Inter shrugged off Champions League disappointment to consolidate their huge Serie A lead, beating Genoa with a fantastic Federico Dimarco volley and Hakan Calhanoglu penalty.

The Nerazzurri were 10 points clear at the top of the Serie A table and preparing for the Coppa Italia semi-final with Como, but home and away defeats to Bodo/Glimt saw them crash out of the Champions League play-offs. It was a shocking result, made worse by losing Lautaro Martinez to injury, plus Alessandro Bastoni was suspended here, with Hakan Calhanoglu only fit for the bench. Genoa were revitalised by coach Daniele De Rossi, but Brooke Norton-Cuffy and Sebastian Otoa picked up injuries in the 3-0 victory away to Torino last week.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Justin Bijlow had to make two awkward saves in 30 seconds, first on the Ange-Yoan Bonny half-volley, then the resulting Federico Dimarco corner that was looping in at the far post.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan hit a scorching strike from distance that looped up off Johan Vasquez to bounce onto the top of the crossbar with Bijlow beaten.

The Genoa goalkeeper made a wonderful save at full stretch to palm the Bonny header out of the far bottom corner on Nicolò Barella’s cross.

However, he could do nothing on a sensational Dimarco goal. The Italian laid it off to Mkhitaryan and ran down the left ready to meet the chipped return pass, scoring with a remarkably precise left-foot volley from the tightest of angles.

Stop that Federico DiMarco.

An incredible volley puts Inter Milan 1-0 up against Genoa

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/ZWgtFC4f7l

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 28, 2026

Barella also nodded just over from a Carlos Augusto cross, while Vitinha didn’t get enough on his header from a Mikael Ellertsson ball to the back post.

Vitinha’s effort was deflected off Manuel Akanji to sail over, while Carlos Augusto made an important block on Caleb Ekuban’s header.

Bijlow took the sting out of a Piotr Zielinski cross-shot, but Inter doubled their lead with a chaotic situation.

First Bijlow fingertipped the deflected Luis Henrique shot onto the upright, then as the move continued, the Luis Henrique cross back in struck Alex Amorim’s raised hand for a penalty. Calhanoglu converted by sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.

Amorim rolled across for Jeff Ekhator, who was unable to tap in from six yards, and Ellertsson should’ve done better with a free header wide from Aaron Martin’s set play.

Yann Sommer had an odd moment needing a reaction save from point-blank range on Akanji, who clumsily redirected the Ekhator cross-shot.

It is an eighth consecutive Serie A victory for Cristian Chivu’s side, who temporarily go 13 points clear.

Inter 2-0 Genoa

Dimarco 31 (I), Calhanoglu pen 70 (I)

28-02-2026 19:45

MatchDay 27

San Siro Stadium (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza)

INT

GEN

Live

2 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

		9'		Ruslan Malinovskyi
Henrikh Mkhitaryan		21'
Federico Dimarco (Assist: Henrikh Mkhitaryan)		31'

2nd half

Hakan Calhanoglu		65'
Hakan Calhanoglu		70'

INT

GEN

Starting lineups

1

Yann Sommer

Goalkeeper

14

Ange-Yoan Bonny

Defender

76'

32

Federico Dimarco

Defender

25

Manuel Akanji

Defender

6

Stefan de Vrij

Defender

67'

30

Carlos Augusto

Midfielder

22

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Midfielder

59'

23

Nicolò Barella

Midfielder

7

Piotr Zielinski

Midfielder

76'

11

Luis Henrique

Attacker

9

Marcus Thuram

Attacker

59'

16

Justin Bijlow

Goalkeeper

3

Aarón Martín

Defender

85'

27

Alessandro Marcandalli

Defender

22

Johan Vásquez

Defender

5

Leo Östigard

Defender

32

Morten Frendrup

Midfielder

17

Ruslan Malinovskyi

Midfielder

46'

8

Tommaso Baldanzi

Midfielder

66'

29

Lorenzo Colombo

Attacker

66'

77

Mikael Egill Ellertsson

Attacker

9

Vitinha

Attacker

60'

Substitutes

15

Francesco Acerbi

Defender

36

Matteo Darmian

Defender

2

Denzel Dumfries

Midfielder

13

Josep Martínez

Goalkeeper

12

Raffaele Di Gennaro

Goalkeeper

8

Petar Sucic

Defender

53

Matteo Lavelli

Attacker

20

Hakan Calhanoglu

Midfielder

59'

94

Pio Esposito

Attacker

59'

31

Yann Bisseck

Defender

67'

16

Davide Frattesi

Midfielder

76'

17

Andy Diouf

Attacker

76'

39

Daniele Sommariva

Goalkeeper

1

Nicola Leali

Goalkeeper

70

Maxwel Cornet

Attacker

14

Jean Onana

Midfielder

73

Patrizio Masini

Midfielder

31

Benjamin Siegrist

Goalkeeper

13

Nils Zätterström

Defender

99

Mamedi Doucouré

Defender

4

Amorim

Midfielder

46'

18

Caleb Ekuban

Attacker

60'

10

Junior Messias

Attacker

66'

21

Jeff Ekhator

Attacker

66'

20

Stefano Sabelli

Defender

85'

Multiple sources are now reporting that Milan have agreed a deal worth at least €12m plus add-ons for Corinthians midfielder André.

It was initially broken by ESPN Brasil, and confirmed by transfer pundits Fabrizio Romano and Matteo Moretto.

The 19-year-old talent’s full name is André Luiz Santos Dias and he advanced to the senior squad from the Corinthians youth academy.

He scored two goals in 11 games so far in 2026, despite suffering collateral medial ligament damage in his ankle in October 2025.

Different versions of Milan price for Andre

According to ESPN Brasil, the full cost of the operation is closer to €15m plus €2m in add-ons, taking the total to €17m.

Romano and Moretto have the price significantly lower at €12m plus bonuses, while MilanNews.it have it at €13m plus a percentage of the sell-on fee.

As part of the negotiations, the player is prepared to wave his 30 per cent of the contract, as Corinthians only own 70 per cent of his registration.

André is set to fly out to Italy for a medical and it would be valid from June 2026, when he will have just turned 20.

However, the final decision rests with Corinthians President Osmar Stabile.

Milan are already looking to next season with a series of negotiations.

Watch as Federico Dimarco turns on the style with a spectacular volley from the tightest of angles to give Inter the lead against Genoa.

You can follow all the action as it happens from this Serie A game on the Liveblog.

The left wing-back has been on exceptional form so far this season, with a series of goals and assists, but this was still a highlight.

Dimarco delights San Siro with perfect volley

He started the move down the left, and ran into the area ready to meet the Henrikh Mkhitaryan dinked return pass.

Stop that Federico DiMarco.

An incredible volley puts Inter Milan 1-0 up against Genoa

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/ZWgtFC4f7l

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 28, 2026

Despite the angle being so tight, the Italian still managed to thread his left-foot volley through the eye of a needle between Justin Bijlow and the far post.

This means the 28-year-old currently has seven goals and 15 assists in 35 competitive appearances for Inter this term.

“He doesn’t score ugly goals”

Federico Dimarco with an absolute stunner to FIRE Inter in front pic.twitter.com/Y30Umefciu

— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 28, 2026

Antonio Conte is happy for Romelu Lukaku’s comeback goal to beat Verona, feels this season is ‘making me a better coach’ and warns Napoli still ‘risk missing out on Europe.’

It was shaping up to be another tense evening for the Partenopei, who had scraped one point from the last two Serie A rounds.

Rasmus Hojlund had opened the scoring, then his deflection wrong-footed Alex Meret on the Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro strike, but with the last kick of the game Romelu Lukaku popped up with the winner at the Stadio Bentegodi.

Conte learning from Napoli struggles

“This is a season that I will carry with me, because it is teaching me so much about how to deal with situations I’d never experienced before,” Conte told DAZN Italia.

“A coach also has to appeal to the human element, find the right words, know the balance between the carrot and the stick.

“This experience is improving me in so many ways. Dealing with all these situations is not at all easy. I feel that it is making me a better coach.

“We find a way to stay on our feet and find the right way through, not just on a football level, but as human beings too.”

There had been so much controversy over the refereeing in recent weeks, and there was more here, as Napoli felt there was a foul before the corner was awarded for the Verona goal.

However, Lukaku made his mark off the bench with his first goal in nine months, having missed most of the season with a detached tendon.

“Lukaku had such a serious injury, I know all too well how much he has suffered with this situation, as he wants to help Napoli and help me, for the rapport that we have,” continued Conte.

“We are cuddling him and working hard, he is not yet the player that we know, but he’s getting there. This goal will give him confidence, the World Cup is coming up, I’d love for both him and Kevin De Bruyne to play in it.”

Lukaku had not scored in Serie A since May 2025 against Cagliari, a gap of 281 days, and perhaps had not expected to net such a decisive, dramatic goal.

“He had another couple of chances, including against Juventus. We know he can make his presence felt in the penalty area. If you are attacking, and the opponents are defending in numbers, Lukaku becomes a fundamental figure.

“If you are attacking the space, he might struggle a little more. We threw him on and he did his job. I hope it will give him confidence, we need everyone.”

Napoli had been about to drop more precious points and risk sliding out of the top four, but this result keeps them in the Champions League spots ahead of Roma vs. Juventus.

When asked about his future, Conte made some cryptic comments.

“I signed a three-year contract, so there is still one left to go. Let’s think about the present, so we can write ourselves the best possible future, which means playing in the Champions League.

“It’s going to be a tough fight, we know that, because other teams are in better situations, while we are trying to get players back in shape.

“We know that we genuinely risk missing out on Europe entirely, we are scraping the bottom of the barrel here. We did well to take the points home today, knowing that we can play much better than this.”

Romelu Lukaku admits his first goal in nine months was an emotional moment, especially as it gave Napoli victory in Verona. ‘I was a dead player before coming here.’

The Belgium international had waited 281 days for his first Serie A goal, since May 23 2025 against Cagliari, as he has been out of action since August when a tendon detached in his thigh during a pre-season friendly.

He didn’t expect it to be quite so dramatic, a 96^th-minute winner with the last kick of the game away to Hellas Verona, after Rasmus Hojlund had scored and then deflected in the Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro volley.

Lukaku seals last-gasp Napoli success

“I am happy for the team, it’s a pity we conceded that goal, but we are taking three points home today,” Lukaku told DAZN Italia.

Lukaku also celebrated pointing his finger to the sky, as it was the first goal scored since his father passed away and the family claimed they were ‘extorted’ over the funeral.

“These have been difficult months, personally. Football has given me so much, and losing my father the way I did was tough to handle.

“I keep going for my children, for my brothers, and for Napoli who gave me so much.”

The centre-forward reunited with Antonio Conte at Napoli after their experiences together in England and at Inter, allowing him to revitalise his career yet again after the Chelsea struggles.

“I was a dead player before coming here. This season is difficult, but we’ve got to aim high.”

Cristian Chivu insists Inter ‘don’t have time’ to feel bad about their Champions League exit, as they host Genoa this evening in Serie A. ‘We’ve already turned the page.’

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

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game, Como-Lecce and Verona-Napoli on the Liveblog.

Although they are 10 points clear at the top of the Serie A table and preparing for the Coppa Italia semi-final against Como, the fact remains the Nerazzurri were bitterly disappointed by their Champions League exit.

Losing both home and away to Norwegians Bodo/Glimt saw them crash out in the play-offs, having reached the Final in two of the last three seasons.

Chivu keeps Inter focused on the future

“We don’t have time to think about it, we play every three days and this is a different tournament,” Chivu told DAZN Italia.

“We’ve got to get our energy back and give a sense of consistency to our Serie A results, even if we have done well in this competition so far.”

This is a showdown with Chivu’s former Roma teammate Daniele De Rossi, who has rebooted Genoa on the bench.

“It’s going to be very difficult, as they know how to defend deep or strike with the quality of their forwards. He’s doing a great job, has some very interesting ideas, and it will not be an easy match.”

Lautaro Martinez is still out of action after sustaining a soleus strain in Norway, with Hakan Calhanoglu only fit for the bench.

Alessandro Bastoni is suspended in defence this evening, though there was some good news with the return of Denzel Dumfries midweek after ankle surgery in November.

“We have four strikers who are all having a fantastic season, they work so hard for the team. We have already turned the page, we want to be competitive to the end in Serie A and the Coppa Italia,” concluded Chivu.

Romelu Lukaku scored with the last kick of the game to give Napoli a dramatic 2-1 victory away to rock bottom Hellas Verona, after Rasmus Hojlund netted at both ends.

The Partenopei were sliding down the standings after a 2-2 draw with Roma and controversial defeat to Atalanta. Scott McTominay, Frank Anguissa, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, David Neres and Kevin De Bruyne were still out of action, so Alisson Santos completed the attack, with Giovane on the bench against his former club. Hellas were rock bottom alongside Pisa, so while Gift Orban and Moatasem Al-Musrati were suspended, Rafik Belghali, Pol Lirola, Antoine Bernede, Sandi Lovric and Suat Serdar missed out.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It was a perfect start for Antonio Conte’s men, who took the lead within 100 seconds. Matteo Politano’s cross from the right was flicked on by Andrias Edmundsson, but turned into an accidental assist for the Hojlund looping header, which he steered into the far top corner from 12 yards, off the inside of the post.

Leonardo Spinazzola curled just over the bar, while Lorenzo Montipò palmed an Eljif Elmas scorcher out of the bottom corner.

Edmundsson got back for almost a goal-line clearance after Hojlund had dinked a finish past the on-rushing Montipò, and Antonio Vergara blasted just over from an Alisson Santos assist.

Verona equalised amid more controversy, as Napoli felt there was a foul before the corner, but that set play was then flicked on by Hojlund, who was also in the way to deflect the Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro half-volley past Alex Meret.

Hellas threatened to score another on the counter-attack moments later, but Daniel Mosquera’s first touch let him down when about to go clear.

Tomas Suslov was booked for a sliding tackle on Miguel Gutierrez, as although contact was high, he pulled out at the last second.

Eljif Elmas stung Montipò’s gloves after a well-worked move between substitutes Billy Gilmour and Romelu Lukaku.

Verona nearly won it in stoppages when Kieron Bowie couldn’t keep the volley on target after Meret flapped aimlessly at a cross.

Just as it seemed to be over, Napoli took a short corner and Giovane’s cross from the left went past an acrobatic Juan Jesus attempt, but Lukaku was ready to sweep in first-time from six yards. It was his first goal of the season and the last kick of the game after so many months out with a serious tendon injury.

Verona 1-2 Napoli

Hojlund 2 (N), Akpa Akpro 64 (V), Lukaku 96 (N)

28-02-2026 17:00

MatchDay 27

Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi

VER

NAP

1 - 2

Player statistic

1st half

		2'		Rasmus Højlund (Assist: Antonio Vergara)
Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro		45+2'

2nd half

		56'		Antonio Vergara
Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro		64'
		71'		Eljif Elmas
Tomas Suslov		74'
Abdou Harroui		81'
		90'		Juan Jesus
		90+6'		Romelu Lukaku (Assist: Giovane)
		90+7'		Romelu Lukaku

Match statistic

35

Possession %

65

8

Total shots

9

2

Shots on target

5

3

Shots off target

3

3

Blocked shots

1

2

Corners

5

1

Offsides

2

11

Fouls

11

VER

NAP

Starting lineups

1

Lorenzo Montipò

Goalkeeper

5

Andrias Edmundsson

Defender

37

Armel Bella-Kotchap

Defender

55'

2

Daniel Oyegoke

Defender

70'

12

Domagoj Bradaric

Defender

15

Victor Nelsson

Defender

21

Abdou Harroui

Midfielder

82'

11

Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro

Midfielder

82'

63

Roberto Gagliardini

Midfielder

9

Amin Sarr

Attacker

55'

18

Kieron Bowie

Attacker

1

Alex Meret

Goalkeeper

4

Alessandro Buongiorno

Defender

5

Juan Jesus

Defender

37

Leonardo Spinazzola

Defender

52'

31

Sam Beukema

Defender

26

Antonio Vergara

Midfielder

78'

20

Eljif Elmas

Midfielder

68

Stanislav Lobotka

Midfielder

73'

27

Alisson Santos

Attacker

73'

21

Matteo Politano

Attacker

78'

19

Rasmus Højlund

Attacker

Substitutes

34

Simone Perilli

Goalkeeper

94

Giacomo Toniolo

Goalkeeper

6

Nicolás Valentini

Defender

70

Fallou Cham

Defender

90

Ioan Vermesan

Attacker

41

Isaac

Attacker

3

Martin Frese

Defender

55'

25

Daniel Mosquera

Attacker

55'

10

Tomas Suslov

Attacker

70'

36

Cheikh Niasse

Attacker

82'

19

Tobias Slotsager

Defender

82'

14

Nikita Contini

Goalkeeper

32

Vanja Milinković-Savić

Goalkeeper

17

Mathías Olivera

Defender

95

Vincenzo Prisco

Midfielder

23

Giovane Nascimento

Attacker

3

Miguel Gutiérrez

Defender

52'

6

Billy Gilmour

Midfielder

73'

9

Romelu Lukaku

Attacker

73'

30

Pasquale Mazzocchi

Defender

78'

23

Giovane

Attacker

78'

Inter hope to put their Champions League disappointment behind them with Marcus Thuram and Ange-Yoan Bonny against Daniele De Rossi’s revitalised Genoa.

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

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game, Como-Lecce and Verona-Napoli on the Liveblog.

The Nerazzurri are in a very strange position, as while they seem unstoppable going 10 points clear at the top of the Serie A table and are preparing for Tuesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final against Como, they are out of the Champions League.

They lost both home and away to Bodo/Glimt in the play-offs, an astonishing result considering this club played two of the last three Champions League Finals.

Lautaro Martinez is still out with a soleus strain he suffered in Norway, while Alessandro Bastoni is suspended.

It means Stefan de Vrij steps into defence, and Bonny is preferred to Francesco Pio Esposito as partner to underperforming Marcus Thuram.

Hakan Calhanoglu is only fit enough for a spot on the bench, with Denzel Dumfries making his comeback midweek after more than three months out of action.

Genoa have been revitalised under coach De Rossi, a former teammate of Inter boss Cristian Chivu at Roma.

They picked up wins over Bologna and Torino, plus a draw away to Milan, and some very controversial last-gasp defeats to Lazio and Napoli.

Brooke Norton-Cuffy sustained a muscular issue in the 3-0 victory at Torino last week, with Sebastian Otoa also carrying an ankle problem.

Benjamin Siegrist returns to the squad three months after the goalkeeper fractured his finger.

Vitinha, former Roma midfielder Tommaso Baldanzi and Ruslan Malinovskyi provide the support for centre-forward Lorenzo Colombo.

Inter vs. Genoa line-ups

Inter: Sommer; Akanji, De Vrij, Carlos Augusto; Luis Henrique, Barella, Zielinski, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Bonny

Genoa: Bijlow; Marcandalli, Ostigard, Vasquez; Ellertsson, Frendrup, Malinovskyi, Martin; Baldanzi; Vitinha, Colombo

28-02-2026 19:45

MatchDay 27

San Siro Stadium (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza)

INT

GEN

Live

2 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

		9'		Ruslan Malinovskyi
Henrikh Mkhitaryan		21'
Federico Dimarco (Assist: Henrikh Mkhitaryan)		31'

2nd half

Hakan Calhanoglu		65'
Hakan Calhanoglu		70'

INT

GEN

Starting lineups

1

Yann Sommer

Goalkeeper

14

Ange-Yoan Bonny

Defender

76'

32

Federico Dimarco

Defender

25

Manuel Akanji

Defender

6

Stefan de Vrij

Defender

67'

30

Carlos Augusto

Midfielder

22

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Midfielder

59'

23

Nicolò Barella

Midfielder

7

Piotr Zielinski

Midfielder

76'

11

Luis Henrique

Attacker

9

Marcus Thuram

Attacker

59'

16

Justin Bijlow

Goalkeeper

3

Aarón Martín

Defender

85'

27

Alessandro Marcandalli

Defender

22

Johan Vásquez

Defender

5

Leo Östigard

Defender

32

Morten Frendrup

Midfielder

17

Ruslan Malinovskyi

Midfielder

46'

8

Tommaso Baldanzi

Midfielder

66'

29

Lorenzo Colombo

Attacker

66'

77

Mikael Egill Ellertsson

Attacker

9

Vitinha

Attacker

60'

Substitutes

15

Francesco Acerbi

Defender

36

Matteo Darmian

Defender

2

Denzel Dumfries

Midfielder

13

Josep Martínez

Goalkeeper

12

Raffaele Di Gennaro

Goalkeeper

8

Petar Sucic

Defender

53

Matteo Lavelli

Attacker

20

Hakan Calhanoglu

Midfielder

59'

94

Pio Esposito

Attacker

59'

31

Yann Bisseck

Defender

67'

16

Davide Frattesi

Midfielder

76'

17

Andy Diouf

Attacker

76'

39

Daniele Sommariva

Goalkeeper

1

Nicola Leali

Goalkeeper

70

Maxwel Cornet

Attacker

14

Jean Onana

Midfielder

73

Patrizio Masini

Midfielder

31

Benjamin Siegrist

Goalkeeper

13

Nils Zätterström

Defender

99

Mamedi Doucouré

Defender

4

Amorim

Midfielder

46'

18

Caleb Ekuban

Attacker

60'

10

Junior Messias

Attacker

66'

21

Jeff Ekhator

Attacker

66'

20

Stefano Sabelli

Defender

85'

There are reports Cesc Fabregas left Como star Nico Paz on the bench against Lecce today for disciplinary reasons after the Real Madrid product turned up late to a meal.

It was very surprising when the starting XI for today’s Serie A match did not include the young Argentine, especially considering he was suspended for last week’s 2-0 win away to Juventus.

Nico Paz gets the message from Fabregas

Fabregas was asked about the situation before kick-off, questioned on whether Nico Paz was rested ahead of Tuesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final against Inter.

However, he replied it was “not because of that, it was simply a choice that I made.”

According to Sky Sport Italia, the real reason has now been revealed, and it is disciplinary action to send a message to the rest of the squad.

Nico Paz reportedly irritated the Como coach by turning up late to a team dinner in preparation for this game.

He did come on as a substitute eventually in the 3-1 comeback victory, so has evidently been forgiven after this initial warning.

Lazio are without Daniel Maldini, Toma Basic, Pedro, Nicolò Rovella and Mario Gila for tomorrow’s Serie A trip to Torino, as the forward sustained an ankle injury.

It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino on Sunday at 17.00 GMT (18.00 CET).

The Biancocelesti are preparing for the Coppa Italia semi-final against Atalanta on Wednesday, but also know their Serie A form is suffering lately.

They managed only two draws in the last three rounds, failing to score in two consecutive matches.

Lazio have more injury problems

Coach Maurizio Sarri has already been dealing with a lengthy absentee list, with Pedro spraining his ankle, and Rovella fracturing his clavicle.

A new problem is represented by Maldini, who has not even made the trip due to an ankle issue, a particular blow considering he was expected to start.

The good news is that Boulaye Dia is back in the squad, although he is not fully fit after struggling with flu symptoms and a fever over the last few days.

Lazio squad for Torino: Furlanetto, Motta, Provedel; Lazzari, Marusic, Nuno Tavares, Patric, Pellegrini, Provstgaard, Romagnoli; Belahyane, Cataldi, Dele-Bashiru, Farcomeni, Przyborek, Taylor; Cancellieri, Dia, Isaksen, Noslin, Ratkov, Zaccagni

Cesc Fabregas congratulated Como for showing ‘maturity’ as they fought back from an early surprise to beat Lecce 3-1 and keep up the pressure for a Champions League spot.

They had initially been shocked on home turf by the Lecce change of system to 3-5-2, as well as the Lassana Coulibaly free header.

However, the Lariani had turned the game around by half-time thanks to Tasos Douvikas, Jesus Rodriguez and Marc Oliver Kempf goals.

Fabregas sees Como step up to next level

“These are three important points for us, we show consistency after the strong performances against Milan and Juventus,” Fabregas told DAZN Italia.

“I want to congratulate the team for their maturity. This is a strong squad that will deliver in the long run.”

Como are by no means a surprise at this point, despite the fact they only earned promotion into Serie A in 2024.

“This is a journey, there will be ups and downs. We are trying to create a sense of continuity of success, the more we play together, the better we get. This is a team that continues to improve.

“I told the lads, I am calm, because I know you can recognise your mistakes and raise the bar. This is an intelligent group of players, when they get something wrong once, they don’t do it again.”

Fabregas admits he was also taken by surprise going into this game, as Lecce coach Eusebio Di Francesco pulled the rug out from under him.

“It was not a simple match at all. Lecce always play the same way, but today they had three centre-backs, which they never do. We had prepared for a four-man defence, but we won it down the left, where they were slow to cover the gap and were left one on one. We had the right pressing and transition timing.”

There was more good news for Como in the final minutes, as Assane Diao made his comeback after knee surgery, but Alvaro Morata and Kempf had knocks.

“Diao did in a few minutes what we had been missing so much in recent months, so we hope he can get back to full fitness soon. Kempf has a little problem with his hip, we need to evaluate it, but nothing serious,” concluded Fabregas.

“We’re not sure what is wrong with Morata.”

Now they prepare for Tuesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final first leg against Inter.

Antonio Conte warns he does ‘not pick names, I pick those who are in the best shape’ to help Napoli, as he gives an Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa update ahead of the trip to Verona.

It kicks off at the Stadio Bentegodi at 17.00 GMT (18.00 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game, Como-Lecce and Inter-Genoa on the Liveblog.

The pressure is really on the Partenopei after a 2-2 draw with Roma and controversial 2-1 defeat to Atalanta, as it saw them slide down the standings to fourth place and the gap from the chasing pack close up.

Conte refused to speak to the media following the debatable officiating against Atalanta, and did not hold a press conference this week either, but did talk to DAZN Italia before kick-off.

Conte relies on Napoli attitude

“What we never lacked was the attitude, no matter the result. The attitude must be correct for this game too, as I always tell the lads, we’re down to the final 12 matches and are writing our future right now,” said the coach.

“I never doubted the hunger and determination of these players.”

There were some changes to the starting XI, as Leonardo Spinazzola and Matteo Politano stepped in for Pasquale Mazzocchi and Miguel Gutierrez.

“I changed the wing-backs because before the Atalanta game I saw Mazzocchi and Gutierrez in much better physical condition compared to Spinazzola and Politano. We had a work of training since then, they’ve been doing better, so that’s why I changed.”

The Napoli absentee list remains extensive, missing Scott McTominay, Anguissa, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, David Neres and Kevin De Bruyne.

There was some good news, as Anguissa played a specially-organised friendly midweek to get him closer to a full recovery, but how long until he’s back in the starting XI for Napoli?

“I don’t know how long Frank will take, but the fact he’s back in the squad gives him an opportunity to feel more confidence. He has been out for more than three months, we cannot expect to see him recover from one day to the next.

“I don’t pick names, I pick those who I can see in the best shape in training. We will decide in the next few weeks which tournament we are in next season, so I cannot take risks here, nor do I want to rush back and damage the player,” concluded Conte.

Como already won 3-1 against Lecce earlier this afternoon, further closing the gap on the top four.

Pierre Kalulu hopes Luciano Spalletti stays at Juventus, and reveals he ‘has not spoken’ to Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni after that controversial red card incident.

The Bianconeri are in action with a showdown against Roma for fourth place on Sunday evening, but are also taking to the field for the first time since their Champions League play-off exit to Galatasaray.

“It is an important week for us, and obviously Wednesday left us with a mix of emotions,” said Kalulu in his press conference.

Although they managed to neutralise the first leg 5-2 defeat despite being down to 10 men for the controversial Lloyd Kelly red card, the Old Lady eventually capitulated in extra time.

“We are both disappointed with the final result, but reflecting on the situation, also feel proud of what we showed on the pitch.”

Kalulu sees Juventus crossroads

Already out of the Coppa Italia, the only target for Juventus now is fighting to qualify for the Champions League with a top four Serie A finish, so going head-to-head with Roma is a potential turning point for the whole season.

“We are well aware this is an important game for us, but we also know there will be another 11 matches after this. Obviously, as a head-to-head clash, the points are worth more,” continued Kalulu.

“We believe in ourselves and if we do our duty, then it will go well.”

There is certainly more confidence in the Juve camp after the second leg performance against Galatasaray, and the players seem to believe they are on the right track with Spalletti.

“Contracts are up to the club. All I can say is that we feel good and have clear ideas, we like the way we play, so we’d be very happy if he was to stay.”

This is Kalulu’s return to the field in Serie A, as he was suspended for the 2-0 defeat to Como, adding insult to injury after everyone agreed he should not have been sent off against Inter.

Even Bastoni publicly apologised for his simulation on that second yellow card, but did he apologise directly to the player?

“No, we have not spoken,” revealed Kalulu.

“If we had won even with my red card, I would’ve been disappointed still, but with less of a sense of bitterness. The team always comes first before the individual, and what really hurts is that it all happened together.

“I hope that I will have success in future that helps me forget this incident. I don’t expect anything from Bastoni, it’s not like we talked much before either, so the next time will be in about six months, I expect.”

That incident has prompted IFAB to propose a change to the VAR protocol, so it can intervene on a second yellow card.

“Any rule that can help football in general is always welcome.”

Como completed a comeback from a shock opener to beat Lecce 3-1, as Jesus Rodriguez celebrated both an assist and his first Serie A goal.

The Lariani were in the thick of the race for a Champions League spot after beating Juventus 2-0 and holding Milan to a draw. Nico Paz returned from suspension, yet was rested ahead of the Coppa Italia semi-final with Inter, but Martin Baturina had an ankle injury, and the season was over for Jayden Addai after a torn Achilles tendon. Lecce’s run of two consecutive victories was stalled by a 2-0 defeat to Inter, with Kialonda Gaspar, Medon Berisha and Francesco Camarda sidelined. They changed to a 3-5-2 formation.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Wladimiro Falcone used his legs to parry when one-on-one with Tasos Douvikas, but it was Lecce who took the lead against the run of play with their first chance.

Lameck Banda got down the left and whipped in a right-footed cross, finding Lassana Coulibaly for a completely free header into the far top corner from seven yards. The Como defenders had totally lost sight of the midfielder.

Jesus Rodriguez should’ve equalised moments later, but ballooned over from 12 yards on the Ignace van der Brempt pull-back.

He made up for it when running onto the Maxi Perrone through ball and rolled across from the left, where Douvikas only had to prod in from six yards.

Como turned the game around completely, as Coulibaly slipped in midfield to spark the counter, with another great Perrone assist sending Jesus Rodriguez through to dribble around Falcone. He deposited into the empty net for his first Serie A goal after many attempts this season.

The hosts added a third on the stroke of half-time, as everyone expected Lucas Da Cunha to go for goal from his free kick, but instead he floated it over the top for the Marc-Oliver Kempf diving free header.

Remarkably, that was the first time since October 1987 against Ascoli that Como had scored three goals in the first half of a Serie A match.

Douvikas nodded a Da Cunha corner inches wide of the far post, while a crucial block prevented the Nico Paz tap-in from Ignace van der Brempt’s pull-back.

Nico Paz also couldn’t get enough on the Maxence Caqueret slide-rule pass as he went sliding in on the counter-attack, poking it into the arms of Falcone.

Assane Diao and Gaby Jean both made their comebacks from serious injuries, Diao immediately sprinting through to force Falcone to make a save with his legs from close range.

Alvaro Morata had penalty appeals waved away for a coming together with Jamil Siebert, which forced him off injured in stoppages.

Como 3-1 Lecce

Banda 14 (L), Douvikas 19 (C), Jesus Rodriguez 36 (C), Kempf 44 (C)

28-02-2026 14:00

MatchDay 27

Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia

COM

LEC

3 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

		14'		Lassana Coulibaly (Assist: Lameck Banda)
Anastasios Douvikas (Assist: Jesús Rodriguez)		18'
Jesús Rodriguez (Assist: Máximo Perrone)		36'
Marc Oliver Kempf (Assist: Lucas Da Cunha)		44'

2nd half

70'

Lameck Banda

Match statistic

69

Possession %

31

12

Total shots

5

7

Shots on target

2

3

Shots off target

1

2

Blocked shots

2

5

Corners

1

1

Offsides

2

15

Fouls

12

COM

LEC

Starting lineups

1

Jean Butez

Goalkeeper

18

Alberto Moreno

Defender

77

Ignace Van Der Brempt

Defender

14

Jacobo Ramón

Defender

2

Marc Oliver Kempf

Defender

46'

31

Mërgim Vojvoda

Defender

64'

6

Maxence Caqueret

Midfielder

23

Máximo Perrone

Midfielder

64'

11

Anastasios Douvikas

Attacker

77'

17

Jesús Rodriguez

Attacker

84'

33

Lucas Da Cunha

Attacker

30

Wladimiro Falcone

Goalkeeper

25

Antonino Gallo

Defender

3

Corrie Ndaba

Defender

46'

17

Danilo Veiga

Defender

5

Jamil Siebert

Defender

44

Tiago Gabriel

Defender

84'

29

Lassana Coulibaly

Midfielder

16

Omri Gandelman

Midfielder

59'

20

Ylber Ramadani

Midfielder

19

Lameck Banda

Attacker

73'

99

Walid Cheddira

Attacker

59'

Substitutes

5

Edoardo Goldaniga

Defender

22

Mauro Vigorito

Goalkeeper

44

Nikola Cavlina

Goalkeeper

3

Álex Valle

Defender

19

Nicolas Kühn

Attacker

28

Ivan Smolcic

Defender

21

Noel Törnqvist

Goalkeeper

Adrian Lahdo

Midfielder

34

Diego Carlos

Defender

46'

8

Sergi Roberto

Midfielder

64'

10

Nico Paz

Midfielder

64'

7

Álvaro Morata

Attacker

77'

38

Assane Diao

Attacker

84'

14

Thórir Jóhann Helgason

Midfielder

32

Jasper Samooja

Goalkeeper

1

Christian Früchtl

Goalkeeper

36

Filip Marchwinski

Midfielder

8

Sadik Fofana

Defender

11

Konan N’Dri

Attacker

13

Matías Pérez

Defender

6

Álex Sala

Midfielder

50

Santiago Pierotti

Attacker

46'

79

Oumar Ngom

Midfielder

59'

9

Nikola Stulic

Attacker

59'

23

Riccardo Sottil

Attacker

73'

18

Gaby Jean

Defender

84'

Napoli look to Alisson Santos, Rasmus Hojlund and Antonio Vergara for their trip to troubled Hellas Verona, as Giovane is on the bench against his old club.

It kicks off at the Stadio Bentegodi at 17.00 GMT (18.00 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game, Como-Lecce and Inter-Genoa on the Liveblog.

The Partenopei are sliding down the standings after the 2-2 draw with Roma and controversial 2-1 defeat to Atalanta.

Scott McTominay, Frank Anguissa, David Neres, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani and Kevin De Bruyne are still out of action.

That again means Eljif Elmas drops to midfield, with January signing Alisson Santos part of the trident attack with Hojlund and Vergara.

Giovane made the January move from Verona to Napoli, but he is only on the bench with his old club.

Another change sees Alex Meret take the gloves from Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.

Verona remain rock bottom of the table alongside Pisa on just 15 points from 26 rounds, and it will take a miracle to avoid relegation.

They are without a win since December 14 against Fiorentina, managing to scrape together only three draws from their last 11 games.

Nicolas Valentini and Roberto Gagliardini return to the fold after the 3-0 defeat to Sassuolo, but Gift Orban and Moatasem Al-Musrati are suspended.

The absentee list includes Rafik Belghali, Pol Lirola, Antoine Bernede, Sandi Lovric and Suat Serdar.

The attack is led by January arrival Kieron Bowie, who was brought in from Hibernian.

Verona vs. Napoli line-ups

Verona: Montipò; Bella-Kotchap, Nelsson, Edmundsson; Oyegoke, Akpa Akpro, Gagliardini, Harroui, Bradaric; Bowie, Sarr

Napoli: Meret; Beukema, Juan Jesus, Buongiorno; Politano, Lobotka, Elmas, Spinazzola; Vergara, Alisson Santos; Hojlund

28-02-2026 17:00

MatchDay 27

Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi

VER

NAP

1 - 2

Player statistic

1st half

		2'		Rasmus Højlund (Assist: Antonio Vergara)
Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro		45+2'

2nd half

		56'		Antonio Vergara
Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro		64'
		71'		Eljif Elmas
Tomas Suslov		74'
Abdou Harroui		81'
		90'		Juan Jesus
		90+6'		Romelu Lukaku (Assist: Giovane)
		90+7'		Romelu Lukaku

Match statistic

35

Possession %

65

8

Total shots

9

2

Shots on target

5

3

Shots off target

3

3

Blocked shots

1

2

Corners

5

1

Offsides

2

11

Fouls

11

VER

NAP

Starting lineups

1

Lorenzo Montipò

Goalkeeper

5

Andrias Edmundsson

Defender

37

Armel Bella-Kotchap

Defender

55'

2

Daniel Oyegoke

Defender

70'

12

Domagoj Bradaric

Defender

15

Victor Nelsson

Defender

21

Abdou Harroui

Midfielder

82'

11

Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro

Midfielder

82'

63

Roberto Gagliardini

Midfielder

9

Amin Sarr

Attacker

55'

18

Kieron Bowie

Attacker

1

Alex Meret

Goalkeeper

4

Alessandro Buongiorno

Defender

5

Juan Jesus

Defender

37

Leonardo Spinazzola

Defender

52'

31

Sam Beukema

Defender

26

Antonio Vergara

Midfielder

78'

20

Eljif Elmas

Midfielder

68

Stanislav Lobotka

Midfielder

73'

27

Alisson Santos

Attacker

73'

21

Matteo Politano

Attacker

78'

19

Rasmus Højlund

Attacker

Substitutes

34

Simone Perilli

Goalkeeper

94

Giacomo Toniolo

Goalkeeper

6

Nicolás Valentini

Defender

70

Fallou Cham

Defender

90

Ioan Vermesan

Attacker

41

Isaac

Attacker

3

Martin Frese

Defender

55'

25

Daniel Mosquera

Attacker

55'

10

Tomas Suslov

Attacker

70'

36

Cheikh Niasse

Attacker

82'

19

Tobias Slotsager

Defender

82'

14

Nikita Contini

Goalkeeper

32

Vanja Milinković-Savić

Goalkeeper

17

Mathías Olivera

Defender

95

Vincenzo Prisco

Midfielder

23

Giovane Nascimento

Attacker

3

Miguel Gutiérrez

Defender

52'

6

Billy Gilmour

Midfielder

73'

9

Romelu Lukaku

Attacker

73'

30

Pasquale Mazzocchi

Defender

78'

23

Giovane

Attacker

78'

Lukasz Skorupski ‘showed I am back to full fitness’ after a serious injury, with crucial saves for Bologna to eliminate SK Brann and reach the Europa League last 16.

The first leg had been a 1-0 victory in Norway, but as we saw from Juventus, Fiorentina, Atalanta and more, even far bigger margins are no guarantee of qualification.

They had a wobbly start here too, Skorupski and a Remo Freuler goal-line clearance proving decisive, before Jacob Sorensen’s red card on 37 minutes.

Joao Mario drilled in his first goal for the club since his January move from Juventus to seal tonight’s 1-0 win, qualifying 2-0 on aggregate for the Europa League Round of 16.

Skorupski back to his best for Bologna

“It is a great victory, we dedicate it to all these wonderful fans, and it is our fourth consecutive win, so we are very happy,” Skorupski told Sky Sport Italia.

“I had a serious injury three months ago, but it is behind me now, I showed today that I am back to full fitness, and the important thing was to keep going in the Europa League.”

Bologna had a disastrous start to 2026, but have now turned a corner with four consecutive victories in all competition.

In tomorrow’s draw, they will find out if they are paired with Roma or SC Freiburg in the Europa League last 16, so which would the goalkeeper prefer?

“I honestly don’t know, we’ll see what we get and will do our job. We want to keep going as far as possible in Europe.”

Vincenzo Italiano feels Bologna ‘did enough over the two games’ to deserve their Europa League play-off success against SK Brann, as they prepare to face Roma or Freiburg.

The Rossoblu had the benefit of the first leg 1-0 victory in Norway, but were told as they warmed up that Fiorentina had managed to throw away a 3-0 advantage in the Conference League with Jagiellonia.

They still had a shaky start, requiring three big Lukasz Skorupski saves and a Remo Freuler goal-line clearance, but Jacob Sorensen’s red card damaged Brann.

Joao Mario eventually drilled in the winning goal after one of 13 corners, with Benjamin Dominguez hitting the woodwork in stoppages.

Italiano expected Bologna struggle

“The first 20 minutes were honestly what I expected, because Brann only had one result to go for, so they were forced to come out fighting,” Italiano told Sky Sport Italia.

“We made a few too many mistakes, we could’ve done more with Rowe and Bernardeschi in good positions. Once we had an extra man, we made the most of the situation, and I think between the two games, we did enough to deserve qualification.

“Our target was to stay in the Cup competitions in March, we did it in Europe and unfortunately not the Coppa Italia.”

Another reason why Brann were moving in a different gear is that their domestic league is on hiatus, so they’ve been able to focus only on the Europa League.

“It was very important to get the first leg result, because we knew Brann would be in good shape, especially as we have so many matches to contend with. We knew their tempo could be a problem for us, we played an intelligent game in Norway.

“They caused us issues this evening for the first 20 minutes, but we are managing to remain more solid and avoid dangerous counter-attacks, which we allowed too often in recent months.”

Bologna are through to the Europa League Round of 16, and will find out in tomorrow’s draw if they will be paired with SC Freiburg or their fellow Italians Roma.

Jens Odgaard was a substitute this evening, but the coach hits back at suggestions he is no longer a first choice player for Bologna.

“I read someone this week say that Odgaard was pushed to the margins of the squad, that’s just unthinkable. We rested him with so many games, then changed strategy, but he showed when he came off the bench what he can do with that ability to keep the ball. He remains an important player for us, whether he starts or not,” insisted Italiano.

“Joao Mario is introverted, shy, and I think he needs to start smiling more. I was a little worried at first, to be honest, but he relaxed and is now showing why he played regularly for Porto and was signed by Juventus. He can play on the right or left, he did well defensively and scoring a goal today.”

Atalanta, Roma, Bologna and Fiorentina will discover their opponents in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League in Friday’s UEFA draws, as Italian football enters the Round of 16.

There are still four representatives of Serie A in the knockout phase of the UEFA tournaments.

Atalanta overturned a 2-0 first leg deficit to eliminate Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League play-off, and will learn on Friday if they are to face Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the Round of 16.

UEFA could give us an Italian derby

There is a good chance of an Italian derby in the Europa League Round of 16, because Roma already went through as one of the top eight in the league phase.

Bologna eliminated SK Brann 2-0 on aggregate and will be paired either with Roma or SC Freiburg in Friday’s draw.

Roma’s situation is a little more complicated, as they might be drawn against Bologna or KRC Genk (who needed extra time to eliminate GNK Dinamo Zagreb).

Fiorentina are the sole Italian representatives in the Conference League, and squeezed past Jagiellonia in extra time, 5-4 on aggregate.

Their next test will be against either RC Strasbourg or Rakow in the last 16.

Champions League Last 16

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham, Newcastle, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Atalanta, PSG, Sporting CP, Bodo/Glimt, Galatasaray

Europa League Last 16

Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Freiburg, Stuttgart, Braga, Porto, Lyon, Lille, Celta Vigo, Real Betis, Bologna, Roma, Panathinaikos, Midtjylland, Genk, Ferencvaros

Conference League Last 16

Lech Poznan, Rakow, Sparta Prague, Sigma Olomouc, Crystal Palace, Rayo Vallecano, Mainz 05, Fiorentina, Strasbourg, AZ Alkmaar, Shakhtar Donetsk, Samsunspor, AEK Athens, Rijeka, AEK Larnaca, Celje

Bologna are through to the Europa League Round of 16 after another 1-0 victory over SK Brann, decided by Joao Mario after an early red card.

The Rossoblu started 2026 in disastrous form, but managed to turn a corner recently with three consecutive victories in all competition, including the 1-0 first leg result in Norway decided by Santiago Castro. Juan Miranda joined Charalampos Lykogiannis on the treatment table, while Brann were still missing Niklas Castro and Saevar Atli Magnusson. These sides also met here during the league phase in November, and it ended 0-0 despite Lykogiannis seeing red in the opening half-hour.

The winners will face either Roma or Freiburg in the Round of 16, with the draw held on February 27.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

There was a big Brann chance in the opening minutes, as Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson volleyed from a corner through a sea of legs, making it an extraordinary Lukasz Skorupski reaction save with one hand.

The visitors had an even clearer scoring opportunity on 19 minutes, as Skorupski managed to slow down the Noah Holm effort, allowing Remo Freuler to get back for a decisive goal-line clearance.

However, Brann were reduced to 10 men after just 37 minutes when Jacob Sorensen tried and failed to control a bouncing ball, and on the way back down he landed studs-first above Freuler’s knee. It was clumsy more than malicious, much like the Lykogiannis red card when these sides met here in November, but so high that it could not be ignored.

Nonetheless, 10-man Brann still had another great chance moments later, when Thorsteinsson’s curler from outside the area forced a flying Skorupski one-handed save.

Felix Horn Myhre had a very similar error to Sorensen, catching Lewis Ferguson on the arm with a high boot, but this didn’t even warrant a yellow card.

Nadir Zortea’s ferocious cross-shot tested the goalkeeper at the near post after the restart, then Jhon Lucumi’s looping header forced a wonderful flying Mathias Dyngeland save at the top corner.

Bologna continued to pour forward and Rowe’s pull-back from the by-line was deflected, so Joao Mario controlled from 14 yards and hit the half-volley into the near bottom corner.

Substitute Riccardo Orsolini fired straight at the goalkeeper from the edge of the area, then forced another save at the near post.

Orsolini was ready to tap in the Benajmin Dominguez roll across from the left, until a desperate clearance from six yards.

A similar situation saw Rowe pull back from the by-line, only for Dominguez to fire over, then Jens Odgaard’s scuffed finish was put out by Boakye.

In stoppages, Orsolini’s acrobatic bicycle-kick volley was also charged down, but Dominguez was unlucky when he drilled onto the base of the upright.

Bologna 1-0 Brann (2-0 agg)

Joao Mario 56 (Bo)

Sent off: Sorensen 37 (Br)

26-02-2026 20:00

Knockout phase play-offs

Renato Dall'Ara Stadium

Bologna

Brann

1 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Martin Vitik		28'
		37'		Jacob Lungi Sörensen
Federico Bernardeschi		41'

2nd half

João Mário		56'
		78'		Rasmus Holten
Riccardo Orsolini		80'

Match statistic

61

Possession %

39

16

Total shots

7

5

Shots on target

3

3

Shots off target

2

8

Blocked shots

2

13

Corners

1

3

Offsides

0

15

Fouls

9

Bologna

Brann

Starting lineups

1

Lukasz Skorupski

Goalkeeper

26

Jhon Lucumí

Defender

João Mário

Defender

41

Martin Vitik

Defender

62'

20

Nadir Zortea

Defender

11

Jonathan Rowe

Midfielder

19

Lewis Ferguson

Midfielder

6

Nikola Moro

Midfielder

79'

8

Remo Freuler

Midfielder

73'

10

Federico Bernardeschi

Attacker

61'

9

Santiago Castro

Attacker

79'

1

Mathias Dyngeland

Goalkeeper

21

Denzel De Roeve

Defender

3

Fredrik Pallesen Knudsen

Defender

17

Joachim Soltvedt

Defender

85'

4

Nana Kwame Boakye

Defender

8

Felix Horn Myhre

Midfielder

18

Jacob Lungi Sörensen

Midfielder

16

Jón Dagur Thorsteinsson

Attacker

73'

10

Kristall Máni Ingason

Attacker

60'

29

Noah Jean Holm

Attacker

86'

14

Ulrik Mathisen

Attacker

73'

Substitutes

4

Tommaso Pobega

Midfielder

13

Federico Ravaglia

Goalkeeper

28

Nicolò Cambiaghi

Attacker

24

Thijs Dallinga

Attacker

14

Torbjørn Heggem

Defender

25

Massimo Pessina

Goalkeeper

70

Davide Baroncioni

Defender

7

Riccardo Orsolini

Attacker

61'

16

Nicolò Casale

Defender

62'

21

Jens Odgaard

Attacker

73'

Simon Sohm

Midfielder

79'

30

Benja Domínguez

Attacker

79'

24

Mathias Engevik Klausen

Goalkeeper

41

Lars Remmem

Midfielder

27

Mads Sande

Attacker

39

Julian Lægreid

Attacker

40

Jesper Nerhus Eikrem

Midfielder

12

Simen Vidtun Nilsen

Goalkeeper

25

Niklas Jensen Wassberg

Midfielder

23

Thore Pedersen

Defender

60'

43

Rasmus Holten

Defender

73'

32

Markus Haaland

Attacker

73'

20

Vetle Dragsnes

Defender

85'

11

Bard Finne

Attacker

86'

Paolo Vanoli explains where Fiorentina got it so very wrong in the Conference League play-off with Jagiellonia. ‘We had the first leg in our minds.’

This was meant to be a relatively simple evening after winning the first leg 3-0 in Poland, but it proved to be anything but, as Jagiellonia won 3-0 at the Stadio Franchi with a Bartosz Mazurek hat-trick to force extra time.

The Viola did squeeze through 5-4 on aggregate, as Nicolò Fagioli’s lob and a double deflection on Moise Kean’s strike from a corner got them over the line, despite David De Gea’s howler on Jesus Imaz.

Vanoli survived Fiorentina scare

“What I really didn’t want was to go to extra time,” confessed Vanoli on Sky Sport Italia.

“We’ve got to realise that no matter what the result of the first leg, this is a totally new and different match. I didn’t want us to waste energy ahead of a tough Serie A game with Udinese, and so extra time was really not helpful.

“Having said that, we mustn’t see everything negative. I prefer to see this as another valuable lesson, as the team did come out of its shell eventually.”

Fiorentina had seemingly found their form before this with three consecutive victories in all competition, but this was a huge step backwards in terms of attitude and concentration.

“I had told the players to be more careful, that we had only won the first leg thanks to three set play situations. We made the mistake of stepping onto the field with the first leg result in our minds, and made life unnecessarily complicated for ourselves.”

There were also more injury setbacks, as Luca Lezzerini and Manor Solomon went off with muscular issues, though Albert Gudmundsson made his comeback in extra time.

“Both Solomon and Lezzerini felt pain in the rectus femoris, so I doubt either will be available for Monday,” explained Vanoli.

“Gosens had trauma to his cheekbone in extra time too, so that needs to be evaluated by the medical staff.”

The Tuscans will now go into the Conference League Round of 16, and tomorrow in the draw they’ll discover if they are facing RC Strasbourg or Rakow.

“I like the Conference League, I think it helps give us experience to keep improving,” concluded Vanoli.

“We have to change mentality and attitude, because it is different to Serie A. Whoever we get in the draw, we’ll think about it after the Udinese match.”

Moise Kean and Giovanni Fabbian both believe the chaotic 5-4 aggregate win over Jagiellonia in the Conference League will be ‘a valuable lesson’ for Fiorentina, and discuss who scored the goal.

The Viola had thought the job was done for this play-off in the first leg when winning 3-0 in Poland, but threw it away by the 49^th minute to a Bartosz Mazurek hat-trick.

It went to extra time, where Nicolò Fagioli’s lob and a confusing double ricochet off Kean’s effort proved enough, despite David De Gea letting a Jesus Imaz long-range strike squirm in.

Fiorentina risked astonishing exit

“We were a little tired going into the game, but we still should’ve had clearer heads than this,” Kean told Sky Sport Italia after the final whistle and 120 minutes of football.

“We must always keep on learning from our mistakes. It is all about the mentality, we just have to improve on these situations.”

The goal on that corner was initially given to Kean, though it seemed to ricochet off Fabbian and then Jagiellonia midfielder Romanczuk.

“I have no idea who scored the goal, Fabbian told me he turned it in. The important thing is that we scored and went through,” shrugged Kean.

Just as Fiorentina had seemingly turned a corner with three consecutive victories in all competition, this was a big setback in terms of confidence and performance.

“On the goal, the ball definitely hit me. I don’t know if it was instinct or what, but I put my leg in there. The important thing is that we qualified,” Fabbian told Sky Sport Italia.

“It’s disappointing we got into this situation, we could’ve handled it better, and it all depends on us.

“We’ve got to build on the reaction and remember how many aspects we still need to work on, to keep improving. We need to give our all every time we set foot on the pitch. We know what our targets are and must be at the disposal of the coach.

“There are moments in football when you lose concentration, as games seem easy on paper, but there’s no such thing in the modern game. I think this will be a valuable lesson.”

Fiorentina threw away a 3-0 first leg lead to Bartosz Mazurek’s hat-trick, but eventually squeezed past Jagiellonia in extra time to reach the Conference League last 16.

The Viola finally found form with three consecutive wins in all competition, including a 3-0 first leg success in Poland. Jagiellonia welcomed back Afimico Pululu and Taras Romanczuk, who were suspended last week.

The winners will face either RC Strasbourg or Rakow in the Round of 16, with the draw on February 27.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Giovanni Fabbian almost managed to intercept a shaky back-pass, while Roberto Piccoli’s header from a corner was parried.

Slawomir Abramowicz got it all wrong playing out from the back, but made up for his error by making the save on Piccoli at the near post.

Instead, Jagiellonia got the opening goal when Bartosz Mazurek completed a give and go with Pululu, as Luca Lezzerini managed only to slow down the shot rather than keep it out.

Pululu’s header was too weak to trouble Lezzerini, but Jagiellonia lost Kamil Jozwiak to a groin injury after just 36 minutes.

Lezzerini punched a free kick into a crowd and was fortunate that Bernardo Vital ballooned the rebound over an empty net.

On the stroke of half-time, Jagiellonia reduced the aggregate deficit to just one goal, as Mazurek’s effort took a big deflection off Pietro Comuzzo to loop up into the net.

There was more bad news, as Lezzerini picked up a muscular injury and was replaced by David De Gea at half-time.

They came out with a different attitude and substitute Jack Harrison set up a Piccoli header well smothered, but were caught out on the counter to wipe out their first leg lead.

Piccoli wanted a free kick when losing the ball to spark the counter, but it was rolled across from the right, Pululu kept it going and Dodo slipped, allowing Mazurek to complete his hat-trick totally undisturbed at the back post from nine yards.

Nicolò Fagioli’s strike was deflected for a corner, while Manor Solomon’s attempt was charged down, with Fagioli blasting the rebound over.

Jagiellonia also threatened a fourth, but Imaz saw his first touch let him down on a smart through ball.

Piccoli nodded over from seven yards, although the cross was seemingly better placed for Fabbian behind him, and Moise Kean ballooned over from the edge of the box with the last kick of normal time.

It went to extra time, where Kean controlled with his back to goal to have a shot charged down, then scuffed another strike into the goalkeeper’s arms.

The impressive Solomon limped off injured for the return of Albert Gudmundsson, but Fiorentina finally restored their lead on aggregate.

It was a chaotic situation from goalkeeper Abramowicz, who wildly rushed out to punch clear and crashed into his own teammate, allowing Fagioli to intelligently lob into an empty net from the edge of the area.

Robin Gosens nearly scored another, forcing the fingertip save, and they netted on the resulting chaotic corner. Kean’s effort was probably going wide until it ricocheted in off Fabbian’s shin and then Romanczuk from point-blank range.

It still wasn’t over, as De Gea with an uncharacteristic howler completely failed to deal with a long-range Jesus Imaz strike and let it squirm over him.

Bernardo Vital let the situation get to him and received a second yellow card for insulting the referee.

Fiorentina 2-4 Jagiellonia aet (5-4 agg)

B Mazurek 23, 45+3, 49 (J), Fagioli 107 (F), Romanczuk og 114 (F), Imaz 118 (J)

Sent off: Bernardo Vital 120 (J)

26-02-2026 17:45

1/16 Final

Artemio Franchi Stadium

Fiorentina

Jagiellonia Białystok

2 1

2 - 4

Player statistic

1st half

Pietro Comuzzo		7'
		17'		Kamil Jozwiak
		23'		Bartosz Mazurek
		45+3'		Bartosz Mazurek

2nd half

		49'		Bartosz Mazurek (Assist: Afimico Pululu)
		75'		Samed Bazdar
Marin Pongracic		77'

Extra time

		94'		Álex Pozo
Dodô		101'
		105+1'		Taras Romanczuk
Nicolò Fagioli		107'
		110'		Bernardo Vital
Taras Romanczuk		114'
		118'		Jesús Imaz (Assist: Andy Pelmard)
		120'		Bernardo Vital

Match statistic

50

Possession %

50

22

Total shots

15

8

Shots on target

10

9

Shots off target

5

5

Blocked shots

0

6

Corners

3

0

Offsides

1

20

Fouls

22

Fiorentina

Jagiellonia Białystok

Starting lineups

1

Luca Lezzerini

Goalkeeper

46'

2

Dodô

Defender

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

80

Giovanni Fabbian

Midfielder

22

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

62'

29

Niccolò Fortini

Midfielder

46'

21

Robin Gosens

Midfielder

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

62'

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

89'

50

Slawomir Abramowicz

Goalkeeper

70

Andy Pelmard

Defender

27

Bartlomiej Wdowik

Defender

13

Bernardo Vital

Defender

7

Álex Pozo

Midfielder

117'

86

Bartosz Mazurek

Midfielder

106'

11

Jesús Imaz

Midfielder

15

Norbert Wojtuszek

Midfielder

66'

6

Taras Romanczuk

Midfielder

10

Afimico Pululu

Attacker

72

Kamil Jozwiak

Attacker

36'

Substitutes

6

Luca Ranieri

Defender

65

Fabiano Parisi

Defender

60

Eddy Kouadio

Defender

50

Pietro Leonardelli

Goalkeeper

62

Luis Balbo

Defender

63

Piergiorgio Bonanno

Midfielder

10

Albert Gudmundsson

Attacker

100'

Manor Solomon

Attacker

43

David de Gea

Goalkeeper

46'

17

Jack Harrison

Attacker

46'

44

Nicolò Fagioli

Midfielder

62'

20

Moise Kean

Attacker

89'

66

Adrian Damasiewicz

Goalkeeper

85

Eryk Kozlowski

Midfielder

17

Youssuf Sylla

Attacker

9

Dimitris Rallis

Attacker

106'

4

Yuki Kobayashi

Defender

117'

14

Samed Bazdar

Attacker

66'

8

Dawid Drachal

Midfielder

31

Leon Flach

Midfielder

89'

Bologna director Marco Di Vaio reveals he used Fiorentina’s predicament to motivate the team ahead of their Europa League play-off with SK Brann. ‘We passed on the message.’

It kicks off at the Stadio Dall’Ara at 20.00 GMT (21.00 CET).

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

The Rossoblu had been in dismal form to start 2026, but appear to have really turned a corner now with three consecutive victories in all competition.

That included last week’s 1-0 first leg play-off win in Norway, achieved thanks to a Santiago Castro strike.

Di Vaio keeps Bologna on their toes

“We need to be concentrated and have respect,” Di Vaio told Sky Sport Italia.

“We passed on the message to the players of what is happening in Florence, because you can take nothing for granted in Europe.”

As Bologna were warming up, Fiorentina had fumbled a 3-0 first leg advantage in the Conference League play-off with Jagiellonia.

“Our coach did very well, realising the system couldn’t handle three strikers, so we opted to find more solidity, and now want to get a sense of consistency to our results.

“I was a striker, so I know how important it is to help out the defenders. That is fundamental for our approach to football, now Santiago Castro is back on form, we hope Thijs Dallinga will get there too.”

It is a slender advantage in the Europa League play-off, especially considering their record at the Stadio Dall’Ara has been quite poor in the tournament so far this season.

That includes a 0-0 draw with SK Brann in November, albeit when Charalampos Lykogiannis was sent off in the opening half-hour.

It was confirmed yesterday that Juan Miranda will be out for circa three weeks after a muscular injury, joining Lykogiannis on the treatment table.

However, Riccardo Orsolini is struggling for playing time at the moment.

“Orsolini is a reference point on and off the field for us, but he is also very unpredictable as a player,” added Di Vaio.

“We have a strong squad and everyone is important, including Orso. I expect a reaction from him, because he knows that he can be decisive at any moment.”

Santiago Castro, Federico Bernardeschi and Jonathan Rowe lead the attack, as Bologna hope to build on a 1-0 Europa League play-off lead with Brann.

It kicks off at the Stadio Dall’Ara at 20.00 GMT (21.00 CET).

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

The Rossoblu had been in a deep crisis, but managed to turn their campaign around with three consecutive victories in all competition, including a 1-0 first leg result in Norway.

That is a strong start, but not enough to feel secure, especially as their home record has been so poor lately.

There is not a lot of squad rotation, so Castro is flanked by Bernardeschi and Rowe, with Lewis Ferguson in midfield.

Juan Miranda and Charalampos Lykogiannis are injured, while Benjamin Dominguez is in the squad after shaking off flu symptoms.

Brann already visited the Stadio Dall’Ara during the league phase this season, emerging with a 0-0 draw in November, despite playing against 10 men for over an hour.

Niklas Castro and Saevar Atli Magnusson are long-term absentees.

The winners will face either Roma or Freiburg in the Round of 16, with the draw held on February 27.

Bologna vs. Brann line-ups

Bologna: Skorupski; Zortea, Lucumi, Vitik, Joao Mario; Moro, Freuler, Ferguson; Bernardeschi, Castro, Rowe

Brann: Dyngeland; De Roeve, Pallesen, Boakye, Soltvedt; Ingason, Sorensen, Myhre; Mathisen, Holm, Thorsteinsson

Ref: Bastien (FRA)

26-02-2026 20:00

Knockout phase play-offs

Renato Dall'Ara Stadium

Bologna

Brann

1 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Martin Vitik		28'
		37'		Jacob Lungi Sörensen
Federico Bernardeschi		41'

2nd half

João Mário		56'
		78'		Rasmus Holten
Riccardo Orsolini		80'

Match statistic

61

Possession %

39

16

Total shots

7

5

Shots on target

3

3

Shots off target

2

8

Blocked shots

2

13

Corners

1

3

Offsides

0

15

Fouls

9

Bologna

Brann

Starting lineups

1

Lukasz Skorupski

Goalkeeper

26

Jhon Lucumí

Defender

João Mário

Defender

41

Martin Vitik

Defender

62'

20

Nadir Zortea

Defender

11

Jonathan Rowe

Midfielder

19

Lewis Ferguson

Midfielder

6

Nikola Moro

Midfielder

79'

8

Remo Freuler

Midfielder

73'

10

Federico Bernardeschi

Attacker

61'

9

Santiago Castro

Attacker

79'

1

Mathias Dyngeland

Goalkeeper

21

Denzel De Roeve

Defender

3

Fredrik Pallesen Knudsen

Defender

17

Joachim Soltvedt

Defender

85'

4

Nana Kwame Boakye

Defender

8

Felix Horn Myhre

Midfielder

18

Jacob Lungi Sörensen

Midfielder

16

Jón Dagur Thorsteinsson

Attacker

73'

10

Kristall Máni Ingason

Attacker

60'

29

Noah Jean Holm

Attacker

86'

14

Ulrik Mathisen

Attacker

73'

Substitutes

4

Tommaso Pobega

Midfielder

13

Federico Ravaglia

Goalkeeper

28

Nicolò Cambiaghi

Attacker

24

Thijs Dallinga

Attacker

14

Torbjørn Heggem

Defender

25

Massimo Pessina

Goalkeeper

70

Davide Baroncioni

Defender

7

Riccardo Orsolini

Attacker

61'

16

Nicolò Casale

Defender

62'

21

Jens Odgaard

Attacker

73'

Simon Sohm

Midfielder

79'

30

Benja Domínguez

Attacker

79'

24

Mathias Engevik Klausen

Goalkeeper

41

Lars Remmem

Midfielder

27

Mads Sande

Attacker

39

Julian Lægreid

Attacker

40

Jesper Nerhus Eikrem

Midfielder

12

Simen Vidtun Nilsen

Goalkeeper

25

Niklas Jensen Wassberg

Midfielder

23

Thore Pedersen

Defender

60'

43

Rasmus Holten

Defender

73'

32

Markus Haaland

Attacker

73'

20

Vetle Dragsnes

Defender

85'

11

Bard Finne

Attacker

86'

Fiorentina have a 3-0 first leg lead in the Conference League play-off with Jagiellonia, but Paolo Vanoli warns ‘nothing is to be taken for granted, we saw the Champions League comebacks.’

It kicks off at the Stadio Artemio Franchi at 17.45 GMT (18.45 CET).

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

The Viola had been in a disastrous run of form, both in Europe and domestically, but really seem to have turned a corner lately.

Their 3-0 first leg result in Poland was part of a trend that has now seen them win three on the bounce in all competition, but that doesn’t mean qualification to the Round of 16 is guaranteed.

Vanoli warning for Fiorentina in Europe

“We saw the comebacks in the Champions League yesterday, so nothing is to be taken for granted,” Vanoli told Sky Sport Italia.

Atalanta managed to overturn a 2-0 first leg loss to Borussia Dortmund, while Juventus down to 10 men forced Galatasaray to extra time despite a 5-2 first leg deficit.

“We must go out there focused on winning the game, not conceding goals, but also trying not to use up too much energy, because we know the priority is Serie A,” added the Fiorentina coach.

What has changed in their recent transformation of results and performances?

“In recent matches, we have seen a big difference in the number of sprints of our defenders, I showed the players those statistics too. That means we were much more attentive in preventative marking to avoid those situations.

“If you look at our record against the smaller clubs, we dominated the matches, but conceded a lot of goals on the counter-attack. We have changed the spirit, we all defend together and attack together.

“It took a while to achieve that, it was a process, but we are getting there now. It was also a problem of shaking off this cursed and worrying thought, which is we’ll win the next one. It was tough to start a season with one objective and change it so radically, it required a shift in mentality.”

Dodo is suspended for the next Serie A match, so he starts today in a more advanced attacking role, allowing Jack Harrison to rest instead.

Albert Gudmundsson is on the bench after an ankle injury.