Struggling Juventus striker Jonathan David is reportedly of interest to Ligue 1 side Lyon after a disappointing first season in Serie A with the Bianconeri according to the latest reports. 

David joined Juventus on a free transfer at the beginning of the summer transfer window following a five-year spell with Lille in Ligue 1, during which time he scored 109 goals from 232 appearances across all competitions. 

The Canada international has struggled to replicate that form in Serie A, though. He has five goals and four assists to his name from league appearances so far this term. 

David showed some encouraging signs in January and early February with four goals and two assists from a run of five league matches, but these have been his only goals in the league other than his strike on the opening day of the 2025-26 season. 

Now, David appears to be falling down the pecking order in the Juventus striking department. He was hooked at half-time of Juventus’s 4-0 victory over Pisa in Serie A over the weekend, and watched on as his teammates scored four second-half goals in his absence. 

Recent reports indicate that Luciano Spalletti is now inclined to stick with his ‘fluid front three’ for next weekend’s match against Udinese, leaving David out altogether. The Canadian’s opportunities are expected to be further reduced once Dusan Vlahovic makes his return from injury. 

Could David return to Ligue 1 after less than a year with Juventus?

According to reports from Tuttosport and Calciomercato.com, David could potentially be poised to head back to Ligue 1 less than a year after he left Lille on a free transfer. 

Lyon are said to be among the teams interested in a potential deal for David should he become available during the summer transfer window. 

The French side, under the guidance of former Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca, are currently third in the Ligue 1 table, and it is understood that their interest in David is dependent on their qualification for next season’s Champions League. The top three teams in France are granted an automatic spot in the Champions League, with fourth-place earning a place in the play-offs. 

David technically joined Juventus on a free transfer last summer, but the Bianconeri still spent a reported €12m on commission and signing-on fees, and are currently paying the striker a salary in the region of €6m per season after tax.

Cristian Chivu says Hakan Calhanoglu ‘wasn’t feeling well’ so he was not involved in the Milan derby on Sunday.

Inter star Calhanoglu spent 90 minutes on the bench in a 1-0 loss against city rivals Milan on Sunday.

• Read more – Milan 1-0 Inter: Three things learned in Derby della Madonnina

Calhanoglu ‘wasn’t feeling well’, Chivu says

As reported by FcInternews, Chivu gave a brief reply to a reporter’s question during a post-match press conference last night, saying that Calhanoglu “wasn’t feeling well”, so he was not even involved as a substitute.

Calhanoglu, 32, has been dealing with several fitness issues in recent weeks. He missed seven games, five in Serie A and two in the Champions League, between January and February due to a calf problem.

He returned as a substitute against Juventus on February 14, playing for about 30 minutes, but then missed the next three matches due to a muscle injury.

Last Tuesday, he started in the Coppa Italia semifinal first leg against Como and was replaced after 58 minutes.

The Turkish international has scored and provided four assists in 25 appearances across all competitions this season.

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso will be waiting for updates from Inter and Arsenal as Azzurri stars Alessandro Bastoni and Riccardo Calafiori suffered injuries in their latest club appearances, barely two weeks before the World Cup play-off semifinal against Northern Ireland.

Italy defenders Bastoni and Calafiori sustained injuries over the last weekend, and the Azzurri will be waiting for updates from their clubs, Inter and Arsenal, ahead of a crucial match against Northern Ireland on the horizon.

Calafiori was subbed off during Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Mansfield Town on Saturday. After the match, the Gunners’ coach Mikel Arteta said Calafiori had had “little niggles” and wasn’t “comfortable continuing.”

Arsenal play Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, and Arteta will likely provide a fresh update on Tuesday, the eve of the game.

Bastoni, on the other hand, sustained an injury during Inter’s 1-0 loss against Milan in the derby della Madonnina on Sunday and had to be substituted after coming off worse in a challenge with Adrien Rabiot that even cost him a yellow card.

“He took a knock in the shin,” Inter coach Cristian Chivu said in his post-match press conference on Sunday.

“He was limping; we’ll see over the next few days, but it’s a knock.”

Inter players have a day off today, so, as reported by Gazzetta, the club’s medical staff will assess Bastoni’s condition on Tuesday.

Bastoni looked to be in a lot of pain and limped off the pitch, helped to the bench by Inter’s medical staff. Nevertheless, the Nerazzurri and Italy hope that 48 hours of rest will be enough for the defender to be fit for the next few matches.

Bastoni has made four appearances under Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso, missing one due to suspension and spending another entirely on the bench.

Calafiori has played three times under Gattuso, missing two matches due to injury and remaining on the bench once.

Italy host Northern Ireland in the World Cup play-off semifinal on March 26, and if they progress to the final, they will visit the winner of Wales-Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Refereeing expert Luca Marelli believes that Daniele Doveri was correct in his decision to not award a last-minute penalty to Inter after shouts for a Samuele Ricci handball at the end of Sunday evening’s Derby della Madonnina against Milan: ‘Not punishable’. 

Milan claimed the bragging rights in Sunday’s derby: Pervis Estupinan’s first-half strike proving enough for the Rossoneri to hold onto a 1-0 victory. This was their second consecutive victory over Cristian Chivu’s side and their fifth in an unbeaten run of seven against the Nerazzurri. 

Inter still remain seven points clear at the top of the Serie A table with 10 matches of the season left to play, but many claim that Milan are the only team remaining that is capable of putting any real pressure on the league leaders heading into the final stretch. 

• Read more: Milan 1-0 Inter: Player ratings

• Read more: Remaining Inter and Milan fixtures compared

What Marelli said about Ricci handball incident in Milan 1-0 Inter 

There were some appeals for an Inter penalty In the final minute of second-half stoppage time in San Siro on Sunday night. 

The ball did strike the arm of second-half substitute Ricci in the penalty area after a touch from Inter defender Denzel Dumfries, however, Doveri did not blow for a handball as he judged the player’s arm to be in a natural position and deemed that he had instinctively attempted to move his arm out of the way rather than moving towards the ball.

Speaking to DAZN after full-time on Sunday evening, refereeing expert Marelli agreed with the decision to not take further action in the closing minutes of the derby: “The touch isn’t punishable because the movement of his arm was to avoid, not create an obstacle,” he declared. 

Inter legend Beppe Bergomi feels that Samuele Ricci’s handball in the final minutes of the Milan derby was worthy of a pitchside VAR review, but Milan legend Alessandro Costacurta is ‘pleased’ that such incidents will no longer be considered penalties.

Inter suffered a 1-0 loss against city rivals Milan on Sunday, but the Nerazzurri complained about a potential penalty in the dying minutes, when the Rossoneri midfielder Ricci unintentionally touched the ball with his arm inside the box.

“I believe the proximity influenced VAR’s evaluation. Up to now, penalties like these have always been given,” former Milan defender Costacurta told Sky Sport Italia (via Fanpage).

Costacurta, Di Canio and Bergomi examine Ricci’s handball in Milan derby

“However, I’m pleased that something has changed over the last two matchdays. In my opinion, this type of incident is never a penalty, but until two weeks ago, it was. I like that, from now on, it will no longer be considered such.

“Until two weeks ago, we were complaining like crazy because they were giving these ridiculous penalties every time,” Costacurta continued.

“Apparently, they looked at it and made an assessment. Maybe it wasn’t a clear penalty after he didn’t block a shot. I ask myself, why are we wasting so much time on this?”

Paolo Di Canio, a former Milan, Lazio and Juventus striker, argued: “For me, the arm here stops the ball, which otherwise would have gone onto his side. In trying to pull his arm away, he slightly cushions the ball. The advantage gained from the instinctive movement to retract the arm is that the ball stays there.

“I’d just like to see the referee’s position again and whether he had a clear view. In that situation, maybe VAR could have suggested something, or at least asked him whether he had seen it clearly.”

On the other hand, Inter legend Bergomi felt that the referee should have reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor: “I’ve seen many penalties given this way, even less obvious ones. But I don’t want to fuel controversy,” said the 1982 Italy World Cup winner.

“The referee didn’t see it, and the player was close. In this case, VAR should intervene; I don’t know why it didn’t.”

Inter remain the Serie A table leaders with a seven-point lead over their city rivals.

The Nerazzurri have collected 22 wins in 28 league matches, drawing once and losing five times, including twice against their city rivals.

Many claim that Milan have ‘re-opened’ the race for the 2025-26 Scudetto with their 1-0 victory over Inter in the Derby della Madonnina on Sunday evening, but which of the two sides has the tougher run of fixtures heading into the final 10 matches of the season? 

A first-half strike from unlikely hero Pervis Estupinan gave Milan all three points in their decisive derby against city rivals Inter in Serie A on Sunday night. 

The Nerazzurri are still seven points clear at the top of the league standings with 10 games to go after last night’s defeat, with the Rossoneri the only side looking capable of applying any real pressure on Cristian Chivu’s side. 

As things stand, Inter remain in control of the league table heading into the final 10 league games of the season, and they also have the slightly ‘easier’ run of fixtures compared to Milan in terms of the average league position of their remaining opponents. 

The Nerazzurri still have challenging fixtures against the likes of Atalanta (home), Roma (home), Como (away) and Bologna (away) on the final day of the season, but the average league position of their remaining opponents comes out to 11.2. 

The average ranking of Milan’s remaining opponents currently comes out to 10.7. They still have difficult challenges against Napoli (away), Juventus (home) and Atalanta (away) left on their schedule. 

Inter’s remaining 2025-26 Serie A fixtures 

Atalanta (7th) at home. 

Fiorentina (17th) away. 

Roma (5th) at home. 

Como (4th) away. 

Cagliari (14th) at home. 

Torino (15th) away. 

Parma (12th) at home. 

Lazio (11th) away. 

Verona (19th) home. 

Bologna (8th) away. 

Remaining home games: Five

Remaining away games: Five

Remaining matches against teams in the top six: Two 

Average league position of remaining opponents: 11.2

Milan’s remaining 2025-26 Serie A fixtures 

Lazio (11th) away. 

Torino (15th) at home. 

Napoli (3rd) away. 

Udinese (10th) at home. 

Verona (19th) away. 

Juventus (6th) at home. 

Sassuolo (9th) away. 

Atalanta (7th) away. 

Genoa (13th) away. 

Cagliari (14th) at home. 

Remaining home games: Five

Remaining away games: Five

Remaining matches against teams in the top six: Two

Average league position of remaining opponents: 10.7

Fikayo Tomori says that Milan’s improved defensive solidity is the key behind their upturn in league form this season, and notes that ‘to play two games against Inter and not concede a goal isn’t easy’.

Tomori was among the starters for Milan’s 1-0 victory over their city rivals Inter in the Derby della Madonnina in Serie A on Sunday evening. 

The Rossoneri have now won five of their last seven encounters against the Nerazzurri and are also unbeaten against them over that period. Sunday’s victory was also the second consecutive time that Massimiliano Allegri’s side have kept a clean sheet against Cristian Chivu’s side. 

• Read more: Milan 1-0 Inter: Player ratings

Tomori reacts to Milan 1-0 Inter: ‘To play two games against Inter and not concede a goal, it’s not easy’

The Rossoneri now find themselves seven points behind the table-topping Nerazzurri, and seem to be the only side capable of applying any real pressure on Cristian Chivu’s side heading into the final 10 games of the Serie A season. 

Many of Milan’s players were asked after full-time against Inter whether they feel they are capable of closing down the seven-point gap between themselves and the Nerazzurri. 

“Who knows,” said Tomori in a post-match interview with CBS Sports. 

“I think at this point in time we just have to focus on ourselves. Obviously tonight was an important game, happy to have won. A good performance against a very, very good team. 

“The derby is always a special game and always a difficult game. We’re just focussed on winning, happy to have done that. Now we just have to go onto the next game, rest and recover, enjoy tonight. Just focus on ourselves like I said, keep going and try to finish the season as strongly as possible.” 

Tomori was asked where the Milan players would be celebrating following their victory, to which he jokingly replied: “I’m not sure. I don’t want the Mister to hear me, so I just have to stay quiet!” 

Tomori insists that Milan needed no additional motivation heading into the Inter match, and feels that his side could have easily had another couple of goals to their name before the interval. 

“I think in these kinds of games the Mister doesn’t really have to say too much because it’s a derby, you know how important it is for the club, for ourselves, for the fans, everyone. 

“The way that we approached the game in the first half, we put them under pressure, we had chances to score. Obviously we did score in the first half, but we had a lot of really dangerous opportunities and probably could have scored more. 

“At the end of the day and especially at this stage of the season, three points is all that really matters, so yeah, we’re really happy.” 

Tomori agrees that playing on the right-hand side of Massimiliano Allegri’s back three is helping to get the best out of him this season. 

“Yeah, I think so. I think I can show the different qualities that I have,” he said. “Obviously my first job is to defend, so try to do that, try to do my job first, but I think in games like today where there’s a bit of space, I can affect the game going forwards.” 

Milan are in second place in Serie A with 10 games left to go. They look set to secure Allegri’s goal of Champions League qualification, and despite being seven points shy of the league leaders, this is a vast improvement on the form that saw them finish ninth last season. 

Tomori believes that Milan’s defensive security has been the secret behind their improvement this season. 

“One of the main objectives for us was to concede less goals and I think this season we’ve been a lot more solid defensively, not just the defenders, but the whole team as a unit. 

“We’ve worked a lot and worked a lot on trying to stay compact as a team. To play two games against Inter and not concede a goal, it’s not easy. I think that’s testament to how well we’ve been working and the work that the coaching staff has been doing with us this season.” 

“To play two games against Inter and not concede a goal… It’s not easy”@fikayotomori_ caught up with @Bonetti after Milan’s derby win pic.twitter.com/uGYN6lMWkd

— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 8, 2026

Manuel Akanji expressed his disappointment at Inter’s performance during their 1-0 loss against city rivals Milan on Sunday evening, and explained why last night’s defeat differed to their loss against the Rossoneri earlier this season: ‘Today was different. It wasn’t good enough from our side’.

Akanji reacts to Milan 1-0 Inter: ‘Wasn’t good enough from our side’

The Nerazzurri slipped to their second Serie A defeat against Milan of the 2025-26 season as Pervis Estupinan struck with the only goal of the game in San Siro on Sunday night.

Cristian Chivu’s side still have a commanding seven-point lead at the top of the Serie A table with 10 league matches of the season left to play, but there is disappointment around the camp in the aftermath of Sunday’s defeat against their city rivals. 

“I think they played the way we expected them to play. They try to press a bit up front, if it doesn’t work, they drop deep and that’s what they did, especially in the first half,” explained Akanji in his post-match interview with CBS Sports.  

“We had a lot of missed passes or duels that we lost, or we gave them opportunities by losing the ball easily. And also we didn’t defend well in a couple of situations and that’s why we lost the game in the end.” 

Inter will make it two Serie A titles in three years if they hold out for the Scudetto in 2025-26. They have also reached the Champions League final in two of the last four seasons and have won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italia twice within the last five campaigns. 

If there is a recurring complaint about Cristian Chivu’s side, though, it is that they have struggled to overcome ‘bigger’ sides in the league and Champions League this term. The Nerazzurri have also failed to beat Milan in any of their last seven encounters. 

“I mean, I’ve only played in the last two, today and the one in the first part of the season and for me, they were totally different games,” said Akanji. 

“The first one we dominated them, we had so many chances to score goals, we even missed a penalty. So, we clearly had enough chances to win the game. They had one opportunity and they scored the goal, that’s why they won the game. 

“Today was different. It wasn’t good enough from our side. A lot of lost duels, a lot of balls that we should have kept that we lost. Just way too many mistakes and also sometimes in the duels, we weren’t aggressive enough and that’s why we lost today.

“I think as a team we didn’t create enough opportunities up front. We tried to cross the ball, but nothing really happened, not off the crosses. But still we had good opportunities to score a goal. 

“I think right before they scored the goal for 1-0, Mkhi (Henrikh Mkhitaryan) runs alone at the keeper and couldn’t score. And even in the second half when Mkhi laid it off to Dima (Federico Dimarco) to score a goal and I think there were also a couple of opportunities with the corner that we had that the referee apparently blew the whistle before. Then a couple of situations where it maybe could have been a penalty. 

“So we tried to create something but I think it just wasn’t enough from our side today.” 

Naturally disappointed by Sunday’s defeat against Milan, Akanji insists that he is still trying to look at the positives. 

“The next few days are not going to be good. You’re never happy when you lose a derby. The good thing is that we’re still seven points ahead and we have enough time to recover. The next game is not until next Saturday at home against Atalanta, which is a big game, but we will be ready again. 

“We need to make better what we didn’t do good today and I’m confident we can get the win there.” 

Luka Modric claims that Milan would be ‘right there with Inter’ had they performed better in ‘small games’ following Sunday evening’s 1-0 victory in the Derby della Madonnina in Serie A. 

Modric reacts to Milan 1-0 Inter victory

The former Ballon d’Or winner was one of the crucial figures in Milan’s 1-0 victory over their city rivals, Inter, whose lead at the top of the Serie A table has now been reduced to seven points with 10 league games of the season left to play. 

The main topic surrounding Milan following last night’s victory over Inter is whether there is a genuine possibility that they can catch Inter at the top of the standings with 10 points to go. 

“It’s difficult to say. People always say you win titles in small games, especially in the league,” said Modric in an interview with CBS Sports after full-time.

“We haven’t done well in these sorts of games, we lost too many points, if we’d won only half of these points, we’d be there with Inter. But it’s part of football. 

“We need to find a way to improve and get better in these games where teams drop too deep, there’s not much space. We need to find a way to do better and maybe play quicker, find a better solution to win these kinds of games.” 

“We are very proud people. We like to fight.”

Luka Modrić shares what being from Zadar means to him pic.twitter.com/6azHQPAgRM

— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 8, 2026

Milan claimed the bragging rights in Sunday evening’s Derby della Madonnina against Inter in Serie A, but there were some complaints from the Nerazzurri camp over a potential handball and a few other decisions from the officials after full-time. Here is what happened at the end of last night’s showdown in San Siro. 

Pervis Estupinan’s first-half strike was enough for Milan to claim a 1-0 victory over Inter on Sunday evening, which was their second win over the Nerazzurri in Serie A this season and has extended their unbeaten run against their city rivals to seven matches. 

Cristian Chivu’s side retain a seven-point advantage over the Rossoneri at the top of the league table with 10 games to go, though. 

• Read more: Milan 1-0 Inter: Player ratings

Which refereeing calls upset Inter during derby defeat? 

There were protests from many of the Inter camp towards referee Daniele Doveri and his team after full-time in San Siro on Sunday night. 

The main incident in question was a supposed handball from Samuele Ricci during the 95th minute of play right at the end of last night’s derby. 

The ball had come off Denzel Dumfries and did touch Ricci on the arm, but the player’s arm was adjudged to have been in a natural position and he did appear to make an instinctive movement in an attempt to avoid handling the ball. 

Referee Doveri decided that Ricci did not make himself ‘unnaturally larger’ with the movement of his arm, and that the incident was not worthy of a penalty kick. 

Speaking on the incident after full-time, Nerazzurri head coach Chivu said: “I was told the VAR checked it, so I have nothing to add. I am focused on the performance, on my decisions, my mistakes. 

“There are 10 games to go, 30 points up for grabs, so we’ve got to build on what we’ve done so far.”

Aside from the penalty appeal, members of Inter’s coaching staff, including assistant Aleksandar Kolarov, were also frustrated by the addition of six minutes of stoppage time at the end of the second-half, which they felt was not enough. 

There was also a moment just before the handball appeal where Carlos Augusto had the ball in the back of the net from a corner, however, Doveri had already blown his whistle while the ball was still in mid-air in order to stop some scuffling in the area. 

Corriere dello Sport suggests that Doveri could have been dished out a couple more yellow cards on the night: Specifically to Estupinan for a foul on Nicolo Barella, to Adrien Rabiot for a foul on Federico Dimarco, to Fikayo Tomori for a foul on Piotr Zielinski and to Ange-Yoan Bonny for a foul on Estupinan.

La Gazzetta dello Sport 

Milan of dreams 

Inter nullified, Scudetto reopened 

Estupinan decides they derby: Diavolo -7 off the top 

Allegri does the double: ‘They remain the favourites though’. Cardinale’s celebrations. Nerazzurri minimal in spite of the absences. Chivu: ‘We were below par’

Champions League crazy

A three-way race for one spot 

De Rossi beats Roma. Historic Como: They’re fourth. And Juve are -1 behind and believe

Corriere dello Sport 

l’Allegrata 

Scudetto, 10 games to go | Short leash: Max also takes the Derby in the return leg (1-0)

Milan ruthless: -7 points behind and dreaming. Inter buried 

Estupinan delivers defeat to the Nerazzurri, who last lost in Serie A against Allegri on November 23. Chivu: ‘Ricci’s hand in the area? They told me there was a check’

De Rossi puts Roma in trouble 

Genoa shock Gasp: 2-1 

Messias and Vitinha lift DDR’s side, Ndicka not enough. Champions League race: Malen at Fabregas’s house on Sunday 

Juve, Lucio’s turning point 

The fluid front three 

Napoli, the Fab4 return 

After 160 days 

Nicola at risk 

Cremonese beaten by Lecce (2-1)

Tuttosport 

StraMilan 

Inter, derby nightmare: Estupinan reopens the Scudetto fight 

The Ecuadorian was the surprise hero. In the second half, Dimarco misses the equaliser, then chaos at the end: Carlos Augusto denied a goal (but Doveri has already ended the game) and protests over a touch of the hand from Ricci. Allegri gives another lesson to Chivu and goes back to -7 points off the lead. Inter, who have not beaten Milan in seven games, pay for the absences of Lautaro and Thuram: Pio and Bonny dry. Bastoni still subjected to boos

Yildiz, Vlahovic, Boga: Attack on the Champions League 

Roma beaten in Genoa: Juve -1 off fourth place 

The magic of Kenan, the recovery of Dusan and the numbers from Jeremie are the prime assets for Spalletti in the final push. And the schedule could help too: The Bianconeri could profit from the direct clash between Como and the Giallorossi next Sunday. The David case: Disheartened and in crisis: Heading towards a farewell and Lyon step forwards 

Safety and contract: Toro, time for Che

D’Aversa relaunches him 

Adams could return as a starter against Parma and Petrachi looks to extend the contract agreement. The fan’s strike continues: The club try with discounted tickets 

Federico Dimarco admits it’s ‘difficult to explain’ Inter’s sluggish response with Milan, but insists ‘if someone told us eight months ago we’d be seven points clear, we wouldn’t believe you.’

The Nerazzurri looked disjointed after losing both first choice strikers, as Marcus Thuram was out with flu symptoms and Lautaro Martinez injured.

While Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Dimarco missed big chances, Milan were clinical when Pervis Estupinan ran onto the Youssouf Fofana through ball and surprised Yann Sommer at the near post.

Dimarco saw Inter struggle in Milan Derby

“Milan dropped very deep after their goal, as was entirely to be expected, and the truth is that we created too little to really hurt them,” Dimarco told DAZN Italia.

“We had prepared the match with a low-to-medium block so we could increase the press. When it came to my chance, the ball bobbled and I didn’t connect properly.”

They had been unbeaten in the league since the last Derby della Madonnina, which also ended 1-0 back in November 2025, putting together a 2-2 draw with Napoli and 14 victories.

“When we concede a goal, we struggle to react a lot of the time, or rather we don’t react with enough determination,” confessed Dimarco.

“It is difficult to explain why we do that. The team is united, we are having a great season and are still seven points clear at the top, after all.

“We’ve got to stay calm, because our fate is still entirely in our hands.”

The result means Inter see their lead at the top of the Serie A table cut to seven points, which is still a significant advantage at this stage of the season with 10 rounds left to play.

It is put to the Nerazzurri that they have a poor record in the ‘big’ games, managing only two wins, one draw and three defeats in the Serie A fixtures against Milan, Napoli, Roma and Juventus.

“You say that, but if someone had told us eight months ago that we’d be seven points clear at the top of the table, we wouldn’t have believed you,” insisted Dimarco.

“We’ve got to stay clear-headed and focus on these remaining 10 matches.”

Inter were also angry in stoppages when Denzel Dumfries nodded the ball onto Samuele Ricci’s elbow from close range inside the penalty area.

“I didn’t see it, as I was on the other side of the pitch. Watching the video, the arm is quite wide, so it’s down to the interpretation of the referee. There could’ve been a VAR check.”

Cristian Chivu concedes Inter were ‘unable to break down’ the Milan defensive block, but insists ‘nothing would’ve changed even if we had won tonight’ in the Scudetto race.

The Nerazzurri could put the final nail in the coffin of the title with this showdown, but have instead seen their 10-point lead reduced to seven.

They were forced into changes on the night, as Marcus Thuram was ruled out by flu symptoms, with Lautaro Martinez also injured, so the all-new strike partnership of Francesco Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny struggled to gel.

Moments after Henrikh Mkhitaryan wasted a promising counter-attack, Inter conceded from Pervis Estupinan at the near post, surprising Luis Henrique by running onto the Youssouf Fofana assist.

Chivu recognises Inter should’ve done better

“Our first half was below par with a slow tempo, we then conceded their goal and that was a blow too,” Chivu told DAZN Italia.

“We tried to step up a gear after the break and did better in fits and starts, creating a good chance with Dimarco. We tried everything to swarm around their low defensive block, but were unable to break them down.”

Considering that Esposito and Bonny are different to the usual centre-forwards, should Inter have put more crosses into the box this evening?

“We got to the by-line, but without clear-cut situations, and then the crosses tended to be cleared by their defenders, because we never got in front of them,” replied Chivu.

“There was a lack of dynamism for us, Milan were sitting back and waiting for us to then go on the counter-attack. We need to improve and raise the tempo.”

Inter had been unbeaten in Serie A since the last encounter with Milan, another 1-0 result on November 23, managing a 2-2 draw against Napoli and 14 victories.

Chivu had said that Inter were too often criticised and not given credit for their successes, but after a disappointing 0-0 Coppa Italia semi-final draw with Como midweek and this defeat, they seem to be losing steam.

This is on top of the Champions League exit in the play-offs to Norwegian minnows Bodo/Glimt.

“We could and should have done better. The strikers are young, they didn’t do what we usually require, but that is not an excuse, I am pleased with what they tried to do, considering they were the only two at our disposal. For two such young players, this is valuable experience,” added Chivu.

“We all should’ve had greater intensity and moved with more determination all over the pitch.”

There had been suggestions Inter could go back to the system with one centre-forward and two more advanced creative midfielders, the approach used against Como in the Coppa Italia, to have at least one striker who could come off the bench and shake things up.

“I don’t think this was the right game to make experiments like that.”

The coach was pressed on the late incident where Denzel Dumfries headed the ball onto Samuele Ricci’s arm, but it was considered to be in a natural position.

“I was told the VAR checked it, so I have nothing to add. I am focused on the performance, on my decisions, my mistakes. There are 10 games to go, 30 points up for grabs, so we’ve got to build on what we’ve done so far,” replied Chivu.

“We still have a seven-point advantage, there are 30 still to be earned, nothing would’ve changed even if we had won tonight.”

In Serie A history, Inter and Milan have never managed to win the Scudetto in the same season where they lost both editions of the Derby della Madonnina.

Max Allegri confirms the Pervis Estupinan goal was prepared by Milan to target an Inter defensive weakness, but insists the Nerazzurri ‘remain the clear Scudetto favourites.’

The last time the Rossoneri won both editions of the Serie A derby was 2010-11, also under this coach, and how did that season end?

“It ended with winning the Scudetto,” smiled Allegri on DAZN Italia.

“However, Inter have a seven-point lead at the top, it’s a big advantage, they are still the strongest team and the clear favourites. We could’ve done better and been sharper in the final third on a few situations.

“We can only be happy, because we have kept Juventus at -10 points, Como and Roma at -9, so it was important to get a result today.”

Allegri keeps eyes on the real Milan prize

There are now 10 rounds left in the campaign, and a seven-point gap at the top of the table, although the coach has been adamant the main focus must be on qualifying for the Champions League.

“We worked seven months to make sure we reached March in the best possible condition, because this is when the most important games of the season are played and everything is decided,” continued Allegri.

The Rossoneri knew this was their last chance to keep the title race alive and that Inter had been unbeaten in Serie A since the last Derby della Madonnina on November 23.

That also ended 1-0, but this was an unexpected hero, Estupinan running onto the Youssouf Fofana through ball to beat Yann Sommer at the near post with his first goal for the club, hitting the weakness of Luis Henrique’s defending.

“Luis Henrique is a very good player, but we had prepared that situation in training,” confessed Allegri.

“Before the goal, there was a Rabiot cross that Estupinan could’ve run onto if he had just read it a moment earlier. Fofana did really well with that assist, he had another two important passes against Cremonese where we didn’t manage to score. The team is doing better.”

Milan owner Gerry Cardinale was present at San Siro, something he had not done for 18 months, and went into the dressing room after the final whistle to congratulate the team.

“I spoke to the team and then left, because I had to do the interviews, but I’m very pleased that the club and patrons congratulated the players.

“Having said that, we know that we have not achieved anything yet, so we’ve got to keep our feet on the ground. We must be pleased with the victory, but above all recognise they take us up to 60 points, with one less round to go in order to achieve our target.”

Milan pressed Inter hard in the first half, while they were pushed back a bit more after the break and ended the match clammed up in their own penalty area.

“We used up a lot of energy in the first half, then obviously Inter stepped up a gear and we allowed them a few more crosses when we sat deeper,” continued Allegri.

“However, apart from Federico Dimarco’s chance on the counter-attack, I don’t remember genuine Inter chances. We had some favourable situations too and could’ve gone into the break 2-0 up.

“Having said that, yet again, I need to point out Inter remain the clear favourites for the Scudetto. This victory gives us a morale-booster.”

Luka Modric believes Milan had ‘some Sergio Ramos spirit’ in their Derby della Madonnina victory over Inter today, while Pervis Estupinan admits it was ‘the most important goal of my life.’

The odds were against the Rossoneri, who also felt the most pressure knowing they were 10 points behind the leaders going into this last chance to keep the title race open.

It was an unexpected hero who secured the 1-0 victory at San Siro, as Estupinan had never scored in the Rossoneri jersey before, but he ran onto the Youssouf Fofana through ball to surprise Yann Sommer at the near top corner.

Estupinan and Modric dreaming big for Milan

“It is the most important goal of my life, really,” Estupinan told DAZN Italia.

“This is thanks to all the hard work we did, we worked all week so hard, we had the right approach and we got the victory.”

Max Allegri told Estupinan to run at Luis Henrique, who got the timing and positioning all wrong when defending.

“Yes, as I said, we worked on this and the coach told me to attack that channel. I found the right moment to make the run and scored the goal.”

This means Milan have won both editions of the Derby della Madonnina this season, as Inter had been unbeaten in Serie A since the last encounter on November 23, which also ended 1-0.

“We always believed, but we must keep taking it one game at a time,” Modric told DAZN Italia.

“It was an enormous effort, a great performance in the first half, Inter fought back after the restart, because they are a strong side, but they still created practically nothing against us.

“That shows how well we defended and were so organised, we deserved the victory.”

The gap at the top of the Serie A table remains extensive at seven points, but it does at least give the Rossoneri some hope of catching their bitter city rivals in the remaining 10 rounds.

Inter protested in stoppages when they had the ball in the net, but the referee had stopped play on the corner.

“I don’t know what happened, but the referee blew the whistle beforehand, so it cannot be a goal if play was stopped. It isn’t even disallowed,” explained Modric.

Modric invited 60 friends and family to the match tonight, including his old Real Madrid teammate Sergio Ramos, who was spotted in the stands at San Siro.

Considering his presence, what do they make of the rumours in Spain that Allegri could be lined up for Real Madrid next season?

“There are always rumours around Real Madrid, but I don’t get involved in these things. I am very happy at Milan, I am so happy to see Sergio, he wrote yesterday and said he really wanted to experience this match. To have him here and with a victory too, that’s even better! We had a bit of Sergio Ramos spirit today,” concluded Modric.

Pervis Estupinan is Football Italia’s Man of the Match in  Milan’s 1-0 win over Inter.

Milan 1-0 Inter player ratings

Milan: Maignan 6.5; Tomori 6, De Winter 6.5, Pavlovic 6.5; Saelemaekers 6, Fofana 6.5 (73′ Ricci 6), Modric 7, Rabiot 6.5, Estupinan 7; Leao 5.5 (73′ Fullkrug N/A), Pulisic 6 (84′ Nkunku N/A). Coach: Allegri 7.

Best Milan player: Estupinan 7 – There are several, but Estupinan slightly beats his teammates thanks to his winning goal in the first half. Maignan was just as decisive a few minutes earlier as he produced a key save to deny Mkhitaryan. De Winter and Pavlovic were very solid at the back, Modric led the Rossoneri with experience and quality. Not a news that.

Lowest Milan rating: Leao 5.5 – He didn’t do much, did he? Even when the Rossoneri had space on the counter, the Portuguese star was too sloppy and made too many touches, losing momentum and hurting the opponents.

Milan coach: Allegri 7 – He told Estupinan after just seven minutes that he had to find space behind Luis Henrique, and that’s exactly how Milan scored the winning goal. Milan kept things tight at the back, but, to be honest, they probably thought they’d have needed to sit deeper to win the game.

Inter: Sommer 6; Bisseck 5.5 (80′ Diouf N/A), Akanji 6, Bastoni 5.5 (68′ Carlos Augusto 6); Luis Henrique 5 (59′ Dumfries 6), Barella 5.5 (68′ Frattesi 5.5), Zielinski 5.5, Mkhitaryan 6 (59′ Sucic 5.5), Dimarco 5.5; Esposito 5, Bonny 5. Coach: Chivu 5.

Best Inter player: Mkhitaryan 6 – It’s hard to pick one as many Nerazzurri were below par. Mkhitaryan probably had the best chance for the Nerazzurri, but was denied by Maignan, just a few minutes before Estupinan’s winner. Dumfries’ introduction in the second half was a clear upgrade on Luis Henrique. Inter have missed him so much.

Lowest Inter rating: Luis Henrique 5 – At the end of the day, he made the decisive mistake that allowed Milan to win the match. It had already happened against Juventus and Arsenal. When the Brazilian is defending, opponents will always have a chance to hurt on that flank. It happened tonight, and Estupinan didn’t waste it.

Inter coach: Chivu 5 – It wasn’t easy without his starting strikers. Lautaro was injured on the bench, and Thuram wasn’t available due to a fever. Inter have now lost their first game since the reverse fixture on November 23. Besides that, they were never really dangerous. The ball moved too slowly, and the strikers didn’t link up well. The good news is that Inter still hold a seven-point lead over Milan.

Milan have won both editions of the Derby della Madonnina, as the Pervis Estupian goal reopens the Scudetto race, closing the gap on leaders Inter to seven points.

This was not only the Derby della Madonnina, but also a Scudetto showdown between first and second place. The Nerazzurri were unbeaten in Serie A since the 1-0 defeat in this fixture on November 23, followed by a draw and 14 victories. Marcus Thuram had flu symptoms, with Lautaro Martinez injured and on the bench anyway to cheer on his teammates, so it was an all-new strike partnership. Matteo Gabbia and Santiago Gimenez missed out following surgery, with Davide Bartesaghi not fully fit.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Luka Modric drilled inches wide from the edge of the area in the third minute after a wayward Yann Sommer pass out from the back.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan gathered from his own half and sprinted forward to force a tricky save out of Mike Maignan one-on-one, but Milan scored instead moments later.

Youssouf Fofana completed a give and go with Rafael Leao, then placed a smart through ball to send Estupinan down the left behind Luis Henrique, beating Sommer from a tight angle at the near post. It was the Ecuadorian’s first ever goal for the Rossoneri.

Pervis Estupiñán rockets AC Milan into the lead in the Derby della Madonnina

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/4JFOkVSDrN

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 8, 2026

It was nearly 2-0 soon after, as Christian Pulisic pulled back from the left by-line and Federico Dimarco did just enough to stop Alexis Saelemaekers sweeping in from 12 yards.

After the restart, Piotr Zielinski stung Maignan’s gloves at the near post, while Rafael Leao scuffed well wide after a strong Pulisic counter-attack.

Fofana tested Sommer on another counter, but Federico Dimarco should’ve equalised on 54 minutes when ballooning over from 12 yards, as Mkhitaryan knocked down a Barella cross.

Leao also wasted a promising opportunity when sent through by Fofana, while Denzel Dumfries came off the bench and within 60 seconds had tested Maignan after pouncing on a loose ball, then Bonny nodded his cross over the bar.

Alessandro Bastoni was booked for a late trip on Rabiot, which ended up injuring the Inter defender and forcing him off the pitch.

Rabiot also saw yellow later and will be suspended for next week’s meeting with Lazio. Inter had the ball in the net on a corner during stoppages, but the referee had clearly blown the whistle beforehand to have it taken again.

Inter also had penalty appeals when Dumfries nodded the ball onto Samuele Ricci’s arm, but it was considered to be in a natural position, then the move continued and Manuel Akanji’s header was off target.

Milan 1-0 Inter

Estupinan 35 (M)

08-03-2026 19:45

MatchDay 28

San Siro Stadium (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza)

Milan

Inter

1 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Pervis Estupiñán (Assist: Youssouf Fofana)

35'

2nd half

		65'		Alessandro Bastoni
		69'		Denzel Dumfries
Adrien Rabiot		80'
Luka Modric		89'

Match statistic

37

Possession %

63

9

Total shots

11

2

Shots on target

2

6

Shots off target

5

1

Blocked shots

4

1

Corners

6

2

Offsides

1

8

Fouls

12

Milan

Inter

Starting lineups

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

2

Pervis Estupiñán

Defender

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

12

Adrien Rabiot

Midfielder

56

Alexis Saelemaekers

Midfielder

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

73'

11

Christian Pulisic

Attacker

84'

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

73'

1

Yann Sommer

Goalkeeper

95

Alessandro Bastoni

Defender

68'

14

Ange-Yoan Bonny

Defender

32

Federico Dimarco

Defender

25

Manuel Akanji

Defender

31

Yann Bisseck

Defender

80'

22

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Midfielder

59'

23

Nicolò Barella

Midfielder

68'

7

Piotr Zielinski

Midfielder

94

Pio Esposito

Attacker

11

Luis Henrique

Attacker

59'

Substitutes

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

30

Ardon Jashari

Midfielder

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

96

Lorenzo Torriani

Goalkeeper

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

27

David Odogu

Defender

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

73'

9

Niclas Füllkrug

Attacker

73'

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

84'

15

Francesco Acerbi

Defender

36

Matteo Darmian

Defender

20

Hakan Calhanoglu

Midfielder

6

Stefan de Vrij

Defender

10

Lautaro Martínez

Attacker

13

Josep Martínez

Goalkeeper

12

Raffaele Di Gennaro

Goalkeeper

53

Matteo Lavelli

Attacker

2

Denzel Dumfries

Midfielder

59'

8

Petar Sucic

Defender

59'

16

Davide Frattesi

Midfielder

68'

30

Carlos Augusto

Midfielder

68'

17

Andy Diouf

Attacker

80'

Inter and Italy defender Alessandro Bastoni was forced to be subbed off after suffering an injury in the second half of the Milan derby on Sunday.

Italy international Bastoni was forced to be subbed off at minute 68 of Inter’s Serie A match against Milan on Sunday.

See how the match unfolded on the live blog.

Bastoni collided with Milan midfielder Arien Rabiot, committing a foul and receiving a yellow card.

The Inter defender took the worst of it, remaining on the ground in pain and needing treatment from the Nerazzurri’s medical staff.

He was quickly replaced by Inter coach Cristian Chivu, who introduced the Brazilian Carlos Augusto.

Inter are expected to provide injury updates in the coming hours, and Italy CT Gennaro Gattuso will be awaiting news on Bastoni as well.

The Azzurri, in fact, play Northern Ireland in the World Cup semifinal play-off on March 26, and even Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori suffered an injury over the weekend.

Today’s derby is technically a home game for Milan, and the Rossoneri crowd had loudly booed Bastoni before his injury over the controversy surrounding him in the Inter-Juventus match last month.

Pervis Estupiñán could not pick a better game to score his first Milan goal as he gave the Rossoneri the lead against Inter in the derby della Madonnina.

Estupiñán’s first Milan goal allowed the Rossoneri to put their noses in front in a derby della Madonnina against Inter on Sunday.

See how the match unfolds on the liveblog.

The Rossoneri won the ball high up the pitch. Youssouf Fofana slipped a through pass to Estupinan on the left, and the former Brighton defender finished the move with a powerful strike toward the near top corner.

Video: Estupinan’s goal vs. Inter

Pervis Estupiñán rockets AC Milan into the lead in the Derby della Madonnina

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/4JFOkVSDrN

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 8, 2026

Pervis Estupiñán fires home his first Serie A goal in the Derby della Madonnina pic.twitter.com/QFMZI9NsgX

— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 8, 2026

The Telegraph reports that Italian tactician Roberto De Zerbi is on Manchester United and Tottenham’s shortlist for the 2026-27 season, but Spurs must first secure survival.

Former Sassuolo, Brighton and Marseille coach De Zerbi is a candidate to become the new coach of Tottenham and Manchester United next season, The Telegraph reports.

According to the report, De Zerbi is keen on the Red Devils job and is among the club’s shortlist of candidates for next season.

The same goes for Tottenham, but Spurs are in a tricky situation currently as they are just one point above the relegation zone.

Their new coach, Igor Tudor, has lost all three of his opening games in charge.

The former Juventus tactician risks being sackedm but he’ll remain at the helm for next week’s Champions League match against Atletico Madrid.

According to the report, both Tottenham and Manchester United directors appreciate De Zerbi’s attacking style of play, but the Italian tactician also has admirers at Manchester City, where he has built a solid bond with Pep Guardiola.

De Zerbi left Marseille by mutual consent on February 11. The French club had appointed him in the summer of 2024.

• Read more – De Rossi: I won’t pretend I’m sorry after win over Roma

Roma suffered a 2-1 away defeat against Daniele De Rossi’s Genoa on Sunday.

Today’s loss leaves them fifth in the standings, level on 51 points with fourth-placed Como and just one point above Juventus.

Gasperini comments on Genoa 2-1 Roma

“We approached the game really well; we were determined and solid,” Gasperini told DAZN via TMW.

“We didn’t have many shots on target, and perhaps they had even fewer than we did. We weren’t even lucky in the final minutes, but the team spirit was very high.”

“The incident is quite clear; VAR didn’t intervene. Everyone can see it their own way, but the images are so clear,” Gasperini said.

“If those in charge of VAR aren’t certain about this, they should do another job. You can’t change reality; it’s quite evident. He didn’t impose the penalty, and we shouldn’t consider other interpretations.

“There was great intensity with long balls from any position, quite suitable for a player like Cristante,” Gasperini continued.

“It was really difficult to play the ball on the ground, but the lads were good; it’s not a lucky moment. Svilar made the first save in the second half. Now we have a busy schedule with two games against Bologna.”

Roma’s next game is away at Bologna in the first leg of the Europa League Round of 16. Next Sunday, they’ll host Como at the Stadio Olimpico in what will be a crucial match in the race for the top four.

Genoa coach Daniele De Rossi won’t pretend to be sorry after his Genoa side beat Roma 2-1 and admits he feels ‘ at home’ at Marassi.

De Rossi’s Genoa beat Roma 2-1 on Sunday and the Italian tactician commented on his players’ performances during a post-match interview with DAZN.

“It was worth three points, which are so important and were earned by a strong and healthy group,” De Rossi said.

“In January, after the transfer window, I said I was happy because I had a group with different characteristics in all departments. I know games are not all the same, and opponents are not all the same. When you need intensity like tonight, you need players with those skill sets. I’m happy with the table, but very happy with my players. They deserve this satisfaction, especially those who have played less.”

De Rossi is a Roma legend and a former Giallorossi coach, so how does it feel to beat his favourite club?

“If you decide to do this job, you must know you’ll face Roma sooner or later,” De Rossi replied.

“I don’t want to minimise or say I’m not sorry that they are sorry, but I don’t want to justify myself or pretend I’m sorry. I’m happy, not that Roma lost, but that I won. This will be my fate until the day I’ll hope Roma win 38 games. It’s a target of mine and a dream of many. Perhaps, one day it will happen.

“However, if I have to think about a team similar to Roma, that makes me feel at home, with similar fans, in both good and bad ways; it’s where I am now, and I really like it.”

De Rossi went on to praise his players.

“What they give me is more than what I give them. I try to treat them honestly and equally. I hadn’t noticed the assist [for Vitinha] was from Masini,” he continued.

“I’m not surprised. I like to spend time with these lads, I like to shield them when there are bad games, like against Inter. All we do comes from what they do in training. If you look at Masini, you have to stop him in training because he goes twice as fast as the others. Perhaps, he won’t play in the next game, but this is football. They give everything to me, I give everything to them.”

Inter President Beppe Marotta agrees with Cristian Chivu that their success ‘attracted jealousy and excessive criticism,’ while youth is the way forward in the Milan derby.

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 today’s Serie A games on the Liveblog.

The Nerazzurri are forced into changes, because Marcus Thuram has flu symptoms and is not even fit for a spot on the bench this evening.

Curiously, Lautaro Martinez is named among the substitutes, even though he is in absolutely no condition to play, because the captain wants to be close to his teammates during this huge match.

Marotta reassuring for Inter showdown

“It was a nice gesture, he wanted to be there and knows that a captain is not just on the pitch, but he can take that role off it too. We consider it an extremely positive attitude,” Marotta told DAZN Italia.

Francesco Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny start together in a competitive match for the first time, forming a brand new and young Inter strike partnership.

“Italian football cannot compete financially with many other leagues, so we need to focus on the quality of Made in Italy. Playing Pio Esposito is to the credit of our youth academy, and this is the path that other Serie A sides ought to be following.

“Football is entertainment and another way of creating that is to make the most of the talent within our shores.”

Inter are 10 points clear at the top of the Serie A table, so anything less than a defeat would all but stitch the Scudetto badge onto their jersey.

“We are not thinking about that,” said the President. “We want to remember the dangers in this derby, as it is always separate from the rest of the season.

“I hope it can be a positive advertisement for the city of Milano, an iconic city. We hope it can be spectacular and positive for those in the stadium and around the world.”

Cristian Chivu complained recently that Inter did not receive credit for their successes this campaign, playing in the Coppa Italia semi-final and top of Serie A.

“I think it is a fair assessment, because generally those who win tend to attract jealousy or excessive criticism without substance,” agreed Marotta.

“In the last five years, Inter are the side in Italy who won the most, and we’ve got to be able to handle that kind of malicious sniping that drags us into situations where we don’t belong. There’s no point getting into more controversy.”

Max Allegri assures Christian Pulisic ‘hasn’t forgotten how to score goals’ for Milan and warns they ‘need to be realistic’ in the Scudetto race even if they beat Inter.

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 today’s Serie A games on the Liveblog.

Not only is this a Derby della Madonnina and bitter local rivalry, it’s also a decisive crossroads in the Scudetto race, because anything less than a victory for the Rossoneri today would make it a huge ask to claw back the gap at the top of the table.

Allegri not fooled by Inter difficulties

Inter are forced to do without both first choice strikers, as Marcus Thuram has flu and Lautaro Martinez is injured, so does anything change for Milan in their approach to facing Francesco Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny?

“Nothing changes, as Esposito and Bonny are both very good players,” Allegri told DAZN Italia.

“It is a difficult match, Inter are an excellent team, as you can see from their position in the table, and we’ll see if we are able to put in a good performance, and above all to get a result.”

Alexandre Pato is in the stands as a guest of the Milan squad, saluted by Allegri before kick-off, with memories of his goal early into a Derby della Madonnina.

“We will try to start strong and that we get what happened in 2011, it would be auspicious. Having said that, we need to be realistic and look at the ultimate objective. The season doesn’t end here, it would be good to get a marvellous result this evening though,” continued Allegri.

Pulisic has not found the net since the 3-0 win over Hellas Verona on December 12, but the USMNT star returns to the starting XI today.

“I think his condition is improving and he will be very important for us in the final months of the season. It’s not as if he has forgotten how to score goals, he had an injury from pre-season, he had a few more setbacks, but is working on finding his best form,” concluded Allegri.

Marcus Thuram is not even on the Inter bench this evening for the Derby della Madonnina against Milan, but Lautaro Martinez is among the substitutes, even if he cannot play.

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 today’s Serie A games on the Liveblog.

This is not just the fiery local derby and Stadio Giuseppe Meazza battle for local bragging rights, but also a Scudetto showdown between the runaway leaders and the only team keeping up the pace in second.

Inter without first choice strikers

However, Cristian Chivu is forced into some changes, because Thuram has not recovered after suffering from flu symptoms on Friday evening and is not even on the bench today.

Curiously, Lautaro Martinez is named among the substitutes, even though he is in no condition to play after sustaining that calf strain during the first leg of the Champions League play-off with Bodo/Glimt last month.

The captain wanted to be included so that he could be close to his Inter teammates, both inside the locker room, and sitting on the touchline rather than being more isolated in the stands.

The last time Inter did not have a single minute for both Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram in Serie A was a 2-0 win away to Como on May 23, 2025.

Back then, they were rested ahead of the Champions League Final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, so that was 289 days ago.

Inter bench: Di Gennaro, J Martinez, Dumfries, De Vrij, Sucic, Lautaro Martinez, Acerbi, Frattesi, Diouf, Calhanoglu, Carlos Augusto, Darmian, Lavelli

Daniele De Rossi stunned his beloved Roma to give Genoa a much-needed victory, allowing Como to catch the Giallorossi in joint fourth place.

The Giallorossi were gearing up for the Europa League Round of 16 tie with Bologna, but also knew they needed a result here to hold onto fourth place. Paulo Dybala and Evan Ferguson found out this week they required surgery, with Matias Soulé, Mario Hermoso and Artem Dovbyk out too, plus Wesley suspended. Lorenzo Venturino therefore got his first start aged 19 against his parent club. Daniele De Rossi’s Genoa lost Roma-owned Tommaso Baldanzi to injury, with Brooke Norton-Cuffy and Sebastian Otoa not fully fit either.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Evan Ndicka received an early yellow card for a push on Jeff Ekhator and will be suspended when Roma take on Como next week.

Donyell Malen squirmed away from three for a shot deflected wide, while Junior Messias misplaced the pass that would’ve sent Ekhator clear on goal.

Malen was booked after going for the acrobatic volley on a Gianluca Mancini cross, but only catching Leo Ostigard on the head instead.

Genoa had a huge chance on the stroke of half-time, as Caleb Ekuban came sliding in and got to the Messias cross before Mancini, turning over from seven yards.

Bryan Cristante came on for the restart, but Lorenzo Pellegrini slipped and crashed into Mikel Ellertsson for an inevitable penalty, which was converted centrally into the roof of the net by Messias.

Ekuban fired over from a promising position moments later, but Roma equalised on a corner kick of their own. Mancini’s header was nodded away by Messias, but only into the path of Ndicka for a looping header into the empty net. It was the defender’s third consecutive Serie A match on target.

Malen had the ball in the net just two minutes later, but was offside when gathering the Neil El Aynaoui pass through the middle. Malen’s diving header also went over from 10 yards on another Mancini cross.

A Lorenzo Colombo overhead kick failed to trouble Mile Svilar, but Genoa restored their advantage after a throw-in. It was knocked down by Colombo for Ruslan Malinovskyi, who sent Patrizio Masini down the left, rolled across for Vitinha to come sliding in to tap into an empty net from six yards.

Kostas Tsimikas got into the box and could’ve gone for goal, but instead pulled back from the by-line into an area with no Roma teammates.

Malen saw his strike deflected just wide in the final minute and there was a scramble on a corner, then Svilar made a desperate save one-on-one with Malinovsyki on the counter-attack.

Genoa 2-1 Roma

Messias pen 52 (G), Ndicka 55 (R), Vitinha 80 (G)

08-03-2026 17:00

MatchDay 28

Stadio Luigi Ferraris

Genoa

Roma

2 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

		12'		Evan Ndicka
Patrizio Masini		16'
		40'		Donyell Malen

2nd half

Junior Messias		52'
		55'		Evan Ndicka
Vitinha (Assist: Patrizio Masini)		80'
		89'		Bryan Cristante

Match statistic

35

Possession %

65

11

Total shots

7

5

Shots on target

1

5

Shots off target

2

1

Blocked shots

4

3

Corners

6

1

Offsides

5

11

Fouls

17

Genoa

Roma

Starting lineups

16

Justin Bijlow

Goalkeeper

27

Alessandro Marcandalli

Defender

22

Johan Vásquez

Defender

5

Leo Östigard

Defender

20

Stefano Sabelli

Defender

32

Morten Frendrup

Midfielder

73

Patrizio Masini

Midfielder

18

Caleb Ekuban

Attacker

75'

21

Jeff Ekhator

Attacker

64'

10

Junior Messias

Attacker

64'

77

Mikael Egill Ellertsson

Attacker

79'

99

Mile Svilar

Goalkeeper

2

Devyne Rensch

Defender

70'

5

Evan Ndicka

Defender

23

Gianluca Mancini

Defender

84'

12

Konstantinos Tsimikas

Defender

19

Zeki Celik

Defender

84'

7

Lorenzo Pellegrini

Midfielder

56'

17

Manu Koné

Midfielder

61

Niccolò Pisilli

Midfielder

14

Donyell Malen

Attacker

20

Lorenzo Venturino

Attacker

46'

Substitutes

39

Daniele Sommariva

Goalkeeper

1

Nicola Leali

Goalkeeper

70

Maxwel Cornet

Attacker

14

Jean Onana

Midfielder

15

Brooke Norton-Cuffy

Defender

13

Nils Zätterström

Defender

4

Amorim

Midfielder

99

Mamedi Doucouré

Defender

17

Ruslan Malinovskyi

Midfielder

64'

29

Lorenzo Colombo

Attacker

64'

9

Vitinha

Attacker

75'

3

Aarón Martín

Defender

79'

92

Stephan El Shaarawy

Attacker

95

Pierluigi Gollini

Goalkeeper

97

Bryan Zaragoza

Attacker

4

Bryan Cristante

Midfielder

46'

8

Neil El Aynaoui

Midfielder

56'

87

Daniele Ghilardi

Defender

70'

24

Jan Ziolkowski

Defender

84'

78

Robinio Vaz

Attacker

84'

Inter start an all-new partnership of Francesco Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny with Piotr Zielinski, while Milan hope Luka Modric can inspire Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic.

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 today’s Serie A games on the Liveblog.

Not only is this a Derby della Madonnina and bitter local rivalry, it’s also a decisive crossroads in the Scudetto race, because leaders Inter are 10 points clear of Milan in second place.

The Nerazzurri were held 0-0 by Como in the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg on Tuesday, when adopting a new tactical system with Davide Frattesi and Andy Diouf in advanced roles to support a single centre-forward.

Marcus Thuram was meant to start today, but he is suffering from flu symptoms and is not even fit for the bench, with Lautaro Martinez still out after that calf injury against Bodo/Glimt.

Curiously, the Argentine is named ‘on the bench’ just so he can be close to his teammates and cheer them on.

It means a brand-new strike pairing of Esposito and Bonny, while Hakan Calhanoglu is rested after making his first start in six weeks with Como.

Instead, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zielinski take the midfield reins, with Denzel Dumfries slowly making his way back to full fitness after several months out due to ankle surgery.

Milan have problems of their own to deal with, because Matteo Gabbia had an operation for a sports hernia and is expected to be out for a month, joining Santiago Gimenez on the absentee list.

Davide Bartesaghi avoided a serious flexor injury, but the twinge against Cremonese was enough to mean he’s on the bench, replaced by Pervis Estupinan.

Pulisic and Leao work on their partnership, with Modric and Adrien Rabiot in midfield.

Inter are unbeaten in Serie A since their loss to Milan on November 23, followed by a 2-2 draw with Napoli, and 14 victories.

Milan vs. Inter line-ups

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

Inter: Sommer; Bisseck, Akanji, Bastoni; Luis Henrique, Barella, Zielinski, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Esposito, Bonny

08-03-2026 19:45

MatchDay 28

San Siro Stadium (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza)

Milan

Inter

1 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Pervis Estupiñán (Assist: Youssouf Fofana)

35'

2nd half

		65'		Alessandro Bastoni
		69'		Denzel Dumfries
Adrien Rabiot		80'
Luka Modric		89'

Match statistic

37

Possession %

63

9

Total shots

11

2

Shots on target

2

6

Shots off target

5

1

Blocked shots

4

1

Corners

6

2

Offsides

1

8

Fouls

12

Milan

Inter

Starting lineups

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

2

Pervis Estupiñán

Defender

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

12

Adrien Rabiot

Midfielder

56

Alexis Saelemaekers

Midfielder

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

73'

11

Christian Pulisic

Attacker

84'

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

73'

1

Yann Sommer

Goalkeeper

95

Alessandro Bastoni

Defender

68'

14

Ange-Yoan Bonny

Defender

32

Federico Dimarco

Defender

25

Manuel Akanji

Defender

31

Yann Bisseck

Defender

80'

22

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Midfielder

59'

23

Nicolò Barella

Midfielder

68'

7

Piotr Zielinski

Midfielder

94

Pio Esposito

Attacker

11

Luis Henrique

Attacker

59'

Substitutes

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

30

Ardon Jashari

Midfielder

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

96

Lorenzo Torriani

Goalkeeper

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

27

David Odogu

Defender

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

73'

9

Niclas Füllkrug

Attacker

73'

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

84'

15

Francesco Acerbi

Defender

36

Matteo Darmian

Defender

20

Hakan Calhanoglu

Midfielder

6

Stefan de Vrij

Defender

10

Lautaro Martínez

Attacker

13

Josep Martínez

Goalkeeper

12

Raffaele Di Gennaro

Goalkeeper

53

Matteo Lavelli

Attacker

2

Denzel Dumfries

Midfielder

59'

8

Petar Sucic

Defender

59'

16

Davide Frattesi

Midfielder

68'

30

Carlos Augusto

Midfielder

68'

17

Andy Diouf

Attacker

80'

Vincenzo Italiano is frustrated after Bologna’s unexpected home defeat to rock bottom Verona. ‘This sport drives me crazy, we had 19 shots on goal today.’

The Rossoblu had seemingly put their crisis behind them and put together a run of positive results.

They took the lead here today with the first Serie A goal for Jonathan Rowe, but found themselves going 2-1 behind in the space of just nine minutes to Martin Frese and Kieron Bowie counter-attacks.

Verona even had a third goal with Amin Sarr, disallowed using VAR for the earlier Roberto Gagliardini push on Benjamin Dominguez.

Italiano can’t believe latest Bologna setback

“The main problem is when you are unable to finish off the chances that you create, and then after that, every time you make a mistake, you have to plug that gap,” said Italiano in his press conference.

“We had managed to make up for the errors recently with a big save or a defensive block, but today we weren’t solid enough in attack or defence.

“When it came to the second goal, we should’ve just taken a yellow card and stopped the counter-attack at the start. It’s a pity, we wanted to add another three points to our tally.

“Santiago Castro could’ve had four goals toady and didn’t convert any of them. We allowed too many spaces in defence too. This is how you lose in Serie A.”

The most remarkable thing about Bologna’s season is their awful record at the Stadio Dall’Ara, as in Serie A alone they have lost seven of their last nine home games.

That is as many defeats as in the previous 62 fixtures played in front of the local supporters.

“You seem to believe that Bologna should sweep everyone aside, but the fact remains, Napoli needed a stoppage-time goal to beat Verona last time,” replied Italiano.

“When you told me we’d get six easy points against Pisa and Verona, I warned you that would not be the case.

“This sport drives me crazy because we had 19 shots on goal today. We had become so much more effective recently, in attack and defence, but today we made silly mistakes.”

Now Bologna must prepare for Thursday’s Europa League Round of 16 tie with Roma, fresh off this surprising home defeat.

“I always say we need to turn the page and start afresh after every match, whether it’s a win or not. We’ll adjust a few things and must have the right concentration against a quality opponent,” concluded Italiano.

Luka Modric has supported Milan since childhood, so he wanted 60 friends and family to be at San Siro to watch him play in tonight’s Derby della Madonnina against Inter.

It kicks off at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza 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.

Special Milan Derby for Modric

Modric joined the Rossoneri this season as a free agent from Real Madrid, as he has always admitted to supporting the club since he was a little boy in Croatia.

Now he gets to participate in the iconic derby and wants to share the moment with all his friends and family.

According to the Corriere dello Sport, the 40-year-old spared no expense, splashing out for 60 tickets and helping many of them travel from Croatia to be in the stands.

Among them is also a familiar face to this stadium, because he brought along ex-Milan striker Mario Mandzukic, who retired recently and is part of the Croatian coaching staff.

Mandzukic was already in Italy, as last night he was given an award by Juventus and saluted the fans ahead of their 4-0 home win over Pisa.

It’s reported that Mandzukic was staying at Modric’s house over the last couple of days.

Paolo Vanoli admits Fiorentina have regressed in the last couple of weeks after a 0-0 draw with Parma and gives a Moise Kean injury update. ‘It’ll be a battle to the end.’

It should’ve been a positive result for the Viola, as this point means that they are out of the relegation zone for the first time since October 2024.

However, there were jeers from the fans at the final whistle, as a sluggish performance failed to get the full victory that could’ve dragged Parma back down towards the danger spots.

Vanoli sees Fiorentina problems re-emerge

“We were too slow in the first half and got many crosses wrong, so we didn’t attack the penalty area in the right way,” said Vanoli in his press conference.

“The second half was better, we could’ve brought home the victory, but these games are always balanced. We’re disappointed, but it is also a point that allows us to break away from Cremonese.”

Fiorentina had seemingly turned a corner with a run of positive results, but they have now scraped one draw in the last three competitive matches, failing to score for 250 minutes of Serie A football.

“Football is strange sometimes. In the first two months here we had so many chances, but ups and downs are natural. We didn’t attack the back post or have the right service today, yet compared to the defeat to Udinese last week, we had a better xG today. We just weren’t inventive enough,” added Vanoli.

“I always said the fans are important to us and if they felt the need to jeer, we have to accept it. We must be aware that it’ll be a battle to the very end. We aren’t giving enough, yet it is all we have right now.”

Does he at least recognise there have been steps backward in the last couple of weeks, cancelling out the progress that had been made?

“That is a fair analysis, we are lacking a bit of energy at the moment. Against Udinese was the fifth game in 16 days, I evidently didn’t manage to get the batteries recharged,” confessed Vanoli.

“We lacked quality in the one-on-one situations and I was angry in the first half because Dodo was keeping Jack Harrison pinned back too deep. We were more aggressive after the break, but were still too static and this made it easier for the Parma defenders.”

The lack of goals was also down to the absence of injured Moise Kean and Manor Solomon, who both suffered knocks in recent matches and were not even on the bench today.

“Moise has an inflammation in the ankle after a blow in Udine, we tried to get him on the bench, but he continued to feel pain. Now we hope he’ll be available for the Conference League,” explained Vanoli.

“Solomon is continuing treatment and we’ll see if we can get him fit before the break for international duty or after.”

The next week could be huge in Fiorentina’s season, as they have the Conference League Round of 16 with Rakow and then a relegation tussle with Cremonese.

Roma director Ricky Massara insists Paulo Dybala’s operation ‘will not affect’ the decision to offer him a new contract, while there is squad rotation against Genoa.

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

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

This is crunch time of the campaign for the Giallorossi, because while the Europa League Round of 16 tie against Bologna is coming up on Thursday, they also face pressure from Como and Juventus to keep hold of a top four Serie A spot.

Massara on Roma changes and Dybala situation

The major surprise is Lorenzo Venturino getting his first Serie A start against his parent club, as he arrived from Genoa in January on loan with an option to buy.

“Venturino has always had a positive impact when called upon, with enthusiasm and confidence, so we are very pleased with what he has been doing,” Massara told Sky Sport Italia.

There was double bad news this week, as both Paulo Dybala and Evan Ferguson required surgery, with Matias Soulé, Mario Hermoso, Artem Dovbyk and suspended Wesley not making the trip either.

“It is true that we have a lot of injuries concentrated in the attack, which is a coincidence that does not help. We’ve got El Shaarawy back, Robinio Vaz is very young and still adapting to a new league after arriving only six weeks ago. There will be time for him, Zaragoza and Venturino to develop over the course of the season.”

Dybala has been ruled out for at least six weeks now with meniscus surgery, so will this influence Roma’s decision on whether or not to offer him a new contract?

“This does not affect the issue, we didn’t talk about Paulo’s contract before the injury and we don’t think it is fair to talk about it now. We just hope he can recover as quickly as possible, this will not affect our rapport with Dybala or the club’s strategy,” assured Massara.

Roma’s medical staff faced criticism for not suggesting an operation earlier, as it seems the meniscus in the knee had been damaged for over a month.

“I don’t wish to get into the medical details, it is always better to try conservative treatment first and focus on the health of the players. That is the priority. At least this resolves the problem and we’ll soon have him fully fit.”

Last week’s 3-3 draw with Juventus felt like a missed opportunity, fumbling a 3-1 lead to concede the equaliser in stoppages and confirming Roma’s poor record in the big games.

Daniele De Rossi admits he must put his love for Roma aside or ‘it wouldn’t allow me to do my job properly,’ and explains his big Genoa changes for this match.

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

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

The Giallorossi will always be in his heart, first growing up as a supporter in the Eternal City, then as their player coming up through the youth academy to wear the captain’s armband, and again as coach.

“I went to the Olimpico as an away coach, obviously it is a place that belongs in my heart, but I have worked on putting the past aside, or it wouldn’t allow me to do my job properly,” De Rossi told Sky Sport Italia.

“The great thing about the Genoa fans is they make you feel at home here, their passion is remarkable.”

De Rossi changes Genoa to limit Roma

De Rossi has made quite a few surprising changes to his Genoa side this evening, even taking into account that Brooke Norton-Cuffy and Sebastian Otoa are not fully fit.

He leaves Ruslan Malinovskyi, Vitinha and Lorenzo Colombo on the bench, introducing rapid young strikers Jeff Ekhator and Caleb Ekuban, who had never started together before.

“They can run into space, they are pure strikers who like to sneak up behind defenders. Roma play an aggressive style, so we must be balanced, organised, and ready to get behind their defence,” explained the coach.

Stefano Sabelli and Patrizio Masini are also back in the Genoa starting XI, so is he trying to disorient Gian Piero Gasperini?

“Gasperini cannot be easily disoriented, he has been doing this for a lifetime and knows how to play against many different teams. I chose this line-up because these are the players who can interpret the approach I want for this match, which is going to be very different to the one against Torino, so we need different characteristics to draw upon.”

A point takes Fiorentina out of the drop zone for the first time since October, but it feels like a wasted opportunity, as Parma are now practically safe.

The Viola’s positive run of form ground to a screeching halt after back-to-back defeats in the Conference League to Jagiellonia, even if they qualified in extra time, and 3-0 to Udinese in Serie A. Preparing for the Round of 16 with Rakow on Thursday, they couldn’t afford rotation in this relegation battle.

Dodo returned from suspension, replaced on the naughty step by Fabiano Parisi. Moise Kean, Manor Solomon, Luca Lezzerini and Tariq Lamptey were ruled out. Parma were revitalised by three straight wins and a draw against Cagliari, though Adrian Bernabé, Sascha Britschgi, Pontus Almqvist and Matija Frigan missed out. Zion Suzuki returned to the bench after surgery on a hand fracture in November.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Luca Ranieri couldn’t get control of a scuffed acrobatic volley on the Roberto Piccoli knockdown, while Gabriel Strefezza blasted over on the counter-attack after robbing Marco Brescianini.

Mandela Keita’s daisy-cutter from outside the area skimmed the base of the near post, but Fiorentina stepped up a gear after the restart, Jack Harrison’s cross for Piccoli forcing a desperate Enrico Delprato block.

Rolando Mandragora’s acrobatic volley sailed over, while both Piccoli and Giovanni Fabbian failed to get on the end of a Nicolò Fagioli cross from six yards.

The point takes Fiorentina out of the bottom three for the first time since October, but it means Parma are now almost guaranteed Serie A safety, and the Viola were jeered off the field by their own fans.

Fiorentina 0-0 Parma

08-03-2026 14:00

MatchDay 28

Artemio Franchi Stadium

Fiorentina

Parma

0 - 0

Player statistic

2nd half

Rolando Mandragora		61'
Dodô		90'

Match statistic

56

Possession %

44

12

Total shots

8

1

Shots on target

0

6

Shots off target

6

5

Blocked shots

2

7

Corners

1

1

Offsides

0

12

Fouls

14

Fiorentina

Parma

Starting lineups

43

David de Gea

Goalkeeper

2

Dodô

Defender

6

Luca Ranieri

Defender

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

86'

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

86'

44

Nicolò Fagioli

Midfielder

21

Robin Gosens

Midfielder

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

64'

10

Albert Gudmundsson

Attacker

17

Jack Harrison

Attacker

81'

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

40

Edoardo Corvi

Goalkeeper

39

Alessandro Circati

Defender

14

Emanuele Valeri

Defender

15

Enrico Delprato

Defender

37

Mariano Troilo

Defender

25

Benja Cremaschi

Midfielder

41

Hans Nicolussi Caviglia

Midfielder

16

Mandela Keita

Midfielder

22

Oliver Sörensen

Midfielder

82'

7

Gabriel Strefezza

Attacker

9

Mateo Pellegrino

Attacker

72'

Substitutes

3

Daniele Rugani

Defender

53

Oliver Christensen

Goalkeeper

29

Niccolò Fortini

Midfielder

60

Eddy Kouadio

Defender

50

Pietro Leonardelli

Goalkeeper

61

Riccardo Braschi

Attacker

62

Luis Balbo

Defender

80

Giovanni Fabbian

Midfielder

64'

22

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

81'

4

Marco Brescianini

Midfielder

86'

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

86'

29

Franco Carboni

Defender

66

Filippo Rinaldi

Goalkeeper

17

Jacob Ondrejka

Attacker

31

Zion Suzuki

Goalkeeper

3

Abdoulaye Ndiaye

Defender

70

Bernardo Conde

Defender

63

Marlon Mena Martinez

Defender

23

Nesta Elphege

Attacker

72'

8

Nahuel Estévez

Midfielder

82'

Hellas Verona caused a huge upset with this comeback victory away to Bologna, sealed by Kieron Bowie’s debut Serie A goal.

The Rossoblu put their recent crisis behind them with three consecutive victories and were gearing up for the Europa League Round of 16 against Roma. Remo Freuler was suspended, with Juan Miranda and Torbjorn Heggem injured, but Charalampos Lykogiannis returned. Rock bottom Verona added Armel Bella-Kotchap and Tobias Slotsager to the injury list with Sandi Lovric, Pol Lirola, Antoine Bernede and Suat Serdar, but Gift Orban was back after a two-match ban.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Santiago Castro’s swerving finish flashed wide from distance, then slipped at the crucial moment on a Jonathan Rowe pull-back.

Verona also threatened on the counter-attack, Lukasz Skorupski getting down to parry the Orban angled drive, while Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro’s shot accidentally hit teammate Orban.

Nadir Zortea drilled inches wide, but Bologna had a huge opportunity at the dawn of the second half when Riccardo Orsolini’s volley on a corner thumped the base of the upright.

The breakthrough came moments later, when Rowe started the move, spreading it down the right with Jens Odgaard and the Zortea pull-back, finding Rowe to sweep first-time through a sea of legs into the far bottom corner. It was his first Serie A goal.

It didn’t last long, as Verona responded immediately with a similar Martin Frese strike from the edge of the area, gathering a poor clearance.

Remarkably, Hellas then turned the game around on the counter-attack, as Orban got down the left and rolled across for the totally unmarked Kieron Bowie to sweep in undisturbed. This too was a debut Serie A goal for the ex-Hibernian striker.

Bowie fired another attempt wide from distance, but Lorenzo Montipò got down for a fantastic save to fingertip the Odgaard strike out from the near bottom corner from the edge of the area.

There was controversy on 85 minutes when Roberto Gagliardini pushed Benjamin Dominguez on the edge of the area, but the referee waved play on, allowing Amin Sarr to sprint away from Jhon Lucumi and score the third for Verona. However, it was disallowed following the VAR review, as Gagliardini had both hands on the back of Dominguez.

Federico Bernardeschi’s free kick went over, then Castro couldn’t steer his cross on target.

Bologna 1-2 Verona

Rowe 49 (B), Frese 53 (V), Bowie 57 (V)

08-03-2026 14:00

MatchDay 28

Renato Dall'Ara Stadium

Bologna

Verona

1 - 2

Player statistic

1st half

		16'		Kieron Bowie
Lewis Ferguson		40'
		42'		Abdou Harroui

2nd half

Jonathan Rowe (Assist: Nadir Zortea)		49'
		53'		Martin Frese
		57'		Kieron Bowie (Assist: Gift Orban)

Match statistic

68

Possession %

32

19

Total shots

15

2

Shots on target

5

10

Shots off target

7

7

Blocked shots

3

5

Corners

3

1

Offsides

4

5

Fouls

20

Bologna

Verona

Starting lineups

1

Lukasz Skorupski

Goalkeeper

26

Jhon Lucumí

Defender

17

João Mário

Defender

41

Martin Vitik

Defender

84'

20

Nadir Zortea

Defender

77'

11

Jonathan Rowe

Midfielder

77'

19

Lewis Ferguson

Midfielder

66'

6

Nikola Moro

Midfielder

21

Jens Odgaard

Attacker

7

Riccardo Orsolini

Attacker

66'

9

Santiago Castro

Attacker

1

Lorenzo Montipò

Goalkeeper

5

Andrias Edmundsson

Defender

2

Daniel Oyegoke

Defender

82'

12

Domagoj Bradaric

Defender

3

Martin Frese

Defender

15

Victor Nelsson

Defender

21

Abdou Harroui

Midfielder

74'

11

Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro

Midfielder

63

Roberto Gagliardini

Midfielder

16

Gift Orban

Attacker

90'

18

Kieron Bowie

Attacker

82'

Substitutes

29

Lorenzo De Silvestri

Defender

16

Nicolò Casale

Defender

13

Federico Ravaglia

Goalkeeper

28

Nicolò Cambiaghi

Attacker

24

Thijs Dallinga

Attacker

25

Massimo Pessina

Goalkeeper

5

Eivind Helland

Defender

10

Federico Bernardeschi

Attacker

66'

23

Simon Sohm

Midfielder

66'

22

Charalampos Lykogiannis

Defender

77'

30

Benja Domínguez

Attacker

77'

4

Tommaso Pobega

Midfielder

84'

34

Simone Perilli

Goalkeeper

36

Cheikh Niasse

Attacker

94

Giacomo Toniolo

Goalkeeper

25

Daniel Mosquera

Attacker

70

Fallou Cham

Defender

7

Rafik Belghali

Defender

41

Isaac

Attacker

10

Tomas Suslov

Attacker

74'

9

Amin Sarr

Attacker

82'

6

Nicolás Valentini

Defender

82'

73

Moatasem Al-Musrati

Midfielder

90'

The pressure is on Roma amid an injury crisis to get a win and stay in fourth place, as Donyell Malen and Lorenzo Venturino lead the way against Daniele De Rossi’s Genoa.

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

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

With Como flying and Juventus back on track after the 3-3 thriller last week, Roma know they need a result to hang on to that Champions League spot.

They are also having to prepare for Thursday’s Europa League Round of 16 clash with Bologna, but the squad is stretched very thin.

Paulo Dybala and Evan Ferguson both needed to undergo surgery this week, with Matias Soulé, Mario Hermoso and Artem Dovbyk not making the trip either.

Wesley Franca sits out a ban too, so there has to be squad rotation, with 19-year-old former Genoa youth product Lorenzo Venturino getting his first start in support of fellow January signing Malen.

This will always be a special fixture for the two coaches, as Gian Piero Gasperini first made his mark at Genoa, while De Rossi remains a Roma legend.

Tommaso Baldanzi is on loan from the Giallorossi, but has barely featured and is out here with a muscular issue.

Genoa are fresh off a 2-0 defeat to Inter, with Brooke Norton-Cuffy and Sebastian Otoa still carrying knocks.

Lorenzo Colombo, Vitinha and Ruslan Malinovskyi are all benched in a surprising revamp.

Genoa vs. Roma line-ups

Genoa: Bijlow; Marcandalli, Ostigard, Vasquez; Sabelli, Masini, Frendrup, Messias, Ellertsson; Ekhator, Ekuban

Roma: Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Celik; Rensch, Koné, Pisilli, Tsimikas; Pellegrini, Venturino; Malen

08-03-2026 17:00

MatchDay 28

Stadio Luigi Ferraris

Genoa

Roma

2 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

		12'		Evan Ndicka
Patrizio Masini		16'
		40'		Donyell Malen

2nd half

Junior Messias		52'
		55'		Evan Ndicka
Vitinha (Assist: Patrizio Masini)		80'
		89'		Bryan Cristante

Match statistic

35

Possession %

65

11

Total shots

7

5

Shots on target

1

5

Shots off target

2

1

Blocked shots

4

3

Corners

6

1

Offsides

5

11

Fouls

17

Genoa

Roma

Starting lineups

16

Justin Bijlow

Goalkeeper

27

Alessandro Marcandalli

Defender

22

Johan Vásquez

Defender

5

Leo Östigard

Defender

20

Stefano Sabelli

Defender

32

Morten Frendrup

Midfielder

73

Patrizio Masini

Midfielder

18

Caleb Ekuban

Attacker

75'

21

Jeff Ekhator

Attacker

64'

10

Junior Messias

Attacker

64'

77

Mikael Egill Ellertsson

Attacker

79'

99

Mile Svilar

Goalkeeper

2

Devyne Rensch

Defender

70'

5

Evan Ndicka

Defender

23

Gianluca Mancini

Defender

84'

12

Konstantinos Tsimikas

Defender

19

Zeki Celik

Defender

84'

7

Lorenzo Pellegrini

Midfielder

56'

17

Manu Koné

Midfielder

61

Niccolò Pisilli

Midfielder

14

Donyell Malen

Attacker

20

Lorenzo Venturino

Attacker

46'

Substitutes

39

Daniele Sommariva

Goalkeeper

1

Nicola Leali

Goalkeeper

70

Maxwel Cornet

Attacker

14

Jean Onana

Midfielder

15

Brooke Norton-Cuffy

Defender

13

Nils Zätterström

Defender

4

Amorim

Midfielder

99

Mamedi Doucouré

Defender

17

Ruslan Malinovskyi

Midfielder

64'

29

Lorenzo Colombo

Attacker

64'

9

Vitinha

Attacker

75'

3

Aarón Martín

Defender

79'

92

Stephan El Shaarawy

Attacker

95

Pierluigi Gollini

Goalkeeper

97

Bryan Zaragoza

Attacker

4

Bryan Cristante

Midfielder

46'

8

Neil El Aynaoui

Midfielder

56'

87

Daniele Ghilardi

Defender

70'

24

Jan Ziolkowski

Defender

84'

78

Robinio Vaz

Attacker

84'

There are growing reports that Marcus Thuram won’t even be on the Inter bench for tonight’s Derby della Madonnina against Milan.

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 today’s Serie A games on the Liveblog.

This is a Scudetto battle at the top of the table between the runaway leaders and the only side keeping up the pace in second.

The Nerazzurri were already missing captain Lautaro Martinez, who has been out of action since he suffered a calf strain in the first leg of the Champions League play-off defeat to Bodo/Glimt.

Thuram unexpected Inter problem

Thuram had been expected to lead the attack, but he came down with flu symptoms on Friday night and has not trained at all on Saturday or today.

There are growing reports the France international is struggling so much that he isn’t even going to be on the bench this evening.

It means an all-new front partnership of Francesco Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny, who have never started a match together before.

There are other alternatives, as Inter used a new system for the Coppa Italia semi-final 0-0 draw with Como, moving Davide Frattesi and Andy Diouf into more advanced roles to support the centre-forward.

Hakan Calhanoglu is also tipped to make way for Piotr Zielinski and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in midfield, as the midweek trip to Como was his first start six weeks after injury.

Cremonese director of sport Simone Giacchetta was raging after the controversial finale of their 2-1 defeat to Lecce. ‘We feel damaged and disrespected’ by referees and VAR.

The Seahorses had been trailing 2-0 at the Stadio Via del Mare, but got back into it and pushed hard to the final whistle for an equaliser.

They had the ball in the net only for it to be disallowed for a handling offence, then there were penalty appeals waved away as Antonio Sanabria went down under a Gaby Jean challenge.

Cremonese vent fury after VAR non-call

“I am not here to comment on the match, but to clarify our position on the incident that compromised the game,” Giacchetta told DAZN Italia.

“For us, a team fighting for our Serie A safety, moments like this can decide the entire season.”

Although there was some contact between Jean and Sanabria, it was considered insufficient by VAR and the referee to warrant an On-Field Review or penalty.

“This is the second time I have had to intervene in the media, after an evident handling offence at the 95th minute from Simeone of Torino, which cost us an important point. Today, again at the 95th minute, Sanabria received decisive contact on his right foot,” continued the Cremonese director.

“These are the things that ruin the game, and indeed you heard there was suddenly a deathly silence in the stadium. It is a situation that penalises us.”

This adds to the recent controversy about when and how VAR ought to intervene in Serie A, as there are different definitions of ‘clear and obvious error’ even within the same match.

“I don’t want to hear that the referee didn’t see it. I am here to complain that VAR did not intervene, seeing as they like to get involved for the tiniest details just to prove how important they are, and yet do nothing in a situation like this.

“We feel damaged and disrespected by this. There was confusion after the final whistle, the referee didn’t give us any explanation.

“We feel deprived of justice and respect. It was a penalty that should’ve been given on the field, but at the very least by VAR,” continued the Cremonese chief.

“These matches leave scars and today it also ended up penalising us further with a red card after the final whistle. VAR could’ve avoided all of that, especially after intervening to get our goal disallowed for Martin Payero.”

This result means Cremonese are in the bottom three and risk falling behind the clubs higher up the table.

Davide Nicola’s squad have scraped only five wins, nine draws and 14 defeats in Serie A this season, but their recent form has been simply disastrous.

{rsn-live-v2}

Lecce secured a massive 2-1 win over Cremonese on Sunday, moving three points above the relegation zone.

Santiago Pierotti and Nikola Stulic’s goals allowed Lecce to take all three points in a home Serie A match against direct rivals Cremonese on Sunday, putting three points between them and the Grigiorossi in the Serie A table.

Goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone also had a big role in Lecce’s crucial victory.

Lecce 2-1 Cremonese match report

Cremonese’s Morten Thorsby had the first chance in the game, but sent his header wide.

Just a few minutes later, Pierotti scored his first goal this season, making the most of Antonino Gallo’s corner kick from the right and Emil Audero’s poor decision to come out.

The home side didn’t take long to double their lead. Matteo Bianchetti deflected Stulic’s shot with his right arm, which was placed in an unnatural position. Referee Simone Sozza initially gave a corner kick, but was then urged to the pitchside monitor to review the incident, which led to a penalty kick for the Giallorossi.

Stulic took the penalty and sent Audero the opposite way to double Lecce’s lead.

The Giallorossi dominated in the first half, leaving little chance to score for Cremonese, who also had to deal with an injury to Jamie Vardy, who picked up a knock and was forced to be subbed off during the break.

It was, however, a blessing in disguise for the Lombardy-based club as Vardy’s replacement, Milan Djuric, immediately contributed to Cremonese’s goal.

The ex-Salernitana star used his body to take position at the edge of the box and provide a headed assist for Bonazzoli, who made a late run and beat Falcone at the far post with his first goal since the reverse fixture on December 7.

Djuric continued to make his presence felt inside the box and had a chance to score with an overhead kick saved by Wladimiro Falcone.

Spaces opened up for Lecce on the counterattack, and despite Lameck Banda’s pace down the left, the Giallorossi failed to create many goal-scoring opportunities.

On the other end, Cremonese mostly relied on long balls for Djuric to cause trouble for the home side.

Emil Audero partially redeemed himself with a save from Ylber Ramadani’s shot from distance.

Cremonese midfielder Martin Payero accidentally sent the ball inside the net with his right arm in the dying minutes. The referee initially confirmed the goal, but a silent VAR check quickly, and rightly, disallowed it.

Payero had another massive chance to level the score in stoppage time, but Falcone produced an impressive intervention from point-blank range.

Tension skyrocketed in the final minute as Cremonese demanded a penalty kick for a possible Gaby Jean foul on Antonio Sanabria, who was clear in front of Falcone after another header won by Djuric and a fortunate bounce at the edge of the box.

Referee Sozza, however, waved to play on, and VAR confirmed his decision, sparking Lecce’s celebrations.

08-03-2026 11:30

MatchDay 28

Stadio Ettore Giardiniero - Via del Mare

Lecce

Cremonese

2 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Santiago Pierotti (Assist: Antonino Gallo)		22'
Nikola Stulic		38'
		44'		Matteo Bianchetti
Jamil Siebert		45+4'

2nd half

		47'		Federico Bonazzoli (Assist: Milan Djuric)
		53'		Milan Djuric
		90+7'		Sebastiano Luperto

Match statistic

41

Possession %

59

9

Total shots

10

3

Shots on target

5

3

Shots off target

3

3

Blocked shots

2

4

Corners

4

3

Offsides

1

19

Fouls

28

Lecce

Cremonese

Starting lineups

30

Wladimiro Falcone

Goalkeeper

25

Antonino Gallo

Defender

17

Danilo Veiga

Defender

5

Jamil Siebert

Defender

44

Tiago Gabriel

Defender

29

Lassana Coulibaly

Midfielder

89'

79

Oumar Ngom

Midfielder

20

Ylber Ramadani

Midfielder

19

Lameck Banda

Attacker

78'

9

Nikola Stulic

Attacker

66'

50

Santiago Pierotti

Attacker

79'

1

Emil Audero

Goalkeeper

55

Francesco Folino

Defender

3

Giuseppe Pezzella

Defender

74'

15

Matteo Bianchetti

Defender

46'

5

Sebastiano Luperto

Defender

4

Tommaso Barbieri

Defender

27

Jari Vandeputte

Midfielder

46'

2

Morten Thorsby

Midfielder

62'

29

Youssef Maleh

Midfielder

90

Federico Bonazzoli

Attacker

10

Jamie Vardy

Attacker

46'

Substitutes

23

Riccardo Sottil

Attacker

14

Thórir Jóhann Helgason

Midfielder

32

Jasper Samooja

Goalkeeper

1

Christian Früchtl

Goalkeeper

36

Filip Marchwinski

Midfielder

11

Konan N’Dri

Attacker

13

Matías Pérez

Defender

3

Corrie Ndaba

Defender

6

Álex Sala

Midfielder

99

Walid Cheddira

Attacker

66'

16

Omri Gandelman

Midfielder

78'

18

Gaby Jean

Defender

79'

8

Sadik Fofana

Defender

89'

69

Lapo Nava

Goalkeeper

16

Marco Silvestri

Goalkeeper

33

Alberto Grassi

Midfielder

23

Federico Ceccherini

Defender

38

Warren Bondo

Midfielder

22

Romano Floriani Mussolini

Defender

30

Mika Faye

Defender

9

Milan Djuric

Attacker

46'

7

Alessio Zerbin

Attacker

46'

32

Martín Payero

Midfielder

46'

77

David Okereke

Attacker

62'

99

Antonio Sanabria

Attacker

74'

The UEFA Champions League knockout stages return with a truly mouth-watering clash as the defending European champions, PSG, prepare to host the current FIFA Club World Cup winners, Chelsea.

The first leg at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday marks a high-stakes rematch of last summer’s global final, where the Blues convincingly won 3-0.

Luis Enrique’s side enters this tie under significant pressure following a disappointing 3-1 home defeat to Monaco in Ligue 1 over the weekend.

Meanwhile, Chelsea, led by Liam Rosenior, have faced a grueling domestic schedule but remain a formidable force in cup competitions.

With a place in the quarter-finals on the line, both managers face critical selection dilemmas.

How PSG could line up against Chelsea

PSG are sweating over the fitness of several key midfielders, with Joao Neves and Fabian Ruiz both major doubts due to recent injuries.

This could leave a heavy burden on teenage sensation Warren Zaïre-Emery to anchor the midfield alongside Vitinha.

In attack, Luis Enrique is expected to stick with his high-octane front three.

The creative burden will fall on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who has been in scintillating form since his move to the French capital, supported by the lightning pace of Bradley Barcola and the veteran presence of the returning Ousmane Dembele.

Predicted PSG starting XI vs Chelsea: Matvey Safonov; Achraf Hakimi, Illia Zabarnyi, Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Warren Zaïre-Emery, Vitinha, Desire Doue; Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

How Chelsea could line up against PSG

Liam Rosenior has a defensive headache with Levi Colwill out long-term and Wesley Fofana a major doubt following a knock.

This likely means Trevoh Chalobah will continue his partnership with Jorrel Hato in the heart of the defence.

Further forward, Chelsea’s danger man Cole Palmer will be the focal point of the attack, operating just behind the prolific Joao Pedro.

Alejandro Garnacho could start on the left wing to provide much-needed directness against PSG’s attacking full-backs.

Predicted Chelsea starting XI vs PSG: Filip Jorgensen; Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Jorrel Hato, Marc Cucurella; Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez; Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Alejandro Garnacho;  Joao Pedro.

How to buy PSG tickets

Supporters can buy tickets through the club’s official ticketing page, which you can access via the link here.

However, due to the extremely high demand for seats at the Parc des Princes, particularly for high-profile Champions League fixtures, relying solely on the club’s website often makes finding available tickets very difficult.

Thankfully, there are reliable and secure alternative options. By following our link here, you can explore a verified, easy-to-use platform that offers access to PSG matches without long queues, priority restrictions for season ticket holders, or extra membership charges.

How to buy Chelsea tickets

Most supporters are already familiar with Chelsea’s official ticket page, but buying directly from the club often brings difficulties, such as long queues, limited availability, and extra costs due to required membership fees.

To save yourself the frustration and boost your chances of securing a seat for this huge fixture, we highly recommend a trusted, secure alternative.

Follow our link here to discover a quicker, easier option that offers you a better opportunity.

PSG vs Chelsea Head to Head

History suggests there is very little to separate these two modern giants.

Across 10 competitive meetings, the record is perfectly balanced with three wins apiece and four draws.

While PSG won the most recent Champions League knockout encounters in 2015 and 2016, Chelsea hold the bragging rights for the biggest trophy in their recent history.

The Blues’ 3-0 victory in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Final remains fresh in the memory, a night where Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro dismantled the Parisian defence in New Jersey.

PSG will be desperate for revenge on home soil to prove they are still the kings of Europe.

Fikayo Tomori says Ademola Lookman is one of the toughest opponents he’s faced in Serie A and is glad he didn’t go to Inter last summer: ‘We wouldn’t have been friends anymore.’

Milan centre-back Tomori will be happy he won’t face Lookman in tonight’s derby della Madonnina against Inter.

The Nigeria international was close to joining the Nerazzurri last summer, but La Dea refused to sell him to a domestic rival for less than €50m.

Lookman spent the first part of the campaign in Bergamo before joining Atletico Madrid in the January window.

During his latest interview with The Athletic, Tomori mentioned Lookman as one of the best strikers he’s faced during his five-year stay at San Siro.

Tomori joked with Lookman after failed Inter transfer

Tomori is a friend of Lookman off the pitch and spoke to the striker after his collapsed move to Inter.

“I spoke to him when he stayed [at Atalanta], and I said: ‘If you went to Inter, we wouldn’t have been friends anymore,'” the English defender said, smiling.

Fikayo Tomori names the toughest opponents he’s faced in Serie A pic.twitter.com/0ghDvBs1mH

— The Totally Football Show (@TheTotallyShow) March 8, 2026

Juventus target Bernardo Silva is not expected to extend his expiring contract with Manchester City, effectively becoming available for a free transfer over the summer.

Portuguese star Bernardo Silva won’t extend his contract with Manchester City, according to Marca transfer expert Matteo Moretto.

Bernardo Silva won’t sign Man City contract extension

According to the report, Bernardo Silva is unwilling to sign a new deal with the Premier League giants.

The Portugal international has scored 42 goals and provided 34 assists in 445 appearances for Manchester City.

In the current campaign, he has played 2.782 minutes, scoring twice and providing five assists.

Naturally, several clubs have been linked with signing the 31-year-old, including Benfica and Barcelona, according to Marca.

Italian sources claim that Juventus have already opened preliminary talks with the versatile midfielder’s entourage.

The Bianconeri’s main target in midfield remains Sandro Tonali, but Bernardo Silva is also very high on their agenda.

Juventus currently sit sixth in the Serie A table, one point below the top four, but Roma have a game in hand to be played today against Genoa.

Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti slapped USMNT international Weston McKennie during the Bianconeri’s celebration for Kenan Yildiz’s goal against Pisa.

Juventus won their first Serie A match in over a month on Saturday, beating strugglers Pisa 4-0 at home.

After Yildiz’s third goal at minute 75, most of the players ran towards the touchline to hug coach Luciano Spalletti on the day of his 67th birthday.

The Italian tactician also hugged his players, but then slapped McKennie when the American arrived.

It’s not the first time Spalletti has slapped one of his players, as he did the same in January with Lois Openda before the striker’s introduction in a Champions League match against Benfica.

Safe to say, however, that Spalletti is delighted with McKennie’s performances this season, as the American has scored eight goals and recorded seven assists in 27 appearances under the Tuscan tactician and has earned a contract extension through 2030.

Video: McKennie slapped by Spalletti after Juventus’ goal

Why Luciano Spalletti do Weston McKennie like that https://t.co/l3YhnzXX8u

— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) March 7, 2026

Wesley Sneijder admits he was surprised when José Mourinho started him against Milan in 2009, just a few hours after his move from Real Madrid and sees Piotr Zielinski as Inter’s ‘key man’ in 2025-26.

Former Inter star Sneijder previewed tonight’s Derby della Madonnina during an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.

“First of all, this isn’t just a derby, it’s THE derby,” Sneijnder said.

“At San Siro, you can feel the weight of history. I’ve payed Real Madrid-Barcelona, which is a global clasico that involves different cities, and Galatasaray-Fenerbahce, which drives Istanbul crazy, but the fact that teams the size of Milan and Inter share the same stadium is always…wow! And this season the derby could even decide a Scudetto that is fully deserved. It’s not like two years ago when the Nerazzurri mathematically celebrated the title at Milan’s home, but if Cristian goes to +13 who could possibly think of catching him?”

Inter are the Serie A table leaders with a 10-point advantage over their city rivals who sit second and have only lost twice in Serie A this term.

“Milan are a clever team. They have the character of their coach,” Sneijder continued.

“They know how to sit back, wait for you and punish you. They have midfielders like Rabiot, but Inter are superior in possession. Calhanoglu is back now, but the key man this season is Zielinski. Last season, I kept asking myself ‘why doesn’t he play?’ Now, instead, the ball always goes through him.”

Milan legend Andiy Shevchenko, on the other hand, said the Rossoneri would reopen the title race if they beat the Nerazzurri tonight.

Sneijder is a proper Inter legend as he was part of the team that won the treble under Mourinho in 2009-10. When the Dutchman arrived at San Siro, he was immediately started in a derby against Milan.

“I had barely stepped off the plane at the end of Augst 2009, when José said to me: ‘You’ll be playing against Milan.’ How many others would have done that? It ended 4-0 for us. It felt like I had known Milito and Eto’o my whole life,” Sneijder said.

“After the match, I realised Mourinho was serious when he said the only thing he was missing to win everything was a No.10. He hadn’t just said it to convince me. He simply saw the future.”

Inter coach Chivu was also part of that legendary Inter team and Sneijder sees a similarity between his former teammate and his ex-coach Mourinho.

“Comparisons like that don’t make sense and are dangerous. But like José, Cristian says wht he thinks without needing to please everyone and he goe straight down his own path,” he said.

“Chivu has to defend Inter from everything and everyone. Look at the Bastoni case, so many pointless controversies. Sooner or later, people will get tired of booing; but what I like the most is the player’s reaction. The criticism just slides off him. That’s how it should be done.”

Lecce look to Nikola Stulic in a crucial Serie A match against Jamie Vardy’s Cremonese.

It kicks off at 12:30 CET (11:30 GMT) at the Stadio Via del Mare.

It promises to be a dramatic match in the race for survival, with the two sides level on 24 points, alongside Fiorentina.

Technically, Lecce are in the relegation zone, but only by goal difference.

The Giallorossi, however, have earned six points in the last five matches, while Cremonese only grabbed one in the same period.

The Grigiorossi seemed safe just a few weeks ago, but they have been winless since the reverse fixture on December 7 and have scored only one goal in the last eight games.

Medon Berisha, Francesco Camarda, Olaf Gorter and Kialonda Gaspar are unavailable for Lecce, while Cremonese have travelled south without the injured Michele Collocolo, Federico Baschirotto, Faris Moumbagna and the suspended Filippo Terracciano.

Lecce and Cremonese‘s rival Fiorentina play later today at 15:00 CET, hosting Parma at the Stadio Franchi.

Lecce vs. Cremonese – confirmed line-ups

Lecce (4-2-3-1): Falcone; Danilo Veiga, Siebert, Tiago Gabriel, Gallo; Coulibaly, Ramadani; Pierotti, Ngom, Banda; Stulic.

Cremonese (3-5-2): Audero; Bianchetti, Luperto, Folino; Barbieri, Maleh, Thorsby, Vandeputte, Pezzella; Vardy, Bonazzoli. 

Lecce vs. Cremonese – live updates

08-03-2026 11:30

MatchDay 28

Stadio Ettore Giardiniero - Via del Mare

Lecce

Cremonese

2 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Santiago Pierotti (Assist: Antonino Gallo)		22'
Nikola Stulic		38'
		44'		Matteo Bianchetti
Jamil Siebert		45+4'

2nd half

		47'		Federico Bonazzoli (Assist: Milan Djuric)
		53'		Milan Djuric
		90+7'		Sebastiano Luperto

Match statistic

41

Possession %

59

9

Total shots

10

3

Shots on target

5

3

Shots off target

3

3

Blocked shots

2

4

Corners

4

3

Offsides

1

19

Fouls

28

Lecce

Cremonese

Starting lineups

30

Wladimiro Falcone

Goalkeeper

25

Antonino Gallo

Defender

17

Danilo Veiga

Defender

5

Jamil Siebert

Defender

44

Tiago Gabriel

Defender

29

Lassana Coulibaly

Midfielder

89'

79

Oumar Ngom

Midfielder

20

Ylber Ramadani

Midfielder

19

Lameck Banda

Attacker

78'

9

Nikola Stulic

Attacker

66'

50

Santiago Pierotti

Attacker

79'

1

Emil Audero

Goalkeeper

55

Francesco Folino

Defender

3

Giuseppe Pezzella

Defender

74'

15

Matteo Bianchetti

Defender

46'

5

Sebastiano Luperto

Defender

4

Tommaso Barbieri

Defender

27

Jari Vandeputte

Midfielder

46'

2

Morten Thorsby

Midfielder

62'

29

Youssef Maleh

Midfielder

90

Federico Bonazzoli

Attacker

10

Jamie Vardy

Attacker

46'

Substitutes

23

Riccardo Sottil

Attacker

14

Thórir Jóhann Helgason

Midfielder

32

Jasper Samooja

Goalkeeper

1

Christian Früchtl

Goalkeeper

36

Filip Marchwinski

Midfielder

11

Konan N’Dri

Attacker

13

Matías Pérez

Defender

3

Corrie Ndaba

Defender

6

Álex Sala

Midfielder

99

Walid Cheddira

Attacker

66'

16

Omri Gandelman

Midfielder

78'

18

Gaby Jean

Defender

79'

8

Sadik Fofana

Defender

89'

69

Lapo Nava

Goalkeeper

16

Marco Silvestri

Goalkeeper

33

Alberto Grassi

Midfielder

23

Federico Ceccherini

Defender

38

Warren Bondo

Midfielder

22

Romano Floriani Mussolini

Defender

30

Mika Faye

Defender

9

Milan Djuric

Attacker

46'

7

Alessio Zerbin

Attacker

46'

32

Martín Payero

Midfielder

46'

77

David Okereke

Attacker

62'

99

Antonio Sanabria

Attacker

74'

Andriy Shevchenko feels Milan can reopen the title race if they beat Inter tonight and does not believe that Christian Pulisic is already focused on the World Cup with the USMNT.

Former Milan star Shevchenko spoke to Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of tonight’s derby della Madonnina between the Rossoneri and their city rivals Inter.

“The ten-point gap in the table doesn’t mean much. If Milan win, the title race is open again. The derby can change the fate, especially at this point in the season,” Sheva said.

“All games will be unpredictable for everybody, until the end.”

Inter are the runaway table leaders in Serie A and have proved to be the best team in Italy to this point.

“As a team, yes. They are currently the best in Italy, and I like the way Chivu coaches them,” said the ex-Milan star.

“He’s always been smart, even as a footballer. He had creativity on the field, and he’s proving to be a good coach. You can see that the team respects him and has a nice playing style.”

Milan sit second but have only lost two Serie A games this season under Massimiliano Allegri.

“Max is a guarantee. He has transformed Milan,” Shevchenko said.

“He has given competitiveness to the team and has made the players stronger. He has experience and precise characteristics. He shapes a group with his ideas, and he’s a formidable manager.”

Christian Pulisic has had a fantastic start to the season, but he has not yet scored a goal in 2026. The American star has been on and off the pitch in the first three months of the year due to recurring injuries, including bursitis.

“Don’t believe the story that a player of his calibre is already thinking about the World Cup. It’s impossible,” Shevchenko said.

“When a player goes on the pitch, he always wants to give his best at that moment. Pulisic has scored important goals and will continue to do so, first for Milan and then for the USMNT at the World Cup.”

Rafael Leao will partner with Pulisic in the Milan attack tonight.

“Rafa is proving to have matured. He tries to give his best in a role other than his natural one to follow the coach’s demands,” Shevchenko said.

“Capello is right. He’s not a centre-forward, but he’s able to carry out his tasks, attack the space and be ready. When you rely on quick counter-attacks, Rafa’s sprints are decisive. Then you can’t expect him to hold the ball or be a No.9 like Ibrahimovic, because he has a different skill set.”

Luka Modric has proved to be a vital player for Milan, despite being 40.

“He must stay until he has the fire inside. Despite his charisma, he helps and is available, without asking for anything in return,” Shevchenko concluded.

“He’s having an extraordinary season, and we all know his qualities. I played against him, and the way he interprets the game is astonishing. He’s a fantastic person, too, a good guy. He plays with intensity, sacrifice and team spirit.”

Donyell Malen will lead the Roma attack in an away game against Daniele De Rossi’s Genoa.

It kicks off at 18:00 CET (17:00 GMT) at the Stadio Ferraris in Genoa.

• Serie A today – Milan vs. Inter – probable line-ups, where to watch on TV

Jean Onana, Tommaso Baldanzi and Sebastian Otoa are unavailable for the home side, while the Giallorossi have travelled to Genoa without Mario Hermoso, Paulo Dybala, Matias Soulé, Evan Ferguson and Artem Dovbyk.

According to multiple sources, including Sky Sport Italia, Daniele Ghilardi will get the nod in a three-man defence for Roma, while Niccolò Pisilli and Lorenzo Pellegrini will play as attacking midfielders.

According to Gazzetta, however, Pisilli could even play in central midfielder to let Bryan Cristante rest and start Lorenzo Venturino as an attacking midfielder.

The 19-year-old joined Roma from Genoa in the January window.

English defender Brook Norton-Cuffy is available for Genoa, but has just returned from an injury, so he’s expected to start on the bench.

Genoa vs. Roma – where to watch on TV

TNT Sports 2 and DAZN in the UK and Ireland, and on Paramount+ in the USA. Football Italia will provide live updates via a live blog.

Genoa vs. Roma – probable line-ups

Genoa (3-5-2): Bijlow; Marcandalli, Østigård, Vásquez; Ellertsson, Malinovskyi, Frendrup, Amorim, Martín; Vitinha, Colombo. 

Roma (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Ghilardi; Çelik, Koné, Cristante, Rensch; Pisilli, Pellegrini; Malen. 

Milan will look to Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic in the Derby della Madonnina against Inter, while Cristian Chivu will pick Francesco Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny up front.

It kicks off at 20:45 CET (19:45 GMT) at the Stadio Maradona in San Siro, Milan.

Inter are the table leaders with a 10-point advantage over their city rivals.

The Nerazzurri, however, are without their captain and best scorer, Lautaro Martinez, while Marcus Thuram has had fever and is unlikely to start.

Milan must cope without Santiago Gimenez, Matteo Gabbia and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Davide Bartesaghi is available after suffering a minor injury against Cremonese last weekend, so Pervis Estupinan is the favourite to start as a left midfielder.

According to several sources, including Gazzetta and Sky Sport Italia, Hakan Calhanoglu will start on the bench for Inter, with Nicolò Barella, Piotr Zielinski and Henrikh Mkhitaryan getting the nod in central midfield.

Milan will look to Pulisic and Leao in attack, with Niclas Fullkrug and Christopher Nkunku available on the bench.

Milan vs. Inter – where to watch on TV

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

Milan vs. Inter – probable line-ups

Milan (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Estupiñán; Leão, Pulisic. 

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

La Gazzetta dello Sport

Magical derby

Inter to kill off the season, Milan to keep it open

San Siro, 20:45. Modric, Dimarco (and not only), but the Scudetto night also passes from their feet. Allegri wants the -7 with Leao-Pulisic. Chivu the +13 with Pio and the doubt Thuram.

Yildiz’s show, Juve score four

Birthday gift to Spalletti and renewal. The Champions is one point away, waiting for Roma. Como win and move to fourth.

Corriere dello Sport

Madonnina, what a derby

Thuram has a fever. Bonny with Esposito. Chivu: ‘No calculations.’ The doubt is Calha. The Nerazzurri haven’t won a derby for 23 months. Allegri: ‘Our target is to qualify for the Champions League. Future? I’m good here.’ Estupinan remains favourite over Bartesaghi.

Kenan anti-Cesc

Champions League race

Lucio knocks down Pisa (4-0). Fabregas shocks Cagliari (1-2).

Yildiz transforms Juve. Como catch Roma

Goal and assist of the Turkishman. Cambiaso, Thuram, and Boga also score. Now Spalletti is -1 from the fourth placement: big hug with the players.

Gasp: ‘No excuses.’

Dybala, Hermoso and Soulé out: ‘We won’t stop.’

Conte and the Belgian Napoli

Big Roma and Kevin, first time together at a club level.

Tuttosport

Yildiz’s mark

Goal and assist: 4-0 to Pisa. Juve return to winning ways

The Turkishman provides the assist for Cambiaso and after Thuram’s goal, he invents a spectacular tris. Boga introduced for the disastrous David, breaks the game and scores the fourth. Spalletti wins a Serie A game for the first time in over a month, replies to Como and moves one point below Roma (today at Genoa’s home). Kenan: ‘Many blows hurt, but we go forward.’ Khephren: ‘Birthday gift for the coach.’

Leao, comeback fury. Lautaro pushes Pio

Max jokes about Rafa: ‘If he stayed home every night, he was wrong.’ Martinez on the bench even if he’s injured.

Cairo, now the others push him to sell too

Chants at the Maradona after those at Marassi. Beccaria of Filadelfia Foundation: ‘Toro considerreduce the museum.’

Luciano Spalletti seemed to send a message to Juventus about the future of Jonathan David and Lois Openda. ‘Kenan Yildiz would do even better if he had a Number 9 near him.’

The Bianconeri ended their dismal run of results with the first Serie A victory since February 1, crushing Pisa 4-0 with all the goals in the second half scored by Andrea Cambiaso, Khephren Thuram, Kenan Yildiz and Jeremie Boga.

It is notable that the breakthrough and vast improvement only came after the break, when David and Federico Gatti had been substituted by Boga and Lloyd Kelly.

Yildiz was moved to the False 9 role and found his goal, but Spalletti’s comments felt like a pointed reminder of his January transfer requests.

Spalletti wanted a new striker at Juventus

“A centre-forward needs to have either a physical impact, or great technical quality,” the coach told DAZN Italia.

“There aren’t many spaces against sides like Pisa, so you must be able to weight the pass correctly, we showed that we did have the situations to cause problems.

“It becomes more difficult for Yildiz to play like this, because these are not his characteristics, he is not at ease with his back to goal.”

Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, Spalletti was even clearer with his messaging on what he wanted from the attack, which David and Openda simply do not provide.

“Yildiz would do even better if he had a Number 9 near him.”

The tactician made no secret of his desire to sign a real centre-forward during the January transfer window, but negotiations for players like Randal Kolo-Muani and Youssef En-Nesyri faltered.

We may well soon see more of what Spalletti had envisaged, because Dusan Vlahovic is back in training after an adductor tear in November 2025.

The Serbian has the kind of characteristics that are not provided by Canada international David, who could be back on the market this summer.

The statistics point to a worrying strength on one side and weakness on the other, suggesting set plays could be decisive for Milan and Inter in the Derby della Madonnina.

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

This is a Scudetto showdown as well as bitter local rivalry, because Inter are top of the Serie A table and Milan trail in second place, a full 10 points behind.

That in itself is rather remarkable, considering that the Rossoneri have amassed 57 points after 27 rounds, the exact same number that they had at this stage in 2021-22 on their way to winning the title.

At that time, it was enough to put them joint top with Napoli, two points clear of Inter, but now it has them floundering in second place.

Milan weakness is Inter strength

Looking at the statistics, a pattern emerges that makes a goal from dead ball situations a very distinct possibility in this big match.

That is because Inter scored 21 Serie A goals this season from set plays, including 15 alone on corner kicks.

Only Arsenal have been more effective from these situations in Europe’s top five leagues this term.

On the other hand, Inter’s strength also represents Milan’s biggest weakness, because Max Allegri’s side have conceded 50 per cent of all their goals from set plays.

His team let in 20 goals in 27 games, 10 of them were from dead ball situations, five on corners.

Luciano Spalletti celebrates his 67^th birthday, explains his changes that transformed Juventus to beat Pisa 4-0 and warns Jeremie Boga ‘is a bit too sluggish at times.’

It proved to be a very happy birthday indeed for the coach, who had not been able to celebrate a real victory since February 1 after a run of two points in four Serie A rounds, Champions League and Coppa Italia elimination.

They took a while to break Pisa down, but ran riot in the second half with Andrea Cambiaso, Khephren Thuram, Kenan Yildiz and Jeremie Boga goals for a 4-0 result.

Check the Football Italia Player Ratings for Juventus 4-0 Pisa

Spalletti has a happy Juventus birthday

After Thuram’s goal, players ran over to celebrate on the touchline with their tactician on his special day.

“I have many years on me, but hopefully I only show the good ones,” smiled Spalletti on Sky Sport Italia.

Spalletti realised that his team was struggling in the early stages and made a tactical adjustment, moving them from 4-2-3-1 into a 3-4-3 formation, aided by the versatility of players like Cambiaso, Yildiz and Weston McKennie.

Another important change was the removal of misfiring Jonathan David at half-time, replaced by the lively Boga.

“There are different moments of the match, as Yildiz scored, but the spaces had already opened up because we were in the lead,” explained Spalletti.

“The density of the first half was very different, so if Kenan starts from out wide, which he enjoys because he can see everything in front of him, and it is also a very different type of marking that he has to deal with.

“It is a slightly different type of work for a striker to be in the centre. Of course, once Pisa were trailing, they couldn’t maintain that solidity with the long ball for the two physical strikers, forcing you to chase back. It’s not easy to play through that density, we have difficulties in those situations.

“If Yildiz had a centre-forward next to him, it’d be better, because that figure can take some of the physical impact of dealing with the defenders and ease the pressure on Yildiz. In the first half, we couldn’t find the spaces or go around them by moving the ball quickly.”

It wasn’t just David who was substituted at half-time, because Lloyd Kelly also replaced Federico Gatti.

“Everything improved after the break, the speed of movement, we talked about a few things. I took Federico off too not because he hadn’t done well, but because you need someone with better feet to play out from the back when there’s that packed midfield in front of you,” continued Spalletti.

“I felt bad taking Gatti off, it was between him and Bremer, I might choose differently next time.”

Boga has proved to be quite a good investment in January and again was a livewire off the bench, this time also scoring a goal.

“Boga has that quality, we all know that, but he’s a bit too sluggish at times. He needs to be more determined, grittier, because we know he has that pace to shock opposition defenders, but he has to give it that fire too.

“The bench is not a waiting area, it is an extra part of the team. In modern football, you pick players who can do damage in certain moments of the match, who provide something unexpected. Those on the bench are watching, they can see where the spaces are and what spots they can attack, they are participating and learning throughout,” concluded Spalletti.

The race for a Champions League spot looks as if it will go down to the wire, as Como won away to Cagliari today and remain in fifth place, waiting for Roma’s trip to Genoa on Sunday.

Kenan Yildiz insists he is happy to play anywhere for Juventus, while Khephren Thuram explained the special Luciano Spalletti celebration. ‘We’ve got to believe in ourselves.’

The Bianconeri had been showing some good performances and spirit to fight back from difficult situations, but hadn’t celebrated a Serie A victory since February 1.

They ended a run of two points from four rounds, along with Champions League and Coppa Italia elimination, by sweeping Pisa aside 4-0 in Turin.

It took a while to break the newly-promoted strugglers down, then the floodgates opened with Andrea Cambiaso, Thuram, Kenan Yildiz and Jeremie Boga on target.

Juventus back on track in Serie A

“I am happy for the victory, as we did well in the first half too, but much better in the second half. I believe we had some very good performances in recent games, we didn’t manage to win them, but are on the right track,” Yildiz told Sky Sport Italia.

Yildiz had not found himself on the scoresheet since January 25, so this was a significant breakthrough for the Turkish talent, along with his assist for Cambiaso’s header.

The breakthrough seemed to be when Jonathan David was substituted by Boga, moving Yildiz to a False 9 role.

“I am here to help the team, it doesn’t matter where, if the coach tells me to play centre-forward or on the left, that’s fine. I had some knocks today, including on my head, it hurt a bit, but I’m fine,” smiled Yildiz.

Today was coach Spalletti’s birthday, and after the Thuram goal, the players ran over to hug the tactician on the touchline.

“I am not exactly a hitman, but it is good to score goals and it was a little gift for the coach to celebrate his birthday,” Thuram told Sky Sport Italia.

It seems as if the race for a top four finish will go down to the wire, as Como won today away to Cagliari to stay in fifth place.

“We believe, because we’ve got the team that can do it, so we must have belief. That’s where it all starts, we want to get into the Champions League and we’ve got to believe in ourselves.”