Serie A with just over a year remaining on his current Juventus contract. 

Meanwhile, several other goalkeepers have been linked with moves to Juventus in recent weeks, including Liverpool’s Alisson Becker, Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario and Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Atalanta’s Marco Carnsecchi would be the ‘dream’ option for Juventus, but the 25-year-old is not expected to come cheap. 

If Juventus are to bring in another goalkeeper this summer to serve as an understudy, La Gazzetta dello Sport has recommended a list that includes Lazio’s Ivan Provedel, Verona’s Lorenzo Montipo, Lecce’s Wladimiro Falcone, Cremonese’s Emil Audero and Bologna’s Federico Ravaglia. 

Various reports suggest that Republic of Ireland international Troy Parrott is a potential option for Milan approaching the 2026 summer transfer window. 

Reports Milan plotting move for AZ Alkmaar’s Parrott

Miguel Delaney of the Independent reports that Milan are ‘actively’ looking to sign a new striker this summer, that Parrott is a potential option for the Rossoneri and that his current club, AZ Alkmaar, are open to the idea of a sale this summer. 

It is understood that Alkmaar will seek a fee in the region of around €30m (reported as £25m by outlets in the UK) to sell the Republic of Ireland international this summer. 

Milan are not the only interested party. In fact, there are several sides across Europe keen on a potential deal for Parrott, including Fulham in the Premier League, Real Betis in LaLiga and VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga. 

Parrot has come up with 28 league goals from 52 appearances in the Eredivisie since joining AZ Alkmaar from Tottenham Hotspur, where he began his professional career. The 24-year-old has 14 goals from 22 league appearances this season, plus four from four outings in the cup and nine from 13 appearances in the UEFA Conference League. 

Parrott also made history with the Republic of Ireland national team earlier this season. Back in November, he netted a brace in a shock 2-0 win over Portugal, and then provided a hat-trick in an eventual 3-2 win away against Hungary a few days later to secure his nation a surprise spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

In doing so, he became the first ever player to score an away hat-trick for the Republic of Ireland side in a competitive fixture and also the first player to score a hat-trick for the Republic of Ireland since Robbie Keane 11 years prior. 

The Lega Serie A have confirmed that Roma wing-back Wesley Franca will be suspended for one match and that Inter and Lazio head coaches Cristian Chivu and Maurizio Sarri are among those who picked up bans during the 29th round of 2025-26 fixtures. 

Official: Wesley, Chivu and Sarri decisions confirmed after Serie A week 29

Serie A Week 29 began with Torino’s 4-1 win against Parma on Friday night and came to a close with Fiorentina’s 4-1 victory away against relegation rivals Cremonese on Monday evening. 

Three red cards were dished out by the officials during the 29th round of Serie A fixtures. The harshest of those punishments has been handed to Pisa’s Rafiu Durosinmi, who has earned a two-game ban for having kicked out at an opponent in an off the ball incident during his side’s 3-1 win over Cagliari. 

Adam Obert was also shown a red card during Cagliari’s 3-1 loss against Pisa and has picked up a one-match suspension as a result. 

Wesley was also sent off during Roma’s 2-1 defeat away against top-four rivals Como for what many feel was a harsh second yellow card offence. His ban has been upheld, and he will be suspended for Roma’s upcoming Serie A test against Lecce. 

Parma’s Enrico Delprato, Pisa’s Michel Aebischer and Cremonese’s Warren Bondo have all now picked up five yellow cards for the season and will all be suspended for Serie A week 30. 

Chivu has also been suspended for Inter’s upcoming trip to Fiorentina after being shown two yellow cards against Atalanta on Saturday, and Lazio’s Sarri has also been suspended for one match after leaving his technical area and making disrespectful comments towards the match officials against Milan.

Italy national team striker Mateo Retegui is back in Florence and is reportedly working individually one week early ahead of Italy’s World Cup play-off campaign coming up at the end of the month. 

Retegui’s Italy training camp has already begun

Retegui currently plays for Al-Qadsiah, who sit in fourth place in the Saudi Pro League standings. The Argentine-born Italy international has provided 15 goals from 25 league outings so far this season. 

Due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, there will be no Saudi Pro League matches this coming weekend, which means that compared to the rest of his Italy teammates, Retegui has an extra week off ahead of the World Cup play-offs, which kick off on March 26. 

• Read more: O’Neill: Italy have ‘everything to lose’ against Northern Ireland in World Cup play-offs
• Read more: Football Italia writers pick squads for World Cup play-offs: Goalkeepers and defenders

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Retegui has already arrived in Florence, where Italy’s Coverciano training base is located, has rented an apartment nearby and is expecting to train individually every day until the rest of the squad reports for duty after their league fixtures this coming weekend. 

According to the Pink Paper, Retegui was concerned about the long pause that he would have had between matches, and decided to return to Italy a week early after phone calls with the FIGC and CT Gennaro Gattuso. 

Tuesday’s report states that Retegui’s training camp ‘has already begun’. 

Retegui is one of several strikers expected to be called up to the Azzurri squad for this month’s World Cup deciders against Northern Ireland and either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina. Fiorentina’s Moise Kean, Inter’s Pio Esposito and Atalanta’s Giacomo Raspadori are also expected to be included among Gattuso’s selections. 

Retegui is Italy’s leading goalscorer since Gattuso was called in to replace Luciano Spalletti as CT last summer. The national team has scored 19 goals from six matches since then: Retegui with five, Kean with four, Esposito with three and Raspadori and Gianluca Mancini with two apiece. Matteo Politano, Sandro Tonali and Alessandro Bastoni have one each.

Northern Ireland head coach Michael O’Neill insists that Italy are ‘the team with everything to lose’ ahead of the meeting of the two nations in the World Cup play-off semi-final next Thursday, and believes that playing the match in Bergamo benefits the Green and White Army.

Italy will host Northern Ireland at Atalanta’s New Balance Arena in Bergamo for the World Cup play-off semi-final coming up on March 26. The winner of that match will progress to face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina away from home in a one-legged play-off final on March 31 for a spot at the final tournament. 

Italy have not yet announced their squad for the March international break, but are expected to by the end of this week. Northern Ireland confirmed their selections on Monday night, and O’Neill has given his verdict in front of the media at his press conference in Belfast. 

O’Neill on Italy pressure, Tonali quality and a venue that ‘suits’ Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland head coach admits that there is a clear difference in quality between the two sides. 

Italy are expected to name a full squad of top-flight players, most of whom will have played in the Champions League at some stage this season, while Northern Ireland are only able to offer four Premier League players, 13 from the EFL Championship and eight from England’s third tier. They also have representatives from the Scottish Premiership, Scottish Championship and the 2. Bundesliga. 

“I mean, they’ve got a bunch of players who play in Serie A, play for Inter Milan, Lazio, Roma, Napoli,” said O’Neill during his press conference on Monday night (via The Irish News). 

“They also have players that play in the Premier League at top clubs as well. You know, Tonali is arguably as good a midfield player as there is in the Premier League. Calafiori at Arsenal as well. So, it’s going to be a very, very tough game. There’s no doubt about that.

“We’re going to have to step up. If you look at our squad there, there’s 13 players in the Championship. There’s four at Premier League clubs and the rest are League One or playing their football elsewhere.

“So, it is a big step up for us. But it’s a step up we’ve made in the past. I think we made it in the Germany game, albeit we didn’t get the results that we felt we maybe could have done. We have to try and make that step up again.”

Given the difference in personnel available, O’Neill believes that Italy are the ones with more pressure heading into the World Cup play-offs. 

“If you look at this game, we’re the team with everything to gain. They’re the team with everything to lose,” he said. 

“They have a lot of expectation as a football nation. Their players will have to deal with that. But that’s for them, we can’t really use it.

“We’ve just got to make the game as difficult for the opposition as possible and then those types of things will, I think, become factors in the game in terms of their mentality to the game and how we try and obviously make it more prevalent for them to think about things like that.”

Italy have won five of their first six matches since Gennaro Gattuso replaced Luciano Spalletti as CT, but fell to defeat against Norway on home soil in their most recent test, which sent them to the play-offs instead of the final World Cup tournament. 

“If you look at this group, they’ve had a change of manager after two games. Gennaro Gattuso’s been in for six games. They lost their last game 4-1 at San Siro against Norway. A game where they played well in the first half to be honest, and led 1-0, but they would have been disappointed with how the game finished in the second half as well,” said O’Neill. 

“I personally went to a game in Bergamo on the 27th of December. I saw Inter and Atalanta play, so I know what the atmosphere is like.That was a good atmosphere at the game because, obviously it’s not a derby but they’re very close by, Bergamo and Milan, so there was a big Inter Milan away support there as well.”

O’Neill believes that Italy selected Bergamo as the host city for this play-off semi-final due to their ghosts at other venues, but insists that the New Balance Arena will make the Northern Ireland squad feel more comfortable compared to San Siro or the Stadio Olimpico. 

“I think that possibly their history has made them make that decision. They’ve lost play-offs I think in the San Siro and as I touched on, their last game in San Siro against Norway. The outcome wouldn’t have been what they’d hoped for. So maybe they feel the smaller stadium brings less pressure. I don’t know.”

“For us the venue is fine. Most of our players play their club football weekly in venues of that size. They’re not running out in front of 80,000, 90,000 people every week. So I think the venue suits us.”

• Read more: Confirmed Northern Ireland squad to face Italy in World Cup play-offs
• Read more: What Italy should expect from Northern Ireland in World Cup play-offs

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus have resumed their interest in Mason Greenwood, while Arsenal and Manchester United’s competition for Sandro Tonali has prompted the Bianconeri to continue talks with free agents Leon Goretzka and Bernardo Silva.

Juventus are preparing for next summer’s transfer campaign, although their priorities are Champions League qualification and Luciano Spalletti’s contract extension.

Gazzetta confirms that an agreement with Spalletti is near, with the Italian tactician expected to sign a new deal by Easter.

Juventus and Spalletti have already discussed possible reinforcements for 2026-27 and according to Gazzetta, the Serie A giants have once again targeted Marseille star Greenwood for the summer.

According to the report, Marseille might be forced to sell the Englishman for financial reasons if they miss out on Champions League qualification, but the price would be at least €50m.

Juventus have been monitoring Greenwood this season, but they also need Champions League qualification to afford his purchase.

Greenwood was already open to joining Juventus two years ago, but Marseille beat the Bianconeri to signing the ex-Manchester United man.

Leon Goretzka and Bernardo Silva, both available as free agents over the summer, are among Juventus’ top targets in central midfield.

The Bianconeri have been in talks with the pair in recent weeks, especially because their top target in the middle of the park, Tonali, has a high price tag and has been targeted by top Premier League clubs, especially Arsenal and Manchester United.

Northern Ireland have officially announced their squad to take on Italy and either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina in the crucial World Cup play-off campaign coming up at the end of March. 

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Italy will host Northern Ireland on March 26 in Bergamo for the World Cup play-off semi-final. The winner of that tie will go on to face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina away from home in the play-off final on March 31, which will be a one-legged decider for a spot at the final tournament. 

The losing semi-finalists are due to play a friendly against each other on March 31 as well. 

• Read more: What Italy should expect from Northern Ireland in World Cup play-offs

Northern Ireland head coach Michael O’Neill has named a bumper squad of 28 players for the upcoming play-off semi-final against Italy. The major absentee for the Green and White Army is Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2025-26 season with a serious knee injury. 

Italy are the clear favourites heading into the semi-final given their home advantage and the clear gulf in quality between the two squads. 

Italy are yet to announce their squad, but it is expected that all of the players included will play for top-flight sides, and the majority of them for clubs who have participated in the Champions League in 2025-26. 

For comparison, the Northern Ireland squad has just four Premier League-affiliated players: Sunderland duo Daniel Ballard and Trai Hume, Crystal Palace’s Justin Devenny, who has five league starts to his name this season, and Liverpool youngster Kieran Morrsion, who has only ever played 71 minutes of senior football at club level; his two appearances coming in domestic cup competitions. 

Otherwise, the Northern Ireland squad features 13 players from the EFL Championship, eight players from EFL League One, and one apiece from the Scottish Premiership, Scottish Championship and 2. Bundesliga. 

Confirmed Northern Ireland squad to face Italy and either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina

Goalkeepers: Peacock-Farrell (Blackpool), P.Charles (Sheffield Wednesday), Hazard (Plymouth), Clarke (Partick Thistle). 

Defenders: McNair (Hull), Ballard (Sunderland), McConville (Norwich), Brown (Oxford), Devlin (Portsmouth), Hume (Sunderland), Spencer (Oxford), Toal (Bolton). 

Midfielders: Saville (Luton), McCann (Preston), S.Charles (Southampton), Devenny (Crystal Palace), Smyth (QPR), Price (West Brom), Kelly (Barnsley), Galbraith (Swansea), Donley (Oxford), McDonnell (Oxford), Lyons (Kilmarnock), Morrison (Liverpool). 

Forwards: Magennis (Exeter), D.Charles (Huddersfield), Marshall (VfL Bochum), Reid (Stevenage).

Our squad for our World Cup play-off is here #GAWA pic.twitter.com/Qe2uZZslCd

— Northern Ireland (@NorthernIreland) March 16, 2026

Roma’s Neil El Aynaoui and his family were the victims of a terrifying robbery at the midfielder’s home in the capital in the early hours of Tuesday morning according to various reports in Italy. 

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El Aynaoui and family victims of terrifying break-in

According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport and others, a gang of six armed individuals broke into El Aynaoui’s home in Castel Fusano, where several Roma and Lazio players live, at around 3 a.m. local time on Tuesday morning. 

The robbers entered through a living room window after breaking off the grated covers and proceeded to confront El Aynaoui and his family with guns. 

El Aynaoui was reportedly the first person in the house to be woken during the incident. He along with his mother, brother and their respective partners were locked in a room as the robbers proceeded to steal jewellery reported to be worth €10,000, a Rolex watch and a collection of designer handbags. 

Unfortunately, El Aynaoui is not the first Roma or Lazio player to be affected by an incident like this. In recent years, Wesley, Mario Gila and Mario Vecino have also been victims of robberies of burglaries, as have Mattia Zaccagni, Toma Basic, Chris Smalling, Phillipe Mexes and Christian Panucci in years gone by. 

El Aynaoui immediately informed his club of the incident, and he will not be involved in training with Roma on Tuesday ahead of Thursday’s Europa League round of 16 decider against Bologna.

Milan star Rafael Leao posted a cryptic Instagram story almost two days after his angry reaction at being substituted against Lazio: ‘Do what is within your power; the impossible is my job.’

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Leao made headlines for the wrong reasons on Sunday night as he bitterly complained to coach Massimiliano Allegri after being subbed off in the second half of an away game at Lazio, which the Devil eventually lost 1-0.

Leao snubbed Allegri’s hug by pushing his coach away and then kicked and threw plastic bottles on the sidelines.

The Portuguese star remained silent for more than a day, but then posted an Instagram story on Tuesday, featuring a quote from the Gospel of Luke (chapter 1, verse 37), as SempreMilan highlights.

The message, written in Portuguese, can be translated as: “Do what is within your power; the impossible is my job.”

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Leao argued with Christian Pulisic in the dressing room following Sunday’s loss to Lazio, and Milan are so disappointed with the Portuguese’s attitude that they’ve put him on the market and will listen to offers for him during the summer.

Tennis star Jannik Sinner has become one of the most popular sportsmen in Italy, and when he’s not competing on the court, the World No.2 is known for his support for Serie A giants Milan. 

Sinner has consistently dominated tennis predictions alongside Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz over the last few years, and back in September, the Italian was overtaken at the top of the World Rankings after holding the No. 1 spot for 65 weeks.

Sinner is only 24 but is already regarded as the best Italian male tennis player of all time, having won four Grand Slam tournaments: two at the Australian Open, one at Wimbledon and one at the US Open.

It goes without saying that Sinner has dominated the headlines in Italy in recent years, with his popularity close to, and sometimes surpassing, that of footballers. Something unthinkable until a few years ago for a country that breathes football day in, day out.

Before pursuing a career in tennis, the Italian was a talented skier from the age of three. Sinner is also a big football fan and has made no secret that his favourite club in Serie A is Milan.

Sinner showed his passion for the Rossoneri following a match against fellow Italian Fabio Fognini, an Inter supporter, at the Internazionali d’Italia in  May 2022. After clinching a three-set victory, Sinner famously wrote ‘Forza Milan’ on a live TV camera.

The former World No. 1 was a guest of Milan in November 2023 for a Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund at San Siro.

On that Day, Milan ultras in the Curva Sud honoured the tennis champion with several chants before kick-off.

Sinner is also a close friend of Italy captain Gianluigi Donnarumma, who won the Champions League with PSG last season.

“Gigio and I have been friends for a long time,” Sinner said before last season’s Champions League Final between the Ligue 1 giants and Inter.

“We have our priorities, and he is about to play one of the most important matches of his life. Rooting for whom? I don’t want to say anything because I don’t want to put anyone in a difficult spot. I’m a Milan fan, but as an Italian, it would be nice if an Italian team won. But if it were Gigio, I’d be happy. I hope it’s a great match.”

Ultimately, Donnarumma lifted the cup with the big ears, beating Milan’s city rivals Inter 5-0 in Monaco. A few months later, the Italian captain joined Manchester City.

With Milan sitting second in the Serie A table this season, Sinner will be hoping to watch his favourite club play in the Champions League again in 2026-27.

Youssouf Fofana admits that having to adapt to a new role at Milan has been a big challenge, insists that he is still dreaming of a World Cup call-up despite being omitted from the France squad since 2024, and says that he is ‘divided’ as to whether or not he has had a ‘good’ season in 2025-26. 

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Fofana ‘unsure’ on Milan role, 2025-26 season ‘not good enough’

The Rossoneri midfielder sat down for an in-depth interview with l’Equipe, during which he discussed his preferred position, his tactical development since moving to Italy and the difficulties of standing out amongst a talented pool of French midfielders. 

Fofana says that he had been used to playing just in front of the defence before he joined Milan back in the summer of 2024, but now, he features in more of a box-to-box role on the right of a midfield three. 

“At first I had to learn on a tactical level,” Fofana told l’Equipe. “As we all know, Italy puts a big emphasis on that, it’s not a cliché at all. I thought I was coming with a good tactical background, but they really pay attention to everything. 

“It took me a while to understand that you can play a very good 90 minutes here and in the end, it ends up 1-0 in favour of the opponent. That’s because you’ve been beaten tactically. It took me a while to get that efficiency and tactical discipline.” 

Fofana says that there has been ‘two phases’ of his development since moving to Serie A: “I’m living (the second one) now. It’s a change of position,” Fofana said. “It’s as if for five years I’d looked at football in a certain way and now my perception is changing. 

“I don’t see the pitch from the same angle. I don’t really have the same benchmarks. For example, when I played in front of the defence, I always knew there were two players behind me, another diagonally on the right and another on the left. I could make passes into those areas without looking. 

“Now it’s completely different. I play on the right. When we don’t have the ball, I’m really high up, almost like a striker. When we have it, I’m between the lines. I used to go and get after these players.” 

Fofana was asked what it is like to have to learn a new position at the age of 27. 

He said: “When you’re told you’re going to play higher up, you’re happy at first. In the end, I learned that that’s not necessarily what I want. I do it for the team. I like to be at the start of the action, to control everything: the speed of my team’s play, the tempo, the ball recovery.” 

And what has Fofana learned from this tactical repositioning? 

“That I needed to play much faster. When I played in front of the defence, the player marking me was often a striker, who didn’t necessarily defend very well. Whereas here, the player who marks me is usually a defender, usually a tougher opponent. I have to be stronger, to take in more information than before.” 

Fofana says that he is unsure whether he would describe the 2025-26 season as a ‘good’ one on a personal level. 

“It’s a very good question,” he said. “I agree to learn, but am I doing well for the season? Not good enough, I think. In the position where I play, there’s more focus on statistics, and I think I could have been more efficient. 

“I could have had six goals this season and more assists, and then I might have told you that my season’s been good. Aside from that, I’m looking at the medium term. There’s the World Cup and I’m not sure that I’m expected to play in this position.” 

Fofana was asked whether that is frustrating for him with the 2026 World Cup quickly approaching. 

“At club level, I do it.. Especially when you’re in the mix to win a trophy. But will it help me in the future? I’m divided about that.” 

Fofana has not been called up to the France national team squad since October 2024. 

“At first it wasn’t a great experience. I wondered why I wasn’t getting called up. Then I started watching the matches and said to myself ‘okay Youssouf, there are other midfielders that are just as strong as you. Whether you’re there or not, the France team gets the same results, so you have to work and wait’.” 

Italy and Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori opens up about his scorpion block during last week’s Premier League match against Everton: ‘I didn’t think about it too much, I just reacted.’

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Calafiori has made headlines in England thanks to a fantastic clearance during a Premier League match against Everton on Saturday.

It allowed the Gunners to keep a clean sheet and ultimately secure a massive 2-0 win thanks to two late goals.

Calafiori: scorpion block my ‘best’ clearance so far

During a press conference on Tuesday, Calafiori spoke about his defensive action, admitting that it was probably the best clearance in his career so far.

“I think it is the best so far. Also, I think it was so important for the result and the team. I’m really happy about this,” the Italian told reporters before a Champions League match against Bayer Leverkusen.

“I didn’t think about it too much. I just looked at the guy shooting and thought I had to take as much space as possible. I just reacted. As we say, we love to defend our house and our goal, and we try to do everything we can.

“It’s important to get a clean sheet. When we do, we usually win the game, so it’s really important to us.”

Arsenal are the Arsenal table leaders with a nine-point lead over Manchester City, but Pep Guardiola’s side have a game in hand.

“I think especially now, from March on to the next few months, it’s the best part of the season as well,” added Calafiori.

“You started so early in the pre-season, and then you work so hard to get to this point, to be in the competition and to be so close to winning. I think it’s a dream to be here.”

The Italian is in his second season in North London and is certainly enjoying the atmosphere at the club, on and off the pitch.

“I think we’re all friends. I love them, and I have a good relationship with them,” he said.

“We are friends, first of all. Obviously, then on the pitch you try to compete to get ahead of them, but we’re all friends, and they’re all really good players, I think.

“Obviously, we love to chat in the dressing room. We love to help each other, and when it’s time to go aggressive on the pitch or sometimes just be more chill, just to help your teammate or the team at the end. Obviously, sometimes we see each other off the pitch, and I think that’s important.”

The Italian defender also spoke about his defensive movements at Arsenal: “We have a structure, and we have to respect all the principles and things we’ve been trying to learn since the beginning of the season. At the same time, I’m really good at doing what I do, finding this kind of place. But it’s not freedom. If I’m in that position, it means another player covers mine. You need a good structure to defend, it’s not casual, it’s structure.”

Calafiori will be one of the players included in the Italy squad for this month’s World Cup play-off semifinal against Northern Ireland.

Juventus and Luciano Spalletti are reportedly close to agreeing on a contract extension until June 2027 with an option for a further campaign.

Juventus expert Romeo Agresti reports on X that the Serie A giants and their coach, Spalletti, are close to agreeing to a new deal.

Spalletti close to agreement for new Juventus contract

Spalletti was appointed at the end of October to replace Igor Tudor, but only signed a contract until the end of the season.

Talks over a new deal began weeks ago, and according to Agresti, the two parties are now close to finalising the agreement.

The Juventus expert claims that the new deal will run until June 2027, but will include an option for a further campaign.

Juventus sit fifth in the Serie A table, one point below fourth-placed Como, but Spalletti has won 16 of his 29 games in charge of the Old Lady.

Only Inter (50) and Milan (42) have earned more points in Serie A than Juventus (38) since Spalletti was appointed on October 30.

Como President Mirwan Suwarso explains the club’s plans for the future and insists that a decision on Nico Paz’s return to Real Madrid is ‘entirely’ up to the La Liga giants.

Como sit fourth in the Serie A table after their 2-1 win over Roma at the Stadio Sinigaglia on Sunday.

“This is just a small sporting result within a long-term project,” Suwarso told Gazzetta.

“We are still in a start-up phase. Everything we did in Serie B is no longer enough in Serie A. Every time you change division, you have to start from scratch, and we’ve already done that three times. Football is different from other businesses, where you make an investment and then calculate the years in which you’ll get a return. We’ve invested heavily over three transfer windows, but in January, only one player arrived because we had already laid the foundations. The ownership is looking five or six years ahead. Emotions can influence decisions, and that’s not good from a sustainability standpoint.”

With nine games remaining, Como have a 12-point lead over 8th-placed Bologna, which means the Azzurri are likely to play in a European competition next season. But how will they deal with Financial Fair Play in 2026-27?

“At the moment, we are €75m below the UEFA cap. It should also be said that there is no case study like ours,” said the Como President.

“It’s a club that in two years has gone from promotion to Serie A after more than 20 years to reaching Europe. However, revenues are growing significantly, which suggests that in two or three years we will be able to meet the FFP requirements. For teams entering Europe for the first time, or after a long time, such a margin is allowed.”

Como are also working to develop their existing stadium.

“We have completed the first phase of documentation. Now we have to resubmit the project in line with the heritage authority’s assessments,” Suwarso explained.

“It will be more cost-efficient. And a bit smaller, but we would like it to include space for the community, usable all year round, not just for tourists or fans, but also by local residents.”

Como coach Cesc Fabregas has played a key role in Como’s development over the last few years, and with the team flying in Serie A, rumours about his future are inevitable.

Como updates on Fabregas and Nico Paz

“Cesc is a bit like the CEO of the football side. In big companies, you don’t ask a manager when he wants to leave,” said the Como President.

“We’re happy he’s with us, but we know that anything can happen in life. We’re enjoying the moment. We’ve created a system where we believe that even a potential departure wouldn’t cause everything to collapse.”

Argentine talent Nico Paz is another key part of the team, but he’s a product of the Real Madrid academy, and the Merengues have an option to re-sign him until 2027.

“The decision is entirely up to Real Madrid. There’s nothing we can do but wait and act accordingly,” Suwarso concluded.

“In any case, we’ll be happy for him and will start working to find a replacement. For now, he’s very happy here, in this big family.”

La Gazzetta dello Sport confirms that Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni is considering leaving the Nerazzurri at the end of the season, with Barcelona and Premier League clubs interested.

Italy defender Bastoni could leave Inter at the end of the season.

Bastoni to leave Inter in 2026?

His contract with the Nerazzurri expires in June 2028, and according to the report, the defender is considering, alongside his family and his entourage, joining a new club over the summer.

As previously reported by Tuttosport, the hostile reception Bastoni has been receiving in Italian stadiums since the referee incident against Juventus is playing a role in his thinking, just as his desire to try a new challenge.

However, Gazzetta contradicts Tuttosport by stating that Inter’s asking price for Bastoni will be around €50m rather than €70m.

The Italian defender’s agent, Tullio Tinti, has already been approached by Barcelona, but some top Premier League clubs are also interested in the Italian defender.

Bastoni earns €5m per season, and a move to another Serie A club seems unlikely.

If he does leave in the summer, it will probably be to start a new chapter abroad.

La Gazzetta dello Sport

Scudetto, it’s still not over

Inter want to kill it off, but…

The Nerazzurri are on the decline. Can Milan (-8) and Napoli (-9) catch them?

Leao, too many tensions. Milan are fed up and Rafa ends up on the market

Fabregas to leave? Como enjoy him, then anything can happen.

From Goretzka to Senesi. Juventus, Spalletti’s shopping.

Corriere dello Sport

Cesc, the uncomfortable third

There’s a smell of Fabregas

He can take the Champions League treasure from Lucio and Gasp

Four consecutive wins and fourth spot. The fixture list is an ally of the ex-Barça. Just two big games, against Inter and Napoli. Opta’s predictor gives him 50.7% of chance. Head-to-head: he’s an advantage over Spalletti and level with Gian Piero.

Inter, Scudetto and restyling

From 3-4-2-1 with young coups on the market

Milan, Leao’s pain

He struggles as a No.9; poor chemistry with Pulisic

Napoli, KDB factor

Super return: Conte targets the second spot

Viola, poker for survival

Vanoli: what a leap! Now he’s fifth from last.

Tuttosport

‘Yes, Juve, you need Tonali.’

Interview with Marchisio

‘He was already strong at Milan, he has further improved in the Premier League and is Italian. This is important too. With Spalletti, they can return to the top. Vlahovic’s renewal? Yes.’ Behind the scenes of an imminent agreement until 2027 with the coach, who has chosen the players who will stay. Meantime, Sassuolo’s Kone emerges for midfield.

‘Zapata, always with us!’

Toro, 700 fans at the Filadelfia

Doors open for the fans. Organised groups remain absent as protests in Cairo continue. Ovations for Duvan. D’Aversa on social media: ‘Toro desire, work, identity and grit!’

Everyone is against Cesc, amid bad blood and envy.

Viola’s goal fest in Cremona. Goodbye Nicola.

Juventus defender Gleison Bremer celebrated his return to the Brazil squad after almost two full years and serious injuries. ‘I had very difficult moments, but always hoped to fight for a place at the World Cup.’

The centre-back was one of only two Serie A players named in the group for the upcoming friendly matches against France and Croatia.

The other is Roma winger Wesley Franca, but for Bremer it is a return to the Seleçao for the first time since the 2024 edition of the Copa America.

Bremer returns to Brazil squad after 2 years

“I am enormously happy to be back in the Brazil squad after almost two years,” Bremer told the Brazilian media.

“I had some very difficult moments, a serious knee injury and then another operation on the meniscus, but the hope of getting back into the team and fighting for a place at the World Cup was always there.

“This was always one of the big objectives for me, even when I was still in the midst of recovery and it all seemed such a long way away.

“These were many small steps that together created this journey. I will honour this jersey, the greatest in the world, with all of my strength, my commitment, and my passion. Thank you, Brazil.”

Bremer also marked the occasion with a video compilation of the work he did in training to recover from those operations.

It is an additional birthday gift, as he will turn 29 on Wednesday.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Bremer (@bremer)

The Juventus defender has five senior caps for Brazil, but the most recent was in a friendly against Mexico on June 9, 2024.

He ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in October 2024 and then when he returned suffered another setback in October 2025, requiring an operation on the meniscus.

“I called some new players because they are doing well in their respective leagues and are 100 per cent physically, like Bremer in Italy,” explained Brazil manager Ancelotti.

The centre-back has made 23 appearances for Juventus this season, scoring three goals and providing three assists.

Davide Nicola admits Cremonese are ‘too fragile’ after a 4-1 defeat to Fiorentina, but insists he continues to ‘believe’ in Serie A survival. ‘We are only three points away.’

This was a must-win match for the Seahorses, who went into it without suspended Giuseppe Pezzella, plus injured Jamie Vardy, Federico Baschirotto and Michele Collocolo.

However, after a big David De Gea save in the opening two minutes, they crumbled to a 4-1 home defeat to Fiorentina with Fabiano Parisi, Roberto Piccoli, Dodo and Albert Gudmundsson on target.

David Okereke, who had been frozen out of the squad for months and last week made his first appearance since August 2025, got a mere consolation goal, but they were jeered off the pitch at the final whistle.

Nicola struggling to keep Cremonese afloat

“I try to be honest and objective, it’s understandable the fans express less than great enthusiasm right now, but this is precisely when we need their support behind us,” Nicola told DAZN Italia.

“It’s only right they express irritation and disappointment, which can help in a different way. The team gave all it could tonight, but admittedly we are too fragile at the moment and concede far too easily.

“Having said that, we never stopped trying to create chances, so at this moment I prefer to look on the positive side and not seek scapegoats. I believe safety is within three points, but if we continue to be this fragile, then it’s going to be tough.

“We must believe in ourselves, I believe we have it within ourselves to find that turning point. I believe, I don’t just say that as a mantra, but when I put a target in my mind, I am ready to accept all negative and positive moments to achieve it.”

The situation is now dire, as Cremonese are left in the relegation zone on 24 points, three behind Lecce and four adrift of Fiorentina.

They are also only six points ahead of the bottom pairing of Pisa and Hellas Verona.

This team had started the season so well, but now have a pitiful four draws in 15 games, scoring just five goals in that time.

There are inevitably reports that Cremonese could therefore sack Nicola, even though he is a specialist at getting teams out of impossible situations.

“We always have to challenge ourselves, and if during a not brief period the results don’t come, you have to try different situations,” noted Nicola.

“I’d say more than not scoring goals, the problem is that we concede them too easily. We conceded today at the first situation, and it’s up to us to resolve it.

“We are not going to do that by added sadness or depression, but with the enthusiasm of those who know that safety is only three points away. It’s all still up for grabs.”

Paolo Vanoli recognises Fiorentina took some time to ‘focus around what is a new objective’ of Serie A safety and calls Roberto Piccoli ‘a diamond in the rough’ after the 4-1 win over Cremonese.

This was a huge test for the Viola, as they were only one point ahead of Cremonese and the relegation zone going into the Stadio Giovanni Zini.

Although there were a few wobbles, including a David De Gea save in the opening 120 seconds, they ran out 4-1 winners with goals from Fabiano Parisi, Piccoli, a Dodo run from his own half, and Albert Gudmundsson finishing off a move with two back-heel flicks.

Cremonese managed to pull one back with David Okereke, but this result takes Fiorentina up to 16^th place, leapfrogging Lecce and moving four clear of the drop zone.

Vanoli sees Fiorentina progress

“These are three very important points against a direct rival for position,” Vanoli told DAZN Italia.

“I do believe we should’ve done much, much better when we had gone in front, as we were too frenetic and eager to push forward, when we should’ve been calm and able to control the tempo.”

Since the midway stage of the season, Fiorentina have picked up 15 points, the same as Roma and Lazio, which has seen them surge up the standings.

“It took some time, we did improve and I feel we still have real margin for further improvement. The toughest thing was recreating that unity of intent and focus around what is a new objective for Fiorentina,” explained Vanoli.

“We know that Florence deserves a lot more, but this is where we are this season, so we need to see it through and achieve a fundamental target for the club. Now we have to go to Poland and have only two days to prepare, so we need to recharge the batteries and be ready for another very difficult match.”

There had been concerns that Fiorentina would not be able to shift their mentality back to a Serie A relegation battle, especially as it was played between two legs of the Conference League Round of 16 against Rakow.

They won 2-1 last week and visit Poland on Thursday for the second leg of that UEFA tie.

“I don’t want to hear talk of a definitive turning point. This was a head-to-head and therefore a very important match, we are facing these fixtures with a different mentality to earlier in the season.

“The Conference League saps us of energy, so we’ve got to keep trying to balance the two competitions and keep our feet on the ground.”

Top scorer Moise Kean was also only fit for the bench, with Niccolò Fortini, Manor Solomon, Luca Lezzerini and Tariq Lamptey injured, but for the first time in his entire career, Piccoli contributed both a goal and an assist in the same Serie A match.

“Moise worked really hard just to be on the bench, I was going to give him 7-8 minutes tonight, but Ranieri had cramp and I had to change my plans,” added Vanoli.

“Piccoli is a diamond in the rough who has great potential and is gradually improving. His goal today was that of a great striker, but sometimes he lets his head drop, so he needs to keep believing in himself every day.”

Dodo explains his extraordinary solo goal in Fiorentina’s 4-1 win over Cremonese, while Fabiano Parisi admits ‘nothing can be taken for granted’ in a relegation fight.

The Viola knew the pressure was on at the Stadio Giovanni Zini in a relegation dogfight, as they were just one point ahead of Cremonese and the bottom three going into this game.

They had a few concerning moments, such as an early David De Gea save and Nicolò Fagioli goal-line clearance, but ran out 4-1 winners thanks to goals from Parisi, Roberto Piccoli, Dodo and Albert Gudmundsson.

David Okereke got one back for the hosts, who are now without a win in 15 Serie A rounds, scoring only five goals during that time.

Dodo and Parisi inspired Fiorentina victory

“We targeted this game all week, it was a head-to-head and so important to win, but we’ve done nothing yet and have to keep concentrated in every match,” Dodo told DAZN Italia.

“It’s not just about Serie A, but also the Conference League, we’ve got to keep focused and take it one game at a time.”

The Brazilian had not scored yet in the league this season, but he saved it all up with a sensational solo run from his own half and joked he’d scored the best of the game.

“Mine was better, I beat three players! I think one player stumbled, I got there and waited until the last second, as someone was coming at me quickly, so I tried a dummy and let him go by me.”

Did Carlo Ancelotti maybe see that goal and consider calling Dodo up for Brazil?

“The call-ups were today, so we’ll see what happens,” he laughed.

Unfortunately for the Fiorentina player, Ancelotti already named his squad for upcoming friendlies against France and Croatia before kick-off, so Dodo was not included.

This result takes Fiorentina up to 16^th place on 28 points, leapfrogging Lecce on 27 and leaving the relegation zone behind on 24.

It was not to be taken for granted that Fiorentina would have the right mindset for a relegation tussle, seeing as they were fresh off a 2-1 Conference League Round of 16 victory over Rakow, and preparing for Thursday’s second leg in Poland.

Top scorer Moise Kean was also only fit for the bench, with Niccolò Fortini, Manor Solomon, Luca Lezzerini and Tariq Lamptey injured.

“The reality is that unfortunately we are down there, even if we have quality in the squad, so we’ve got to keep picking up points in every game,” Parisi told DAZN Italia.

“Nothing is to be taken for granted, even if we are Fiorentina, so we have to keep playing like this and fighting for every point.”

The 4-1-4-1 formation is giving Parisi a new more advanced role as an attacking winger, and he admits the goal was something he’d tried in training.

“The coach gave me this new role and the opponents know I am left-footed, so I practice in training to cut inside and shoot with my right, this is what I did and it worked, thankfully also with the deflection.”

Fiorentina made a big step forward in their pursuit of Serie A safety with this 4-1 victory away to Cremonese, including classy Dodo and Albert Gudmundsson goals.

This was a huge and potentially decisive relegation tussle, as going into the weekend the Viola were in 17^th place on 25 points and the hosts in 18^th on 24. Moise Kean was only fit for the bench, with Niccolò Fortini, Manor Solomon, Luca Lezzerini and Tariq Lamptey injured after Thursday’s 2-1 Conference League first leg win over Rakow. Cremonese missed Jamie Vardy, Federico Baschirotto, Michele Collocolo and suspended Giuseppe Pezzella, scraping only four points in the last 14 games, scoring just four goals in that period.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

David De Gea needed a big save after 120 seconds, as a corner was put back in over the top for Federico Bonazzoli to test the goalkeeper from six yards.

Youssef Maleh threw himself in the path of an acrobatic Rolando Mandragora volley, but Fiorentina took the lead when Fabiano Parisi got down the right on a Mandragora pass and his angled drive took a deflection off Romano Floriani Mussolini to go through Emil Audero’s legs at the near post.

The second goal came from a Robin Gosens through ball that allowed Roberto Piccoli to spring the offside trap, beating the on-rushing Audero from a tricky angle.

Fiorentina added a third straight after the restart, as Dodo started the run from his own half, shrugged off Floriani Mussolini, then rolled the ball off the underside of the right boot to send both Maleh and Audero to ground, calmly stroking it into the net with his left.

Cremonese did get one back with only their fifth goal in the last 15 Serie A games, as Ceccherini pulled it back from the right for substitute David Okereke to slide in with the finish from 10 yards. It was a great moment for the striker, who had been frozen out of the squad for months and only made his return last week.

Audero ran a big risk moments later when playing out from the back, harassed into an error by Parisi, but made up for it by flying to fingertip a Mandragora curler out from under the bar.

Cremonese very nearly got it back to 2-3 when Okereke’s glancing header on a corner was cleared off the line by Nicolò Fagioli.

Alberto Grassi also came sliding in to meet a Djuric knockdown and couldn’t steer it on target at the back post.

Instead, Fiorentina restored their three-goal advantage with another goal of great quality. Gosens sent Marco Brescianini down the left, he back-heeled it for Piccoli, who in turn heeled it into the path of Gudmundsson to sweep in first-time with the inside of the right boot.

Gosens still showed bravery throwing himself in the path of a Djuric header before Alessio Zerbin could tap in at the back post, crashing into the upright with his ribs.

Cremonese 1-4 Fiorentina

Parisi 25 (F), Piccoli 32 (F), Dodo 49 (F), Okereke 57 (C), Gudmundsson 70 (F)

16-03-2026 19:45

MatchDay 29

Stadio Giovanni Zini

Cremonese

Fiorentina

1 - 4

Player statistic

1st half

		25'		Fabiano Parisi (Assist: Rolando Mandragora)
Warren Bondo		27'
		32'		Roberto Piccoli (Assist: Robin Gosens)

2nd half

		49'		Dodô (Assist: Albert Gudmundsson)
David Okereke (Assist: Federico Ceccherini)		57'
		70'		Albert Gudmundsson (Assist: Roberto Piccoli)

Match statistic

48

Possession %

52

13

Total shots

13

3

Shots on target

6

8

Shots off target

3

2

Blocked shots

4

4

Corners

6

Offsides

2

17

Fouls

16

Cremonese

Fiorentina

Starting lineups

1

Emil Audero

Goalkeeper

23

Federico Ceccherini

Defender

80'

55

Francesco Folino

Defender

22

Romano Floriani Mussolini

Defender

69'

5

Sebastiano Luperto

Defender

4

Tommaso Barbieri

Defender

2

Morten Thorsby

Midfielder

55'

38

Warren Bondo

Midfielder

46'

29

Youssef Maleh

Midfielder

62'

90

Federico Bonazzoli

Attacker

9

Milan Djuric

Attacker

43

David de Gea

Goalkeeper

2

Dodô

Defender

65

Fabiano Parisi

Defender

81'

6

Luca Ranieri

Defender

89'

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

4

Marco Brescianini

Midfielder

44

Nicolò Fagioli

Midfielder

21

Robin Gosens

Midfielder

81'

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

75'

10

Albert Gudmundsson

Attacker

76'

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

Substitutes

69

Lapo Nava

Goalkeeper

16

Marco Silvestri

Goalkeeper

99

Antonio Sanabria

Attacker

15

Matteo Bianchetti

Defender

14

Faris Moumbagna

Attacker

32

Martín Payero

Midfielder

30

Mika Faye

Defender

33

Alberto Grassi

Midfielder

46'

77

David Okereke

Attacker

55'

27

Jari Vandeputte

Midfielder

62'

7

Alessio Zerbin

Attacker

69'

24

Filippo Terracciano

Midfielder

80'

20

Moise Kean

Attacker

53

Oliver Christensen

Goalkeeper

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

60

Eddy Kouadio

Defender

50

Pietro Leonardelli

Goalkeeper

61

Riccardo Braschi

Attacker

62

Luis Balbo

Defender

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

75'

17

Jack Harrison

Attacker

76'

22

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

81'

3

Daniele Rugani

Defender

81'

80

Giovanni Fabbian

Midfielder

89'

Como are currently in fourth place and would right now be qualified for the Champions League, but an astonishing statistic shows they had an Italian on the pitch for one minute in Serie A.

Cesc Fabregas and the Indonesian club owners have created a strong squad at the Stadio Sinigaglia, just two years after earning promotion from Serie B.

Their 2-1 victory over Roma put them into fourth place, beating the Giallorossi and Juventus in the race for a Champions League spot.

However, Como also have more foreign influence on the field than any other team, as shown by an alarming statistical analysis.

Como gave Italian players just 60 seconds in Serie A

Throughout 29 Serie A matches this season, the Lariani had an Italian on the pitch for precisely one minute of football.

That 60 seconds was for 32-year-old defender Edoardo Goldaniga, who featured as a late substitute in the 2-1 win away to Fiorentina on September 21, 2025.

On the other hand, Cagliari are the team who give the most minutes to Italian players, representing 18,868 minutes in Serie A this season.

Cremonese are next on 16,212 minutes, Fiorentina (14,873 minutes), Pisa (12,895 minutes) and Lazio (12,255).

Of the sides battling for Europe, Atalanta give the most playing time to Italians, worth 10,906 minutes.

Bologna follow on 9,347 minutes, then Napoli 9,296 minutes, Inter on 8,711 minutes, Juventus 8,657 minutes, Roma 8,474 minutes.

Genoa are surprisingly low down on 7,970 minutes, Parma 7,754, Lecce 6,705, Sassuolo 5,840, while Milan have a mere 4,924 minutes for their Italians.

Udinese played theirs for 4,787 minutes, Torino 4,438, Verona 4,137, but nobody can compare to Como with 1 minute.

There are growing reports that Rafael Leao’s latest tantrum has irritated Milan directors so much that they would be ready to listen if a suitable offer came in for his sale.

He was meant to become the key figure for the future of the club after signing a new contract, which made him the highest-paid player in the squad.

The idea was for him to become a leader and finally mature at San Siro, but considering he turns 27 in June and is showing very little sign of changing his bad habits, they are losing patience.

Milan realising Leao will not change

Leao dragged his heels during a substitution in the defeat to Lazio, so Mike Maignan ran over from the goal to the touchline in order to shove him physically off the pitch.

He then resisted an attempt from coach Max Allegri to give a reassuring hug, and now the Gazzetta dello Sport claims that he continued to vent his anger at teammate Christian Pulisic in the dressing room after the game.

Rafael Leão wasn't happy about being subbed in the 66th minute during AC Milan's 1-0 defeat to Lazio pic.twitter.com/v42C5EpG6u

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 16, 2026

Multiple sources including MilanNews, Tuttomercatoweb and Calciomercato all suggest that Milan are tired of waiting for Leao to grow up, now recognising this is simply his personality rather than a quirk of youth and inexperience.

With that in mind, there is no plan to extend the contract that currently expires in June 2028.

In fact, unlike previous seasons, Milan are ready to listen if anyone makes a genuine offer to buy Leao in the summer, with the hope Premier League sides will step up.

He has been linked with clubs in the past including Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.

His record is of 80 goals and 64 assists in 284 competitive matches for Milan, and the asking price would be in the region of €80-90m.

{rsn-live-v2}

It’s reported Rafael Leao continued his tantrum in the dressing room after Milan’s defeat to Lazio, aiming his ire at Christian Pulisic, forcing coach Max Allegri to intervene.

The Portugal international did nothing to hide his irritation when hauled off as a substitute at the 67^th minute of this 1-0 loss at the Stadio Olimpico last night.

He walked so slowly off the field that goalkeeper Mike Maignan ran halfway up the pitch to physically push him off, then resisted Allegri’s attempt at a reassuring hug.

Rafael Leão wasn't happy about being subbed in the 66th minute during AC Milan's 1-0 defeat to Lazio pic.twitter.com/v42C5EpG6u

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 16, 2026

The coach said in post-match comments that Leao was “a bit annoyed because he had some situations where he could’ve had better service, so he was a bit angry, but these things can happen during a match.”

Claim Leao vented frustration with Pulisic

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Leao was specifically furious with Pulisic, who he accused of not passing him the ball in two potentially dangerous attacking situations.

More importantly, it’s reported that the anger continued well after the final whistle in the dressing room, to the degree that Allegri had to separate the pair and tell them to calm down.

It is safe to say that this strike partnership isn’t delivering the goods for Milan, because Pulisic has not scored a single goal in 2026.

This may well also have contributed to the USMNT star’s resistance to passing the ball, as he wanted to break his drought.

The pairing also hasn’t had many opportunities to work from the start, as one or the other tended to be out injured.

Leao and Pulisic have only started together seven times in Serie A this season, during which Milan scored just two goals.

When Leao found the net against Cremonese, it was after Pulisic had already been substituted.

Robin Gosens admits Fiorentina are dealing with ‘a very different type of pressure’ in the relegation battle with Cremonese, so ‘mentality is everything’ in tonight’s showdown.

It kicks off at the Stadio Giovanni Zini at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

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

This result could well decide who stays up and who drops into Serie B this summer, because going into this game Fiorentina are in 17^th place on 25 points and Cremonese are in the drop zone in 18^th on 24 points.

At the same time, the Tuscans are also forced to think about the Conference League Round of 16, after beating Rakow 2-1 on Thursday, they will visit Poland this week for the second leg.

Gosens warning for Fiorentina

“When you have to fight against relegation, the match plan works to a certain extent, but then mentality is everything,” Gosens told DAZN Italia.

“It’s a very different type of pressure to the one we had last season, for example, when we had other objectives.

“We want to be aggressive at the right time and clear-headed when unexpected things happen. We are coming off an important Conference League win that gave us enthusiasm, so we are ready.”

Fiorentina have also shifted their tactics recently to a four-man defence, and that means a different role for ex-Atalanta and Inter wing-back Gosens now that he is a full-back.

“I am a full-back who likes to attack, because those are my characteristics, but it’s very different in a four-man defence, as I don’t get to attack the back post in quite the same way.

“The important thing is that I have got my fitness levels back, which is absolutely fundamental for a player with my style of football. I am happy the coach chose me today and want to repay that faith.”

The change also means that Fabiano Parisi moves into a more advanced role for Fiorentina as part of a supporting quartet behind centre-forward Roberto Piccoli.

“Fabiano is having a great season, he put himself at the disposal of the coach and doing a good job in this position,” concluded Gosens.

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has called up Roma winger Wesley and Juventus defender Gleison Bremer from Serie A for the upcoming friendlies against France and Croatia.

They are warming up for the 2026 World Cup campaign with a couple of test matches, as they will play France on March 26, then Croatia on April 1.

The Seleçao are in World Cup Group C with Morocco, Haiti and Scotland, with their tournament beginning on June 14.

Ancelotti picks Bremer and Wesley

As always, there are some representatives from Serie A in the squad for these games, especially now that their coach is the Italian legend Ancelotti.

Roma winger Wesley Franca has impressed since moving to the Stadio Olimpico and gets a call, with five senior caps already under his belt.

Juventus defender Gleison Bremer, who has fully recovered from a serious injury, is also included for the first time since 2024.

Notably, despite reports that he had done enough to win back a spot in the team, there is no room for Neymar.

Inter’s versatile figure Carlos Augusto is also left behind.

Former Juventus players Alex Sandro and Danilo are included in defence.

CONVOCADOS!

O mister Ancelotti divulgou a lista de jogadores convocados para os amistosos contra França e Croácia, nos dias 26 e 31 de março, nos Estados Unidos.

BATE NO PEITO!

ISSO É BRASIL pic.twitter.com/qT9zVAn6Gl

— brasil (@CBF_Futebol) March 16, 2026

Moise Kean is only fit for the bench, so Roberto Piccoli and Albert Gudmundsson lead the Fiorentina attack against Cremonese’s Federico Bonazzoli and Milan Djuric in a relegation battle.

It kicks off at the Stadio Giovanni Zini at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

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

This result could well decide who stays up and who drops into Serie B this summer, because going into this game Fiorentina are in 17^th place on 25 points and Cremonese are in the drop zone in 18^th on 24 points.

If Pisa and Verona are most likely doomed, then only Lecce and Cagliari could still get sucked into the danger zone, as the Sardinians are on 30 points.

Fiorentina also have to balance this with their Conference League commitments, as they beat Rakow 2-1 with a Gudmundsson stoppage-time penalty on Thursday and have the second leg of that Round of 16 tie coming up in Poland on March 19.

Their Serie A form had suffered with one point from the last two rounds and zero goals scored.

Hitman Kean is back on the bench after an ankle issue, but Niccolò Fortini joins Manor Solomon, Luca Lezzerini and Tariq Lamptey on the absentee list.

Gudmundsson and Piccoli therefore lead the attack, with support from Marco Brescianini and Rolando Mandragora.

Cremonese had started the season so well, but their last victory was 2-0 against Lecce on December 7.

That was followed by just four draws and 10 defeats, losing the last three on the bounce.

It’s clear where the problems are, scoring only four goals in their last 14 games.

To make matters worse, former Leicester City striker and Premier League winner Jamie Vardy is injured with a bruised thigh, forced to watch from the stands with Federico Baschirotto, Michele Collocolo and suspended Giuseppe Pezzella.

At least Faris Moumbagna has recovered for a spot on the bench and Filippo Terracciano is back from his ban.

David Okereke had been frozen out for several months, but was brought back into the fold for a substitute appearance in the 2-1 loss to Lecce.

Cremonese vs. Fiorentina line-ups

Cremonese: Audero; Folino, Ceccherini, Luperto; Floriani Mussolini, Thorsby, Bondo, Maleh, Barbieri; Bonazzoli, Djuric

Fiorentina: De Gea; Dodo, Pongracic, Ranieri, Gosens; Fagioli; Parisi, Mandragora, Brescianini, Gudmundsson; Piccoli

16-03-2026 19:45

MatchDay 29

Stadio Giovanni Zini

Cremonese

Fiorentina

1 - 4

Player statistic

1st half

		25'		Fabiano Parisi (Assist: Rolando Mandragora)
Warren Bondo		27'
		32'		Roberto Piccoli (Assist: Robin Gosens)

2nd half

		49'		Dodô (Assist: Albert Gudmundsson)
David Okereke (Assist: Federico Ceccherini)		57'
		70'		Albert Gudmundsson (Assist: Roberto Piccoli)

Match statistic

48

Possession %

52

13

Total shots

13

3

Shots on target

6

8

Shots off target

3

2

Blocked shots

4

4

Corners

6

Offsides

2

17

Fouls

16

Cremonese

Fiorentina

Starting lineups

1

Emil Audero

Goalkeeper

23

Federico Ceccherini

Defender

80'

55

Francesco Folino

Defender

22

Romano Floriani Mussolini

Defender

69'

5

Sebastiano Luperto

Defender

4

Tommaso Barbieri

Defender

2

Morten Thorsby

Midfielder

55'

38

Warren Bondo

Midfielder

46'

29

Youssef Maleh

Midfielder

62'

90

Federico Bonazzoli

Attacker

9

Milan Djuric

Attacker

43

David de Gea

Goalkeeper

2

Dodô

Defender

65

Fabiano Parisi

Defender

81'

6

Luca Ranieri

Defender

89'

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

4

Marco Brescianini

Midfielder

44

Nicolò Fagioli

Midfielder

21

Robin Gosens

Midfielder

81'

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

75'

10

Albert Gudmundsson

Attacker

76'

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

Substitutes

69

Lapo Nava

Goalkeeper

16

Marco Silvestri

Goalkeeper

99

Antonio Sanabria

Attacker

15

Matteo Bianchetti

Defender

14

Faris Moumbagna

Attacker

32

Martín Payero

Midfielder

30

Mika Faye

Defender

33

Alberto Grassi

Midfielder

46'

77

David Okereke

Attacker

55'

27

Jari Vandeputte

Midfielder

62'

7

Alessio Zerbin

Attacker

69'

24

Filippo Terracciano

Midfielder

80'

20

Moise Kean

Attacker

53

Oliver Christensen

Goalkeeper

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

60

Eddy Kouadio

Defender

50

Pietro Leonardelli

Goalkeeper

61

Riccardo Braschi

Attacker

62

Luis Balbo

Defender

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

75'

17

Jack Harrison

Attacker

76'

22

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

81'

3

Daniele Rugani

Defender

81'

80

Giovanni Fabbian

Midfielder

89'

Reports are growing that Juventus will try to poach Roma midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini as a free agent this summer, as requested by Luciano Spalletti.

The two clubs are duelling for the fourth Champions League qualifying spot this season, although Como are currently the ones who have snuck in to snatch it from both of them.

Next term we could see Pellegrini in the black and white stripes of Juventus, as the Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Spalletti has asked for them to target the midfielder.

Pellegrini set to be released by Roma

Despite scoring some big goals for them in the Derby della Capitale against Lazio and in last week’s Europa League Round of 16 draw with Bologna, there seems to be no real desire to extend his contract.

Pellegrini turns 30 in June and will be a free agent a couple of weeks later, ending a lifetime in the Giallorossi jersey.

He was a product of their youth academy and spent his entire career with Roma, other than a brief two-year spell from 2015 to 2017 at Sassuolo.

This means that Pellegrini never actually worked under Spalletti during either of the coach’s previous two tenures at the Stadio Olimpico, yet the current Juve boss is an admirer and feels he can bring something new to their midfield.

The tension between Como and Roma escalated again after Assane Diao made a provocative Instagram post about the controversial Wesley red card.

The Lariani came back from a goal down to win 2-1 at the Stadio Sinigaglia last night, thanks also to the fact that their opponents were reduced to 10 men.

That incident saw Wesley receive a second yellow card, although his contact with Diao seemed minimal at best, with Devyne Rensch more likely to have contributed to the Como man going over.

Diao incident fuels tension

Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini was furious and suggested in his post-match interviews that Como were “regulars” at this sort of behaviour, refusing to shake the hand of Cesc Fabregas.

So when Diao posted on Instagram several photos of the match, including the Wesley challenge, with the caption “That’s how we do it,” the response was swift.

They ranged from Roma fans noting it was “hardly normal for you to post this after stealing a match” to others assuring they will “remember this and be waiting when you come to the Stadio Olimpico.”

Many simply replied with gifs of dives into swimming pools and off cliffs.

There are always some who go too far, and they expressed hope that the player will suffer a relapse of his serious knee ligament injury.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Assane Diao (@assandiao.8)

Milan’s 1-0 defeat to Lazio has confirmed a remarkable statistic showing how badly the team struggles without Adrien Rabiot, as Ardon Jashari comes under fire.

The Rossoneri had seen their Scudetto hopes revitalised by the Derby della Madonnina victory over Inter, cutting the lead at the top of the table to seven points.

A win yesterday would’ve closed that even further to just five points, but instead they capitulated at the Stadio Olimpico.

Milan badly miss Rabiot

Rabiot was suspended for the Lazio game and it is probably no coincidence that they faltered, because Milan have an average of 2.42 points per match with the France international in the squad this season.

In his absence, that average plummets to just 1.40 points per game.

There are two alternative options who can stand in for him, namely Samuele Ricci and last night’s pick Jashari.

The latter has come under particular criticism from fans, as after weeks of tense negotiations with Club Brugge and a €40m deal, he has struggled to make an impact.

It wasn’t helped by a serious injury in one of his first training sessions, but Jashari has made just 12 appearances for Milan, contributing one assist.

Since arriving from Olympique Marseille on transfer deadline day, Rabiot has scored four goals and provided five assists in 23 matches for the Rossoneri.

He was injured during a run of three draws and two victories in October and November 2025, including stalemates with Pisa, Atalanta and Parma.

Rabiot was suspended for the 1-1 draw with Como, and 1-0 defeat to Lazio.

The only losses he was present for were 1-0 to Parma in Serie A, 2-0 to Napoli in the Supercoppa Italiana, and 1-0 to Lazio in the Coppa Italia.

Minister for Sport Andrea Abodi insists calls for Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni to be dropped by the Italy squad over his simulation against Juventus are unfair because ‘he admitted to his mistake.’

The centre-back caused controversy when he simulated a foul from Juve opponent Pierre Kalulu during their Serie A match, getting him sent off with a second yellow card.

Bastoni then celebrated wildly when the referee pulled out the card, knowing that VAR protocol meant the decision could not be overturned.

Although he has since apologised, Kalulu was still forced to sit out a one-match ban, and Bastoni has been loudly jeered in every game by opposition fans.

Bastoni faced calls for Italy snub

Minister for Sport and Youth Abodi was pressed today on whether it was right to suggest Bastoni be dropped from the Italy squad over this incident.

“I believe you are called up not just for your technical qualities as a player, but also your behaviour,” replied Abodi.

“Bastoni was clear-headed enough to admit to his mistake.”

As for the jeers from the fans, Abodi also pointed out that “respect is supreme in sport, and everyone does what they see is fit.”

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso has not commented publicly on the situation, but it seems unlikely that he will snub the Inter defender for the upcoming 2026 World Cup play-offs against Northern Ireland.

If there is a victory in Bergamo on March 26, then the Azzurri will play either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-off final five days later.

It proved to be quite the weekend for Lecce forward Lameck Banda, as after he collapsed during the Serie A game with Napoli, he was released from hospital just in time for the birth of his daughter.

The 25-year-old had a scare at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona when he received a knock to the chest and was struggling to breathe.

When he went down clutching his chest, Napoli coach Antonio Conte was the first to spot it and immediately called the Lecce medical staff over to help.

Whirlwind weekend for Banda

Although he did not appear to lose consciousness, Banda was struggling to breathe, so was taken to hospital and kept in overnight for observation.

The Zambia international was given the all-clear and returned home just in time, because he got to be present at the birth of his daughter.

It was confirmed in a statement by Lecce, who welcomed little Rumi Ezlyn Banda into the world today.

He has been at Lecce since 2022 and so far this season contributed three goals with three assists in 24 games between Serie A and the Coppa Italia.

La meravigliosa storia di Banda: dimesso dall’ospedale Cardarelli di Napoli, raggiunge Lecce giusto in tempo per la nascita della primogenita Rumi Ezlyn.
L’abbraccio di tutto il Club a Lameck e alla compagna in questa meravigliosa giornata! pic.twitter.com/VgYXYJKyOm

— U.S. Lecce (@OfficialUSLecce) March 16, 2026

Max Allegri’s agent points out Rafael Leao is ‘obviously not giving a big contribution’ this season, but his substitution tantrum must be treated with kid gloves. ‘He’s a source of income for the club.’

The striker reacted angrily when hauled off just 67 minutes into last night’s 1-0 Serie A defeat to Lazio, which left them eight points adrift of leaders Inter.

He sulkily walked slowly to the touchline, to the degree that goalkeeper Mike Maignan ran halfway up the pitch to physically push him off it, and then resisted Allegri’s attempts at a reassuring hug.

Rafael Leão wasn’t happy about being subbed in the 66th minute during AC Milan’s 1-0 defeat to Lazio pic.twitter.com/v42C5EpG6u

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 16, 2026

Leao behaviour is frustrating for Milan

When Allegri’s agent Giovanni Branchini was asked if the coach will punish his player for this show of disrespect, the response was telling.

“Club dynamics are complicated,” Branchini told Radio Anch’io Sport on Radio 1.

“Leao is a source of income for the club and therefore various factors have to be taken into consideration. This season he is obviously not giving a big contribution to the team, that is clear for all to see.

“He remains an important player and will be defended to the end, just as Allegri did after the match last night, despite the brusque epilogue of the substitution.”

While this sort of behaviour is not new for the Portugal international, Leao is now 26 years old and the highest-paid player in the Milan squad.

The club is growing frustrated at his continuing immaturity, as confirmed by director of sport Igli Tare in the stands, caught on camera muttering “look at this, what is he doing” when Leao slowly trudged off the field.

According to MilanNews.it, Leao’s current contract runs to June 2028 and the club has put any talk of an extension on ice, because they want him to earn a new deal.

He has contributed 10 goals and two assists in 24 competitive games this term, largely playing in a new centre-forward role in a 3-5-2 formation.

Italy’s World Cup play-offs could see them take on Wales, but it is now confirmed Wrexham striker Kieffer Moore won’t be part of that potential tie due to injury.

The Azzurri risk missing out on the third consecutive edition of the World Cup, after failing in the play-offs for 2018 and 2022.

Italy road to 2026 World Cup is via play-offs

They will host Northern Ireland in Bergamo in the semi-final on March 26, then if victorious will go on to play either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final five days later.

It is therefore important to take note of the Wales squad, and Moore is not going to be a part of it, as confirmed by Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson.

“He’s got this tendon injury which he feels OK with, but he’s shown up on the scan and it’s one of those injuries that, up to 80-85% you’re fine, but if you extend beyond that you make yourself susceptible to muscle injuries.”

The 33-year-old centre-forward has 15 goals in 52 senior caps for Wales.

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso is set to name his squad list for the World Cup play-offs over the next few days.

Jonathan David’s time at Juventus could be coming to an early end, but the Old Lady are still hoping to spin a profit on the Canada international during the summer transfer window according to the latest reports. 

David has largely failed to impress during his time in Serie A with Juventus. The 26-year-old has scored seven goals from 39 appearances across all competitions this season, and has recently lost his place in the starting line-up despite the absence of his only real competitor at centre-forward, Dusan Vlahovic. 

Recent reports indicate that Juventus are already looking to move the Canadian on at the end of the 2025-26 season.

How much do Juventus need to avoid making a loss on David? 

Fortunately for Juventus, David arrived on a free transfer last summer, and therefore, turning a profit on him should not be a massively complicated procedure. 

Though there was no transfer fee involved, Juventus confirmed that they had to pay €12.5m in commission fees in order to seal the deal with David during the summer transfer window. That €12.5m sum is payable over three financial years. 

According to the latest reports from Tuttosport, there is still plenty of interest in David, despite his struggles at Juventus. 

Premier League sides Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham had both reportedly explored a potential deal for David in January. Forest and West Ham did end up bringing in new strikers in January, and both, Lorenzo Lucca and Taty Castellanos, came from Serie A. 

Tuttosport have recently reported that Ligue 1 side Lyon, currently managed by David’s former Lille head coach Paulo Fonseca, could be poised to make a move during the summer transfer window. 

Monday’s report adds that Marseille could also be among the interested parties this summer. David provided 87 goals and 17 assists from 178 appearances during his five years in France.

Cremonese are due to host Fiorentina in the final fixture on the Serie A week 29 schedule on Monday evening, but Davide Nicola will have to do without centre-forward Jamie Vardy for this evening’s massive relegation clash. Here’s why. 

Confirmed: Vardy unavailable for Cremonese vs. Fiorentina 

Just one point separates the 18th-placed Cremonese, who slipped into the relegation zone last weekend, and the 17th-placed Fiorentina ahead of the meeting of the two sides at the Stadio Zini on Monday night. 

La Cremo have announced their matchday squad for the Fiorentina clash, and have confirmed that Vardy will be unavailable through injury. 

Vardy’s exclusion comes as a result of the knock that he suffered against Lecce in Serie A last weekend. Cremonese have confirmed that the official diagnosis is a “blunt force trauma to his right thigh.” 

The 2016 Premier League winner has been a starter for Cremonese for most of the 2025-26 season, and has only missed out on two Serie A since his signing in the summer, which came in the second and third weeks of the season. 

The Englishman has five goals and one assist to his name from 24 outings in the Italian top flight this term. 21 of those appearances were starts. 

Cremonese squad to face Fiorentina

Goalkeepers: Audero, Silvestri, Nava. 

Defenders: Luperto, Bianchetti, Ceccherini, Terracciano, Faye, Folino. 

Midfielders: Thorsby, Barbieri, Zerbin, Mussolini, Vandeputte, Maleh, Payero, Grassi, Bondo. 

Forwards: Djuric, Moumbagna, Okereke, Bonazzoli, Sanabria.

Scott McTominay is one of five Serie A players to have been included in the latest Scotland national team squad ahead of the international break coming up at the end of March. 

There is one round of Serie A fixtures coming up this weekend before players head off to their national teams for the first international break of 2026. The international break will be a particularly important occasion for Italy, who will have to face Northern Ireland and potentially Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup. 

There is considerably less pressure in March for the nations that have already booked their places at the World Cup, which includes Scotland. Steve Clarke’s side will play a pair of friendlies against Japan and Cote d’Ivoire on March 28 and March 31 instead. 

McTominay and three other Serie A players included in the latest Scotland squad 

The reigning Serie A MVP, McTominay, is the star name in the Scotland camp and has been included in the March squad, despite the fact that he has only made one 45-minute substitute appearance over the last five matches after recovering from a calf injury. 

To little surprise, McTominay’s Napoli teammate Billy Gilmour has also been included in the latest Scotland squad. Despite being 29 and 24 years of age respectively, McTominay and Gilmour have already racked up an impressive 110 caps between them. 

The inclusion of Bologna captain Lewis Ferguson and Udinese’s Lennon Miller means that half of the midfielders in Scotland’s latest squad are currently playing in Serie A. 

Torino striker Che Adams has also been included, and is typically a starter under Clarke.

Steve Clarke has named his first squad of the year, as we begin our warm-up for this summer's @FIFAWorldCup.

Read more: https://t.co/MAW743p425
Tickets available here: https://t.co/B8TCKhLZSK pic.twitter.com/iCyAlxS2Ca

— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) March 16, 2026

Inter have confirmed that Henrikh Mkhitaryan is due for a short spell on the sidelines through injury, but the latest reports indicate that Hakan Calhanoglu is closing in on a return to action for the Nerazzurri. 

Inter confirm Mkhitaryan injury, latest on Calhanoglu and summer ‘revolution’

Mkhitaryan came on at half-time of Inter’s 1-1 draw against Atalanta on Saturday afternoon, but suffered an injury to his hamstring before full-time. 

Now, the Armenian veteran is expected to be ruled out of his side’s next match away against Fiorentina, and given that the international break falls immediately afterwards, he is not expected to return to action for Inter until early April. 

“Henrikh Mkhitaryan underwent tests at the Humanitas Institute in Rozzano this morning. The examinations showed a strain in the hamstring of his left thigh. His situation will be reassessed in the coming days,” read a statement on the club website on Monday afternoon. 

In more positive news for the Nerazzurri, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Calhanoglu is expected to return to the squad to face Fiorentina on Sunday. The Turkiye international has only been fit enough for two substitute appearances across the last 10 league matches, and has not featured in either of his side’s last two Serie A games. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport also reports that Inter are considering a midfield ‘revolution’ during the next summer transfer window, as Mkhitaryan is now 37, will be out of contract and has not yet decided when he will call it a day on his playing career, while Galatasaray are still reportedly targeting a summer move for Calhanoglu. 

The Pink Paper suggests that only one of Inter’s seven first-team midfielders have lived up to expectations this season, and that is Piotr Zielinski. Nicolo Barella, Petar Sucic, Andy Diouf and Davide Frattesi have all come under criticism at various stages of the 2025-26 campaign, despite Inter’s eight-point lead at the top of the Serie A table.

Ahead of Gennaro Gattuso’s Italy national team squad announcement later this week, here is a look at the 15 highest-rated Italian players from the most recent round of Serie A fixtures over the weekend just gone. 

Nine out of the 10 Serie A matches scheduled for week 29 took place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and the remaining match between Cremonese and Fiorentina will be played at 19.45 GMT on Monday evening. 

Then, on Friday, Gattuso is scheduled to announce his Italy national team squad for the crucial World Cup play-off campaign coming up at the end of the month. 

• Read more: 12 Italy players certain of a call-up in Gattuso’s next squad 
• Read more: Five Italy youngsters who should be included in World Cup play-off squad

The Azzurri will host Northern Ireland in a World Cup play-off semi-final in Bergamo on March 26, and the winner of that tie will go on to face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina away from home in the final on March 31: A one-off decider for a spot at the final tournament. 

Ahead of the Italy squad announcement, here is a look at the highest-rated hopefuls that were involved in Serie A action this weekend. 

Top 15 highest-rated Italy players from Serie A week 29 

Matteo Politano (RW/RWB): 7.5* – Napoli 2-1 Lecce

Antonio Caracciolo (CB) 7.5* – Pisa 3-1 Cagliari

Stefano Moreo (CF/RW) 7.5 – Pisa 3-1 Cagliari

Arturo Calabresi (CB) 7 – Pisa 3-1 Cagliari 

Nicolo Cambiaghi (LW) 7* – Sassuolo 0-1 Bologna 

Pio Esposito (CF) 7 – Inter 1-1 Atalanta

Daniel Maldini (CF) 6.5 – Lazio 1-0 Milan

Mattia Zaccagni (LW) 6.5 – Lazio 1-0 Milan  

Riccardo Orsolini (RW) 6.5 – Sassuolo 0-1 Bologna 

Alessandro Marcandalli (CB) 6.5 – Verona 0-2 Genoa

Manuel Locatelli (CM) 6.5 – Udinese 0-1 Juventus 

Leonardo Spinazzola (LWB) 6.5 – Napoli 2-1 Lecce 

Samuele Angori (LB/LWB) 6.5 – Pisa 3-1 Cagliari

Nicolo Barella (CM) 6.5 – Inter 1-1 Atalanta 

Davide Zappacosta (RWB) 6.5 – Inter 1-1 Atalanta

* Denotes player of the match award

(Ratings via Sky Sport Italia)

Dusan Vlahovic is targeting a spot in Juventus’s squad to face Sassuolo in Serie A this coming weekend, but there are now doubts over the availability of Khephren Thuram in a case of one in, one out for Luciano Spalletti’s side. 

Vlahovic and Thuram updates for Juventus

Juventus picked up a 1-0 win away against Udinese on Saturday evening, which means that they are now in fifth place and one point behind Como in the Champions League positions. Como defeated Roma, who have now slipped to sixth, two points behind the Old Lady. 

Juventus went with a ‘fluid’ attacking unit in their game against Udinese, featuring Kenan Yildiz at centre-forward with a supporting cast of Francisco Conceicao, Weston McKennie and Jeremie Boga.

Vlahovic had been tipped to return to the squad after more than three months out injured after surgery on his adductor, but was not deemed fit enough in the end. 

According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Vlahovic is now targeting a return to the matchday squad for this Saturday’s match against Sassuolo instead. 

There are, however, doubts regarding the condition of midfielder Thuram, who was forced off during Juve’s win away against Udinese with a blow to his left ankle. 

Thuram’s condition is set to be monitored day-by-day, but as things stand, his inclusion in the squad to face Sassuolo is not guaranteed either way at this stage.

Italy goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has come under further criticism from Tottenham Hotspur supporters after failing to keep out Dominik Szoboszlai’s free-kick during his side’s 1-1 Premier League draw against Liverpool on Sunday: ‘You’ve got to save that, that’s awful, absolutely shocking’. 

It has been a miserable season for Vicario and his Tottenham teammates, who are at genuine risk of relegation from the Premier League with eight games of the season left to play. 

With 30 league games gone, Tottenham find themselves in 16th place in the Premier League table, just one point above the relegation zone. Sunday’s draw against Liverpool was the first point that Spurs have picked up during Igor Tudor’s first five matches in charge. 

Vicario has also come under criticism on an individual level at various stages of the 2025-26 season, which led to his being dropped for last Tuesday’s 5-2 Champions League defeat against Atletico Madrid. 

In an extraordinary turn of events, Vicario was then brought on after just 16 minutes of that game with Atletico leading by three goals following two major errors from back-up goalkeeper Anotnin Kinsky. 

Vicario troubles continue at Tottenham 

Despite restoring his no.1 status at Tottenham this weekend, Vicario has once again come under criticism for failing to stop Szoboszlai’s 18th-minute free-kick on Sunday, which many feel was ‘saveable’ for a top level goalkeeper. 

“I mean (Szoboszlai) is a specialist, but a goalkeeping specialist, it’s not far off the middle of the goal. You’ve got to save that, wow. That’s awful, absolutely shocking,” said Jamie Carragher, who was on co-commentary duty for Tottenham’s 1-1 draw away against Liverpool. 

“I genuinely believe I could save that. It’s like just off the middle of the goal and instead of just being normal he’s tried to do a “spectacular” one hand save when he could’ve just caught it,” a Chelsea supporter wrote on X. 

“Has anyone started investigating Vicario for match fixing yet?,” another joked. “Vicario is on the take!!! How does that go in?!?!,” another Tottenham supporter similarly questioned. One supporter responded: “My first thought too. Has he got a bet on Spurs to be relegated? Pro Keeper should save that 99.9% of the time.” 

“We were competing and in the game before Vicario gets a cardboard hand on a saveable free-kick,” said another Tottenham fan. 

Massimio Ambrosini has given advice to both Rafael Leao and Massimiliano Allegri after Milan’s 1-0 loss away against Lazio, during which the Portugal international reacted angrily after being taken off in the 66th minute. 

Milan slipped to a 1-0 defeat away against Lazio in Serie A on Sunday evening, which means that Inter’s lead at the top of the table has been extended to eight points with nine league games of the season left to go, despite dropping points against Atalanta this weekend. 

Aside from the result, there was also a concerning moment for Milan supporters two thirds of the way through their Lazio loss, when Leao refused to give his head coach, Allegri, a hug on the touchline after being substituted off. 

The Portugal international reacted angrily, especially after teammate Christian Pulisic had failed to slip him in on goal with a decent opportunity just moments before the substitution was called. 

Ambrosini on Leao, Allegri and Lazio 1-0 Milan

Speaking on DAZN after full-time on Sunday, former Ambrosini, a four-time Scudetto winner with Milan, advised Leao that he should channel the anger and frustration that he occasionally shows when he is on the pitch, rather than when he is taken off it. 

“I think that he has to show that anger when he comes off when he’s on the pitch,” said Ambrosini.
“He always gives that impression that the competitive charge is missing. But he has to channel that anger during the game in one way or another. 

“By the 34th minute, he’d touched the ball four times, one of which was a header. The feeling is that by nature and by his characteristics, he’s a player you have to try and keep switched on. He doesn’t light up much, though.” 

Ambrosini also advised Allegri that playing Leao as a centre-forward, especially when the Rossoneri swap to a 4-3-3 is a waste of his qualities. 

“As a centre-forward, he takes a lot more breaks than he does when he’s playing out wide. I wouldn’t have changed (the shape) today. 

“Milan went from a 3-5-2 to a 4-3-3 in the second half with Pulisic out wide and Leao up front. Again, I would have kept him out wide and gone to a 4-2-3-1. He’s wasted as a centre-forward.”

Paolo Di Canio has taken a damning stance on Milan after their 1-0 loss against Lazio in Serie A on Sunday evening, and believes that only one Rossoneri player should avoid criticism: ‘A team without personality’. 

Milan slipped to a 1-0 defeat away against Lazio in Serie A on Sunday evening. Following Inter’s 1-1 draw against Atalanta on Saturday, the Rossoneri had an opportunity to move within five points of the league leaders, but now have a considerably tougher eight-point deficit to make up with nine games of the season left to go. 

There had been suggestions that Milan could stage a late fight for the Serie A title after their derby victory against Inter the weekend prior, but many argue that those hopes have now faded away after the Lazio defeat. 

Di Canio criticised Milan, Leao and lack of ‘personality’

Speaking on Sky Calcio Club after Sunday’s loss against Lazio, Di Canio described Massimiliano Allegri’s side as one that is lacking in ‘personality’. 

He also singled out Rafael Leao for criticism and says that Luka Modric is perhaps the only Rossoneri player who should avoid criticism after the defeat at the Stadio Olimpico. 

“Milan have always found it difficult against teams even less gifted than Lazio, especially when they have to play themselves,” said Di Canio (via Milannews.it)

“Leao walks around and only gives you a solution on the counter attack. You can’t have a player walking around for 70 minutes while the others sacrifice themselves, and then get angry because they aren’t playing him in. Allegri has to solve that. 

“Milan are a team without personality. Let’s leave Modric aside, who excited me. De Winter, Leao, Pulisic, who plays in the attack and doesn’t give him the ball, guys like that. It’s a team without a general personality.” 

Three points separate three teams competing for one spot in the Serie A top four with nine matches of the season left to go, but which of Como, Juventus or Roma has the ‘easiest’ run of fixtures remaining between now and the end of the 2025-26 campaign?

Juventus picked up a 1-0 victory away against Udinese on Saturday evening thanks to a lone goal from January signing Jeremie Boga, while Como beat Roma 2-1 at the Stadio Sinigaglia on Sunday evening, following the harsh 64th-minute dismissal of Giallorossi wing-back Wesley. 

The weekend’s results means that Como currently occupy fourth place on 54 points, Juventus are in fifth on 53 points and Roma in sixth on 51. 

In terms of the average league position of their remaining opponents, Juventus and Como have the same average of 11.89, which is marginally higher than the average league position of Roma’s upcoming opponents (12.11). 

That said, Juventus are the only side of the three that are not involved in any cup competitions and only have Serie A to focus on. 

Roma will take on Bologna at the Stadio Olimpico in the second leg of the Europa League round of 16 on Thursday evening, with the scores currently level at 1-1 at the halfway stage of the tie. The Giallorossi are the pre-match favourites given their home advantage and position in the Serie A table. 

Como, meanwhile, will have to take on Inter in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final in April, with the scores currently level at 0-0 after the first leg at the beginning of March. 

Como’s remaining Serie A fixtures

Pisa (19th) at home

Udinese (11th) away 

Inter (1st) at home

Sassuolo (10th) away 

Genoa (13th) away 

Napoli (3rd) at home

Verona (20th) away

Parma (12th) at home 

Cremonese (18th) away 

Remaining home games: 4

Remaining away games: 5

Average league position of remaining opponents: 11.89

Juventus’s remaining Serie A fixtures 

Sassuolo (10th) at home

Genoa (13th) away 

Atalanta (7th) away 

Bologna (8th) at home 

Milan (2nd) away 

Verona (20th) at home 

Lecce (16th) away 

Fiorentina (17th) at home 

Torino (14th) away 

Remaining home games: 4

Remaining away games: 5

Average league position of remaining opponents: 11.89

Roma’s remaining Serie A fixtures 

Lecce (16th) at home

Inter (1st) away 

Pisa (19th) at home 

Atalanta (7th) at home

Bologna (8th) away 

Fiorentina (17th) at home 

Parma (12th) away 

Lazio (9th) at home

Verona (20th) away 

Remaining home games: 5 

Remaining away games: 4 

Average league position of remaining opponents: 12.11

Bayern Munich are preparing to hand a debut to 16-year-old goalkeeper Leonard Prescott for the return leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie against Atalanta on Wednesday evening, as every other stopper in Vincent Kompany’s ranks are either injured or at high risk of missing out. 

Bayern injury crisis leads to opportunity for 16-year-old goalkeeper

The Bundesliga giants have a whopping 6-1 advantage over Atalanta heading into their round of 16 leg after dishing out a thrashing in Bergamo last Tuesday.

La Dea are the only Italian side left standing in the competition after the elimination of Inter and Juventus in the play-off round and Napoli’s exit at the end of the league phase. 

Atalanta are facing a near-impossible task when they take on Bayern away at the Allianz Arena requiring a six-goal victory to qualify for the quarter-finals. But, the hosts are in the midst of a goalkeeping injury crisis that could lead to a 16-year-old being handed their senior debut between the posts on Wednesday night. 

That is because captain Manuel Neuer, who missed out on the first leg against Atalanta, is still unavailable through injury. Back-up option Sven Ulreich is also nursing an adductor tear. 

Jonas Urbig, who started against Atalanta last week, is a major doubt due to concussion, and reports in Germany suggest that Bayern are unlikely to take any risks with the 22-year-old, especially with a 6-1 advantage heading into the second leg. 

Bayern’s reserve team, Bayern II, are also without 19-year-old goalkeeper Leon Klanac due to a thigh injury, which means that 16-year-old Prescott, currently based with the U19 squad, is the most likely goalkeeper to play against Atalanta on Wednesday according to reports from various outlets.

Prescott was born in New York but has represented Germany at U16 and U17 level.

The teenager has made 16 appearances for Bayern’s U19 squad so far this season, conceding 30 goals, and has twice been included in the senior matchday squad: Against Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga over the weekend just gone and against Atalanta in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 last Tuesday,

Rossoneri legend Alessandro Costacurta says that Rafael Leao was more angry at Christian Pulisic than he was at his substitution two thirds of the way through Milan’s 1-0 loss away against Lazio on Sunday evening. 

Leao reacted angrily when he was taken off after 65 minutes of Milan’s disappointing defeat in the capital on Sunday night and appeared to reject a hug from head coach Massimiliano Allegri on the touchline at the time of the change.

Many have taken the opinion, however, that the Portugal international was most frustrated with teammate Pulisic, who had failed to slip him in on goal just moments before the substitution board went up. 

Costacurta reacts to Leao substitution

Milan’s defeat against Lazio means that they have now slipped eight points behind league leaders Inter with nine games of the season left to go, when they could have moved within five points of the Nerazzurri. Reigning champions Napoli are now just one point behind the Rossoneri in third place. 

“Eight points with nine games to go is a lot. If I were in that team, I’d start thinking about the other sides behind,” said Costacurta on Sky Calcio Club after Milan’s loss on Sunday night (via Milannews.it). 

Costacurta agrees that Leao was naturally frustrated about having to come off with almost half an hour left to play, but that he was probably more frustrated at Pulisic for the lack of passes in on goal. 

“I was amazed that despite some excellent shots from Leao, Pulisic never gave it to him. Captain America preferred to give it to others and made that clear. I was making the same gestures as Leao: ‘Give it to him,  give it to him!’

“He wasn’t angry about the sub, but about Pulisic’s lack of pass. I wouldn’t have taken Leao off, I would have moved him.” 

Costacurta also agrees that this was a missed opportunity for his old club. 

“For me, Milan missed a great opportunity to put pressure on the strongest side and see how they would have reacted. 

“The first 10 minutes, Lazio seemed really up for it, when Milan should have been. The message you send at the beginning is important for the rest of the game. They also played a decent game, but you can’t just give minutes away.” 

La Gazzetta dello Sport

Golden boy 

Kimi magic: After 20 years, an Italian triumphs in F1 

Antonelli makes history in China

‘Now you’re making me cry. Aiming for the World Championship with Mercedes’ 

Sinner is back 

At Indian Wells 

Beats Medvedev and dedicates the tournament to his friend Kimi 

Milan fall to -8 

Lazio give Inter a gift, Leao tension

Isaksen’s goal decides it. Rafa argues with Pulisic and Allegri over the substitution

The Scudetto then changes 

Chivu let off 

The Scudetto then the changes 

Chivu relief 

The coach is a fixed point, but the squad will be rebuilt 

Como dreaming, Gasp anger

Roma fall to sixth, behind Juve as well 

‘The Wesley red was an error, that’s how it is with them …’ Fabregas: ‘Unsportsmanlike’, and he’s alone in fourth

Corriere dello Sport 

King Kimi

Antonelli triumph | Dominates at the Grand Prix in China: There’s an Italian winner in F1 20 years after Fisichella 

‘I’ve always dreamt about it but we’re only at the beginning’. His dad: ‘He was born on the track’

Sarri, gift to Inter 

Lazio shock Milan (1-0): Chivu first on +8 

Isaksen makes the difference and puts his signature on the Scudetto race: From a possible -5, Allegri lets Cristian and the title slip. Leao doesn’t appreciate the change 

Gasp fury: ‘10 men for no reason’ 

Beaten in Como (2-1): Roma contest the Wesley red card 

Tuttosport 

Generation of phenomena

Kimi triumphs in China, Jannik at Indian Wells 

Fabulous Antonelli! An Italian returns as a GP winner in F1 for the first time since Fisichella 20 years ago: He’s the youngest ever after Verstappen.  ‘What a dream! I was s***ing myself at the end’. Behind the Mercedes are the Ferraris: Hamilton, first podium in red after an internal battle with Leclerc. Sinner crushes a super Medvedev and makes up for the  nightmare one year ago: Alcaraz’s no.1 is getting closer 

Isaksen scores for Inter as well 

Milan flop against Lazio: -8

A wasted, high-tension occasion:Leao, annoyed by the substitution, rejects the hug from Allegri and Tare doesn’t appreciate it 

Yildiz, 10 squared: 130 million valuation 

Spalletti-Juve: A signing in the air 

10 goals and 10 assists: according to CIES he’s the fifth top player in the world. Boga, the algorithm that works. David, Maresille solution 

River Plate call Simeone 

The new coach wants him 

The Toro bomber grew up at the Buenos Aires club: He’s Coudet’s priority. Fila open today: There’s anticipation for the fans’ response 

Como overturn Roma: 4th place, but Gasp is raging 

Red for Wesley, it was harsh: Sparks with Cesc 

Mario Gila and Gustav Isaksen confess the return of Lazio fans after weeks of boycotting the Stadio Olimpico was decisive against Milan. ‘They are the extra man, it’s undeniable.’

The Aquile had been in crisis, but this was their second consecutive Serie A victory, and confidence is growing.

After beating Sassuolo last week, they managed to push past Scudetto-chasing Milan thanks to the Isaksen strike on a long Adam Marusic ball, shrugging off Pervis Estupinan.

Lazio fans inspire success over Milan

“It was an incredible atmosphere and we had really missed this feeling,” Isaksen told DAZN Italia.

“The players and staff are great people, they help me every day, and I wanted to dedicate the goal to them as a well as the fans”

Above all, Lazio found inspiration from the crowd, as the fans suspended the boycott of the Stadio Olimpico that had left the stadium painfully empty and desolate in recent weeks.

They put on a remarkable atmosphere for this big match, so the team and staff celebrated under the Curva Nord after the final whistle.

“It is very different feeling the supporters behind us, they are the extra man, it’s undeniable,” Gila told DAZN Italia.

“We saw their influence tonight and put in a great performance. We had a lot of difficulties this season, but are seeing a different Lazio in the last three or four games, we can feel that energy on the pitch. We have matured thanks to these obstacles, and this was a great signal.”

Lazio might find it very difficult to close up the gap to the European places, but they can still win a trophy and qualify for UEFA competition.

They are in the Coppa Italia semi-final after a 2-2 first leg home draw with Atalanta.

“If we play like this, then we can have a different energy, so we want to keep the momentum going in Serie A and towards the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final,” concluded Gila.

Maurizio Sarri said that the return of Lazio fans to the Stadio Olimpico after weeks of protest made it ‘a memorable night regardless of the result’ of their victory over Milan.

It was already a positive night before kick-off, as the fans suspended their boycott in protest at President Claudio Lotito, and returned to the stands of the Stadio Olimpico.

They helped inspire the team to a huge victory, as Gustav Isaksen shrugged off Pervis Estupinan to beat Mike Maignan in what proved to be the only goal of the game.

Sarri emotional at Lazio atmosphere

“The whole night was emotional, as seeing the Stadio Olimpico with this spectacular atmosphere and these fans was wonderful. I am so happy that the team gave them this joy of a victory, but it would’ve been a memorable night regardless of the result,” Sarri told DAZN Italia.

“I feel that we should’ve finished the first half with more than a one-goal advantage, so if there was a criticism of our performance, it’s that,” responded the coach.

“Clearly, we couldn’t maintain the intensity of that half, and had limited options to take off the bench, so that made it difficult as it wore on.”

With a large injury crisis ruling out Danilo Cataldi, Alessio Romagnoli, Ivan Provedel, Toma Basic, Nicolò Rovella and Samuel Gigot, Sarri seems to have found a worthy replacement midfielder in Gil Patric.

“I wouldn’t use this match for comparison to any other this season, because the lads were galvanised and motivated by the return of the fans,” insisted the coach.

“The atmosphere at the Olimpico was special tonight. This is a team that is improving in many areas, and we hope to lay solid foundations for the future.”

Sarri was sent off deep into stoppages for dissent, largely as he was complaining that the six minutes of added time had already expired.

It has been a difficult campaign with issues off the field, including a transfer embargo he had not been expecting, and the on-going tension between the fans and President Lotito.

“It has been certainly the most difficult season of perhaps not my career, as I had tough ones in Serie C, but certainly the toughest in Serie A. The squad also needs to be praised, because they could’ve fallen apart, but they have overall kept training with the right attitude and maintaining their character.”

Can this night potentially change the atmosphere around Lazio for the final weeks of the season, including the Coppa Italia semi-final with Atalanta?

“I don’t know, to be honest. What I heard from the fans is that this was a one-off, but I hope this wonderful atmosphere struck them as much as it struck us, and that the situation can be fixed, although I don’t know how quickly that can happen,” confessed Sarri.

“I don’t want to make an appeal to the fans, because when people make decisions, they are to be respected, even when those decisions are painful.”

Max Allegri hopes the defeat to Lazio means people will stop asking Milan about the Scudetto, and explains why Rafael Leao ‘was annoyed’ at his substitution.

This had been a big opportunity for the Rossoneri to ride the wave of enthusiasm from the Derby della Madonnina success and take advantage of Inter’s draw with Atalanta to close the gap at the top to five points.

Instead, they lost 1-0 at the Stadio Olimpico and Inter’s lead is expanded to eight points, while Napoli are now only one point behind the Rossoneri in third place.

Lazio were repeatedly attacking Pervis Estupinan down the right flank, and he stumbled when Gustav Isaksen went clear on the long Adam Marusic ball to beat Mike Maignan in the only goal of the game.

Allegri gives reasons for Milan stumble

“We knew the difficulties of this match, as the fans were returning to the stadium and it was very important for Lazio,” Allegri told DAZN Italia.

“Their first half was very strong, we should’ve been a little more organised and made fewer errors. They ran hard and fell away after the break, we had a lot more intensity and poured forward, but were unable to make it count with a goal. This is football.”

More worryingly, they are closer to Juventus in fifth now than to the leaders, as the advantage for a Champions League spot is only seven points.

“What we absolutely must do now is press the reset button. People talked about the Scudetto after the win over Inter, but we have to be realistic in life,” added the coach.

“We need to remember that the objective is Champions League qualification, otherwise we risk destroying all that we have built over the last six months.”

There was also tension when Allegri substituted Rafael Leao at the 68^th minute, as the Portugal international reacted angrily to being hauled off.

He walked so slowly towards the touchline that Maignan ran over to push him off, then resisted Allegri’s attempts to hug him, before kicking away bottles on the Milan bench.

“Leao was a bit annoyed because he had some situations where he could’ve had better service, so he was a bit angry, but these things can happen during a match,” assured Allegri.

“All the lads wanted to win, first and foremost to break away from the chasing pack, because Juventus are only seven points behind us now. It’s a long season still, we need to stay focused and do better on the situations we got wrong in the first half.”

It is perhaps no coincidence that Milan lost here, as they have struggled in the absence of Adrien Rabiot, who sat out a ban this evening.

However, the coach did not agree with suggestions Milan were too passive and sat back in the first half.

“I think we made too many technical errors in the first half and allowed far too many counter-attacks. Even before the goal, we had another couple of situations where we were all ahead of the ball and had acres of space behind us, you should not concede goals like this,” noted Allegri.

“We stepped up a gear after the break and had many favourable situations, but couldn’t make them count. It’s not that we waited for Lazio, I think we allowed more counter-attacks tonight than throughout the rest of the season.

“If you lose the ball in the opposition half, then either you win it back straight away or you get caught on the counter, there’s no other way out of that situation. We lost a lot of duels in the first half, such as one between De Winter and Maldini, so when you go too softly into those challenges, of course you’ll lose the ball.

“After the break, we were a lot stronger into those duels, and therefore kept Lazio pinned back into their half. It’s difficult to explain why they were soft in those duels, because the lads prepared well and knew the importance of the game.

“I think we made too many errors in general, we accepted going man-for-man with them tonight, and often it didn’t work, leaving De Winter alone against Maldini.”

Lazio picked up three points in an impressive 1-0 victory over Milan at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday night, with a first half goal from Gustav Isaksen separating the two teams as the Rossoneri fail to close the gap on league leaders Inter.

Football Italia’s Man of the Match was Mario Gila, for an impeccable defensive performance that helped thwart the Milan attack time and time again.

Lazio 1-0 Milan – Player Ratings

Lazio: Motta 7; Marusic 6.5, Gila 7.5, Provstgaard 6.5, Tavares 6.5; Dele-Bashiru 6, Patric 6, Taylor 6.5 (Belahyane N/A); Isaksen 7 (Pedro 6), Maldini 6.5 (Dia 5.5), Zaccagni 6 (Cancellieri N/A)

Best Lazio player: Mario Gila – Continues to shine as a core element of the Biancocelesti’s team, made a number of huge defensive interventions and gave the Rossoneri front line no room to breathe.

Lowest Lazio rating: Boulaye Dia – Despite playing nearly thirty minutes, the Senegalese forward had next to no involvement, touching the ball less than 10 times – more or less just there to complete the numbers and help secure the three points.

Coach: Maurizio Sarri 7.5 – An impressive hit-and-run performance saw the coach pick up what will feel like a well-earned win against tough opposition. Sarri’s influence and tactics helped shape the game and keep his team in the lead until the final whistle.

Milan: Maignan 6; Tomori 6 (Athekame 6), De Winter 5.5, Pavlovic 6; Saelemaekers 6 (Ricci N/A), Fofana 6 (Nkunku 5.5), Modric 6, Jashari 5.5, Estupinan 5 (Bartesaghi 6), Pulisic 6, Leao 5 (Fullkrug 5.5)

Best Milan player: Alexis Saelemaekers – Definitely offered the most threat of Milan’s ‘attackers’, creating six chances for his team and working hard to track back defensively.

Lowest Milan rating: Pervis Estupinan – Whilst Leao is a dishonourable mention, the Ecuadorian continues his poor form in red and black, and was entirely to blame for Lazio’s winner. The Biancocelesti identified him as a weak point early on and the wing-back caused several other problems for his defence in his 57 minutes on the pitch.

Coach: Massimiliano Allegri 5.5 – Brought back down to earth after the impressive Milan derby victory last weekend. This will be a disappointing one for the coach to take, as he was able to close the gap on Inter further with a win today. His substitutions offered little, even though Allegri deserves credit for taking Leao off after his lacklustre performance.

Milan’s Scudetto dream crumbled as soon as it had opened up, as Gustav Isaksen gave Lazio the 1-0 victory, and Rafael Leao reacted angrily to a substitution.

The Rossoneri blew the Scudetto race open with their victory in the Derby della Madonnina and were handed another big opportunity to close the gap after Inter drew 1-1 with Atalanta yesterday. Adrien Rabiot sat out a ban, with Matteo Gabbia, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Santiago Gimenez injured, so Ardon Jashari stepped into midfield. The Aquile ended their negative streak by beating Sassuolo 2-1, but more importantly the ultras suspended their boycott and returned to the Stadio Olimpico. Danilo Cataldi joined Alessio Romagnoli, Ivan Provedel, Toma Basic, Nicolò Rovella and Samuel Gigot on the treatment table, so Gil Patric took on a new midfield role.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Pervis Estupinan saw his diving header flash wide from an Alexis Saelemaekers cross, but moments later Kenneth Taylor smacked a shot against the crossbar from a tricky angle after good work from Daniel Maldini.

Lazio had been repeatedly attacking Estupinan down the right flank and it paid off, as he stumbled when Gustav Isaksen got onto a long Adam Marusic ball, beating Mike Maignan one-on-one at the near post.

Lazio take the lead over AC Milan, and it's Gustav Isaksen who runs clear of the Milan defence to slot past Maignan!

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/2HlCxNbTL0

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 15, 2026

Maldini also held off Koni De Winter to test Maignan on another counter-attack, but after the restart Edoardo Motta flew for a one-handed save on Christian Pulisic’s strike, with Youssouf Fofana’s weak follow-up header.

At the other end, Dele-Bashiru flashed a ball across the face of goal, then as the move concluded, Maignan had to be alert to prevent Estupinan nodding into his own net.

Mario Gila crucially prevented Leao from going clear on the Fofana through ball, then Motta punched a dangerous Pulisic cross off Leao’s head before the American blasted the rebound over.

Rafael Leao was substituted and clearly unhappy with the decision, as Maignan had to rush over to push him off the field while he reacted with irritation when hugged by Max Allegri.

Zachary Athekame’s volley was charged down by Taylor just inside the area, then on 75 minutes Athekame fired in a splendid strike from a corner, but it was disallowed because it struck his arm as he tried to control and turn. If the ball makes contact with the arm just before scoring a goal, then intentionality is irrelevant.

Milan poured forward with a series of corners, Motta punching one off the head of Pavlovic, then Luka Modric fired over from the edge of the area after the referee got in his way.

Nuno Tavares flashed a ball across the six-yard box just beyond Boulaye Dia, while Ardon Jashari blasted wide. Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri saw red for dissent deep into stoppages.

Lazio 1-0 Milan

Isaksen 26 (L)

15-03-2026 19:45

MatchDay 29

Stadio Olimpico

Lazio

Milan

1 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Gustav Isaksen (Assist: Adam Marusic)

26'

2nd half

		55'		Pervis Estupiñán
Edoardo Motta		70'
Nuno Tavares		81'
Patric		90+5'
Pedro		90+5'

Match statistic

41

Possession %

59

7

Total shots

17

2

Shots on target

3

2

Shots off target

8

3

Blocked shots

6

1

Corners

9

3

Offsides

4

7

Fouls

19

Lazio

Milan

Starting lineups

40

Edoardo Motta

Goalkeeper

77

Adam Marusic

Defender

34

Mario Gila

Defender

17

Nuno Tavares

Defender

25

Oliver Provstgaard

Defender

4

Patric

Defender

27

Daniel Maldini

Midfielder

67'

7

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru

Midfielder

24

Kenneth Taylor

Midfielder

90'

18

Gustav Isaksen

Attacker

67'

10

Mattia Zaccagni

Attacker

83'

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

57'

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

2

Pervis Estupiñán

Defender

57'

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

56

Alexis Saelemaekers

Midfielder

84'

30

Ardon Jashari

Midfielder

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

67'

11

Christian Pulisic

Attacker

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

67'

Substitutes

29

Manuel Lazzari

Defender

23

Elseid Hysaj

Defender

55

Alessio Furlanetto

Goalkeeper

3

Luca Pellegrini

Defender

20

Petar Ratkov

Attacker

14

Tijjani Noslin

Attacker

28

Adrian Przyborek

Attacker

99

Giacomo Giacomone

9

Pedro

Attacker

67'

19

Boulaye Dia

Attacker

67'

22

Matteo Cancellieri

Attacker

83'

21

Reda Belahyane

Midfielder

90'

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

37

Matteo Pittarella

Goalkeeper

27

David Odogu

Defender

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

57'

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

57'

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

67'

9

Niclas Füllkrug

Attacker

67'

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

84'

Milan forward Rafael Leao looked quite the unhappy man after he was substituted in Milan’s match against Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday evening.

Lazio took the lead in the first half thanks to a goal from Danish winger Gustav Isaksen and Leao had little impact in helping his side get back into the game.

Therefore, with 25 minutes to play, Rossoneri head coach Massimiliano Allegri decided to replace the Portuguese star and midfielder Youssouf Fofana with two more traditional strikers in Fullkrug and Nkunku.

Relive all the action from today’s Serie A matches on our Live Blog.

Leao frustrated after being taken off in Milan trip to Lazio

Leao was not happy to be taken off and took his time exiting the field.

Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan rushed over to the forward to encourage him to leave the pitch faster, before being embraced by Allegri, who he quickly pushed off to go and take his place on the bench.

Shortly after, the former Lille man was spotted kicking bottles in frustrating on the touchline.

Whilst his frustration is understandable, the forward demonstrated an arrogance at a critical point for his team in what was a must-win game to keep in the Scudetto chase.

Gian Piero Gasperini has fired back at Cesc Fabregas following the post-match handshake controversy that emerged after Como’s 2-1 victory over Roma, delivering a blunt and unambiguous response to the Como head coach’s public comments.

Speaking to ANSA, via the Corriere dello Sport, Gasperini showed little interest in diplomatic language.

“Como are a strong team, but I do not respect their behaviour, on the pitch or on the touchline,” he said plainly.

The exchange follows Fabregas’ pointed but measured comments to Sky Sport after the final whistle, in which the Como coach expressed disappointment at Gasperini’s failure to shake his hand, describing it as a matter of basic sporting respect.

You can read Fabregas’ full reaction here.

Gasperini furious with Como behaviour ‘on the pitch & the touchline’

Gasperini’s response suggests the ill-feeling runs considerably deeper than a missed handshake.

His reference to behaviour “on the pitch and on the touchline” implies broader grievances with Como’s conduct throughout the match, likely connected to the Wesley’s second yellow card that prompted his furious post-match reaction about simulation.

With Roma still harbouring Europa League ambitions and facing Bologna in the second leg on Thursday, Gasperini will be eager to channel his frustration into a result at the Olimpico.

But the war of words with Fabregas has added an extra layer of intrigue to what is already a fascinating final stretch of the season for both clubs.

Cesc Fabregas was riding a wave of emotion after Como’s victory over Roma, describing the performance as “epic” while taking a pointed but measured swipe at Gian Piero Gasperini for failing to shake his hand at the final whistle.

The Como head coach was effusive in his praise for his players, who he felt demonstrated exactly the identity and character he has been building since taking charge.

“It was a beautiful match and I enjoyed every moment of it,” he said, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb.

“You could say the victory was epic, but it cost a lot. It was a very intense game and yet from the first minute we always sought our own game. That gives enormous credit to this squad.”

Fabregas was equally clear about what underpins Como’s remarkable season. “When you build a squad you implement an idea, you study your players carefully, their character, their identity. Learning to handle the result and the game in a certain way is a question of solidity, courage and trust. That takes months to develop, not weeks. Games like this show it is becoming natural, not forced.”

But it was his comments on Gasperini that will generate the most headlines.

Como 2-1 Roma – Fabregas slams lack of Gasperini respect

The Roma coach notably failed to seek out Fabregas for the customary post-match handshake, and the Spaniard did not shy away from addressing it directly.

“In two years I do not think there has been a single occasion where I have not gone to shake a colleague’s hand, whether I have lost, been sent off, been angry or been happy,” he said. “I think it is a question of respect. When the match ends you go and shake hands, even if you have been beaten in circumstances you feel were unjust. When he left without doing so, it saddened me a little, but then I thought it was nothing.”

He added that he had moved towards the tunnel believing Gasperini was heading that way, and was careful not to escalate the situation further.

“I can only speak about my own experience, I simply went to say hello.”

With nine league games remaining plus the Coppa Italia, Fabregas was keen to keep feet firmly on the ground despite Como sitting fourth. “We must maintain humility, naturalness and keep working. We go step by step.”

Gian Piero Gasperini cut a frustrated figure after Roma’s defeat at Como, directing his anger at the decision to send off Wesley for a second yellow card and lamenting what he described as a growing problem with simulation in the modern game.

The Roma head coach was in no mood to hold back when speaking to DAZN, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb.

“I have already seen the Wesley incident, today it is pointless to comment on this trend in football, especially regarding dives,” he said.

“It was unfortunately a decisive episode, just like the one for their equaliser. We defended the cutbacks well but in that moment we were not good enough. Some of it is down to us, and it is not a great moment, but these are glaring episodes that are hard to ignore.”

Gasperini shakes off defeat to focus on Europa League

Gasperini also acknowledged that the absence of Donyell Malen significantly reduces Roma’s attacking threat, though he was keen to frame it as a broader team issue rather than an individual dependency.

The Dutchman scored from the spot to give Roma the lead but was replaced with twenty five minutes left.

“We do rely on him, understandably, given how many goals we score,” he said. “He creates clear, clean chances every match, that means the team is working well and building correctly.”

His tactical assessment of the match itself was candid.

Roma had the tools to turn the game around after the break, he argued, but Como’s half-time changes, introducing key players before Wesley’s dismissal altered the contest, proved decisive.

With Thursday’s Europa League second leg against Bologna now looming large, Gasperini acknowledged there is little time to dwell.

“The players are young and some have experience, they must recover their energy quickly. The suspensions disrupt our continuity, but Thursday is an important match and we must be ready.”

Milan director Igli Tare brushes off Moise Kean talk, is confident Luka Modric will extend his contract, and warns ‘the season is full of surprises’ as a win against Lazio would reopen the Scudetto race.

It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s Serie A games on the Liveblog.

There have been reports over the last few days that Milan will target Fiorentina striker Moise Kean for the future of their attack, reuniting with ex-Juventus coach Max Allegri.

“It’s pointless talking about this now, that won’t be discussed for a few months,” replied Tare when pressed on Kean by DAZN Italia.

“It is fundamental that we win the game tonight not just for the table, but also to give a sense of consistency following the derby, so there will be plenty of time to talk about the rest.”

Tare and Milan ready to put pressure on Inter

The Rossoneri have a huge opportunity to blow the Scudetto race wide open, as after last week’s Derby della Madonnina victory, they also watched leaders Inter held 1-1 by Atalanta yesterday.

It means a win here would close the gap at the top to just five points with nine rounds left to play.

“Honestly, we have to focus on ourselves and try to win. It is a big gap still, but a win here would close the gap, and we need to take it one step at a time, because the season is full of surprises,” smiled Tare.

Milan lost here in December for the Coppa Italia quarter-final, beaten by a Mattia Zaccagni header on the Nuno Tavares corner.

As a former Lazio player and director, Tare knows the atmosphere well at the Stadio Olimpico, and saw that the local ultras suspended their boycott, so are present in the stands tonight.

“We talked about it during the week, we’d prefer to play in a full stadium, because this is the joy of football. Lazio are going through a difficult transition period, but they remain a team that can beat anyone on the right day.

“We are aware of all that and want to win tonight.”

Adrien Rabiot is suspended, with Matteo Gabbia, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Santiago Gimenez injured, so Ardon Jashari step into midfield with Luka Modric.

The Croatian has found a second wind for his career in the Rossoneri jersey, so will he extend his contract to 2027?

“One thing for sure is that Luka loves Milan, and Milan love Luka. As we said at the start of the season, we have an option to extend, but the decision is up to him. He’ll be given the time and space he needs to decide, but he really enjoys playing for us,” concluded Tare.

Maurizio Sarri says the return of Lazio supporters after their boycott is ‘decisive’ and explains his midfield changes against Milan. ‘We’ve got to make do.’

It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s Serie A games on the Liveblog.

The big news for the Biancocelesti is that the ultras have suspended their protest against President Claudio Lotito, so they are back in the stands of the Stadio Olimpico after several weeks of leaving the arena desolately empty.

“The fans are decisive for us and having them back is wonderful. These are things people from the outside cannot understand fully,” Sarri told DAZN Italia.

Sarri has to rearrange Lazio squad

Lazio ended their negative streak by beating Sassuolo 2-1 last week, but Danilo Cataldi picked up an injury, joining Alessio Romagnoli, Ivan Provedel, Toma Basic, Nicolò Rovella and Samuel Gigot on the treatment table.

Rather than Rade Belahyane in midfield, Sarri prefers to move defender Gil Patric into that position instead.

“We are without Rovella, Cataldi, Basic, and sold Vecino, so we’ve got to make do. Patric is good at passing, he can give us something there, and did well in the second half of the last game.

“We’ve got to be very careful not to lose the ball cheaply, as Milan can be lethal in these situations, so we mustn’t be wasteful, and have to be alert with preventative marking,” concluded the coach.

The Aquile knocked Milan out of the Coppa Italia quarter-final on December 4, with a late header from Mattia Zaccagni on the Nuno Tavares corner.

Como came back from a goal down to defeat 10-man Roma at the Giuseppe Sinigaglia this evening, with a 2-1 victory seeing the hosts leapfrog Juventus into fourth place in Serie A.

Football Italia’s Man of the Match was Como attacking midfielder Martin Baturina, for his impressive work rate, chance creation and brightness on the ball.

Como 2-1 Roma – Player Ratings

Como: Butez 6; Ramon 6.5, Diego Carlos 7, Kempf 6 (Douvikas 7); Smolcic 6.5, Sergi Roberto 5 (Diao 7), Da Cunha 7, Valle 6.5; Caqueret 5.5 (Perrone 6), Baturina 7.5; Nico Paz 5.5 (Rodriguez N/A)

Best Como player: Martin Baturina – Despite not finding the back of the net himself, the Croatian created six chances, more than anyone else on the pitch, and was a constant menace – especially when the visitors went down to 10 men.

Lowest Como rating: Sergi Roberto – Playing in midfield once again, the Spaniard had a rough day today before being replaced by Diao as Fabregas switched his strategy up at half-time. Really struggled to have any impact on the game in his 45 minutes on the pitch.

Coach: Cesc Fabregas 7.5 – Helped in part by Wesley’s red card, the coach masterminded an impressive comeback, with Douvikas being subbed on to score and Diao coming on to greatly improve the team’s danger going forward.

Roma: Svilar 6; Ghilardi 5.5, Mancini 6, Hermoso 5 (Ziolkowski 6); Celik 6 (Tsimikas 5.5), Cristante 5.5, Kone 5.5, Wesley 5.5; Pellegrini 6.5 (Pisilli 6), El Shaarawy 6.5 (Rensch 5.5); Malen 6.5 (Vaz 6)

Best Roma player: Stephan El Shaarawy – Impressive performance tonight from the 33-year-old, who continued to prove he is not getting lazier with age. A hard working performance from the Italian, who won the penalty early on to give Roma the lead.

Lowest Roma rating: Kostas Tsimikas/Wesley – Not entirely sure who was worse. Wesley was perhaps unlucky to pick up two yellow cards but ultimately it was his fault the team lost. Tsimikas, meanwhile, was brought on for an injured Zeki Celik with twenty minutes left and put in another disastrous cameo.

Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini 5.5 – His substitutes offered very little when he needed them most. The coach was let down by Wesley’s sending off but his side were being outplayed, even in the first half with the teams at eleven apiece.

Como fought back from a Donyell Malen penalty to beat 10-man Roma after Wesley’s controversial red card, leaping into that fourth Champions League spot.

This was an unexpected duel for Champions League qualification, as both teams were locked together in fourth place, albeit overtaken when Juventus beat Udinese last night. The hosts were coming off three consecutive victories, missing Jayden Addai with Maxi Perrone not fully fit, but surprised with a three-man defence. The Giallorossi still missed Matias Soulé, Paulo Dybala, Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson, with Evan Ndicka suspended. Manu Koné returned after skipping Thursday’s 1-1 Europa League draw with Bologna, while Mario Hermoso got his first start since February 2 and Stephan El Shaarawy since January 6.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Como got into a tangle playing out from the back and El Shaarawy pounced on the loose ball, brought down by Diego Carlos for an early penalty, converted hard and low into the near bottom corner by Donyell Malen.

Nico Paz responded by testing Mile Svilar from a tricky angle, as did Alex Valle on the half-volley, while Wesley made a series of decisive blocks, including one to prevent a Sergi Roberto tap-in.

Jacobo Ramon only managed to get his thigh to the Maxence Caqueret cross and flicked it inches wide of the far post from six yards.

Como had a big chance just before half-time when Caqueret drew out Svilar and pulled it back generously for Nico Paz, only for the Argentine to fire over the bar.

Cesc Fabregas made a double attacking change at the restart and they paid off, because Tasos Douvikas sprung the offside trap on a Valle through ball and surprised Svilar at the base of the near post, squirming the finish under the goalkeeper’s body.

There were chances at both ends, first Svilar flapping a loose ball away from Nico Paz mid-volley, then Malen’s counter-attack denied by a desperate block.

It went from bad to worse for Roma, because they went down to 10 men when Wesley was very harshly shown a second yellow card for a challenge on Assane Diao. There seemed to be barely any contact, with Devyne Rensch more likely to have contributed to his fall, but the VAR protocol meant they could not intervene.

Da Cunha nutmegged Robinio Vaz for a curler inches wide of the far top corner from outside the box, then Martin Baturina turned over first-time from a similar position on the Douvikas lay-off.

Svilar flew to palm a Diao strike out from under the bar, then got down to parry the Ivan Smolcic low drive, but could do nothing as Diego Carlos pounced on the rebound from six yards. It was an ideal birthday gift, his first Serie A goal.

Da Cunha nearly added a third when he cut inside from the right and smashed a left-foot finish onto the crossbar.

Como 2-1 Roma

Malen pen 7 (R), Douvikas 59 (C), Diego Carlos 79 (C)

Sent off: Wesley 64 (R)

15-03-2026 17:00

MatchDay 29

Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia

Como

Roma

2 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

7'

Donyell Malen

2nd half

		48'		Wesley
Anastasios Douvikas (Assist: Álex Valle)		59'
Maxence Caqueret		63'
		64'		Wesley
Diego Carlos		73'
		77'		Daniele Ghilardi
Diego Carlos		79'

Match statistic

66

Possession %

34

22

Total shots

3

7

Shots on target

1

7

Shots off target

1

8

Blocked shots

1

7

Corners

1

0

Offsides

1

16

Fouls

18

Como

Roma

Starting lineups

1

Jean Butez

Goalkeeper

3

Álex Valle

Defender

34

Diego Carlos

Defender

28

Ivan Smolcic

Defender

14

Jacobo Ramón

Defender

2

Marc Oliver Kempf

Defender

46'

20

Martin Baturina

Midfielder

6

Maxence Caqueret

Midfielder

67'

10

Nico Paz

Midfielder

77'

8

Sergi Roberto

Midfielder

46'

33

Lucas Da Cunha

Attacker

87'

99

Mile Svilar

Goalkeeper

87

Daniele Ghilardi

Defender

23

Gianluca Mancini

Defender

22

Mario Hermoso

Defender

70'

43

Wesley

Defender

19

Zeki Celik

Defender

70'

4

Bryan Cristante

Midfielder

7

Lorenzo Pellegrini

Midfielder

67'

17

Manu Koné

Midfielder

14

Donyell Malen

Attacker

67'

92

Stephan El Shaarawy

Attacker

56'

Substitutes

5

Edoardo Goldaniga

Defender

31

Mërgim Vojvoda

Defender

7

Álvaro Morata

Attacker

22

Mauro Vigorito

Goalkeeper

44

Nikola Cavlina

Goalkeeper

18

Alberto Moreno

Defender

19

Nicolas Kühn

Attacker

21

Noel Törnqvist

Goalkeeper

Adrian Lahdo

Midfielder

11

Anastasios Douvikas

Attacker

46'

38

Assane Diao

Attacker

46'

23

Máximo Perrone

Midfielder

67'

17

Jesús Rodriguez

Attacker

77'

77

Ignace Van Der Brempt

Defender

87'

3

Angeliño

Defender

95

Pierluigi Gollini

Goalkeeper

8

Neil El Aynaoui

Midfielder

97

Bryan Zaragoza

Attacker

70

Giorgio De Marzi

Goalkeeper

20

Lorenzo Venturino

Attacker

2

Devyne Rensch

Defender

56'

61

Niccolò Pisilli

Midfielder

67'

78

Robinio Vaz

Attacker

67'

12

Konstantinos Tsimikas

Defender

70'

24

Jan Ziolkowski

Defender

70'

The 2026 Finalissima between Argentina and Spain has been cancelled, with the Argentine Football Association confirming that a proposed alternative venue in Italy was rejected by UEFA following the original host city of Doha becoming untenable due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East.

AFA president Claudio Tapia explained that Argentina had pushed for the match to be moved to Italy and played on 31 March, but UEFA deemed the rescheduling unfeasible.

“We could have played it in Italy, but UEFA did not accept the proposal to change the date,” Tapia said, via FCInterNews.

“We always maintained that the match should be played on neutral ground and the proposal of Madrid did not respect that principle. The Italy option was presented, but we had requested a postponement to 31 March. UEFA considered the move unworkable and the match was cancelled.”

The proposed alternate location was Milan’s San Siro, which would’ve marked a special homecoming for Inter Captain Lautaro Martinez.

Inter relief as no pressure for Lautaro to star in Finalissima after UEFA snub San Siro

The decision therefore has a notable knock-on effect for Inter, aside from San Siro being rejected as a possible location.

Captain Lautaro Martinez had been pushing to accelerate his recovery from injury with the Finalissima in mind, but with that incentive now removed, Inter can take a more measured approach to his rehabilitation without the pressure of an international fixture looming.

According to Sky Sport, the club are relieved to have more breathing room and are unwilling to take any risks with their captain ahead of the season’s crucial final weeks.

Whether Lautaro will be fit for Inter’s trip to Fiorentina remains to be seen, with further assessment expected in the coming days.

Milan can close the gap at the top of the table to just five points with a victory here, so Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic lead the way against Lazio’s Daniel Maldini and Mattia Zaccagni.

It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s Serie A games on the Liveblog.

The Rossoneri blew the Scudetto race open last week with their victory in the Derby della Madonnina, but as Inter were held to a 1-1 draw by Atalanta yesterday, it gives them an even bigger opportunity to close within five points of the leaders.

Max Allegri is forced into a change, as Adrien Rabiot is suspended, with Matteo Gabbia, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Santiago Gimenez are still injured.

Modric is therefore joined in midfield by Ardon Jashari, while Pervis Estupinan keeps his spot ahead of Davide Bartesaghi.

Leao and Pulisic lead the attack, with Alexis Saelemaekers out wide.

Lazio have received two big pieces of good news in the last week, as they ended their negative streak by beating Sassuolo 2-1, and the ultras suspended their boycott.

That means the crowd returns to the stands with chants, flags and fireworks, having protested President Claudio Lotito over the last few weeks.

However, there is also bad news for Maurizio Sarri, as Danilo Cataldi joins Alessio Romagnoli, Ivan Provedel, Toma Basic, Nicolò Rovella and Samuel Gigot on the treatment table.

Gil Patric is moved into a new midfield role behind Zaccagni, Gustav Isaksen and former Milan youth team player Maldini.

Lazio vs. Milan line-ups

Lazio: Motta; Marusic, Gila, Provstgaard, Nuno Tavares; Dele-Bashiru, Patric, Taylor; Isaksen, Maldini, Zaccagni

Milan: Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Jashari, Estupinan; Leao, Pulisic

15-03-2026 19:45

MatchDay 29

Stadio Olimpico

Lazio

Milan

1 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Gustav Isaksen (Assist: Adam Marusic)

26'

2nd half

		55'		Pervis Estupiñán
Edoardo Motta		70'
Nuno Tavares		81'
Patric		90+5'
Pedro		90+5'

Match statistic

41

Possession %

59

7

Total shots

17

2

Shots on target

3

2

Shots off target

8

3

Blocked shots

6

1

Corners

9

3

Offsides

4

7

Fouls

19

Lazio

Milan

Starting lineups

40

Edoardo Motta

Goalkeeper

77

Adam Marusic

Defender

34

Mario Gila

Defender

17

Nuno Tavares

Defender

25

Oliver Provstgaard

Defender

4

Patric

Defender

27

Daniel Maldini

Midfielder

67'

7

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru

Midfielder

24

Kenneth Taylor

Midfielder

90'

18

Gustav Isaksen

Attacker

67'

10

Mattia Zaccagni

Attacker

83'

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

57'

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

2

Pervis Estupiñán

Defender

57'

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

56

Alexis Saelemaekers

Midfielder

84'

30

Ardon Jashari

Midfielder

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

67'

11

Christian Pulisic

Attacker

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

67'

Substitutes

29

Manuel Lazzari

Defender

23

Elseid Hysaj

Defender

55

Alessio Furlanetto

Goalkeeper

3

Luca Pellegrini

Defender

20

Petar Ratkov

Attacker

14

Tijjani Noslin

Attacker

28

Adrian Przyborek

Attacker

99

Giacomo Giacomone

9

Pedro

Attacker

67'

19

Boulaye Dia

Attacker

67'

22

Matteo Cancellieri

Attacker

83'

21

Reda Belahyane

Midfielder

90'

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

37

Matteo Pittarella

Goalkeeper

27

David Odogu

Defender

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

57'

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

57'

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

67'

9

Niclas Füllkrug

Attacker

67'

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

84'

Ciro Immobile has revealed that AC Milan made a serious attempt to sign him during his peak years at Lazio, with the Italian striker admitting it was no easy decision to turn them down, even if his heart ultimately made the choice for him.

The former Lazio captain, who joined Paris FC on a free transfer in January after spending the first half of the season with Bologna, spoke exclusively to MilanNews.it ahead of tonight’s Lazio-Milan clash at the Stadio Olimpico.

“It is true, there was interest, even when Gattuso was the manager,” Immobile confirmed.

“But that was a strong Lazio side, at the same level as Milan at the time. It was a decision made with the heart, because it is difficult to say no to a club of that importance. Would I have liked it? Well, who wouldn’t?” he laughed. “But at that moment I was happy at Lazio.”

Lazio vs Milan – Immobile: ‘Lazio can cause problems for anyone’

On tonight’s fixture, Immobile was enthusiastic, predicting a lively atmosphere with supporters returning to the Olimpico in full voice.

“I know how much the fans love the club, I will watch it very willingly if I can,” he said. “Lazio can cause problems for anyone, especially with the crowd behind them. They are well organised and well coached.”

Asked about his fondest memories of facing Milan, Immobile singled out two figures who left a lasting impression. “Donnarumma and Ibrahimovic, in terms of personality and making themselves felt on the pitch, it was those two.”

Tonight’s match kicks off at 19:45 GMT (20:45 local time) and you can follow all the action, as it happens, on our Live Blog.

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