Gian Piero Gasperini reveals his bitter regret after Roma fumbled a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3 with Juventus. ‘Our season is full of these situations in the final minutes.’

The Giallorossi have struggled to win the ‘big’ games in Serie A this season, but thought that curse had been broken when leading 3-1 through Wesley, Evan Ndicka and Donyell Malen.

However, they conceded twice in the final 12 minutes plus stoppages, both from crosses knocked on to the back post, as Jeremie Boga and Federico Gatti allowed Juventus to snatch a point.

Gasperini sees where it went wrong for Roma

“The first goal was on a free kick too, we were too passive again,” Gasperini smiled bitterly on DAZN Italia.

“We were in the right positions, but our season is full of these situations in the final minutes, where teams like Juve, Milan, Inter and Napoli manage to get games back on track in the final minutes or even stoppages.

“They throw players forward who are good in the air and on set plays, they picked up a lot of points in these situations. They deserve congratulations for that, but we also could’ve done better, as our defending was too static, when we should’ve been aggressive.”

Yet again, Roma play very well against the top teams, but never quite manage to get a result over the line, despite scoring three goals this time.

“Defending a little deeper is not a bad thing when you have a player like Malen, as that is how he scored the third goal. We should’ve been more physical, so taking Cristante off robbed us of our best player in the air.

“The two goals were very similar, long balls pumped into the box and flicked on to the back post, where we were too passive. That is what we must reproach ourselves for, but not seeking anything else.”

The free kick given away by Neil El Aynaoui on Pierre Kalulu for the equaliser was also avoidable, as Roma have conceded nine of their 19 goals from dead-ball situations this season.

“That’s true, but don’t forget we scored on a corner too. The problem is that a set play was the only way Juve were going to be dangerous, as even when we defended a little deeper, they rarely created chances.”

This result means Roma slide back down to fourth place, now two points behind Napoli, and Como climb into fifth with only a three-point gap from the Giallorossi.

With Inter so far out in front, the fight for those Champions League qualifying spots looks as if it will go down to the wire.

“Obviously, a win here would’ve put us seven points clear of Juventus and represented a big step forward, but we are still up there,” added Gasperini.

“We are in the race, we put in an extraordinary performance, and this result should not knock us down.”

Francisco Conceicao feels ‘if any team deserved to win, then it was’ Juventus after their last-gasp 3-3 equaliser against Roma. ‘I need to score more goals to reach the next level.’

It was a dramatic evening at the Stadio Olimpico, as the Giallorossi had surged into a 3-1 lead with spectacular goals from Wesley, Evan Ndicka and Donyell Malen.

However, after the Francisco Conceicao volley into the top corner, Juve completed the comeback in stoppages with substitutes Jeremie Boga and Federico Gatti for the 3-3 thriller.

Conceicao hit the goal of the game

“It was a good goal, but I am much happier with what we did after going 3-1 down, as it was much more difficult then. The team worked really hard, and I feel if any team deserved to win it, then it was us, as we had some really clear chances,” Conceicao told DAZN Italia.

It was only the Portuguese talent’s fourth goal of the season in 32 competitive games, and he hadn’t found the net since the last meeting with Roma in December.

WHAT A STRIKE FRANCISCO CONCEIÇÃO

Juventus are back in the game, and it's a screamer from the Portuguese winger

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/9lad6dTQWZ

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 1, 2026

“My brothers sent me the video of the goal as soon as I got into the changing room, they said well done,” revealed Conceicao.

“I like to take risks, I give it a go, as I had some opportunities to score goals before this that I didn’t take, but fortunately today the goal helped the team. That is the most important thing.

“In order to reach the next level, I certainly need to score more goals. I am the first to acknowledge that, I am working hard on it in training, I know that playing for Juve, you need to be more effective in front of goal. I am the first to be upset when I don’t score.”

Luciano Spalletti has also been working with Conceicao on how he can influence the game even when the ball isn’t at his feet.

“I have to be the first defender, start the press, go into challenges. Spalletti asks me to play for the team, tells me my quality will emerge eventually if I do that.”

This result means Roma slip down to fourth place and Juventus to sixth, leapfrogged by Como, but the fight for Champions League qualification has tightened up yet again.

There are now only eight points separating five teams from third to seventh, as Napoli, Roma, Como, Juventus and Atalanta are in the thick of battle.

Roma had been in control at 3-1 with spectacular Wesley and Donyell Malen goals, only to let Juventus catch them at 3-3 in stoppages for a thrilling comeback.

This was a pure showdown for the top four, as the Giallorossi welcomed back Paulo Dybala and Stephan El Shaarawy, but were still missing Matias Soulé, Mario Hermoso, Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson. Juve were in crisis after one draw in five competitive games, then on Wednesday beat Galatasaray 3-2 in extra time, only to be eliminated from the Champions League 7-5 on aggregate. Manuel Locatelli sat out a ban, with Dusan Vlahovic, Emil Holm and Arek Milik out, but Pierre Kalulu and Bremer returned.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

There was a double chance in the third minute, as Niccolò Pisilli intercepted a wayward pass out from the back and forced a tricky Mattia Perin save, then Lorenzo Pellegrini fired the rebound over.

Kenan Yildiz and Francisco Conceicao fired over from promising positions, but Perin showed brave goalkeeping when parrying a Donyell Malen effort from point-blank range with his face on the Gianluca Mancini knock-down.

Bryan Cristante charged down a Conceicao curler after good work from Yildiz, while Weston McKennie’s glancing header was inches wide of the far post on a Kalulu cross.

Roma took the lead when Pisilli won a tackle in midfield and threaded through for Wesley, who cut inside to bend a fantastic right-foot finish into the far top corner from the edge of the area, as Perin could only graze his fingertips to it.

What a strike from Wesley Franca He cuts inside and curls beautifully into the far corner to give Roma the lead over Juventus!

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/m5q2jbcf2T

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 1, 2026

David fired over from the edge of the area, but within moments of the restart it was 1-1 with another sensational strike. A Teun Koopmeiners free kick was cleared to the edge of the box, where Bremer laid it off for Francisco Conceicao’s ferocious left-foot half-volley into the far top corner.

WHAT A STRIKE FRANCISCO CONCEIÇÃO

Juventus are back in the game, and it's a screamer from the Portuguese winger

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/9lad6dTQWZ

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 1, 2026

Yildiz drilled wide, but Roma restored their advantage when a Lorenzo Pellegrini corner was taken short, the captain’s cross went over Mancini, but found Evan Ndicka to volley in from six yards. It was the second Serie A game in a row on target for the defender.

The Giallorossi added another when Malen sprung the offside trap on the Manu Kone through ball and dinked the finish over the on-rushing Perin with the outside of the right boot.

Donyell Malen is on fire

Another Serie A goal for the on-loan Aston Villa forward gives Roma a 3-1 lead over Juventus!

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/S2HOtseICn

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 1, 2026

Svilar was right behind a deflected Koopmeiners strike, but it still wasn’t over, as the Edon Zhegrova cross from the right was flicked on for Jeremie Boga to volley at the back post.

Boga’s cross was deflected just over by Ndicka, but Juventus completed the epic comeback from 3-1 down to 3-3 in stoppages. McKennie nodded on the free kick, which grazed Ndicka’s arm, landing kindly for substitute Federico Gatti to fire in from close range.

Roma 3-3 Juventus

Wesley 39 (R), Conceicao 47 (J), Ndicka 53 (R), Malen 65 (R), Boga 78 (J), Gatti 93 (J)

01-03-2026 19:45

MatchDay 27

Stadio Olimpico

Roma

Juventus

3 - 3

Player statistic

1st half

Wesley		27'
Wesley (Assist: Niccolò Pisilli)		39'

2nd half

		47'		Francisco Conceição (Assist: Bremer)
Evan Ndicka (Assist: Lorenzo Pellegrini)		54'
Donyell Malen (Assist: Manu Koné)		65'
		78'		Jeremie Boga
		90+3'		Federico Gatti

Match statistic

46

Possession %

54

11

Total shots

13

5

Shots on target

5

4

Shots off target

6

2

Blocked shots

2

4

Corners

1

2

Offsides

7

Fouls

12

Roma

Juventus

Starting lineups

99

Mile Svilar

Goalkeeper

2

Devyne Rensch

Defender

74'

5

Evan Ndicka

Defender

23

Gianluca Mancini

Defender

43

Wesley

Defender

19

Zeki Celik

Defender

4

Bryan Cristante

Midfielder

74'

7

Lorenzo Pellegrini

Midfielder

90'

17

Manu Koné

Midfielder

61

Niccolò Pisilli

Midfielder

14

Donyell Malen

Attacker

1

Mattia Perin

Goalkeeper

27

Andrea Cambiaso

Defender

89'

3

Bremer

Defender

88'

6

Lloyd Kelly

Defender

15

Pierre Kalulu

Defender

19

Khéphren Thuram

Midfielder

72'

8

Teun Koopmeiners

Midfielder

22

Weston McKennie

Midfielder

7

Francisco Conceição

Attacker

72'

30

Jonathan David

Attacker

62'

10

Kenan Yıldız

Attacker

Substitutes

92

Stephan El Shaarawy

Attacker

21

Paulo Dybala

Attacker

3

Angeliño

Defender

95

Pierluigi Gollini

Goalkeeper

12

Konstantinos Tsimikas

Defender

24

Jan Ziolkowski

Defender

70

Giorgio De Marzi

Goalkeeper

20

Lorenzo Venturino

Attacker

91

Radoslaw Zelezny

Goalkeeper

68

Antonio Arena

Attacker

78

Robinio Vaz

Attacker

87

Daniele Ghilardi

Defender

74'

8

Neil El Aynaoui

Midfielder

74'

97

Bryan Zaragoza

Attacker

90'

23

Carlo Pinsoglio

Goalkeeper

16

Michele Di Gregorio

Goalkeeper

18

Filip Kostic

Midfielder

32

Juan Cabal

Defender

17

Vasilije Adžić

Midfielder

13

Jeremie Boga

Attacker

62'

21

Fabio Miretti

Midfielder

72'

11

Edon Zhegrova

Attacker

72'

4

Federico Gatti

Defender

88'

20

Loïs Openda

Attacker

89'

Watch as Francisco Conceicao hits a scorching finish on the volley into the far top corner, allowing Juventus to cancel out Roma’s opener.

You can follow all the action as it happens from tonight’s big Serie A match on the Liveblog.

#RomaJuve 1-1 pic.twitter.com/uM45G9usFx

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) March 1, 2026

This is a showdown for a top four slot and the importance of the fixture has been reflected in the sheer quality of the goals.

Wesley had already curled a sensational effort into the far top corner to give Roma the lead, but Francisco Conceicao responded with sheer power from a similar position after the restart.

Conceicao turns on the style for Juventus

WHAT A STRIKE FRANCISCO CONCEIÇÃO

Juventus are back in the game, and it's a screamer from the Portuguese winger

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/9lad6dTQWZ

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 1, 2026

A Teun Koopmeiners free kick was cleared to the edge of the box, where Gleison Bremer laid it off for the Portuguese winger, who let it bounce and smashed the strike with his left foot.

The 23-year-old is not known for his prowess in finding the net, as this was only his fourth goal of the season in 32 competitive matches.

Bizarrely, the last goal was also against Roma, during a 2-1 win in Turin on December 20.

CHICO CONCEIÇÃO. THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS

With the sweetest strike, Juventus are level pic.twitter.com/vfk90qUwSg

— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 1, 2026

Juventus director Giorgio Chiellini warns it will be ‘a fight to the last minute to see who gets into the Champions League’ as they face Roma, but Luciano Spalletti’s future is guaranteed.

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

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

There were mixed feelings after Wednesday’s Champions League exit to Galatasaray, as although they ultimately capitulated in extra time 7-5 on aggregate, they had managed to wipe out the 5-2 first leg deficit when down to 10 men.

Chiellini has faith in Juventus

“Roma are a strong team with a great coach, so of course we expected them to challenge for fourth place to the end,” Chiellini told DAZN Italia.

“This is an important game, we need to recover some points we dropped recently, but it will be a fight to the last minute of the last game to see who gets into the Champions League.”

The fact remains, Juventus are now out of the Champions League and the Coppa Italia, while this is a head-to-head for their hope of climbing back into the top four of Serie A.

Before the ‘win’ over Galatasaray, the Bianconeri had lost four and drawn one in all competition.

“It won’t be over tomorrow regardless, but clearly it is an important fixture. Apart from the setback with Como, the only game in the last three months that was a really bad performance, the team has looked solid and with more belief in its abilities.

“I don’t know if we will win, but I do expect to see a mature and confident performance, which we saw on Wednesday.”

Inevitably, Chiellini was again asked if there are any plans to sign coach Spalletti to a long-term contract, seeing as his Juventus deal only runs to June 30.

“Unfortunately in a way we’ll have a lot more time during the week from now on to sit down with Luciano and talk, but for I don’t see anyone else on the Juventus bench for next season. Let’s just do everything at the right time, there’s no rush,” assured Chiellini.

Manuel Locatelli is suspended tonight, with Dusan Vlahovic, Emil Holm and Arek Milik out, but Pierre Kalulu and Gleison Bremer return.

There are a few question marks over what system Juve are using, as so much depends on the versatility of Weston McKennie.

Mattia Perin is also confirmed in goal after recent Michele Di Gregorio howlers.

Roma director Ricky Massara assures they will ‘not be lacking an aggressive, attacking approach’ to Juventus, even if there are some tactical tweaks this evening.

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

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

Paulo Dybala has recovered for a spot on the bench against his old club, but Matias Soulé, Mario Hermoso, Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson are still out of action.

Somewhat surprisingly, Zeki Celik drops into the back three and Niccolò Pisilli seems to be in a more advanced role, bringing in Devyne Rensch on the right.

Roma reshuffle the pack for Juventus clash

“The coach prepared the game this way, but I don’t think the attitude of the team will change. It has a very aggressive, attacking approach in every match, and those elements certainly won’t be lacking this evening,” Massara told DAZN Italia.

Roma have struggled in the big games so far under Gian Piero Gasperini, tending to drop precious points against the stronger opponents.

This is a showdown for the Champions League places, as the Giallorossi are only four points clear of Juve going into this match.

“It’s true that we never lacked performances, even when the results weren’t the maximum, but we have always had very positive games. It’s a wonderful atmosphere this evening and we’re very pleased,” assured Massara.

Bryan Cristante and Gianluca Mancini’s agents are in the stands, while there are also contract talks for Dybala, Celik and Stephan El Shaarawy extensions.

“We are in contact with all the agents of the players, but there are no particular developments right now. We are concentrated on the final weeks of the season, aware we can count on great professionals who have always shown commitment to the club.

“Cristante and Mancini’s contracts expire in 2027, so we are talking, and we’ll inform you when there is news.”

Roberto D’Aversa made the ideal debut on the Torino bench, securing a 2-0 victory over troubled Lazio with Giovanni Simeone and Duvan Zapata goals.

The Granata sacked ex-Lazio boss Marco Baroni this week after scraping one win and one draw in eight Serie A rounds. Emirhan Ilkhan was suspended after his red card against Genoa, with Che Adams not fully fit and Zanos Savva injured. The Aquile had one win in six rounds, but were preparing for Wednesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final against Atalanta. Daniel Maldini, Pedro, Elseid Hysaj, Toma Basic, Nicolò Rovella, Samuel Gigot and Mario Gila missed the trip.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Despite the dismissal of Baroni, Toro fans continued their protest against President Urbano Cairo, so there were very few people in the stands.

The Granata opened the scoring when Duvan Zapata’s shot took a deflection off Alessio Romagnoli to loop up, turning into an accidental assist for Giovanni Simeone to pounce at the back post, flicking it past the on-rushing Ivan Provedel. Oliver Provstgaard tried a desperate goal-line clearance, but couldn’t do it in time. Cholito really does have a remarkable record against Lazio, as this was his 10^th goal past them.

Simeone nearly got a second moments later, Provedel getting down quickly to palm the daisy-cutter round the post.

The Biancocelesti replied when Mattia Zaccagni pulled back from the by-line for Reda Belahyane, whose finish from 14 yards surprised Alberto Paleari, but was cleared practically off the line by Saul Coco.

Lazio made two changes for the restart, but it was Torino who doubled their lead when Rafa Obrador stood up a cross from the left for Duvan Zapata to overpower Provstgaard with a header from six yards.

Tijjani Noslin tested Alberto Paleari from distance with a curler, while Valentino Lazaro’s volley was charged down by Pellegrini, and Torino failed to score from a corner when three players all had free headers from six yards, colliding with each other.

Nuno Tavares sprinted down the left and pulled back from the by-line for a Noslin tap-in, but Enzo Ebosse made a decisive block at the near post.

Paleari was called into a big save at the 87^th minute, flying to palm an Alessio Romagnoli header out from the bar from point-blank range on the corner.

Torino 2-0 Lazio

Simeone 21 (T), Zapata 53 (T)

01-03-2026 17:00

MatchDay 27

Olympic Grande Torino Stadium

Torino

Lazio

2 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Giovanni Simeone		21'
Gvidas Gineitis		45+1'

2nd half

Duván Zapata (Assist: Rafa Obrador)		53'
Nikola Vlasic		79'
Adrien Tameze		90+1'
Sandro Kulenovic		90+2'
		90+4'		Nuno Tavares

Match statistic

45

Possession %

55

13

Total shots

12

5

Shots on target

3

3

Shots off target

4

5

Blocked shots

5

6

Corners

9

Offsides

2

13

Fouls

5

Torino

Lazio

Starting lineups

1

Alberto Paleari

Goalkeeper

44

Ardian Ismajli

Defender

77

Enzo Ebosse

Defender

33

Rafa Obrador

Defender

72'

23

Saúl Coco

Defender

20

Valentino Lazaro

Defender

66

Gvidas Gineitis

Midfielder

68'

98

Matteo Prati

Midfielder

85'

10

Nikola Vlasic

Midfielder

91

Duván Zapata

Attacker

73'

18

Giovanni Simeone

Attacker

84'

94

Ivan Provedel

Goalkeeper

77

Adam Marusic

Defender

13

Alessio Romagnoli

Defender

3

Luca Pellegrini

Defender

65'

25

Oliver Provstgaard

Defender

32

Danilo Cataldi

Midfielder

24

Kenneth Taylor

Midfielder

21

Reda Belahyane

Midfielder

46'

22

Matteo Cancellieri

Attacker

65'

10

Mattia Zaccagni

Attacker

81'

20

Petar Ratkov

Attacker

46'

Substitutes

34

Cristiano Biraghi

Defender

81

Franco Israel

Goalkeeper

13

Guillermo Maripán

Defender

14

Tino Anjorin

Midfielder

19

Ché Adams

Attacker

16

Marcus Pedersen

Defender

35

Luca Marianucci

Defender

92

Alieu Njie

Attacker

99

Lapo Siviero

Goalkeeper

8

Ivan Ilić

Midfielder

68'

25

Niels Nkounkou

Defender

72'

22

Cesare Casadei

Midfielder

73'

17

Sandro Kulenovic

Attacker

84'

61

Adrien Tameze

Midfielder

85'

4

Patric

Defender

29

Manuel Lazzari

Defender

55

Alessio Furlanetto

Goalkeeper

Edoardo Motta

Goalkeeper

71

Valerio Farcomeni

Midfielder

99

Adrian Przyborek

Attacker

14

Tijjani Noslin

Attacker

46'

7

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru

Midfielder

46'

17

Nuno Tavares

Defender

65'

18

Gustav Isaksen

Attacker

65'

19

Boulaye Dia

Attacker

81'

Donyell Malen and Lorenzo Pellegrini lead the Roma attack in this showdown for the top four, as Juventus hope Jonathan David and Kenan Yildiz can end the crisis.

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

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

This is a pure head-to-head for Champions League places, as Juve slipped down the standings and are four points behind the Giallorossi.

Gian Piero Gasperini’s men have been on fine form lately with seven points in the last three rounds, despite missing Paulo Dybala, Matias Soulé, Mario Hermoso, Artem Dovbyk, Evan Ferguson and Stephan El Shaarawy.

There is some good news from the treatment room, as ex-Juve hero Dybala is back on the bench along with El Shaarawy, but Soulé and Hermoso have not recovered.

January signings Malen and Zaragoza have made a strong impact, but Zaragoza is benched in favour of Niccolo’ Pisilli in a more advanced role with Lorenzo Pellegrini.

Zeki Celik also drops into the back three, so Devyne Rensch fills the gap on the wing.

Juventus have had a disastrous run of results, managing one draw in five competitive games before Wednesday’s epic Champions League play-off with Galatasaray.

It was a remarkable performance after Lloyd Kelly’s red card, wiping out the 5-2 first leg deficit only to capitulate in extra time, eliminated even though winning 3-2 on the night.

There are more problems to contend with, as Manuel Locatelli is suspended, though Pierre Kalulu returns from his ban and Gleison Bremer has shaken off a knock.

This leaves only Dusan Vlahovic, Emil Holm and Arek Milik still out injured.

Luciano Spalletti is not fondly remembered at the Stadio Olimpico due to his troubles with Roma legend Francesco Totti.

He uses Francisco Conceicao and Kenan Yildiz behind striker David in what might be a 3-4-2-1 formation, or a 4-2-3-1 depending on Weston McKennie’s role.

Andrea Cambiaso and Juan Cabal were suspended in the Champions League, but return here.

Roma vs. Juventus line-ups

Roma: Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Ndicka; Rensch, Cristante, Koné, Wesley; Pisilli, Pellegrini; Malen

Juventus: Perin; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly; Cambiaso, Thuram, Koopmeiners; Conceicao, McKennie, Yildiz; David

01-03-2026 19:45

MatchDay 27

Stadio Olimpico

Roma

Juventus

3 - 3

Player statistic

1st half

Wesley		27'
Wesley (Assist: Niccolò Pisilli)		39'

2nd half

		47'		Francisco Conceição (Assist: Bremer)
Evan Ndicka (Assist: Lorenzo Pellegrini)		54'
Donyell Malen (Assist: Manu Koné)		65'
		78'		Jeremie Boga
		90+3'		Federico Gatti

Match statistic

46

Possession %

54

11

Total shots

13

5

Shots on target

5

4

Shots off target

6

2

Blocked shots

2

4

Corners

1

2

Offsides

7

Fouls

12

Roma

Juventus

Starting lineups

99

Mile Svilar

Goalkeeper

2

Devyne Rensch

Defender

74'

5

Evan Ndicka

Defender

23

Gianluca Mancini

Defender

43

Wesley

Defender

19

Zeki Celik

Defender

4

Bryan Cristante

Midfielder

74'

7

Lorenzo Pellegrini

Midfielder

90'

17

Manu Koné

Midfielder

61

Niccolò Pisilli

Midfielder

14

Donyell Malen

Attacker

1

Mattia Perin

Goalkeeper

27

Andrea Cambiaso

Defender

89'

3

Bremer

Defender

88'

6

Lloyd Kelly

Defender

15

Pierre Kalulu

Defender

19

Khéphren Thuram

Midfielder

72'

8

Teun Koopmeiners

Midfielder

22

Weston McKennie

Midfielder

7

Francisco Conceição

Attacker

72'

30

Jonathan David

Attacker

62'

10

Kenan Yıldız

Attacker

Substitutes

92

Stephan El Shaarawy

Attacker

21

Paulo Dybala

Attacker

3

Angeliño

Defender

95

Pierluigi Gollini

Goalkeeper

12

Konstantinos Tsimikas

Defender

24

Jan Ziolkowski

Defender

70

Giorgio De Marzi

Goalkeeper

20

Lorenzo Venturino

Attacker

91

Radoslaw Zelezny

Goalkeeper

68

Antonio Arena

Attacker

78

Robinio Vaz

Attacker

87

Daniele Ghilardi

Defender

74'

8

Neil El Aynaoui

Midfielder

74'

97

Bryan Zaragoza

Attacker

90'

23

Carlo Pinsoglio

Goalkeeper

16

Michele Di Gregorio

Goalkeeper

18

Filip Kostic

Midfielder

32

Juan Cabal

Defender

17

Vasilije Adžić

Midfielder

13

Jeremie Boga

Attacker

62'

21

Fabio Miretti

Midfielder

72'

11

Edon Zhegrova

Attacker

72'

4

Federico Gatti

Defender

88'

20

Loïs Openda

Attacker

89'

Lorenzo Insigne came full circle today, as after more than 5,000 days he started as Pescara captain and scored for their victory over Palermo in Serie B.

The 34-year-old former Italy, Napoli and Toronto FC star made his name on loan at Pescara in Serie B during the 2011-12 campaign.

Zdenek Zeman was the coach, and his teammates for the Delfini were Ciro Immobile and Marco Verratti, all of them going on to stellar careers.

Pescara homecoming for Insigne

The striker returned to Pescara as a free agent in January after his contract with Toronto FC expired and today had his first start for the club in nearly 14 years, wearing the captain’s armband.

It became an even more special occasion, because Insigne also scored in their 2-1 comeback victory over Palermo.

His last goal for the club had also been at the Stadio Adriatico in May 2012, a gap of 5,041 days.

Sombrero, tunnel e gol
Il ritorno da titolare di 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙖 è una gioia per gli occhi #Insigne #SerieBKT #DAZN pic.twitter.com/YIZscqJYRa

— DAZN Italia (@DAZN_IT) March 1, 2026

Despite this result, Pescara remain rock bottom of the Serie B table with four wins, nine draws and 14 defeats.

Insigne ©apitano del Pescara è la cosa più romantica che vedremo oggi #Insigne #SerieBKT #DAZN pic.twitter.com/F4T0l0ievL

— DAZN Italia (@DAZN_IT) March 1, 2026

Raffaele Palladino insists Atalanta must not use their Champions League exploits as ‘an alibi’ for the defeat to 10-man Sassuolo. ‘The real regret was the second goal.’

It is not the first time that La Dea have suffered a Champions League hangover, as the incredible comeback from a 2-0 first leg deficit to eliminate Borussia Dortmund 4-1 on the night took a lot out of this squad.

Even then, they capitulated 2-1 to a Sassuolo side who were down to 10 men since the 16^th minute, when Andrea Pinamonti saw red for a studs-up tackle.

A closer look from @MikeGrella10 and @Bonetti at how Atalanta were undone despite the numerical advantage pic.twitter.com/pYSxkpLFPi

— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 1, 2026

Nonetheless, Ismael Koné and Kristian Thorstvedt turned in Armand Laurienté assists, with Yunus Musah’s late strike not enough to turn it around, as there were decisive Arijanet Muric fingertip saves in stoppages.

Palladino expected more from Atalanta

“I don’t feel we lacked sharpness, because we took the right approach, so using the Champions League as an alibi is not right,” Palladino told DAZN Italia.

“We were in full control of the match, we had the right attitude, respected our opponents, but oddly after the red card it was Sassuolo who gained confidence. They started to defend deep and we struggled to break them down.

“We moved the ball around too slowly, didn’t go down the wings enough, and didn’t go for the spaces. We did better after the break, went towards different zones that we could attack, but the big regret is conceding that second goal. It made everything more complicated.

“There were chances, but getting a goal back at the 88^th minute was too late to really change things, even if we hit the woodwork in stoppages.”

Palladino made a triple substitution at half-time, but he did not introduce another centre-forward, replacing Gianluca Scamacca with Nikola Krstovic.

“Sassuolo were defending 4-4-1, so to add another striker would’ve just played into their hands. We needed to attack them down the wings, which we didn’t do effectively enough in the first half. We lacked something on the final ball, but I was convinced we could score, the big regret was conceding the second. We could’ve stopped Laurienté earlier, that was the big mistake.”

This was the first defeat of 2026 for Atalanta in Serie A, since December 28 against Inter, and will damage their hopes of breaking back into the top four.

“I analysed the team, and if I had seen them start badly, I might’ve considered us being distracted by midweek, but I didn’t see that. It’s disappointing, but these things can happen, we must put it behind us and focus immediately on the Coppa Italia.”

Atalanta will face Lazio in the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg on Wednesday, as the squad is becoming stretched rather thin by all these tournaments.

Fabio Grosso feels Sassuolo ‘wrote their names in the history books of this club’ with a 2-1 victory over Atalanta when down to 10 men. ‘It’s the icing on the cake with a big cherry on top.’

The Neroverdi are on spectacular form, winning five of their last six Serie A matches, and flying into eighth place in the table.

It is all the more remarkable, as Andrea Pinamonti received a straight red card after just 16 minutes for a studs-up tackle on Berat Djimsiti’s ankle.

Nonetheless, Ismael Koné and Kristian Thorstvedt turned in Armand Laurienté assists, and although Yunus Musah got one back late on, Arijanet Muric had a series of decisive fingertip saves to keep the points secure.

Grosso hails ‘crazy’ Sassuolo

“It was a crazy game. The lads wrote their names in the history books of this club,” Grosso told DAZN Italia.

Although they had been doing well, Sassuolo had not yet managed to beat one of the big clubs this season.

“We had been looking for the icing on the cake, and this was the icing with a big cherry on top. Our opponents were coming off the Champions League, but are also very strong. Our defenders were solid, determined, it’s not easy to keep that concentration for 90 minutes.

“We’re glad to have picked up some important points, and to achieve it with a performance like this.”

There was more bad luck for Sassuolo today, as Alieu Fadera had been on the pitch for just five minutes when he had to be substituted, left dazed by an aerial collision with Sead Kolasinac.

“Everyone worked so hard today, both those who started and who came off the bench. We are often very attacking and ambitious, but oddly we used up less energy today than usual, because we were so very concentrated,” added Grosso.

“My lads achieved something truly remarkable today.”

Considering he is back to fitness and such fine form, should Domenico Berardi be called up for Italy’s World Cup play-offs?

“He is my player, so of course I am his sponsor, but the coach and his staff will know what to do in order to take Italy back to where we belong, and haven’t been for a while.”

Being a newly-promoted side, the Neroverdi can now look to the final weeks of the campaign without pressure, and potentially even aim for Europe.

“It’s easy to forget that we were coming from Serie B, so it’s not easy to make that leap, and we’ve seen many other teams struggle badly. So we don’t want to settle, we know that every match is an opportunity, and we will go for points in every game.

“That is the objective, because we are nearly there, but not mathematically sure of safety yet,” concluded Grosso.

Just days after their historic Champions League night, Atalanta crumbled against a Sassuolo side that was down to 10 men for well over an hour, with Ismael Koné and Kristian Thorstvedt goals.

La Dea completed an epic comeback from 2-0 down in the first leg to knock Borussia Dortmund out of the Champions League. Ederson, Charles De Ketelaere and Giacomo Raspadori were still out, with Honest Ahanor suffering from flu symptoms. Sassuolo welcomed back Nemanja Matic and Tarik Muharemovic from suspension, though Sebastian Walukiewicz was banned instead, with Daniel Boloca, Fali Cande and Edoardo Pieragnolo injured after four wins in the last five.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It was wide open from the start, as Nicola Zalewski couldn’t keep his lob on target after springing the offside trap, then Marco Carnesecchi got down for a one-handed save on Thorstvedt’s glancing header.

The game changed after just 16 minutes when the referee showed a straight red card to Andrea Pinamonti, who didn’t see Berat Djimsiti until it was too late, going into a sliding tackle with studs-up on the defender’s ankle.

Despite being down to 10 men, Sassuolo still took the lead when Ismael Koné was ready to bundle an Armand Laurienté corner over the line from close range.

Arijanet Muric did well to palm away the Raoul Bellanova header from Lorenzo Bernasconi’s cross, but Sassuolo nearly got a second when Muharemovic nodded a Domenico Berardi free kick over from six yards.

Raffaele Palladino made a triple change at half-time, and substitutes Nikola Krstovic and Davide Zappacosta turned over from promising situations.

There was also a wonderful Sassuolo move including Koné back-heel flick for Laurienté, but Berat Djimsiti would not let the striker turn.

Despite being down to 10 men from the 16^th minute, the hosts doubled their lead when Thorstvedt swept into the top corner from the edge of the area with the inside of the left boot, an unstoppable finish on another Laurienté assist.

Muric flew to palm away the Krstovic header moments later, but Alieu Fadera’s game lasted only a couple of minutes before he was left badly dazed by an aerial collision with Sead Kolasinac.

The best opportunity for Atalanta was in the final minutes, Muric doing just enough to deflect a Samardzic tap-in onto the upright from Zappacosta’s assist.

The situation was repeated and this time Yunus Musah was ready to sweep in another Zappacosta pull-back from the right to set up a tense finale.

It could’ve been 2-2 in stoppages, but Muric fingertipped the Giorgio Scalvini looping header onto the bar from a Mario Pasalic cross.

A deflected Zappacosta shot ricocheted into the path of Krstovic, closed down by a desperate Jay Idzes block.

Sassuolo 2-1 Atalanta

Koné 23 (S), Thorstvedt 69 (S), Musah 88 (A)

Sent off: Pinamonti 16 (S)

01-03-2026 14:00

MatchDay 27

Mapei Stadium - Città del Tricolore

Sassuolo

Atalanta

2 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Jay Idzes		12'
Andrea Pinamonti		16'
		21'		Lorenzo Bernasconi
Ismaël Koné (Assist: Armand Lauriente)		23'

2nd half

Nemanja Matic		57'
		58'		Nicola Zalewski
Kristian Thorstvedt (Assist: Armand Lauriente)		69'
		88'		Yunus Musah (Assist: Davide Zappacosta)

Match statistic

24

Possession %

76

7

Total shots

26

5

Shots on target

7

1

Shots off target

11

1

Blocked shots

8

3

Corners

9

1

Offsides

4

3

Fouls

13

Sassuolo

Atalanta

Starting lineups

49

Arijanet Muric

Goalkeeper

21

Jay Idzes

Defender

80

Tarik Muharemovic

Defender

23

Ulisses Garcia

Defender

25

Woyo Coulibaly

Defender

90

Ismaël Koné

Midfielder

89'

42

Kristian Thorstvedt

Midfielder

18

Nemanja Matic

Midfielder

74'

99

Andrea Pinamonti

Attacker

45

Armand Lauriente

Attacker

73'

10

Domenico Berardi

Attacker

73'

29

Marco Carnesecchi

Goalkeeper

19

Berat Djimsiti

Defender

76'

42

Giorgio Scalvini

Defender

47

Lorenzo Bernasconi

Defender

46'

16

Raoul Bellanova

Defender

46'

23

Sead Kolasinac

Defender

10

Lazar Samardžić

Midfielder

8

Mario Pasalic

Midfielder

15

Marten de Roon

Midfielder

59

Nicola Zalewski

Midfielder

67'

9

Gianluca Scamacca

Attacker

46'

Substitutes

7

Cristian Volpato

Midfielder

19

Filippo Romagna

Defender

12

Giacomo Satalino

Goalkeeper

16

Gioele Zacchi

Goalkeeper

13

Stefano Turati

Goalkeeper

24

Luca Moro

Attacker

40

Aster Vranckx

Midfielder

50

Darryl Bakola

Midfielder

66

Pedro Felipe

Defender

8

M’Bala Nzola

Attacker

73'

35

Luca Lipani

Midfielder

74'

44

Edoardo Iannoni

Midfielder

79'

20

Alieu Fadera

Midfielder

3

Josh Doig

Defender

89'

31

Francesco Rossi

Goalkeeper

57

Marco Sportiello

Goalkeeper

5

Mitchel Bakker

Defender

3

Odilon Kossounou

Defender

45

Dominic Vavassori

Midfielder

77

Davide Zappacosta

Defender

46'

90

Nikola Krstovic

Attacker

46'

7

Kamaldeen Sulemana

Midfielder

46'

6

Yunus Musah

Midfielder

67'

4

Isak Hien

Defender

76'

Ange-Yoan Bonny limped off during Inter’s win over Genoa and is expected to miss the Coppa Italia semi-final against Como, but could recover to face Milan.

The Nerazzurri put their Champions League disappointment behind them with a 2-0 result at San Siro last night, thanks to goals from Federico Dimarco and Hakan Calhanoglu.

Bonny hobbled off the field with a muscular issue and coach Cristian Chivu said in post-match interviews he did not know what the problem was.

Inter dealing with Bonny problem

According to multiple reports, Bonny is still not fully recovered, although tests to show potential lesions are considered unnecessary for now.

It therefore seems unlikely the former Parma striker will be picked for Tuesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final first leg against Como.

With Lautaro Martinez already out for a while with a calf strain he suffered against Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League play-off, this leaves few alternatives.

Marcus Thuram should therefore partner Francesco Pio Esposito upfront in the traditional 3-5-2 formation.

Inter do not want to take any risks, as next weekend is the Derby della Madonnina with Serie A rivals Milan.

Raffaele Palladino tries to keep Atalanta’s feet on the ground after their Champions League whirlwind, as they visit on form Sassuolo. ‘It’s a different tournament entirely.’

It kicks off at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia at 14.00 GMT (15.00 CET).

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

La Dea had an extraordinary few days, recovering from a goal down to beat Napoli 2-1 in Serie A and close on the top four, then fighting back from a 2-0 first leg deficit to eliminate Borussia Dortmund from the Champions League.

It allowed them to set up a Round of 16 showdown with Bayern Munich, with the Bergamo boys the only remaining Italian representatives in that competition.

Atalanta flying high in all competitions

“We have to focus on recovering the physical and mental energy, as the Champions League saps you of both those elements,” Palladino told DAZN Italia.

“The mentality is the most important thing, detaching totally from the Champions League, and focusing on a different tournament entirely. We are up against a We have to throw ourselves straight back into Serie A.

“We are against a Sassuolo side that won four of its last five games, we studied them carefully, and must pay attention to all the details.”

On top of that, Atalanta are also preparing for Wednesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final against Lazio.

There are some issues to deal with, as along with long-term absentees Charles De Ketelaere and Giacomo Raspadori, Atalanta are also missing Ederson with muscular issues, and Honest Ahanor has flu symptoms.

“Ahanor had a fever yesterday and was not well this morning either, while we are evaluating Ederson one day at a time. We had been hoping to get him back for this game, but we couldn’t manage it, so we hope he’ll be back as soon as possible,” explained Palladino.

Sead Kolasinac starts despite ending the midweek match with cramp, while Nikola Krstovic is on the bench after getting stitches on the head injury he sustained winning that last-gasp penalty, converted by Lazar Samardzic.

“Sama did well to make sure he was ready when called upon, as he always worked hard even when not getting much space. He took his opportunity, and has had more consistency since De Ketelaere’s injury. This is another chance to prove himself.”

Sassuolo: Muric; Coulibaly, Muharemovic, Idzes, Garcia; Thorstvedt, Matic, Koné; Berardi, Pinamonti, Laurienté

Atalanta: Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Djimsiti, Kolasinac; Bellanova, De Roon, Pasalic, Bernasconi; Samardzic, Zalewski; Scamacca

Milan needed an unorthodox last-minute Strahinja Pavlovic goal to break Cremonese down, then Rafael Leao made up for big misses with a stoppage-time tap-in.

The Rossoneri suffered only two Serie A defeats this season, the opening weekend with Cremonese and last week against Parma, both at San Siro. Ruben Loftus-Cheek was ruled out for a couple of months by a facial fracture, with Matteo Gabbia and Santiago Gimenez also injured. The hosts had just four draws and three goals scored in the last 12 rounds, missing Federico Baschirotto, Faris Moumbagna and Michele Collocolo.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Francesco Folino made a desperate interception to stop Rafael Leao tapping in the Adrien Rabiot cross from six yards, while Alexis Saelemaekers drilled wide from the edge of the area.

Cremonese came close when Federico Bonazzoli’s volley on a Giuseppe Pezzella cross was deflected inches wide, then on the resulting corner Jamie Vardy swung just off target too.

Rafael Leao looked as if he simply had to score on 34 minutes when sent through by Youssouf Fofana, had drawn out Emil Audero, only to incredibly drill wide of the empty net from nine yards.

Christian Pulisic also sprung the offside trap on another wonderful Fofana pass, but this time Audero came flying out and managed to get a fingertip to the American’s finish. On the resulting corner, Rabiot nodded just over the bar.

Vardy’s strike was charged down in the area by Fikayo Tomori and a Luperto effort deflected over, but Leao wasted another golden opportunity when prodding the Rabiot assist over from six yards as Audero rushed off his line to narrow the angle.

Jari Vandeputte ballooned over from the edge of the box on an Alessio Zerbin pull-back, while Niclas Fullkrug failed to get the tap-in on a Leao roll across, falling awkwardly in the process.

Filippo Terracciano felled former teammate Leao and was booked, so will be suspended for the relegation battle against Lecce, while Fullkrug had penalty appeals waved away for a tussle with Luperto.

Maignan made a tricky one-handed save on the Luperto header going under the bar from a free kick, and Fullkrug couldn’t keep his header down on a Modric cross from a corner.

Davide Bartesaghi went off clutching the back of his right thigh after earning a corner, but as the set play was taken short and Modric whipped in the cross, Koni De Winter glanced it with his head, it struck Pavlovic on the face and shoulder before going in at the back post. Milan rushed to celebrate with Bartesaghi, who was still being helped off the field by medical staff.

Cremonese were unbalanced seeking an equaliser and conceded another on the counter in stoppages. Fullkrug flicked on the ball for Christopher Nkunku to sprint from the centre-circle, rolling across for Leao to sweep in from eight yards with the inside of the right boot.

Cremonese 0-2 Milan

Pavlovic 90 (M), Leao 94 (M)

01-03-2026 11:30

MatchDay 27

Stadio Giovanni Zini

Cremonese

Milan

0 - 2

Player statistic

2nd half

Filippo Terracciano		76'
Youssef Maleh		85'
		89'		Strahinja Pavlovic (Assist: Koni De Winter)
		90+4'		Rafael Leão (Assist: Christopher Nkunku)

Match statistic

47

Possession %

53

15

Total shots

20

3

Shots on target

6

7

Shots off target

9

5

Blocked shots

5

6

Corners

7

2

Offsides

3

14

Fouls

10

Cremonese

Milan

Starting lineups

1

Emil Audero

Goalkeeper

55

Francesco Folino

Defender

3

Giuseppe Pezzella

Defender

15

Matteo Bianchetti

Defender

66'

5

Sebastiano Luperto

Defender

27

Jari Vandeputte

Midfielder

82'

2

Morten Thorsby

Midfielder

29

Youssef Maleh

Midfielder

7

Alessio Zerbin

Attacker

66'

90

Federico Bonazzoli

Attacker

10

Jamie Vardy

Attacker

66'

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

89'

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

78'

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

12

Adrien Rabiot

Midfielder

56

Alexis Saelemaekers

Midfielder

62'

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

62'

11

Christian Pulisic

Attacker

78'

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

Substitutes

69

Lapo Nava

Goalkeeper

16

Marco Silvestri

Goalkeeper

99

Antonio Sanabria

Attacker

23

Federico Ceccherini

Defender

38

Warren Bondo

Midfielder

32

Martín Payero

Midfielder

22

Romano Floriani Mussolini

Defender

30

Mika Faye

Defender

24

Filippo Terracciano

Midfielder

66'

9

Milan Djuric

Attacker

66'

4

Tommaso Barbieri

Defender

66'

33

Alberto Grassi

Midfielder

82'

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

30

Ardon Jashari

Midfielder

37

Matteo Pittarella

Goalkeeper

27

David Odogu

Defender

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

62'

9

Niclas Füllkrug

Attacker

62'

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

78'

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

78'

2

Pervis Estupiñán

Defender

89'

Milan director Igli Tare reminds fans that their target for this season was always Champions League qualification, so they ‘look to the future with great enthusiasm’ despite recent setbacks.

Their trip to Cremonese kicks off at the Stadio Giovanni Zini in Cremona at 11.30 GMT (12.30 CET).

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

The Rossoneri have stumbled in recent weeks and fell 10 points behind leaders Inter, 13 following last night’s Nerazzurri victory over Genoa, so the pressure is on to keep up the pace.

With the Derby della Madonnina coming up next weekend, the Scudetto race may well be over already by early March.

Tare looks at the big picture for Milan

“Looking at last season’s results, our objective was to bring stability, to build a team that can achieve important objectives like Champions League qualification. In that sense, I think the club and squad have done a good job,” Tare told DAZN Italia.

“Don’t forget more than 12 new players arrived, so it is a new project, some points can be dropped along the way, but we remain concentrated, and above all aware we must look to the future with great enthusiasm.”

Milan were unbeaten since the opening weekend, until last week’s surprise 1-0 home defeat to Parma, with some refereeing controversy over how the decisive goal was allowed.

“In football, we have seen anything is possible. A defeat cannot remove the belief we built over six consecutive months. We also saw how that defeat happened, without getting into controversy,” added Tare.

“We have the chance now to play a good game and prepare for the derby with enthusiasm.”

Max Allegri said that there were often different ideas within the club on how to build going forward, so how is Tare forming the squad?

“We work as a unit, sharing ideas, and knowing that next season will be different to this one, with additional commitments. Milan must be competitive for next season too. If you don’t manage to find a way through, then that is a problem, so while there might be different ideas, the most important thing is the good of Milan,” concluded Tare.

Milan hope Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic and Luka Modric can secure revenge against Jamie Vardy’s Cremonese and keep up with leaders Inter ahead of the derby.

It kicks off at the Stadio Giovanni Zini in Cremona at 11.30 GMT (12.30 CET).

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

The pressure is on the Rossoneri to keep up the pace with Inter, who beat Genoa 2-0 last night to temporarily extend the gap to 13 points.

They are fresh off a shock 1-0 home defeat to Parma, and their only other Serie A loss had been against Cremonese in the opening weekend.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek suffered a nasty facial fracture in that game and will be out for two months, while Matteo Gabbia pulled up in the warm-up of that match and is still out of action.

Santiago Gimenez is the long-term absentee, but Leao and Pulisic reunite in attack, with support from Modric, Adrien Rabiot and returning Youssouf Fofana.

There is also danger, as Fofana, Rabiot, Alexis Saelemaekers and Zachary Athekame are one yellow card away from suspension for the derby with Inter.

Cremonese might’ve started the season strong, but they’ve had disastrous recent form, managing four draws in the last 12 rounds.

Their last victory was 2-0 against Lecce on December 7 and it’s clear where the problems lie, scoring just three goals ever since.

Federico Baschirotto, Faris Moumbagna and Michele Collocolo are all injured, but Romano Floriani Mussoli returns to the bench.

Vardy was dropped last week against Roma, but returns to the starting XI this morning instead of January signing Milan Djuric.

It is a special game for Filippo Terracciano and Warren Bondo, who are on loan from Milan, but on the bench initially.

Cremonese vs. Milan line-ups

Cremonese: Audero; Folino, Bianchetti, Luperto; Zerbin, Thorsby, Maleh, Vandeputte, Pezzella; Bonazzoli, Vardy

Milan: Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Leao

01-03-2026 11:30

MatchDay 27

Stadio Giovanni Zini

Cremonese

Milan

0 - 2

Player statistic

2nd half

Filippo Terracciano		76'
Youssef Maleh		85'
		89'		Strahinja Pavlovic (Assist: Koni De Winter)
		90+4'		Rafael Leão (Assist: Christopher Nkunku)

Match statistic

47

Possession %

53

15

Total shots

20

3

Shots on target

6

7

Shots off target

9

5

Blocked shots

5

6

Corners

7

2

Offsides

3

14

Fouls

10

Cremonese

Milan

Starting lineups

1

Emil Audero

Goalkeeper

55

Francesco Folino

Defender

3

Giuseppe Pezzella

Defender

15

Matteo Bianchetti

Defender

66'

5

Sebastiano Luperto

Defender

27

Jari Vandeputte

Midfielder

82'

2

Morten Thorsby

Midfielder

29

Youssef Maleh

Midfielder

7

Alessio Zerbin

Attacker

66'

90

Federico Bonazzoli

Attacker

10

Jamie Vardy

Attacker

66'

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

89'

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

78'

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

12

Adrien Rabiot

Midfielder

56

Alexis Saelemaekers

Midfielder

62'

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

62'

11

Christian Pulisic

Attacker

78'

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

Substitutes

69

Lapo Nava

Goalkeeper

16

Marco Silvestri

Goalkeeper

99

Antonio Sanabria

Attacker

23

Federico Ceccherini

Defender

38

Warren Bondo

Midfielder

32

Martín Payero

Midfielder

22

Romano Floriani Mussolini

Defender

30

Mika Faye

Defender

24

Filippo Terracciano

Midfielder

66'

9

Milan Djuric

Attacker

66'

4

Tommaso Barbieri

Defender

66'

33

Alberto Grassi

Midfielder

82'

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

30

Ardon Jashari

Midfielder

37

Matteo Pittarella

Goalkeeper

27

David Odogu

Defender

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

62'

9

Niclas Füllkrug

Attacker

62'

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

78'

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

78'

2

Pervis Estupiñán

Defender

89'

Cristian Chivu insists ‘the Scudetto is not won yet’ after their eighth consecutive Serie A victory, beating Genoa 2-0. ‘We’ve had ups and downs, the players never grumble.’

The Nerazzurri needed a boost after the surprising Champions League elimination at the hands of Bodo/Glimt, as they lost both home and away legs of the play-off.

It was a tough slog to break down Genoa, as they needed a moment of Federico Dimarco magic with that volley, followed by a Hakan Calhanoglu penalty for Alex Amorim’s handling offence.

Chivu keeps Inter on their toes

“We were well aware of the importance of this match for what we’ve done and want to do in the final weeks of the season,” Chivu told Sky Sport Italia.

“I’ll take these three points, because it was not easy, we were facing a team in good shape that knows how to cause problems. It was out 16^th game in 50-odd days, so we needed to keep it going.

“Dimarco is in his best form, helping us to achieve our ambitions, as are all the players.”

This result means Inter are momentarily 13 points clear at the top of the Serie A table, awaiting Milan’s match with Cremonese on Sunday, after eight consecutive victories.

It is remarkable that Inter have won 14 of their last 15 Serie A games, but crashed out so sluggishly from the Champions League.

“We prepare every match in the best way, mentally and physically, treating every game the same way without looking at the name of our opponents,” explained Chivu.

“That is what we have been trying to do since the start of the season. There are 11 rounds to go, 33 points up for grabs, so the Scudetto is not won yet. We’ve had ups and downs, but want to build on all the good things we’ve done in the last two and a half months.”

They are also preparing for the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final against Como on Tuesday evening, then the Derby della Madonnina with Milan next weekend.

“All 24 players work hard and have a winning mentality, they never grumble, and always accept the reality of the situation whether it’s in Serie A, the Cup or Champions League. We want to be competitive, we’ve had ups and downs, but we have ambition and are in good shape,” assured Chivu.

Only twice before in their history, in 2006-07 and 2023-24, have the Nerazzurri picked up at least 67 points after 27 Serie A rounds.

Daniele De Rossi admits Genoa ‘have to accept Inter are better than us’ after a 2-0 defeat, but he has ‘hope’ they can escape relegation.

The Grifone were coming off a morale-boosting 3-0 victory over Torino, but knew that it would be a tougher task at San Siro against the runaway Serie A leaders.

Nonetheless, it took an extraordinary piece of skill to break the deadlock, when Federico Dimarco met Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s dinked pass for a sensational volley.

Hakan Calhanoglu doubled the lead from the spot after Alex Amorim’s handling offence in the second half, sealing the 2-0 result.

De Rossi expected more from Genoa

“We conceded the second goal when we were trying to push forward and equalise,” De Rossi told Sky Sport Italia.

“I am not satisfied with our performance. We know Inter are the strongest team in Serie A, but we still didn’t do all that we could’ve done to cause them problems.

“I knew we’d need a perfect performance to bring home a result, we didn’t come here to lose, but we have to accept they are better than us.”

Genoa have managed to clamber out of the relegation zone with some positive results, but even strong performances were not enough to avoid defeats to Lazio, Napoli and now Inter.

“Our position in the table is still not good, but there is a long way to go,” added the coach.

“I think we are on the right track and have the quality it takes to get out of this situation, just look at how we played against Lazio and Napoli.”

Since taking the job on November 6 from Patrick Vieira, De Rossi has overseen five wins, six draws and six defeats in Serie A.

“There is a team in mind that I want to build, but the fact remains we don’t have much time to work on that, and the transfer window is closed too, so we have to work with what we’ve got.

“We’re on the right track, these lads are giving me hope,” concluded De Rossi.

Federico Dimarco insists his many goals and assists ‘won’t be worth much’ if Inter don’t win silverware, while Hakan Calhanoglu reveals he wasn’t meant to take the penalty against Genoa.

The mood in the Nerazzurri camp was poor after their midweek Champions League exit to Bodo/Glimt, having lost both home and away in the play-off.

It was also tough to break down Daniele De Rossi’s Genoa, as it required a sensational Dimarco volley from the tightest of angles to beat Justin Bijlow.

The 2-0 result was sealed in the second half by substitute Calhanoglu’s penalty, awarded for an Alex Amorim handling offence.

Dimarco and Calhanoglu focus on Inter silverware

“It is never easy after a defeat, but every time this team has lost a match, it has got back on track stronger than before,” Dimarco told Sky Sport Italia.

“Some fatigue started to show in the second half, but we got the job done. It is a good season personally, but ultimately what matters is the team. If my goals and assists don’t lead to trophies, then they won’t be worth much.

“I’d prefer to have fewer goals and assists if it means we can win the league.”

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

It was not an entirely new experience for Dimarco, who scored a similar goal earlier in his career.

“It is tough to explain, I scored a similar one in Verona-Torino. I’m just glad the team won. I’ve been working hard, and hard work does pay off.”

This was Inter’s eighth consecutive Serie A victory, winning 14 of the last 15, yet that form was not replicated in the Champions League.

The title could be put beyond reasonable doubt next weekend, when Inter and second-placed Milan go head-to-head in the Derby della Madonnina.

“There are no thoughts about the derby, we are thinking about Como first and then the derby,” concluded Dimarco.

That is because Inter will play Como on Tuesday in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final.

“Federico Dimarco really wraps up all of Inter’s hard work and makes them dangerous.”@MikeGrella10 and Nigel Reo-Coker on why Dimarco could be Inter’s MVP this season pic.twitter.com/SObsVcZdEz

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

Calhanoglu revealed he was not originally meant to step up to the spot for that penalty after coming off the bench, as Piotr Zielinski was the designated taker.

“I was out for a few months, so it was only right to leave the penalty to Zielinski, but he said I could do it. I still need to find match fitness, but I feel good,” Calhanoglu told Sky Sport Italia.

“We are trying to focus on our own path. Winning is important, we want to keep going like this.”

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)

Inter

Genoa

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'

Match statistic

56

Possession %

44

14

Total shots

6

6

Shots on target

2

2

Shots off target

3

6

Blocked shots

1

10

Corners

2

2

Offsides

1

13

Fouls

8

Inter

Genoa

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

Verona

Napoli

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

Verona

Napoli

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)

Inter

Genoa

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'

Match statistic

56

Possession %

44

14

Total shots

6

6

Shots on target

2

2

Shots off target

3

6

Blocked shots

1

10

Corners

2

2

Offsides

1

13

Fouls

8

Inter

Genoa

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

Como

Lecce

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