Gian Piero Gasperini gave a very open-ended reply when asked about his Roma future. ‘This has been an extraordinary experience for me, we’ll discuss it at the end of the season.’

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The Giallorossi went behind to Atalanta at the first opportunity on home turf, as Nikola Krstovic blasted in from the edge of the area, with Mario Hermoso’s volley drawing level on the stroke of half-time.

Although the hosts had the best chances to win it, forcing saves from Serie A Man of the Match Marco Carnesecchi and clipping the crossbar, they were unable to get more than a 1-1 draw.

Gasperini won’t commit future to Roma

“Carnesecchi made several great saves, Svilar too on one occasion, but we certainly tried to win it more than Atalanta,” Gasperini told Sky Sport Italia.

“The first half was very entertaining, after the break a bit of fatigue set in, so there were a few more errors, but we always tried to get the full result to the final whistle.”

This had been a big chance to leapfrog Como into fifth place after Cesc Fabregas and his team lost to Sassuolo yesterday, but instead they only catch the Lariani on 58 points, and risk falling further behind Juventus in fourth.

Roma’s dismal record in the big matches continues, scraping only seven points in matches against the other teams in the top seven.

“Sometimes like against Juventus and Napoli, we were in the lead, we did well against Milan, then at Como were down to 10 men, but the only one we lost in the second half of the season was against Inter, who are a step above. More often than not, we were closest to the victory.”

Matias Soulé and Gianluca Mancini were still visibly not at 100 per cent, while Devyne Rensch went off with a muscular problem.

“Until mid-December, we had a consistency in our line-up that allowed us to defend very well. When Malen arrived in January, we vastly improved our attack, but at the same time got weaker in defence. It was a remarkable defensive record at the start that we would’ve struggled to maintain for long,” insisted Gasperini.

It has been a difficult few days for Roma, as Gasperini and director Claudio Ranieri engaged in a very public war of words, prompting many fans to take sides and assume they cannot work together next season.

There was also some tension at the final whistle with some jeers from the crowd. He was asked outright, will the club have to choose between the coach and Ranieri?

“I was dragged into this thing, people have talked about nothing else for a week. I never replied, I will continue to not reply, as I don’t think it is a very pleasant thing for all the people in the stadium,” replied Gasperini.

“There are five games to go, we are still challenging for some important targets, and if we are four points clear of an Atalanta side who were third last season, that shows we’ve done something right. We are close to Como and Juve, we saw today Napoli lost, so I am concentrated on this situation.

“We need to end the season well, because this has been an extraordinary experience for me, having arrived here with a lot of scepticism around me, and a little rivalry.

“There is a team that continues to follow me, I am grateful to them and always will be, just as I am to the fans for what they have given me so far. As for what happens after that, these are things we will discuss at the end of the season.”

Raffaele Palladino ‘enjoyed myself’ watching Atalanta’s 1-1 draw with Roma, feeling either team could win it, but the Coppa Italia semi-final is ‘the most important match of the season.’

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La Dea knew that this was their last real chance to challenge for a Champions League spot, and they had taken the lead at the Stadio Olimpico with the first Nikola Krstovic effort on goal.

However, Mario Hermoso’s acrobatic volley cancelled it out on the stroke of half-time, and the defender almost got a second when his header bounced off the crossbar.

Marco Carnesecchi made several big saves and was named Lega Serie A Man of the Match, but this point was not the birthday present Palladino had hoped for.

Palladino relishing Atalanta performances

“It was a good game of football played between two teams who wanted to win, playing with intensity, courage and quality. I’ll be honest, I enjoyed myself tonight,” Palladino told Sky Sport Italia.

“We took on a team that was eager to beat us, especially as we beat them earlier this season. Coming here into this atmosphere with such spirit was not easy, so I congratulated my players.

“It was an open match and frankly either side could’ve won it, as we had the chances to go 2-0 up, and then they had opportunities in the second half. We take this point and feel it is probably the right result.”

This result means Atalanta remain in seventh place and four points adrift of Roma in sixth, so it will be a struggle to make up that ground now.

Winning the Coppa Italia could therefore be their best chance of qualifying for the Europa League, and they host Lazio in Wednesday’s semi-final, after the first leg ended 2-2.

“I won’t say this was a wasted opportunity, as we closed one point from Como and stayed at the same distance from Roma. We won’t give up to the last game, I think against Juventus and Roma they were two really good performances, showing we’ll fight it out with anyone,” noted Palladino.

“Now the semi-final of the Coppa Italia is probably our most important match of the season so far, we really want to get into the Final.”

Atalanta made three changes at half-time, two of them in defence, so what was behind that decision?

“Giorgio Scalvini had a knock to the hip and was struggling to keep up the pace of the game, while Kolasinac had a slight muscular twinge and we will need to evaluate it over the next few days. With an eye on Wednesday, I didn’t want to take any risks.

“Charles De Ketelaere wasn’t sharp today, as he had flu earlier this week and didn’t have his usual energy. We had trouble with our defenders in the first half, but they were largely physical issues.”

Gianluca Scamacca was expected to start this evening, but Krstovic got the nod and scored the opening goal. Could they play together?

“I have faith in both strikers, they will prove themselves when given the chance. I needed players with different characteristics today, as Nikola can attack the space more, whereas Gianluca tends to connect with the midfield. Whether they can play together next season, I don’t know, we’ve got time to think about that.”

Roberto De Zerbi’s wait for a first victory as Tottenham head coach goes on after a maddening 2-2 draw with Brighton at a packed stadium, a result that felt like a defeat given the manner in which the points were conceded, with goals for the visitors arriving in the final moments of both halves to deny Spurs what would have been a crucial win in their battle against relegation.

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Despite the frustration, De Zerbi refused to allow negativity to take hold, delivering a characteristically passionate and defiant assessment of where his side stand with five games remaining.

“I’m very proud because the players gave their best, with the right mentality, the right blood, the right character,” he said, with quotes via Football.London.

“I’m disappointed only for the result, for my players and for the fans, because the atmosphere was incredible. In a very tough situation, the stadium was amazing.”

De Zerbi: ‘Spurs can win five games in a row’

On Danso’s error that led to Brighton’s late equaliser, De Zerbi was protective of his player.

“I prefer to make mistakes with the personality to play than to concede a goal without personality or courage,” he said. “Now we need courage. To win games we have to be positive and play football.”

His ambition for what remains of the season may have raised eyebrows, but it was delivered with total conviction.

“This team is able to win five games in a row,” he said. “Now it is difficult to hear my words, but if you analyse the level of these players, we have the quality to fight and win games consecutively.”

His message to any player tempted to feel sorry for themselves was equally direct.

“They have to come to the training ground on Monday with a smile, otherwise they go home. I have no time for negative people or sad players. We are lucky to be working at a big club in the Premier League. Be positive. Stop.”

Roma and Atalanta were both left frustrated with a point apiece in this showdown for European places, as Mario Hermoso cancelled out the Nikola Krstovic opener.

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This was a pure head-to-head for European ambitions, but also an emotional reunion for Gian Piero Gasperini with his former club, and protégé Raffaele Palladino. Paulo Dybala, Manu Koné, Wesley, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson were still out of action, with Nicolò Pisilli and Gianluca Mancini not at 100 per cent either.

La Dea had to prepare for Wednesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final against Lazio, though Isak Hien and Kamaldeen Sulemana were injured, so Giacomo Raspadori started against the club he turned down in January.

Atalanta had a remarkable recent record against the Giallorossi, unbeaten since March 2022 with six wins and a draw going into this game.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

The visitors scored with the first chance of the game, as Marten de Roon robbed Mario Hermoso in midfield and sent Nikola Krstovic through the middle, the striker’s ferocious right-foot finish beating Mile Svilar.

Matias Soulé cut inside for a curler from the edge of the area that was deflected over by Berat Djimsiti, then in a similar position forced the low one-handed Marco Carnesecchi save.

Carnesecchi did even better when rushing off his line for a desperate block on Donyell Malen’s tap-in from seven yards, when Stephan El Shaarawy had rolled across.

Malen also tested the Atalanta goalkeeper at the near post on the counter-attack, while Mile Svilar denied Ederson one-on-one moments later after the midfielder had left El Aynaoui in his wake.

Roma equalised on the stroke of half-time, as Devyne Rensch nodded down the Zeki Celik cross for an acrobatic Hermoso left-foot volley from eight yards into the roof of the net.

Atalanta made a triple change at half-time, including ex-Roma youth product Nicola Zalewski, who immediately blasted wide from distance.

El Shaarawy stung Carnesecchi’s gloves at the near post with a volley from a tricky angle, as did Malen from a very similar position, while the goalkeeper was ready for a Hermoso header.

Lorenzo Venturino’s strike was deflected over, but on the resulting corner a Hermoso looping header bounced off the top of the crossbar.

Devyne Rensch hobbled off with a muscular problem, while Robinio Vaz couldn’t take advantage of Carnesecchi fumbling a Venturino cross.

Roma 1-1 Atalanta

Krstovic 12 (A), Hermoso 45 (R)

18-04-2026 19:45

MatchDay 33

Stadio Olimpico

Roma

Atalanta

1 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

		12'		Nikola Krstovic (Assist: Marten de Roon)
Mario Hermoso (Assist: Devyne Rensch)		45'

2nd half

		65'		Éderson
Niccolò Pisilli		75'
		90+1'		Berat Djimsiti

Match statistic

53

Possession %

47

19

Total shots

8

9

Shots on target

2

4

Shots off target

3

6

Blocked shots

3

7

Corners

6

1

Offsides

3

4

Fouls

14

Roma

Atalanta

Starting lineups

99

Mile Svilar

Goalkeeper

2

Devyne Rensch

Defender

78'

5

Evan Ndicka

Defender

23

Gianluca Mancini

Defender

60'

22

Mario Hermoso

Defender

19

Zeki Celik

Defender

4

Bryan Cristante

Midfielder

8

Neil El Aynaoui

Midfielder

60'

14

Donyell Malen

Attacker

18

Matìas Soulé

Attacker

71'

92

Stephan El Shaarawy

Attacker

60'

29

Marco Carnesecchi

Goalkeeper

19

Berat Djimsiti

Defender

77

Davide Zappacosta

Defender

42

Giorgio Scalvini

Defender

46'

16

Raoul Bellanova

Defender

23

Sead Kolasinac

Defender

46'

13

Éderson

Midfielder

80'

15

Marten de Roon

Midfielder

17

Charles De Ketelaere

Attacker

46'

18

Giacomo Raspadori

Attacker

90

Nikola Krstovic

Attacker

Substitutes

3

Angeliño

Defender

95

Pierluigi Gollini

Goalkeeper

24

Jan Ziolkowski

Defender

97

Bryan Zaragoza

Attacker

70

Giorgio De Marzi

Goalkeeper

61

Niccolò Pisilli

Midfielder

60'

87

Daniele Ghilardi

Defender

60'

20

Lorenzo Venturino

Attacker

60'

78

Robinio Vaz

Attacker

71'

12

Konstantinos Tsimikas

Defender

78'

10

Lazar Samardžić

Midfielder

57

Marco Sportiello

Goalkeeper

9

Gianluca Scamacca

Attacker

5

Mitchel Bakker

Defender

7

Kamaldeen Sulemana

Midfielder

6

Yunus Musah

Midfielder

59

Nicola Zalewski

Midfielder

46'

3

Odilon Kossounou

Defender

46'

69

Honest Ahanor

Defender

46'

8

Mario Pasalic

Midfielder

80'

The numbers tell a remarkable story. With Matteo Cancellieri and Toma Basic finding the net on Saturday evening, Lazio completed a fourth consecutive away victory at the Maradona, making them the first team in Serie A history to achieve that feat against Napoli.

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It is also the best run of consecutive victories Lazio have ever recorded at the ground.

The sequence began with Matias Vecino’s solitary goal on 3 March 2023, continued with a 2-1 win in September of that year courtesy of Luis Alberto and Daichi Kamada, was extended by Gustav Isaksen’s winner in December 2024 and has now reached its most historic chapter.

To find a comparable period of Lazio dominance at the ground you must go back generations, a nine-game unbeaten run between 1939 and 1951 and another of six between 1998 and 2009, though neither produced four consecutive victories.

Napoli home unbeaten run grinds to a halt against Lazio

Perhaps equally striking is the wider context for Napoli.

Saturday’s defeat ended a run of 495 days unbeaten at home in Serie A, their last domestic defeat at the Maradona had been, fittingly, a 1-0 loss to this same Lazio side back in December 2024.

Beyond the statistics, the result has effectively ended Napoli’s Scudetto aspirations with five games to play.

Antonio Conte has been characteristically pragmatic, noting that second, third and fourth place all deliver the same reward, Champions League football, but the manner of the defeat will sting.

Without sufficient motivational fuel, Napoli looked flat, slow and predictable, their performance raising broader questions about whether this squad, even at full strength, retains the hunger and intensity that defined Conte’s first season at the club.

The returns of De Bruyne and Anguissa have added quality but not yet restored the collective grit that made Napoli so formidable. With 66 points and a comfortable cushion above fifth place, their Champions League berth looks secure, but in a season that promised so much more, almost is a deeply unsatisfying place to finish.

Maurizio Sarri was in buoyant mood after Lazio’s impressive victory at the Maradona, reflecting on a remarkable six-week run of form and paying an extraordinary compliment to midfielder Kenneth Taylor by comparing him to one of his most beloved former players.

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The Lazio head coach has overseen a significant upturn in results since a difficult period earlier in the season, and Saturday’s win underlined just how far his side have come.

“In the last month and a half this squad has made only one mistake, the game at Fiorentina,” Sarri told DAZN, via TuttoMercatoWeb.

He also singled out victories against Milan twice, Juventus and now Napoli as evidence of a group that is capable of raising their level against the division’s biggest clubs.

“There are signs of improvement both from individuals and from the team,” he added.

On the tactical approach that produced such a dominant display at the Maradona, Sarri was characteristically analytical. “We have adapted to the characteristics of our players,” he said.

“We do not have playmakers in the traditional sense, but many players who have bursts of pace and play a faster style of football.”

Lazio coach Sarri: ‘See shades of Hamsik in Taylor’

That directness was evident throughout, with Lazio punishing Napoli on the counter-attack with a ruthlessness that belied their league position.

The most evocative moment of the press conference came when Sarri was asked about Kenneth Taylor, whose energetic box-to-box display was one of the highlights of the afternoon.

The question prompted an immediate and warm response.

“You bring back pleasant memories,” Sarri said. “When I came off the pitch I saw Hamsik, and Hamsik was everything I ever wanted from a midfielder. Taylor is an intelligent boy who has had a significant impact on Italian football. He is playing in one of the most intense leagues in the world and he is doing well.”

Sarri also praised Matteo Cancellieri, whose physical attributes he felt made him ideally suited to the specific demands of this fixture.

“The three forwards we selected seemed the most suited to this type of match,” he said. “Cancellieri has immense physical qualities, technically he can still improve in his decision-making, but he was the right choice today.”

Antonio Conte delivered one of his more revealing post-match addresses after Napoli’s chastening home defeat to Lazio, accepting responsibility for failing to read his squad’s deteriorating condition while firing a pointed but carefully measured response at president Aurelio De Laurentiis over public comments about his future.

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The Napoli head coach was candid about the performance, acknowledging that the hangover from the Parma draw had clearly spread deeper than he realised.

“This was not a good match from us, we put very little quality in midfield,” he said, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb.

“Lazio waited for us and hit on the counter. We had 70% possession and did not manage a single shot on target. We had studied the match but we were not good enough. When this team lacks energy, quality drops. Perhaps I was not good enough at sensing the malaise that developed after Parma.”

It was a rare and notable admission of self-criticism from a manager not given to public introspection.

Napoli coach Conte: ‘We took a kick to the teeth today’

Despite the heaviness of the moment, Conte was keen to frame the defeat as a lesson rather than a crisis. “We have taken a kick to the teeth today,” he said.

“Tomorrow we rest, and on Monday we must make the most of this experience. If we don’t, it would be serious. We need to understand why and put things right.”

He was equally clear that Champions League qualification remains very much within reach and that the work is not done.

The most pointed exchange of the evening, however, came when Conte was asked about comments made publicly by De Laurentiis regarding his future.

The coach’s response was composed but unmistakably firm.

“That is the president’s business, he can say whatever he wants, in the most absolute terms,” Conte said. “I do not respond to the president publicly. If I do, I do it in private. Because in the end, the public and the media see nothing else.”

He also pushed back against what he described as the misrepresentation of his own words in recent weeks.

“I know my name is useful for selling newspapers and filling television programmes. Sometimes phrases get taken out of context and twisted. The more we stay quiet until the season ends, the better.”

Two of Napoli’s most experienced players fronted up after a dismal afternoon at the Maradona, with Matteo Politano offering a public apology to supporters and Leonardo Spinazzola delivering a brutally honest assessment of a squad running on empty at the worst possible moment.

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The defeat to Lazio, coming after a frustrating draw at Parma, has effectively extinguished Napoli’s already slim title hopes, and both players were acutely aware of the significance of what had just unfolded.

Politano was unsparing in his verdict at the post-match press conference.

“On Sunday at Parma we stumbled and that has influenced our path, today we apologise for a horrible match in every sense,” he said, with quotes via LaLazioSiamoNoi.

He was equally firm in pushing back against any suggestion the squad had mentally switched off ahead of securing Champions League qualification. “We don’t feel we’re already in the Champions League, there are five matches left. We are not where we need to be yet.”

He also identified the root cause of the performance with painful candour.

“Lazio closed the spaces and we were not in the best condition to create, we were predictable, and without the legs you struggle against everyone. The motivations must never be missing. Today we simply were not there from the start.”

Napoli 0-2 Lazio – Spinazzola: ‘We were truly drained’

Spinazzola, speaking to DAZN, offered an equally raw assessment.

“Today we were truly drained,” he said, via LaLazioSiamoNoi.

“It is the head that moves the legs, this was not physical fatigue. I saw a team that was completely flat. We have been pushing and chasing all year and there was a small flame still burning. On Sunday against Parma it went out. When you are a squad like ours, you cannot have matches like today.”

The former Roma wing-back was also candid about the psychological blow of the Parma draw coinciding with Inter’s victory.

“We believed a misstep from them could reopen everything,” he said.

“With the Parma draw and Inter’s win, the flame went out completely. It was a difficult dream to cling to but mentally each of us kept hoping. From Monday we must think only about winning next Sunday and securing our Champions League place.”

Roma director Ricky Massara insists ‘there is absolutely no problem’ between Gian Piero Gasperini and Claudio Ranieri, as they are ‘fully concentrated’ on beating Atalanta.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

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

This has become an absolutely crucial clash for European places, especially in the wake of Como’s defeat to Sassuolo, as a win here would let Roma leapfrog Cesc Fabregas into fifth.

At the same time, Atalanta could close to within a point of the Giallorossi if they get the victory at the Stadio Olimpico.

Massara keeps Roma focused on the field

“Every element of the club is concentrated, eager to end the season on a high,” assured Massara on Sky Sport Italia.

“There is a big objective potentially up for grabs, we have a tough game this evening, but we hope to put in a solid performance. The team has always shown it is fully concentrated on the field.”

There are four players whose contracts will expire on June 30, namely Stephan El Shaarawy, Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Zeki Celik, so will any of them remain at Roma?

“There is an open dialogue with all four players and their agents. We will evaluate if there are the conditions to reach a mutual agreement.”

The main problem with Roma’s season is they have struggled against the other clubs in the top seven, picking up just six points in those head-to-head clashes.

“It’s true that we didn’t manage to beat the big clubs, other than beating Como, but we always had good performances. Tonight is an opportunity to prove that we have grown, and the fact we are in the running still for the top four despite this statistic means we have done some good things,” replied Massara.

This has been a strange few days for Roma, because coach Gasperini was irritated at the public complaints from director Claudio Ranieri, then left his press conference on the verge of tears when talking about his rapport with Atalanta President Antonio Percassi.

It all makes it unlikely that both Gasperini and Ranieri will continue working together next season.

“Dialogue exists in all clubs and even when there are discussions, those are focused entirely on improving this squad, so we are all focused on that. There is absolutely no problem.”

Massara also spoke to DAZN Italia and gave a further comment on where the Friedkin family stand on this issue.

“The owners speak with action, they are making big investments and developing the club to reach the top level. We are all working to build something big here and it is a privilege to work with these owners.”

"If they do this in public I don't want to know what's going on behind the scenes!" @_poppymiller, Nigel Reo-Coker, @TMeola1 and @IFTVMarco discuss the public fallout between Gian Piero Gasperini and Claudio Ranieri pic.twitter.com/F7tQxWQJtX

— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 18, 2026

Raffaele Palladino expects ‘an open and attacking game’ between his Atalanta and Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma, assuring they ‘welcome pressure, motivation and responsibility.’

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It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

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

This is an important few days for La Dea, as after this showdown for European places in Serie A, they will face Lazio in the Coppa Italia semi-final on Wednesday evening.

The first leg ended 2-2, so it is all to be decided at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo.

Palladino hoping for Atalanta birthday gift

Today is the birthday of the Atalanta coach, who is hoping for a gift from his former mentor Gian Piero Gasperini.

“We are fully concentrated on tonight’s game, because it is very important and we can blow the race for Europe wide open,” Palladino told Sky Sport Italia.

“This journey started with me five months ago, and every time we slip up, people act as if the world is falling down around us, but we do not lose hope. We climbed up the table, this is a big opportunity for us, and we are certainly not thinking about the Coppa Italia this evening.”

Gasperini was with Atalanta for nine years, winning the Europa League, reaching two Coppa Italia Finals, and turning them from relegation strugglers to regulars in the Champions League.

“This job is made of pressure, motivation and responsibility. We welcome all of that, because these are the games you want to play, so we have ambition and motivation against a strong team in their own stadium,” continued Palladino.

“It will be an open and attacking game, so whoever wins the most individual duels will then win the game. We prepared well.”

Giacomo Raspadori starts this evening, having turned down a move to Roma in January because he preferred the Atalanta project, while Nikola Krstovic is preferred to Gianluca Scamacca.

“The club deserves credit for building a great squad that has so many quality options, I can choose from at least two in every role, and rotation is natural when I need certain characteristics. I wanted someone to attack the space today, and Gianluca has different characteristics to Krstovic and Raspadori.”

Inter Milan are on the verge of securing their 21st Scudetto, after Napoli’s home defeat to Lazio extended the Nerazzurri’s lead at the top of Serie A.

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Next Friday, Napoli host Cremonese at the Maradona and if Antonio Conte’s side do not pick up the three points, Inter can lift the trophy with a victory at Torino on Sunday.

Inter wrapping up formalities in Scudetto race

Despite all the mathematics, the title has never really looked outside of Inter’s reach.

Cristian Chivu’s side have led the division for most of the season and look as though they will be deserved winners.

Napoli and Milan have both threatened at times but neither has had the same consistency as the league leaders.

Antonio Conte’s Partenopei were largely expected to beat Lazio on Saturday evening but goals from Matteo Cancellieri and Toma Basic stunned the hosts.

Relive all the action from the game, as well as the match between Roma and Atalanta, on our Live Blog.

Napoli really have abandoned Scudetto dreams after their first Serie A home defeat of the season, as despite a Vanja Milinkovic-Savic penalty save, Matteo Cancellieri and Toma Basic gave Lazio victory.

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The Partenopei were still smarting after the draw at Parma practically ended their Scudetto ambitions. Amir Rrahmani returned to the bench, with Sam Beukema preferred to Juan Jesus, but Romelu Lukaku, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, David Neres and Antonio Vergara were still out of action. Lazio weren’t in much better shape, as Adam Marusic, Ivan Provedel, Nicolò Rovella, Samuel Gigot and Alessio Furlanetto didn’t make the trip, with Daniel Maldini back in the squad. Maurizio Sarri faced his old club and also kept an eye on Wednesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final with Atalanta.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It was an aggressive start from Lazio and they opened the scoring early on when Kenneth Taylor pulled back from the left by-line for Matteo Cancellieri to sweep into the far bottom corner first-time from eight yards.

Toma Basic and Matteo Politano tested the goalkeepers, but Mario Gila did just enough to stop Scott McTominay nodding in from six yards on a Politano cross.

Alessio Romagnoli made a decisive sliding tackle on Rasmus Hojlund when sent through by Kevin De Bruyne, but Lazio earned a penalty when Noslin took advantage of a lucky ricochet off Alessandro Buongiorno to go on the counter, shrugged off Beukema, and was bundled over from behind by Stanislav Lobotka.

However, Zaccagni became the latest victim of Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, who parried his third penalty of the season, and then the Lazio captain slipped to fire the rebound over the bar.

Milinkovic-Savic was decisive again with a tricky save as Cancellieri’s strike went through a defender’s legs, and Noslin couldn’t keep the rebound down.

Nuno Tavares forced another Milinkovic-Savic save with an angled drive when sent sprinting down the left, and Kenneth Taylor drilled just wide straight after the restart.

Lazio did double their lead when Nuno Tavares sprinted down the left and Cancellieri stumbled on what should’ve been a tap-in, but the ricochet fell kindly for teammate Toma Basic to sweep in from 10 yards.

Substitute Alisson Santos threatened to pull one back moments later, but his powerful angled drive thumped the outside of the near post.

Nuno Tavares failed to turn in the Noslin roll across from six yards under pressure from Miguel Gutierrez, and McTominay’s scorcher was deflected over, as Napoli remarkably suffered their fourth consecutive home defeat to Lazio. It was also their first home loss of the Serie A season.

Napoli 0-2 Lazio

Cancellieri 6 (L), Basic 57 (L)

Saved penalty: Zaccagni 31 (L)

18-04-2026 17:00

MatchDay 33

Stadio Diego Armando Maradona

Napoli

Lazio

0 - 2

Player statistic

1st half

		6'		Matteo Cancellieri (Assist: Kenneth Taylor)
Stanislav Lobotka		29'
		31'		Mattia Zaccagni
		33'		Danilo Cataldi

2nd half

		57'		Toma Basic (Assist: Matteo Cancellieri)
		60'		Kenneth Taylor
		90+1'		Boulaye Dia

Match statistic

67

Possession %

33

12

Total shots

14

Shots on target

7

8

Shots off target

6

4

Blocked shots

1

12

Corners

2

Offsides

11

Fouls

9

Napoli

Lazio

Starting lineups

32

Vanja Milinković-Savić

Goalkeeper

4

Alessandro Buongiorno

Defender

37

Leonardo Spinazzola

Defender

63'

17

Mathías Olivera

Defender

31

Sam Beukema

Defender

99

Frank Anguissa

Midfielder

46'

11

Kevin De Bruyne

Midfielder

46'

8

Scott McTominay

Midfielder

68

Stanislav Lobotka

Midfielder

63'

21

Matteo Politano

Attacker

72'

19

Rasmus Højlund

Attacker

40

Edoardo Motta

Goalkeeper

13

Alessio Romagnoli

Defender

29

Manuel Lazzari

Defender

82'

34

Mario Gila

Defender

61'

17

Nuno Tavares

Defender

32

Danilo Cataldi

Midfielder

61'

24

Kenneth Taylor

Midfielder

26

Toma Basic

Midfielder

71'

22

Matteo Cancellieri

Attacker

10

Mattia Zaccagni

Attacker

61'

14

Tijjani Noslin

Attacker

Substitutes

5

Juan Jesus

Defender

1

Alex Meret

Goalkeeper

13

Amir Rrahmani

Defender

14

Nikita Contini

Goalkeeper

6

Billy Gilmour

Midfielder

23

Giovane Nascimento

Attacker

20

Eljif Elmas

Midfielder

46'

27

Alisson Santos

Attacker

46'

3

Miguel Gutiérrez

Defender

63'

23

Giovane

Attacker

63'

30

Pasquale Mazzocchi

Defender

72'

9

Pedro

Attacker

27

Daniel Maldini

Midfielder

3

Luca Pellegrini

Defender

18

Gustav Isaksen

Attacker

21

Reda Belahyane

Midfielder

20

Petar Ratkov

Attacker

28

Adrian Przyborek

Attacker

99

Giacomo Giacomone

72

Nicolò Pannozzo

Goalkeeper

4

Patric

Defender

61'

19

Boulaye Dia

Attacker

61'

25

Oliver Provstgaard

Defender

61'

7

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru

Midfielder

71'

23

Elseid Hysaj

Defender

82'

Roma and Atalanta go head-to-head for European ambitions, as emotional Gian Piero Gasperini faces his past with Donyell Malen and Matias Soulé, while Charles De Ketelaere and Giacomo Raspadori start.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

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

Como’s defeat to Sassuolo has made this a particularly crucial fixture for chasing down the top four, as Champions League qualification is still up for grabs.

This is a special night for Gasperini, as confirmed by his tears in the press conference when discussing the departure after nine years with Atalanta.

His time at Roma has been mixed, and overshadowed by the recent very public disagreement with director Claudio Ranieri.

Injuries haven’t helped, as Paulo Dybala, Manu Koné, Wesley, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson are all out of action.

Nicolò Pisilli and Gianluca Mancini are not at 100 per cent either, so Neil El Aynaoui and Devyne Rensch start in midfield.

Stephan El Shaarawy steps in with Soulé to support Malen, who is fresh off a hat-trick in the 3-0 victory over Pisa.

Atalanta had been marching up the standings until last week’s 1-0 home defeat to Juventus, which could yet prove a pivotal moment in this season’s hunt for European places.

Isak Hien has joined Kamaldeen Sulemana on the treatment table, while coach Raffaele Palladino has to keep an eye on Wednesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final against Lazio.

Scamacca is available again, but only on the bench, and Raspadori is pushing to find full fitness after his injury, so they start with Charles De Ketelaere.

There is bound to be tension here too, because Roma tried to sign Raspadori from Atletico Madrid in January, but he preferred La Dea.

It allows ex-Roma man Nicola Zalewski to rest, as Lorenzo Bernasconi steps in too.

Atalanta have an extraordinary record against Roma, unbeaten since a 1-0 result here in March 2022, followed by six wins and a draw.

Palladino, who was Gasperini’s protégé, beat him 1-0 in Bergamo back in January thanks to a Giorgio Scalvini goal.

Roma vs. Atalanta line-ups

Roma: Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Celik, Cristante, El Aynaoui, Rensch; Soulé, El Shaarawy; Malen

Atalanta: Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Djimsiti, Kolasinac; Bellanova, De Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta; De Ketelaere, Raspadori; Krstovic

18-04-2026 19:45

MatchDay 33

Stadio Olimpico

Roma

Atalanta

1 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

		12'		Nikola Krstovic (Assist: Marten de Roon)
Mario Hermoso (Assist: Devyne Rensch)		45'

2nd half

		65'		Éderson
Niccolò Pisilli		75'
		90+1'		Berat Djimsiti

Match statistic

53

Possession %

47

19

Total shots

8

9

Shots on target

2

4

Shots off target

3

6

Blocked shots

3

7

Corners

6

1

Offsides

3

4

Fouls

14

Roma

Atalanta

Starting lineups

99

Mile Svilar

Goalkeeper

2

Devyne Rensch

Defender

78'

5

Evan Ndicka

Defender

23

Gianluca Mancini

Defender

60'

22

Mario Hermoso

Defender

19

Zeki Celik

Defender

4

Bryan Cristante

Midfielder

8

Neil El Aynaoui

Midfielder

60'

14

Donyell Malen

Attacker

18

Matìas Soulé

Attacker

71'

92

Stephan El Shaarawy

Attacker

60'

29

Marco Carnesecchi

Goalkeeper

19

Berat Djimsiti

Defender

77

Davide Zappacosta

Defender

42

Giorgio Scalvini

Defender

46'

16

Raoul Bellanova

Defender

23

Sead Kolasinac

Defender

46'

13

Éderson

Midfielder

80'

15

Marten de Roon

Midfielder

17

Charles De Ketelaere

Attacker

46'

18

Giacomo Raspadori

Attacker

90

Nikola Krstovic

Attacker

Substitutes

3

Angeliño

Defender

95

Pierluigi Gollini

Goalkeeper

24

Jan Ziolkowski

Defender

97

Bryan Zaragoza

Attacker

70

Giorgio De Marzi

Goalkeeper

61

Niccolò Pisilli

Midfielder

60'

87

Daniele Ghilardi

Defender

60'

20

Lorenzo Venturino

Attacker

60'

78

Robinio Vaz

Attacker

71'

12

Konstantinos Tsimikas

Defender

78'

10

Lazar Samardžić

Midfielder

57

Marco Sportiello

Goalkeeper

9

Gianluca Scamacca

Attacker

5

Mitchel Bakker

Defender

7

Kamaldeen Sulemana

Midfielder

6

Yunus Musah

Midfielder

59

Nicola Zalewski

Midfielder

46'

3

Odilon Kossounou

Defender

46'

69

Honest Ahanor

Defender

46'

8

Mario Pasalic

Midfielder

80'

Jamie Vardy will play no part in Cremonese’s Serie A home clash with Torino on Sunday, with Marco Giampaolo leaving the veteran English striker out of his 23-man squad as the club continues to manage his fitness carefully.

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Vardy has been working on an individual programme throughout the past week and Giampaolo has decided against risking any setback by rushing him back into contention, via PazziDiFanta.

Norwegian midfielder Morten Thorsby is in a similar situation, having also trained separately from the main group, and he too has been left out of the squad.

With both players absent, Giampaolo will rely on Milan Djuric, David Okereke, Federico Bonazzoli and Antonio Sanabria as his attacking options for a fixture that carries significant weight in the relegation battle.

Cremonese squad vs Torino as Vardy misses out

Goalkeepers: Audero, Silvestri, Nava
Defenders: Luperto, Baschirotto, Bianchetti, Ceccherini, Terracciano, Faye, Folino
Midfielders: Pezzella, Barbieri, Zerbin, Lottici Tessadri, Floriani Mussolini, Vandeputte, Payero, Grassi, Bondo
Forwards: Djuric, Okereke, Bonazzoli, Sanabria

Juventus have received a timely double fitness boost ahead of their crucial Serie A clash with Bologna, with both Kenan Yildiz and Khephren Thuram returning to full group training at the Continassa.

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Yildiz had been managing a knee inflammation that had hampered him in recent weeks, culminating in an underwhelming performance against Atalanta that saw Luciano Spalletti withdraw him from the action.

The Turkish forward had been working separately from the main group for several days as the club managed his condition carefully, but his return to collective training is an encouraging sign that the worst is behind him, according to the latest reports from Tuttosport.

The timing could not be more significant.

Juventus relief as Yildiz & Thuram could start against Bologna

Juventus face Bologna in a fixture that carries enormous implications for the Champions League race, particularly following Como’s defeat and the direct clash between Roma and Atalanta that will further shuffled the standings.

Three points against the Rossoblù could prove decisive in securing a top-four finish with just a handful of games remaining.

Thuram’s return to group training alongside Yildiz adds further optimism to the mood at the Continassa, with Spalletti now having greater options available as the season reaches its most critical phase.

Neither player’s involvement against Bologna has been officially confirmed, but the fact that both are back training with their teammates puts them firmly in contention.

After a period of careful management, Juventus are hopeful of having two of their most important attacking players available for one of the most important matches of their season.

Lazio director Angelo Fabiani admits Maurizio Sarri’s ‘football philosophy’ doesn’t entirely fit with the squad built for him this season, but injuries were also damaging as they visit Napoli.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 17.00 UK time (18.00 CEST).

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

The Biancocelesti want to climb into the top 10, but also have to prepare for Wednesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final against Atalanta.

As the first leg ended 2-2 last month at the Stadio Olimpico, it will all be decided in Bergamo, and may well be their only path back into Europe for next season.

Lazio had a tough campaign

“This is a big game, we care about this, the club, the coach, the players, and want a good performance. Then we will think about the Coppa Italia,” Lazio director Fabiani told DAZN Italia.

“It has been a difficult season with 45 injuries, so we had to make do, because inevitably you’re going to drop points when missing players like Zaccagni and Rovella for long periods.

“It was a reconstruction campaign, going from the older figures to young players who should provide the structure for the team in future seasons.”

Adam Marusic, Ivan Provedel, Nicolò Rovella, Samuel Gigot and Alessio Furlanetto didn’t make the trip, with Daniel Maldini back for a spot on the bench.

Taty Castellanos was sold in January, but there was no real replacement, as Petar Ratkov is barely used.

“In Maurizio’s philosophy, he prepares a player who drops deeper and works with the midfield, like Daniel Maldini. So he has used Maldini more.”

There has been tension around Lazio in recent months, with the fans often leaving the Stadio Olimpico during their boycott in protest against President Claudio Lotito’s strategy.

How can that split be healed for the good of the team?

“With hard work and sacrifice, we can all work together including those around Lazio, using common sense to get back to normality.”

This is always an emotional game for Sarri, who was the Napoli coach from 2015 to 2018, famously born in the city before moving to Tuscany, so declared himself a supporter of the club.

Antonio Conte insists ‘second place is just first place for losers’ and he hasn’t lost hope of catching Inter, but explains why Napoli tactics against Lazio today are forced by one injury.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 17.00 UK time (18.00 CEST).

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

The injury crisis continues, as although Amir Rrahmani returns to the bench, Napoli are still without Romelu Lukaku, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, David Neres and Antonio Vergara.

Sam Beukema is preferred to Juan Jesus, who made some costly errors last week against Parma, but also means not all three centre-backs are left-footed.

Conte explains Napoli tactical choices

“It is a technical decision, nothing in particular. It is only right that players alternate during the season, as Amir Rrahmani and Giovanni Di Lorenzo are not ready yet, so it’s important to have options to choose from,” explained Conte on DAZN Italia.

Kevin De Bruyne and Scott McTominay are currently used in support of Rasmus Hojlund, with a 3-4-2-1 formation.

“The system depends exclusively on the fact we don’t have a full-back available at the moment. Without Di Lorenzo, it’s tough to think of a different system. Besides, this tactic allowed us to recover during an emergency situation, I don’t see why I should make radical changes right now.

“Inevitably, Di Lorenzo’s injury is damaging, because he can play in a back three, as a full-back, or as a wing-back. He played practically constantly, had this knee injury, and there’s nobody else with his characteristics in the squad.

“We’ll also see about tactics when Vergara recovers and is available.”

The Partenopei know that last week’s 1-1 draw with Parma practically ended their Scudetto hopes, especially with Inter winning 3-0 against Cagliari last night to go temporarily 12 points clear.

They also need to look over their shoulders now to lock down second place and Champions League qualification, having already won the Supercoppa Italiana.

“Second place is the first place for losers, so I’m not sure that second or third changes much, it’s just about who qualifies for the Champions League,” smiled Conte bitterly.

“We are currently 12 points off Inter, we saw full well against Parma that we cannot make any mistakes, or we lose two points. Our objective is to do our best, trying to look forward, but also keep an eye on those behind us, because one or two slip-ups can change a great deal.”

There has been a lot of talk around the future of coach Conte, who has not ruled himself out of the running for a return to the Italy bench.

Jhon Lucumi will start for Bologna against Juventus tomorrow, and it may well be an opportunity to discuss a transfer, as first choice Marco Senesi is closer to Liverpool or Tottenham.

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The Bianconeri are trying to reinforce their defence for next season, having been forced to use Teun Koopmeiners there at times due to the lack of alternatives.

Juventus intrigued by Lucumi

Senesi had been a primary target, as his contract with Bournemouth is running down and he will be a free agent in the summer, but there were reports this week that he favoured a Premier League stay with Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in advanced talks.

According to the Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus are therefore turning towards Lucumi, who is expected to start for Bologna against the Bianconeri on Sunday.

It is a valuable opportunity for the two clubs to discuss potential transfer terms, after the Colombia international had already pushed to leave last summer for Sunderland.

That move collapsed because Bologna insisted on keeping him after already selling Sam Beukema to Napoli.

There were also links with Manchester City in January that did not develop.

His current contract at the Stadio Dall’Ara only runs to June 2027, so the price tag will have dropped too, making him a more appetising prospect.

Sky Sport Italia reports that Croatian midfielder Luka Modric has set three conditions for staying at Milan beyond the summer, one of which is that Massimiliano Allegri continues as manager.

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Latest Modric transfer updates

Modric’s Milan contract expires at the end of the season, and even if the Rossoneri have an option to extend until 2027, they’ll activate their clause only if the Croat is happy to stay for a second campaign.

According to Sky Sport Italia, Modric has outlined three conditions for remaining at San Siro: Champions League qualification, Massimiliano Allegri’s stay, and a competitive project.

Modric, a former Real Madrid star, joined Milan on a free transfer last summer and has been a regular starter under Allegri this season, beginning 30 Serie A matches out of 32.

Allegri has recently been linked with the Italy job and hasn’t yet confirmed that he’ll stay at Milan beyond the summer.

However, during a press conference on Saturday, the Italian tactician noted that he’s not been accustomed to frequent changes in his coaching career, suggesting that he might remain at the club for at least one more season.

Napoli hope Kevin De Bruyne, Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund can get them back on track, as Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio start Mattia Zaccagni and Matteo Cancellieri.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 17.00 UK time (18.00 CEST).

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

Napoli need a victory to maintain any slender hope of keeping up with leaders Inter, but also need to look over their shoulders as the fight for the top four hots up after their 1-1 draw at Parma.

The absentee list remains extensive, including Romelu Lukaku, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, David Neres and Antonio Vergara, but Amir Rrahmani returns to the bench.

The ‘Fab Four’ of Stanislav Lobotka, Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa, De Bruyne and McTominay again start together in support of the ever-present Hojlund.

Sam Beukema is chosen rather than Juan Jesus, who made costly errors last week.

It is always a special match for former Napoli coach Sarri, but he has if anything even worse injury problems than Antonio Conte.

Adam Marusic is only the latest to join Ivan Provedel, Nicolò Rovella, Samuel Gigot and Alessio Furlanetto on the treatment table, but Daniel Maldini does return for a spot on the bench.

Sarri has to look ahead to Wednesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final against Atalanta, as the first leg ended 2-2 last month, and it is their last chance to salvage a traumatic season.

After several games used in midfield, Patric is rested, as Danilo Cataldi is approaching full fitness, but Mario Gila shakes off a knock to start.

Zaccagni and Cancellieri flank Tijjani Noslin as the centre-forward, leaving Gustav Isaksen and Boulaye Dia on the bench.

It was a famously ill-tempered affair the last time these sides met, Napoli emerging 2-0 winners with Noslin, Adam Marusic and Pasquale Mazzocchi sent off.

Napoli vs. Lazio official line-ups

Napoli: Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Buongiorno, Olivera; Politano, Lobotka, Anguissa, Spinazzola; De Bruyne, McTominay; Hojlund

Lazio: Motta; Lazzari, Gila, Romagnoli, Nuno Tavares; Taylor, Cataldi, Basic; Cancellieri, Noslin, Zaccagni

18-04-2026 17:00

MatchDay 33

Stadio Diego Armando Maradona

Napoli

Lazio

0 - 2

Player statistic

1st half

		6'		Matteo Cancellieri (Assist: Kenneth Taylor)
Stanislav Lobotka		29'
		31'		Mattia Zaccagni
		33'		Danilo Cataldi

2nd half

		57'		Toma Basic (Assist: Matteo Cancellieri)
		60'		Kenneth Taylor
		90+1'		Boulaye Dia

Match statistic

67

Possession %

33

12

Total shots

14

Shots on target

7

8

Shots off target

6

4

Blocked shots

1

12

Corners

2

Offsides

11

Fouls

9

Napoli

Lazio

Starting lineups

32

Vanja Milinković-Savić

Goalkeeper

4

Alessandro Buongiorno

Defender

37

Leonardo Spinazzola

Defender

63'

17

Mathías Olivera

Defender

31

Sam Beukema

Defender

99

Frank Anguissa

Midfielder

46'

11

Kevin De Bruyne

Midfielder

46'

8

Scott McTominay

Midfielder

68

Stanislav Lobotka

Midfielder

63'

21

Matteo Politano

Attacker

72'

19

Rasmus Højlund

Attacker

40

Edoardo Motta

Goalkeeper

13

Alessio Romagnoli

Defender

29

Manuel Lazzari

Defender

82'

34

Mario Gila

Defender

61'

17

Nuno Tavares

Defender

32

Danilo Cataldi

Midfielder

61'

24

Kenneth Taylor

Midfielder

26

Toma Basic

Midfielder

71'

22

Matteo Cancellieri

Attacker

10

Mattia Zaccagni

Attacker

61'

14

Tijjani Noslin

Attacker

Substitutes

5

Juan Jesus

Defender

1

Alex Meret

Goalkeeper

13

Amir Rrahmani

Defender

14

Nikita Contini

Goalkeeper

6

Billy Gilmour

Midfielder

23

Giovane Nascimento

Attacker

20

Eljif Elmas

Midfielder

46'

27

Alisson Santos

Attacker

46'

3

Miguel Gutiérrez

Defender

63'

23

Giovane

Attacker

63'

30

Pasquale Mazzocchi

Defender

72'

9

Pedro

Attacker

27

Daniel Maldini

Midfielder

3

Luca Pellegrini

Defender

18

Gustav Isaksen

Attacker

21

Reda Belahyane

Midfielder

20

Petar Ratkov

Attacker

28

Adrian Przyborek

Attacker

99

Giacomo Giacomone

72

Nicolò Pannozzo

Goalkeeper

4

Patric

Defender

61'

19

Boulaye Dia

Attacker

61'

25

Oliver Provstgaard

Defender

61'

7

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru

Midfielder

71'

23

Elseid Hysaj

Defender

82'

Nesta Elphege’s debut Serie A goal has practically secured Parma’s Serie A status with a surprise victory away to Udinese.

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The Friulani confirmed their giant-killer reputation by beating Milan and holding Como, but lost Keinan Davis to injury along with Jordan Zemura and Alessandro Zanoli. Parma were winless in six, but held Lazio and Napoli to stalemates. Benja Cremaschi and Matija Frigan missed the trip, but Mateo Pellegrino returned from suspension. Lautaro Valenti picked up an injury in the warm-up, replaced by Abdoulaye Ndiaye.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Alessandro Circati nodded a corner inches over the bar in the opening minutes for Parma, as Maduka Okoye was caught wrong-footed.

Nicolò Zaniolo went on the counter from a Parma corner only for Zion Suzuki to smother his pass at the feet of Jurgen Ekkelenkamp, while Hassane Kamara shinned a volley wide from a promising position.

Pellegrino went off at half-time after two accidental knocks to the head, and Ndiaye made a desperate interception to stop Ekkelenkamp tapping in the Arthur Atta roll across.

Substitute Nesta Elphege made an immediate impact by scoring his debut Serie A goal for Parma, gathering the Gabriel Strefezza assist with his back to goal, turning Christian Kabasele to burst into the box and fire past Okoye.

Moments later, Strefezza’s deflected shot was fingertipped over the bar, while Atta dribbled past two to test Suzuki at the near post.

Parma should’ve been 2-0 up on the hour mark, but Elphege seemed surprised that Okoye fumbled the Enrico Delprato low cross and only poked the rebound wide.

Udinese incredibly failed to equalise on 76 minutes at the end of a chaotic move. Oumar Solet dribbled into the box and his shot was charged down, so he stood up a cross for Idrissa Gueye’s header off the crossbar, and Zaniolo then nodded the rebound wide from four yards.

Thomas Kristensen was also forced off after a neck injury, while Gueye’s glancing header from a Jesper Karlstrom cross was smothered by Suzuki.

Zaniolo had a huge chance to score deep into stoppages, but the finish was off his weaker foot and allowed Suzuki to scramble across for a fingertip save.

Udinese 0-1 Parma

Elphege 51 (P)

18-04-2026 14:00

MatchDay 33

Friuli Stadium (Dacia Arena)

Udinese

Parma

0 - 1

Player statistic

2nd half

		51'		Nesta Elphege (Assist: Gabriel Strefezza)
Nicolò Zaniolo		71'
Jesper Karlström		85'

Match statistic

57

Possession %

43

16

Total shots

10

3

Shots on target

1

9

Shots off target

5

4

Blocked shots

4

10

Corners

5

2

Offsides

1

11

Fouls

8

Udinese

Parma

Starting lineups

40

Maduka Okoye

Goalkeeper

27

Christian Kabasele

Defender

11

Hassane Kamara

Defender

64'

19

Kingsley Ehizibue

Defender

73'

28

Oumar Solet

Defender

31

Thomas Kristensen

Defender

81'

14

Arthur Atta

Midfielder

24

Jakub Piotrowski

Midfielder

64'

8

Jesper Karlström

Midfielder

32

Jurgen Ekkelenkamp

Midfielder

73'

10

Nicolò Zaniolo

Midfielder

31

Zion Suzuki

Goalkeeper

39

Alessandro Circati

Defender

14

Emanuele Valeri

Defender

15

Enrico Delprato

Defender

5

Lautaro Valenti

Defender

37

Mariano Troilo

Defender

10

Adrián Bernabé

Midfielder

66'

41

Hans Nicolussi Caviglia

Midfielder

72'

16

Mandela Keita

Midfielder

7

Gabriel Strefezza

Attacker

66'

9

Mateo Pellegrino

Attacker

46'

Substitutes

93

Daniele Padelli

Goalkeeper

90

Răzvan Sava

Goalkeeper

15

Vakoun Bayo

Attacker

38

Lennon Miller

Midfielder

29

Abdoulaye Camara

Midfielder

7

Idrissa Gueye

Attacker

64'

20

Juan Arizala

Defender

64'

18

Adam Buksa

Attacker

73'

6

Oier Zarraga

Midfielder

73'

22

Branimir Mlacic

Defender

81'

29

Franco Carboni

Defender

66

Filippo Rinaldi

Goalkeeper

22

Oliver Sörensen

Midfielder

40

Edoardo Corvi

Goalkeeper

11

Pontus Almqvist

Attacker

21

Gaetano Oristanio

Midfielder

23

Nesta Elphege

Attacker

46'

17

Jacob Ondrejka

Attacker

66'

24

Christian Ordoñez

Midfielder

66'

8

Nahuel Estévez

Midfielder

72'

3

Abdoulaye Ndiaye

Defender

27

Sascha Britschgi

Defender

75'

Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti addressed Italian players in the dressing room after the Azzurri’s World Cup play-off elimination: ‘He knew what we were going through,’ said Manuel Locatelli.

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Juventus midfielder Locatelli held a press conference on Saturday to comment on his contract extension until 2030.

Click here to read the full press conference.

The Italian midfielder also answered a question about his coach Spalletti, who was appointed at the end of October and has recently signed a new deal until 2028.

Locatelli was part of the Italy squad last month, alongside his Juventus teammates Andrea Cambiaso and Federico Gatti.

“The weeks after the penalty [against Sassuolo] and the missed World Cup were better,” he said.

“The coach immediately spoke to us Italians and said he was sorry. He knew what we were going through. He knows what it means to represent the national team.

“But he told us we had to put it behind us right away. The thing about football is that the next match gives you the chance to react, and we tried to do that.

“I think with the national team, we didn’t know each other very well, even on a personal level. When he [Spalletti] arrived, I made myself fully available,” continued Locatelli.

“When he arrived, he spoke to me in his office on the first day, and what he said was very meaningful. He knew I had become important for Juventus, he asked different things of me, and I’m at his disposal. The nice thing is that he showed trust in me right away.”

Italy have failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third time in a row.

Spalletti had been the Italy coach from 2023 until last June, when he was sacked after a 3-0 defeat against Norway in the first match of the World Cup qualifiers.

According to Tuttosport, Juventus are the only Serie A side to have proposed a project to Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva, but Barcelona remain the Bianconeri’s biggest rival.

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Juventus are pushing to sign Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva, and according to Tuttosport, Bianconeri directors hold weekly talks with the 31-year-old’s agent, Jorge Mendes.

Latest Bernardo Silva transfer updates

Bernardo Silva confirmed earlier this week that he’d leave Manchester City at the end of his contract in June, so he’s available for a free transfer at the end of the season.

The player is reportedly tempted to join Juventus but has taken time to make an assessment.

According to Tuttospor, Juventus are the only Serie A side to have proposed a convincing project to the Portugal international, but Spanish giants Barcelona represent the biggest threat to the Old Lady, given that Bernardo Silva is fascinated by the Catalans.

Juventus are reportedly open to making an exception, offering Bernardo more than €7m per season. That is the sum that Kenan Yildiz will earn next season, more than any player at the Allianz Stadium.

Bernardo Silva earns €10m per season, and according to the report, he won’t consider offers below €8m- €9m per season.

• Read more – Bernardo Silva comments fuel transfer speculation amid Juventus interest

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Corriere dello Sport reports that Napoli President De Laurentiis has accelerated a meeting with Antonio Conte to discuss the coach’s future at the Stadio Maradona.

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Conte’s future at Napoli is uncertain, largely because the Italian tactician has emerged as one of the leading candidates for the Italy job.

According to Corriere dello Sport, Napoli owner De Laurentiis has moved up a meeting with the Italian tactician, which was originally scheduled for the end of the season.

The Rome-based paper claims that the summit will take place sometime next week, either before or after a Serie A match against Cremonese.

The meeting will also involve Napoli’s sporting director, Giovanni Manna, and the club’s CEO, Andrea Chiavelli.

Conte has one year left in his contract with Napoli, which expires in June 2027.

De Laurentiis has returned from the USA and is expected to be at the Stadio Maradona later today for a Serie A match against Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio.

De Laurentiis recently admitted that he would not stand in the way of Conte’s return to the Italy bench, but the coach’s appointment depends on who the next FIGC President will be, with elections taking place on June 22.

Moise Kean is still ‘shocked’ by Italy’s World Cup play-off elimination, and his tibia is ‘in really bad condition’, says the Fiorentina star’s brother Giovanni.

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Italy striker Kean is having a hard time on and off the pitch, not just because he’s missed the last few games at the club level due to a tibia injury, but also because of an ugly brawl with a content creator that went viral in Italy this week.

Kean ‘shocked’ after Italy’s World Cup qualification fiasco

“There are things people talk about without knowing the real conditions,” his brother Giovanni said on Twitch via TMW.

“Moise’s tibia is in really bad condition. To recover fully, he should stop playing for two or three months, but instead, he plays with injections because he wants to help and do his part.

“Furthermore, he is still shocked by the missed qualification for the World Cup. He’s feeling a lot of bitterness as it’s a dream he’s had since he was a child.”

Kean has missed the last three games for Fiorentina, including two against Crystal Palace in the Conference League quarter-finals.

“He is keen to try to help us in this final part of the season,” Fiorentina coach Vanoli said before the second leg at the Stadio Franchi on Thursday.

“It’s a problem that has somewhat interrupted what he did last year, but thanks to the group, we have been able to make up for the absence of an important player.”

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri insists he’s not accustomed to frequent ‘changes’ amid growing speculation over his future at the club, claims that boos from Rossoneri fans for Rafael Leao were ‘probably useful.’

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Allegri’s Milan visit Verona at the Stadio Bentegodi tomorrow after three defeats in the last five league games.

The Italian tactician previewed the game at a press conference on Saturday, as quoted by Milannews.

“It’s an important match because we need to get back to winning against a team that plays on the counterattack and is still very much alive,” Allegri said.

“It will take a team performance. There are six matches left, and tomorrow is an important game for our objective. We simply need to play football calmly, with great unity and order.”

It’s been a tough week for Milan as the Rossoneri lost their most recent match 3-0 at home against Udinese last week. Raafael Leao was booed by his own fans when subbed off against the Bianconeri last week.

“Those boos were probably useful for Leao. He understood that in life, things don’t always go well,” Allegri said.

“He’ll react well. He’s had a good week of training, like everyone. I’m convinced the forwards will start scoring again. The team will need to go back to approaching matches in order. Against Udinese, we weren’t properly set up defensively for even a minute. We were too disorganised.”

There has been a lot of speculation over Allegri’s future, with several sources claiming that the Italian tactician is not on good terms with part of the management and that the Tuscan is one of the candidates to replace Gennaro Gattuso as Italy’s national team coach.

“I don’t know. The only thing I know is that our energy must be focused on the final objective,” Allegri said.

“Club, players, coaches, staff, we all work for the club. Milan, the club, is always above everything. Players, presidents and coaches come and go, the only thing that remains is the club. We all have to work for the club.

“I’ve always been close to the players. For me, my players are the best of all. They must be supported, and they must support me, as they have done. I think the club worked very well this summer,” he continued.

“We have some excellent players, and some are outstanding. It’s a good foundation. We need to qualify for the Champions League to strengthen this place. There are two steps: first, qualify for the Champions League, then plan for the future.

“Everyone has been talking this week; the only ones who don’t talk are my friends back in Livorno. My coaching history speaks clearly. I spent four years at Milan, eight at Juventus, then I returned to Milan. Frequent changes are not part of my DNA. I like working in a club that is a company, and that must be managed as such. It has to be both competitive and sustainable. We need to plan, analyse, look at the mistakes made, and keep going.”

Allegri also confirmed meeting CEO Giorgio Furlani at lunch on Friday.

“At lunch, we discuss the situation, and it’s normal after three defeats in four matches,” said the Milan boss.

“The players have had a good week, and in these moments, you might lose some of your certainties, but that must not happen.”

Italy and Newcastle star Sandro Tonali admits he must ‘deal with the transfer rumours’ but is ‘100%’ focused on his game and adds: ‘I don’t look at social media, I don’t like it.’

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Italy and Newcastle midfielder Tonali released an interview with Sky Sports UK following weeks of speculation of a possible move away from St. James’ Park in the summer.

Tonali’s latest interview

“I don’t look at social media, I don’t like it. After my ban, I changed everything with social media, I just go to training and then go home and be with my family. My life is much better now,” said the ex-Milan star. 

“In football, if you play well, you have to deal with the transfer rumours, but if you concentrate 100% on your game, and you’re happy, you don’t have to think about anything or speak about anything.”

Tonali’s contract with Newcastle expires in June 2028 and several clubs have been linked with securing his services in the summer, including Juventus, Arsenal and Manchester United.

Fabrizio Romano and Matteo Moretto reported in March that Newcastle would demand circa €90m for Tonali in the summer, which, if confirmed, would force Juventus to look elsewhere for midfield reinforcement.

The Italian midfielder has scored three goals and provided seven assists in 48 appearances across all competitions with Newcastle this season.

A 2021-22 Serie A title winner with Milan, Tonali has played 130 games in Italy’s top-flight, scoring eight goals and providing 17 assists.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri met CEO Giorgio Furlani on Friday to discuss the club’s future plans.

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Allegri’s Milan future: meeting with Furlani on Friday

Milan CEO Furlani reportedly met Allegri at lunch on Friday, after a morning training session at Milanello.

The meeting came after weeks of speculation about Allegri’s future at Milan, with reputable sources, including Corriere dello Sport, reporting that the Tuscan tactician is unhappy with parts of the management.

The Rossoneri sit third in the Serie A table, so they are well-positioned to earn a Champions League spot, especially after Como’s 2-1 away defeat at Sassuolo on Friday.

Allegri expects a few big signings over the summer if Milan qualify for the Champions League, and, according to Gazzetta, the club is eager to meet the coach’s demands.

According to the report, Milan agrees that the team will need a top-class centre-forward, a big signing in central defence and a new central midfielder.

The pink paper adds that the club’s management is even open to having Allegri more involved in the decision-making process and hope to have more meetings with the Tuscan tactician going forward to plan for the future.

Allegri’s contract with Milan expires in 2027, but there’s a clause allowing an extension to 2028. The Tuscan tactician recently emerged as one of the candidates to replace Gennaro Gattuso as Italy’s national team coach.

Italy legend Alessandro Nesta jokes that he punished his son for supporting Chelsea: ‘Mason Mount is his absolute idol.’

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Italy legend Nesta, a 2006 World Cup winner and a two-time Champions League winner with Milan, spoke about his son supporting Chelsea in an interview with Cronache di Spogliatoio.

One of the best defenders of his generation, Nesta also won the Scudetto three times during his playing career and retired in 2014 after three years abroad: two years with Montreal Impact and one year with Chennaiyin in the Indian Super League.

His kids were raised in the USA, where one of them has become a Chelsea fan.

“I even grounded him! My kids grew up in the USA, and over there they watch the Premier League,” Nesta said.

“In his class, there were Arsenal fans, Manchester United fans…and he’s a huge Chelsea supporter, to the point it actually gets to me.

“When I was not coaching three or four years ago, I worked for Prime, covering Milan in the Champions League. My son called me and said, ‘If Chelsea-Milan comes up, I’ll come with you.’ Of course, that’s exactly the matchup that happened,” continued the ex-defender.

“The day before the game, I interviewed Thiago Silva, and my son wanted to come with me. On his phone screen, he has Mason Mount, his absolute idol. I told Thiago, so he went inside, called Mount, and he came out to hug my son, who was about to cry.

“I was like: Mason Mount? I mean, with all due respect, your father played….But I got emotional too, because I saw how emotional my son was, and I thought: ‘Yeah, he’s never changing his team.’

“Now that he’s turned 18, as a gift, he’s going from Miami to London with a friend for three days to watch a Chelsea game.”

A former Chelsea midfielder, Mount joined Manchester United in 2023.

Nesta and Thiago Silva spent three seasons together at Milan, from 2009 to 2012. Nesta played 417 Serie A matches with Milan and Lazio, scoring eight goals.

The 50-year-old also won a Club World Cup, three UEFA Super Cups, one Club Winners’ Cup, and a UEFA U21 European Championship.

After hanging up his boots, he coached Miami FC, Perugia, Frosinone, Reggiana and Monza.

Inter can win the 2025-26 Serie A title next weekend, but they must beat Torino away and hope for favourable results from Napoli and Milan.

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Inter’s 3-0 win over Cagliari on Friday allowed the Nerazzurri to cement their lead at the top of the Serie A standings.

Cristian Chivu’s men now enjoy a 12-point lead over second-placed Napoli, who have a game in hand to be played against Lazio today.

Milan, also with a game in hand, are 15 points below the Nerazzurri in third and will visit strugglers Verona on Sunday.

Inter have five games remaining, and their title victory this season is now just a matter of time.

As reported by Gazzetta, the Nerazzurri could even claim their 21st Scudetto next weekend, but they’ll have to beat Torino away and hope Napoli and Milan drop points in their next matches.

For Inter to win the Scudetto on April 26, Napoli must not earn more than two points in the next two games against Lazio and Cremonese, while Milan must not win their next two against Verona and Juventus.

Roma host Gian Piero Gasperini’s ex-club Atalanta at the Stadio Olimpico this evening in a key match in the race for a European spot in Serie A.

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It kicks off at 20:45 (19:45 BST) at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

Tension is mounting in the capital with a public dispute between Roma coach Gasperini and senior advisor Claudio Ranieri.

Gasperini said on Friday that he was surprised by Ranieri’s remarks, then ended his press conference in tears while talking about his time at Atalanta.

The likes of Artem Dovbyk, Evan Ferguson, Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Manu Konè and Wesley are still unavailable for Roma, while Atalanta have travelled to the capital without Isak Hien and Francesco Rossi.

Niccolò Pisilli is not fully fit for the Giallorossi, so Stephan El Shaarawy is expected to start as an attacking midfielder alongside Matias Soulé.

Scorer of 10 goals in 12 Serie A matches since his move from Aston Villa in January, Donyell Malen will start as a sole striker in the Roma attack.

Atalanta coach Raffaele Palladino has some doubts up front, with either Gianluca Scamacca or Nikola Krstovic set to get the nod, and Giacomo Raspadori potentially returning to the starting XI in place of Nicola Zalewski.

Roma vs. Atalanta – where to watch on TV

The match will be broadcast live on DAZN in the UK and Ireland and on Paramount+ in the USA. Football Italia will provide live updates via a liveblog.

Roma vs. Atalanta – probable line-ups

Roma (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Çelik, Cristante, El Aynaoui, Rensch; Soulé, El Shaarawy; Malen.

Atalanta (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Djimsiti, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, de Roon, Ederson, Bernasconi; De Ketelaere, Raspadori; Scamacca. 

Antonio Conte will look to Kevin De Bruyne, Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund for Napoli’s home Serie A clash against Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio.

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It kicks off at 18:00 CET (17:00 BST) at the Stadio Maradona in Naples.

The home side is without the injured David Neres, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Antonio Vergara, while Romelu Lukaku is still frozen out of the team after remaining in Belgium to train individually during the March break.

Lazio have travelled to Naples without Samuel Gigot, Nicolò Rovella, Ivan Provedel, Adam Marusic and Alessio Furlanetto, and Sarri might rotate his team a bit, given that the Biancocelesti will play in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal against Atalanta next Wednesday.

Sky Sport and other reputable Italian media outlets claim that Napoli coach Conte will look to De Bruyne and McTominay as attacking midfielders, with Hojlund as the sole striker.

Sam Beukema will get the nod in central defence, joining Alessandro Buongiorno and Mathias Olivera.

Lazio have Daniel Maldini and Mario Gila available on the bench. Kenneth Taylor will start in central midfield, according to Gazzetta, but Sky argues that the Dutchman could rest ahead of next week’s Coppa Italia semifinal.

Napoli vs. Lazio – where to watch on TV

The match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 8, DAZN and HBO Max in the UK and Ireland and on Paramount+ in the USA. Football Italia will provide live updates via a liveblog.

Napoli vs. Lazio – probable line-ups

Napoli (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Buongiorno, Olivera; Politano, Lobotka, Anguissa, Spinazzola; De Bruyne, McTominay; Hojlund. 

Lazio (4-3-3): Motta; Lazzari, Provstgaard, Romagnoli, Tavares; Taylor, Cataldi, Basic; Isaksen, Dia, Zaccagni.

La Gazzetta dello Sport

Assist to Juve

Sassuolo beat Como; now Spalletti can sprint.

Inter the dominant

Advantage to +12: Scudetto close

Thuram, Barella and Zielinski: three goals to Cagliari and a big celebration at San Siro. Sunday, 26, is the first possible date for the title. Chivu: ‘We’ve left the last season behind.’

There’s Dea, Gasp cries

He names Percassi and gets moved: ‘Ranieri? Surprised by the tones.’

The new Milan is being made here

Allegri’s lunch with Furlani: Champions and future in the menu.

Corriere dello Sport

Inter, Game over

Cagliari crushed (3-0) and Scudetto in sight: +12 over Napoli

Third consecutive win for Chvu and 25th win in 33 matches. First half without flashes, but the story changes in the second half: Thuram hits again (fourth goal in the last three games). Barella and Zielinski score too: five games to go, the party is close.

Rage and tears

Roma face off Atalanta at 20.45 Gian Piero gets moved while talking about the Percassi.

Gasp gets melted

‘Surprised by Ranieri’s tones, I’m not a bad person.’

‘I didn’t expect those words, never such an aggressive confrontation between us. I won’t reply to avoid damage. Wesley? He’d like to play, but the doctors said no. Dea? A club united with the coach. We were always in sync on the market.’

Como have disappeared, beaten by Sassuolo too (2-1): one point in three games.

Juve, last call for David

Tomorrow he’ll be a starter again vs. Bologna. Spalletti flies: 45 points in 23 games, like Napoli and Milan.

Milan, 220m wasted

It’s the sum invested from 2015 in search of a hitman: only Giroud and Bacca have left a mark.

Conte-Mau: the show

Antonio is ready to lock the second spot and the Champions League qualification. With nine points in the next three, he can reach the target on May 2. FabFor confirmed. News in defence: Beukema in, Juan Jesus out. Zaccagni’s test ahead of the Coppa Italia semis on Wednesday in Bergamo.

Corvino: ‘Lack of respect towards Lecce.’

Tuttosport

Inter prepare the party: 12

Thuram, Barella and Zielinski: Cagliari crushed

The Nerazzurri romp in the second half: now they wait for Napoli, who face Lazio today, but fewer points are needed for the Scudetto. San Siro chants: ‘The leaders run away…’ Barella: ‘Goal dedicated to Gattuso.’ On Tuesday, against Como for the Coppa Italia semi-final.

Champions closer, Silva too!

Sassuolo beat Como, and fourth spot was cemented. The Man City ace sends new signals to Juve.

The Bianconeri are the only Serie A side to have presented a convincing project to the Portuguese attacking midfielder. Jorge Mendes is working. Barça’s threat. Kessié heats up. Locatelli’s extension until 2030 is official: ‘What I pride! A dream came true.’ Yildiz still in doubt for Bologna.

Higher costs and fewer revenue: Toro running at a loss again

Atalanta make Gasperini cry

Dida: ‘Leao has given and will continue to give a lot to Milan.’

Cristian Chivu is glad Inter ‘enjoy their football’ after sweeping Cagliari aside 3-0, but continues to resist Scudetto celebration. ‘Thank God we achieved Champions League qualification.’

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The Nerazzurri are ever closer to Scudetto glory after a hard-fought 3-0 victory over Cagliari at San Siro.

It took until the 53^rd minute to finally break the Sardinians down with Marcus Thuram tapping in the Federico Dimarco assist, then moments later Nicolò Barella rifled in another.

Piotr Zielinski put the icing on the cake in stoppages with a ferocious strike into the top corner.

Chivu continuing to mock media

Last week, the coach took a sideswipe at his rivals by saying their primary objective was a Champions League spot, so with Como’s defeat today that is now mathematically certain.

“I was being ironic last week, but not joking, so we’re very happy,” smiled Chivu on Sky Sport Italia.

“We were aware of how important this match was. We had a few problems in the first half, we moved it too slowly, and that allowed Cagliari to cover the spaces very well. We spread them wider after the break, pushed the forwards up, and also raised the intensity level.

“When this team breaks the deadlock, it starts to enjoy its football and go for more ambitious moves. This is a team with quality, they are great players and they enjoy themselves on the pitch.”

Chivu was asked if he can see the belief in the eyes of his players in the locker room, but had a curious answer and added more sarcasm.

“I don’t see their eyes often, as they are always looking down at their phones. I call this the one-hand generation, they’ve always got a phone in one hand, they do other things with the other…

“We are aware of the hard work we’ve done, of what we did to become competitive, and thank God we have now achieved the objective of Champions League qualification with five games to spare, so now we can look forward and try to be competitive to the end.”

This result means Inter are momentarily 12 points clear at the top of the table, awaiting Napoli and Milan matches over the weekend.

They went into this round with a nine-point lead and know that at the very least that will remain intact going into the final five rounds.

Inter now have to prepare for the Coppa Italia semi-final against Como on Tuesday evening, as the first leg ended 0-0 at the Stadio Sinigaglia, so it is all to play for.

Having received so much criticism this season, Chivu is still on track to end the campaign with two trophies.

“There are human elements too, we mustn’t forget how tough it was for these lads last season, but they challenged themselves, did not back down, and always reacted during ups and downs in the season.

“They built something here over the last few years, and were determined to maintain the good things they had been put together.”

How does Chivu think Inter can step up a gear next season to be competitive in the Champions League as well as in Serie A?

“It’s not easy, as you are up against teams of a certain level, especially the Premier League sides that spend an incredible amount of money to keep reinforcing. We have a thousand examples of teams who spent so much and still discovered it’s no guarantee of Champions League success.

“We want to be competitive, one of the objectives of all clubs is to qualify for the Champions League, so it’s not a joke really, because everyone want to participate in that tournament.”

Inter President Beppe Marotta said before the match that a new contract with Chivu would not be an issue.

“I never talked about this to them, because I was busy with achieving the Champions League qualification. Is it achieved? No, not really. I’m not superstitious, I just prefer to focus my energy on football and not my future,” replied the coach.

Fabio Pisacane admits the two Inter goals in quick succession left Cagliari ‘dazed’ in an eventual 3-0 defeat at San Siro and warns Serie A safety is not guaranteed yet.

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The Sardinians managed to muzzle the Serie A leaders for long spells at San Siro, but capitulated after Inter scored two goals in the space of three minutes with Marcus Thuram and Nicolò Barella.

Piotr Zielinski made the final result a little harsh with a powerful strike from distance in added time.

Pisacane saw strong Inter against Cagliari

“It’s natural that the double blow really knocked us down and we were dazed after that,” Pisacane told Sky Sport Italia.

“Until then, we were playing well, and knew that even if we were perfect, that Inter would cause us problems. We are against the best team in Serie A, but the regret is that we could’ve dealt with the assist for the opening goal differently.

“The trouble with Serie A is that every game is difficult. The ones that seemed on paper to be easier are precisely those where we tended to get it wrong. We must always be on our toes, and at the same time realise that like today, doing everything right isn’t necessarily enough.

“We’ve got to be realistic, keep picking up points where we can, and continue to chase our objective.”

This is Pisacane’s debut Serie A season as a coach, and they still have a significant cushion from the relegation zone, but have lost seven of their last 10 matches.

“It has been an unusual campaign, we had a lot of serious injuries, but tried to stay alert, play our football, and I think we saw many young players impress tonight too. I feel they will be the ones, guided by the old guard, who can take us to the objective.”

Cagliari went into the weekend with a six-point gap from the bottom three, but if Cremonese or Lecce win, it could get halved.

“It’s not over yet, if you look at the table, Torino had almost the same number of points as us a few weeks ago, and now they are a long way ahead, so that’s going to be a tricky match.”

Marcus Thuram and Nicolò Barella assure ending the season empty-handed ‘taught Inter a lot’ and their friendship is helping them march towards the Scudetto now.

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The Nerazzurri were a little sluggish in the first half and struggled to break Cagliari down, but ran riot after the break when stepping up a gear.

The deadlock was broken when Federico Dimarco rolled across his 16^th assist of the season for Thuram to tap in, then Barella blasted in the loose ball moments later.

Piotr Zielinski sealed it in style during added time by rifling a scorcher into the top corner for 3-0.

Inter can taste the Scudetto now

Thuram really has found his form at the right time after a difficult period, as he can’t seem to stop scoring at the moment with four goals and two assists in the last three games.

“Nothing has changed really, these are moments, I am in a good moment now, and that’s good for Inter,” Thuram told Sky Sport Italia.

“It’s not done yet, we’ve got to keep pushing and picking up points. We are a squad who like to play together and hanging out together, and you can see that when we’re on the pitch too.”

Barella did not want to celebrate scoring a goal against his hometown club, but Thuram forced a smile when giving the midfielder a piggy-back ride.

Inter went into this weekend with a nine-point lead at the top of the Serie A table, and it will at the very least remain intact going into the final five rounds.

It’s no wonder the fans at San Siro unleashed the traditional chant of ‘we will win the tricolor’ at the final whistle.

“I hope we’ll win the tricolor!” replied Barella.

“It’s pleasing, last season was difficult and taught us a lot, but now we really need to win. Seeing this atmosphere recreated with our determination, commitment and hard work, it’s marvellous.”

This side is marching away with the Scudetto, because only four times in their history had Inter won 25 of the opening 33 Serie A rounds, in 2023-24, 2006-07 and 1988-89.

“Statistics only mean so much, because the important thing is to give everything you’ve got on the field. I also want to compliment Pepu Martinez for his performance, it was not easy for him after what happened, we tried to be by his side, so he deserves this moment.”

Goalkeeper Martinez received a rare start today, but his season was affected by a tragic accident when an elderly man fell ill at the wheel and veered into his car.

Marcus Thuram, Nicolò Barella and Piotr Zielinski eventually broke Cagliari down for a 3-0 victory that takes Inter ever closer to the Scudetto, as Francesco Pio Esposito won the battle of the brothers.

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The Nerazzurri were fired up after the thrilling 4-3 win at Como put them nine points clear at the top of the table, but also had to prepare for Tuesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final second leg against the same opponents. Lautaro Martinez, Alessandro Bastoni and Yann Bisseck were out injured, with Petar Sucic suspended, and some squad rotation.

The Sardinians ended a run of five straight defeats by beating Cremonese to break clear of the relegation zone, but Luca Mazzitelli, Leonardo Pavoletti, Riyad Idrissi and Mattia Felici didn’t make the trip. It was a special moment as brothers Francesco Pio and Sebastiano Esposito faced off.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It was an aggressive start from Cagliari, as Sebastiano Esposito’s deflected effort forced a fingertip save from Josep Martinez, then Marco Palestra blasted over.

Francesco Pio Esposito completed a give and go with Marcus Thuram, but both he and Federico Dimarco saw attempted tap-ins denied by defensive blocks.

Carlos Augusto’s strike was deflected inches wide from the edge of the area, while Pio Esposito stung Caprile’s gloves at the near post after controlling Nicolò Barella’s pass.

Inter finally broke the deadlock after the restart, as Dimarco rolled across from the left, bending the pass inwards so that Thuram just had to cushion it over the line at the back post.

The second goal arrived soon after, as while Thuram’s attempt was charged down, Barella smashed in the rebound from just inside the area. He refused to celebrate against his hometown club, but cracked a smile when Thuram insisted on giving the midfielder a piggy-back ride.

Cagliari threatened too, as Manuel Akanji needed a desperate interception to stop Mendy meeting the Palestra cross after the offside trap failed.

Denzel Dumfries met the Ange-Yoan Bonny cross late on, but couldn’t keep his header down.

Inter added a third in stoppages, as Dumfries knocked down a ball on the edge of the area for Piotr Zielinski to hit a first-time right-foot screamer into the top corner.

Inter 3-0 Cagliari

Thuram 53 (I), Barella 56 (I), Zielinski 92 (I)

17-04-2026 19:45

MatchDay 33

San Siro Stadium (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza)

Inter

Cagliari

3 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

		23'		Sebastiano Esposito
		25'		Gennaro Borrelli

2nd half

Marcus Thuram (Assist: Federico Dimarco)		52'
Nicolò Barella		56'
Piotr Zielinski (Assist: Denzel Dumfries)		90+2'

Match statistic

55

Possession %

45

18

Total shots

10

5

Shots on target

1

8

Shots off target

4

5

Blocked shots

5

4

Corners

9

1

Offsides

2

17

Fouls

6

Inter

Cagliari

Starting lineups

13

Josep Martínez

Goalkeeper

32

Federico Dimarco

Defender

76'

25

Manuel Akanji

Defender

6

Stefan de Vrij

Defender

30

Carlos Augusto

Midfielder

2

Denzel Dumfries

Midfielder

20

Hakan Calhanoglu

Midfielder

85'

22

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Midfielder

76'

23

Nicolò Barella

Midfielder

89'

94

Pio Esposito

Attacker

9

Marcus Thuram

Attacker

76'

1

Elia Caprile

Goalkeeper

33

Adam Obert

Defender

76'

15

Juan Rodríguez

Defender

2

Marco Palestra

Defender

26

Yerry Mina

Defender

32

Zé Pedro

Defender

88'

10

Gianluca Gaetano

Midfielder

57'

8

Michel Adopo

Midfielder

25

Ibrahim Sulemana

Midfielder

76'

29

Gennaro Borrelli

Attacker

57'

94

Sebastiano Esposito

Attacker

Substitutes

15

Francesco Acerbi

Defender

36

Matteo Darmian

Defender

1

Yann Sommer

Goalkeeper

12

Raffaele Di Gennaro

Goalkeeper

51

Christos Alexiou

Defender

48

Mattia Mosconi

Attacker

7

Piotr Zielinski

Midfielder

76'

14

Ange-Yoan Bonny

Defender

76'

11

Luis Henrique

Attacker

76'

16

Davide Frattesi

Midfielder

85'

17

Andy Diouf

Attacker

89'

24

Giuseppe Ciocci

Goalkeeper

22

Alberto Dossena

Defender

9

Semih Kılıçsoy

Attacker

12

Alen Sherri

Goalkeeper

27

Joseph Liteta

Midfielder

37

Yael Trepy

Attacker

20

Agustín Albarracín

Midfielder

18

Othniel Raterink

Midfielder

14

Alessandro Deiola

Midfielder

57'

31

Paul Mendy

Attacker

57'

28

Gabriele Zappa

Defender

76'

90

Michael Folorunsho

Midfielder

76'

19

Andrea Belotti

Attacker

88'

Nicolò Barella refused to celebrate after scoring for Inter against hometown club Cagliari, but Marcus Thuram did his best to get a smile out of the midfielder with an unorthodox approach.

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You can follow all the action as it happens from Inter vs. Cagliari on the Serie A Liveblog.

The Nerazzurri took a while to break the Sardinians down at San Siro, finally taking the lead through Thuram tapping in the Federico Dimarco assist.

Moments later, Thuram’s shot was charged down and Barella was ready to blast in the rebound past Elia Caprile.

Why Barella did not celebrate goal

Nicolò Barella SMASHES home a second for Inter in quick succession pic.twitter.com/xs0ETYxfrI

— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 17, 2026

Barella did not celebrate, waving to the crowd in apology, because Cagliari is his hometown club and where he started his career before the move to Inter in 2019.

Teammate Thuram did his best to crack a smile out of his teammate by scooping up the diminutive midfielder and carrying him around on his shoulders.

Barella at the double with a powerful shot that finds the top bins! #InterCagliari 2-0 pic.twitter.com/gZlXimhHMj

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) April 17, 2026

The Italian seemed a little concerned that he might get dropped from a great height, so looked relieved when landing on his feet.

CREW pic.twitter.com/z1x3MK34Ek

— Inter (@Inter) April 17, 2026

Inter went into the weekend nine points clear at the top of the Serie A table and are closing on the Scudetto.

Milan are not expected to use their option to buy Niclas Fullkrug outright from West Ham United for €5m, so VfL Wolfsburg are reportedly interested.

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The centre-forward made the loan move to San Siro as a last-minute deal on February 1, after the Rossoneri had struggled to secure other targets and Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta failed a medical.

Fullkrug has made 16 Serie A appearances for Milan, scoring one goal in the 1-0 victory over Lecce on January 18, but only three of those matches saw him in the starting XI.

Instead, coach Max Allegri tended to prefer Rafael Leao in a False 9 role, even with Santiago Gimenez injured.

Fullkrug will not make Milan move permanent

Milan have no intention of using the €5m option to buy the 33-year-old outright, so Fullkrug is going back to West Ham United at the end of the season.

He probably won’t remain there for long, as Sky Sports Deutschland reporter Florian Plettenburg claims that VfL Wolfsburg are interested in picking up the striker.

It is noted that his contract with West Ham remains valid even if they are relegated from the Premier League, although his salary would be reduced by 50 per cent.

Cesc Fabregas says that Fabio Grosso ‘put on a masterclass’ but warns that Como ‘weren’t even at 10%’ after his side fell to a disappointing 2-1 defeat at the hands of Sassuolo on Friday evening. 

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There was a rapid influx of goals at the end of the first half at the Mapei Stadium, as Cristian Volpato and M’Bala Nzola struck within two minutes of each other to send the hosts 2-0 up. Nico Paz halved the deficit in first-half injury time, but that was as far as the comeback went. 

Today’s result leaves Como two points behind Juventus in the Champions League positions, now having played one game more. 

You can see how the action unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Fabregas reacts to Sassuolo 2-1 Como

Speaking during his post-match interview with DAZN, Fabregas insisted that he wasn’t trying to ‘look for excuses’ and instead congratulated Sassuolo and head coach Grosso on their ‘masterclass’ performance. He later went on to add that he thought his side ‘weren’t even at 10%’ of their usual selves. 

“When you lose, you always look for excuses. We apologise to the fans and congratulate Sassuolo, the coach put on a masterclass today,” Fabregas sais. “We weren’t fluid, the ball was too slow and Lauriente was difficult to control. We look forward to the next one.” 

Fabregas feels that Grosso set up differently to how he normally does. 

“This isn’t the normal Sassuolo, who defend the whole game and then massacre you on the counterattack. There was an incredible density of players. We tried every way to get through but today wasn’t our day. We didn’t have the quality. 

“The second goal was the most disappointing thing. We’re not this sort of team. We have to accept it and continue to prepare better if we want to get to certain levels.

“Every game is different. We try to be as complete as possible. Today we weren’t even at 10%. Bad for us, but congratulations to Sassuolo. Let’s think about the next game and prepare well.” 

Fabio Grosso says that he felt ‘emotional’ after watching his Sassuolo players put in a ‘masterpiece’ performance in their 2-1 victory over the Champions League-chasing Como in Serie A on Friday evening: ‘I’m proud of these guys, of what they have done and of what they will continue to do’.

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Quickfire goals from Cristian Volpato and M’Bala Nzola towards the end of the first half were enough for Sassuolo to hold onto all three points, despite Nico Paz pulling one back on the stroke of the interval. 

You can see how the action unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Grosso reacts to Sassuolo 2-1 Como

“I told the boys that they made me emotional today, they put together a masterpiece. Playing this game against this opponent shouldn’t have been taken for granted, but instead we did really well,” said Grosso during his post-match interview with DAZN.

“We chose the right moments in the game to do the right things, so well done to the boys. 

“It’s been an amazing year, now we have to recover and recharge. We will find other teams difficult to face and will come up against teams that put in performances of the highest level.” 

Grosso was asked how pleased he was with the performances of Cristian Volpato and M’Bala Nzola, who provided the crucial goals against Como. 

“Very happy,” he said. “It’s a group that trains well, it’s right to praise them for being protagonists. I’m happy with the people who work for me, together we always try to do our best. We’re doing amazing things, we want to continue, knocking that we’re facing very good opponents.” 

And where does Grosso see Volpato playing his best football? Out wide or through the middle? 

“I talk to him a lot, for me he has impressive potential. I believe in him, he has really great qualities. Every now and then he slows down a bit, but he puts in a lot of good will. If he understands that certain things can change, he can affect games at very high levels,” Grosso replied. 

Sassuolo are now five points away from reaching an impressive tally of 50 points heading into the final five games of the season. 

“We’ve done a lot, quickly and unexpectedly. It wasn’t an easy start, but then we got back on track.

“We’ve done amazing things, getting through a few scuffles, but maintaining our identity. I’m very proud of these guys, of what they have done and of what they will continue to do.” 

Inter President Beppe Marotta insists Cristian Chivu is ‘one of the best young coaches in Europe’ and they ‘can see the finish line’ for the Scudetto.

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The match with Cagliari kicks off at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza at 19.45 UK time (18.45 CEST).

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

Both those Serie A Week 33 fixtures are being played today because Inter and Como will meet in the Coppa Italia semi-final on Tuesday, with the first leg ending 0-0 last month.

Those sides met only last week with the 4-3 thriller sending the Nerazzurri nine points clear at the top of the Serie A table, with Napoli and Milan also stumbling.

Inter can see the Scudetto

“I am very prudent, albeit very optimistic,” Marotta told Sky Sport Italia.

“It feels as if we are in the final kilometre of the Giro d’Italia, we are wearing the pink shirt and can see the finish line, but let’s not make any calculations ahead of time.

“There are still 18 points up for grabs, we must repeat the performance in Como, where we achieved a victory with character after going behind.

“We must remember every team raise their game when facing the leaders, it is added motivation, so we must respect our opponents and be aware of their quality.”

Alessandro Bastoni has been struggling with an ankle issue for several weeks and is therefore in the stands today, with Lautaro Martinez and Yann Bisseck also injured.

Squad rotation is nonetheless kept to a minimum, as Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco maintain their usual positions on the wings, but Josep Martinez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan step in.

On the Cagliari side, Marco Palestra starts, and he has been linked with a possible Inter swoop from parent club Atalanta.

“There is this talk of a crisis of talent in Italy, but this lad made his mark and in my view has a great future ahead of him,” noted Marotta.

“He is having some excellent performances and needs to keep going like this. It’s not easy, I am proud as a fan of the Nazionale to see him develop, but it is only right and fair that Atalanta hold on tight.”

It is a special evening for the Esposito family, as brothers Francesco Pio and Sebastiano face off on opposite teams, both having come up through the Inter youth academy.

A third brother, Salvatore Esposito, is currently playing for Sampdoria in Serie B.

“You don’t win trophies with young talents alone, you have to mix them with experience and also the winning culture that is often found within players who have more history behind them,” argued the Inter President.

“As a club, we should continue focusing on the importance of financial sustainability and also the objective of winning, with a mixture of youth and experience. And naturally also a core of Italian players.”

If Chivu is on track to win the Scudetto in his first season at Inter, will his contract be automatically renewed?

“The contract is just a formal aspect, but with his way of working, he has proved himself worthy of Inter, and he is one of the best young coaches in Europe,” concluded Marotta.

Inter will step out wearing special jackets as part of a collaboration marking the 50^th anniversary of Pink Floyd album ‘Wish You Were Here.’

Inter are preparing to take on Cagliari in Serie A on Friday afternoon, but there was a slight surprise in Cristian Chivu’s starting XI, as regular first-choice goalkeeper Yann Sommer was left out of the line-up for Josep Martinez. 

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• Click here to follow the action from Friday’s Serie A matches on the Football Italia Liveblog

Why Martinez is playing instead of Sommer in Inter vs. Cagliari

Martinez has spent the last two seasons serving as Sommer’s understudy in San Siro, but has been Inter’s go-to goalkeeper in domestic cup competitions this season. He has played in all three of Inter’s Coppa Italia fixtures so far this season, plus the semi-final of the Supercoppa Italiana. He also has two Serie A appearances to his name this term. 

According to pre-match reports, Chivu intends to play Martinez for the second leg of Inter’s Coppa Italia semi-final against Como coming up on Tuesday evening (April 21). 

However, given that Martinez has not played since the first leg of the Como semi-final, which took place six weeks ago on March 3, Chivu has decided to play Martinez against Cagliari in order to give him a ‘warm-up’ according to reports from TMW. 

Curiously, Martinez’s last appearance in Serie A also came against Cagliari on September 27, and that game ended in a 2-0 victory in favour of the Nerazzurri. His only other outing in the league this term ended in a 2-1 victory at home against Sassuolo on September 21.

Sassuolo cause an upset with a quickfire double of counter-attacks from Cristian Volpato and M’Bala Nzola, as Como see the Champions League dream slip away.

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The Lariani rotated the squad after a chaotic 4-3 defeat to Inter put them into fifth place, and ahead of Tuesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final second leg against the same opponents. Jayden Addai remained the only long-term absentee, but Alvaro Morata was given a rare start. The Neroverdi had Domenico Berardi and Josh Doig suspended after the ill-tempered loss to Genoa, with Darryl Bakola, Filippo Romagna, Daniel Boloca, Edoardo Pieragnolo and Fali Cande injured, giving Stefano Turati a surprise chance in goal.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Sassuolo had a huge chance within 20 seconds, as Kristian Thorstvedt’s finish from the edge of the area was deflected just wide by Jacobo Ramon.

Thorstvedt was also brought down just outside the area by Ramon for a yellow card, Armand Laurienté seeing his resulting free kick palmed out from under the bar.

Alberto Moreno sliding in at the back post just failed to connect with a Nico Paz cross, while Turati scrambled to fingertip a Nico Paz snooker shot round the base of the upright.

Como were caught totally unbalanced on their corner kick, as Laurienté sent M’Bala Nzola on the counter-attack and his slide-rule pass found Cristian Volpato for a delightful lob from distance.

Barely two minutes later, Sassuolo repeated the trick, as this time Nzola ran onto the Laurienté through ball and finished it himself, beating the on-rushing Butez from inside the area for his first Serie A goal in the Neroverdi shirt.

However, Como got one back with the last kick of the half, as Nico Paz sent a looping, swerving header from Ivan Smolcic’s cross into the far from corner from just inside the box.

Cesc Fabregas made a triple change at the break, but Como had a huge chance to equalise on 69 minutes. Nico Paz gathered a ball over the top, flicked it around Woyo Coulibaly and went for the lob from a tricky angle, but Turati scrambled across to claw it off the line with Morata ready to bundle over from a yard.

There was a double desperate block, first from Jay Idzes on Tasos Douvikas, then Thorstvedt on Mergim Vojvoda, while Andrea Pinamonti failed to make the most of an Alberto Moreno error.

Como have just one point from the last three rounds and their hopes of a Champions League spot are now badly damaged.

Sassuolo 2-1 Como

Volpato 42 (S), Nzola 44 (S), Nico Paz 45+2 (C)

17-04-2026 17:30

MatchDay 33

Mapei Stadium - Città del Tricolore

Sassuolo

Como

2 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

		14'		Jacobo Ramón
		26'		Álvaro Morata
Cristian Volpato (Assist: M’Bala Nzola)		42'
M’Bala Nzola (Assist: Armand Lauriente)		44'
		45+2'		Nico Paz (Assist: Ivan Smolcic)

2nd half

Ismaël Koné		51'
Cristian Volpato		64'
		79'		Alberto Moreno
Kristian Thorstvedt		82'

Match statistic

30

Possession %

70

12

Total shots

12

4

Shots on target

3

6

Shots off target

4

2

Blocked shots

5

5

Corners

8

14

Fouls

11

Sassuolo

Como

Starting lineups

13

Stefano Turati

Goalkeeper

21

Jay Idzes

Defender

6

Sebastian Walukiewicz

Defender

80

Tarik Muharemovic

Defender

25

Woyo Coulibaly

Defender

7

Cristian Volpato

Midfielder

64'

90

Ismaël Koné

Midfielder

42

Kristian Thorstvedt

Midfielder

18

Nemanja Matic

Midfielder

77'

45

Armand Lauriente

Attacker

8

M’Bala Nzola

Attacker

76'

1

Jean Butez

Goalkeeper

18

Alberto Moreno

Defender

28

Ivan Smolcic

Defender

46'

14

Jacobo Ramón

Defender

2

Marc Oliver Kempf

Defender

20

Martin Baturina

Midfielder

46'

6

Maxence Caqueret

Midfielder

46'

10

Nico Paz

Midfielder

7

Álvaro Morata

Attacker

38

Assane Diao

Attacker

60'

33

Lucas Da Cunha

Attacker

72'

Substitutes

12

Giacomo Satalino

Goalkeeper

16

Gioele Zacchi

Goalkeeper

24

Luca Moro

Attacker

44

Edoardo Iannoni

Midfielder

23

Ulisses Garcia

Defender

49

Arijanet Muric

Goalkeeper

40

Aster Vranckx

Midfielder

66

Pedro Felipe

Defender

33

Christian Frangella

Midfielder

20

Alieu Fadera

Midfielder

64'

99

Andrea Pinamonti

Attacker

76'

35

Luca Lipani

Midfielder

77'

5

Edoardo Goldaniga

Defender

22

Mauro Vigorito

Goalkeeper

44

Nikola Cavlina

Goalkeeper

34

Diego Carlos

Defender

77

Ignace Van Der Brempt

Defender

3

Álex Valle

Defender

21

Noel Törnqvist

Goalkeeper

31

Mërgim Vojvoda

Defender

46'

11

Anastasios Douvikas

Attacker

46'

23

Máximo Perrone

Midfielder

46'

17

Jesús Rodriguez

Attacker

60'

19

Nicolas Kühn

Attacker

72'

Friday’s Serie A action brings a clash of two of the Esposito brothers as Inter prepare to host Cagliari in a family-affair in San Siro. 

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Esposito brothers boast near-identical goal tallies ahead of Inter vs. Cagliari

The league leading Nerazzurri have a nine-point lead at the top of the Serie A table heading into the final six matches of the 2025-26 season. A victory against Cagliari will take them 12 points clear of Antonio Conte’s Napoli and 15 clear of Massimiliano Allegri and Milan. 

You can see how the action from Friday’s Serie A fixtures unfolds on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Both sides will have an Esposito in their squads this evening. Both boast remarkably similar goalscoring records in 2025-26 as well. 

Inter’s Francesco Pio is arguably Italy’s biggest breakthrough star of the 2025-26 season with six goals and four assists to his name from 30 appearances in Serie A this season. He also has one in the Coppa Italia and another two in the Champions League for a total record of nine goals and six assists from 42 outings. 

His older brother Sebastiano, on loan from Inter with an obligation to buy, also has six goals from 30 Serie A appearances and another in the Coppa Italia. His seasonal tally currently stands at seven goals and six assists from 33 outings. Taking Champions League football out of the equation, both brothers would have had the same tally of goals (7) and from the same number of appearances (33). 

Juventus have officially announced that captain Manuel Locatelli has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract extension, which will tie him to the club until the summer of 2030. 

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Locatelli’s previous deal had been due to expire in the summer of 2028, and recent reports indicate that his new deal comes with an increase in wages from around €3m per season to roughly €4m per year. 

The Italy international signed off on his contract on Friday, which was officially announced later on the same afternoon. 

Locatelli joined Juventus in a €37.5m deal from Sassuolo in 2021 and has since gone on to make 224 appearances for the club across all competitions, registering nine goals and 17 assists during that time. 

His is the latest in a series of important contract extensions for Juventus this season, following the lengthening of contracts for head coach Luciano Spalletti, star attacker Kenan Yildiz and versatile midfielder Weston McKennie, who would have been out of contract in the summer without a new deal. 

What Juventus said about Locatelli’s new deal 

“We all remember when Manuel, upon his arrival in 2021, spoke with great emotion about having always been a Juventus fan,” said CEO Damien Comolli in a statement on the club website.

“His contract renewal therefore represents the natural continuation of the growth of his leadership on the pitch, of his indomitable Juventus spirit, in complete harmony with the values ​​and ambitions of our Club. It is a further step towards giving solidity and continuity to our sporting project, with an eye to the future and the goal of making the team increasingly competitive.”

Inter aim to consolidate their Serie A leadership against a Cagliari side hoping to avoid relegation, as it’s a battle of the Esposito brothers at San Siro.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza at 19.45 UK time (18.45 CEST).

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

These fixtures are being played today because Inter and Como will then face off in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final on Tuesday.

The Nerazzurri are fresh from a thrilling 4-3 victory over Como that sent them nine points clear at the top of the Serie A table, as rivals Napoli and Milan stumbled.

Now they face a very different challenge from a Cagliari side that is hovering just above the relegation zone.

Cristian Chivu has limited choices, because Alessandro Bastoni joined Lautaro Martinez and Yann Bisseck on the injury list, while Petar Sucic is suspended.

Some squad rotation is to be expected ahead of that Coppa Italia clash, but Marcus Thuram is partnered by Francesco Pio Esposito rather than Ange-Yoan Bonny.

It is a very special occasion, because Cagliari are starting Sebastiano Esposito, the older sibling in a football family with three brothers who all play professionally.

Stefan de Vrij and Carlos Augusto pad out the defence, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and goalkeeper Josep Martinez stepping in.

Cagliari had been in a total crisis that saw them slide down the table back into the danger zone after four consecutive defeats, but the 1-0 win against Cremonese gave them a six-point buffer zone.

It’s not enough to feel comfortable, though, so they’ll come out fighting for every precious point at San Siro.

Leonardo Pavoletti has a knee issue and Luca Mazzitelli suffered a calf strain, while Riyad Idrissi and Mattia Felici are long-term absentees with torn ACLs.

Turkish talent Semih Kilicsoy therefore supports Sebastiano Esposito, while veteran Yerry Mina hopes to harass opponents.

Marco Palestra has been linked with a potential move to Inter, so will be eager to impress at right wing-back.

Inter vs. Cagliari official line-ups

Inter: Martinez; Akanji, De Vrij, Carlos Augusto; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Pio Esposito

Cagliari: Caprile; Ze Pedro, Mina, Obert; Palestra, Adopo, Gaetano, Sulemana, J Rodriguez; Borrelli, S Esposito

17-04-2026 19:45

MatchDay 33

San Siro Stadium (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza)

Inter

Cagliari

3 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

		23'		Sebastiano Esposito
		25'		Gennaro Borrelli

2nd half

Marcus Thuram (Assist: Federico Dimarco)		52'
Nicolò Barella		56'
Piotr Zielinski (Assist: Denzel Dumfries)		90+2'

Match statistic

55

Possession %

45

18

Total shots

10

5

Shots on target

1

8

Shots off target

4

5

Blocked shots

5

4

Corners

9

1

Offsides

2

17

Fouls

6

Inter

Cagliari

Starting lineups

13

Josep Martínez

Goalkeeper

32

Federico Dimarco

Defender

76'

25

Manuel Akanji

Defender

6

Stefan de Vrij

Defender

30

Carlos Augusto

Midfielder

2

Denzel Dumfries

Midfielder

20

Hakan Calhanoglu

Midfielder

85'

22

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Midfielder

76'

23

Nicolò Barella

Midfielder

89'

94

Pio Esposito

Attacker

9

Marcus Thuram

Attacker

76'

1

Elia Caprile

Goalkeeper

33

Adam Obert

Defender

76'

15

Juan Rodríguez

Defender

2

Marco Palestra

Defender

26

Yerry Mina

Defender

32

Zé Pedro

Defender

88'

10

Gianluca Gaetano

Midfielder

57'

8

Michel Adopo

Midfielder

25

Ibrahim Sulemana

Midfielder

76'

29

Gennaro Borrelli

Attacker

57'

94

Sebastiano Esposito

Attacker

Substitutes

15

Francesco Acerbi

Defender

36

Matteo Darmian

Defender

1

Yann Sommer

Goalkeeper

12

Raffaele Di Gennaro

Goalkeeper

51

Christos Alexiou

Defender

48

Mattia Mosconi

Attacker

7

Piotr Zielinski

Midfielder

76'

14

Ange-Yoan Bonny

Defender

76'

11

Luis Henrique

Attacker

76'

16

Davide Frattesi

Midfielder

85'

17

Andy Diouf

Attacker

89'

24

Giuseppe Ciocci

Goalkeeper

22

Alberto Dossena

Defender

9

Semih Kılıçsoy

Attacker

12

Alen Sherri

Goalkeeper

27

Joseph Liteta

Midfielder

37

Yael Trepy

Attacker

20

Agustín Albarracín

Midfielder

18

Othniel Raterink

Midfielder

14

Alessandro Deiola

Midfielder

57'

31

Paul Mendy

Attacker

57'

28

Gabriele Zappa

Defender

76'

90

Michael Folorunsho

Midfielder

76'

19

Andrea Belotti

Attacker

88'

Como hope Nico Paz, Martin Baturina and Alvaro Morata can inspire them to victory against a Sassuolo side without Domenico Berardi.

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It kicks off at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia at 17.45 UK time (18.45 CEST).

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

These Serie A Week 33 fixtures are being played today because Inter and Como will face off in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final on Tuesday.

Cesc Fabregas needs a victory to stay in the hunt for a top four finish, having slipped down behind Juventus after the 4-3 defeat to Inter.