Luciano Spalletti was ‘surprised’ by Jeremie Boga’s new role for Juventus against Udinese and insists Andrea Cambiaso needs to ‘wander all over the pitch’ to be effective.

The Bianconeri were coming off a 4-0 win over Pisa and knew that they could take advantage of the fixture list to close the gap on fourth place.

It was a tough slog at the Bluenergy Stadium, but Boga proved decisive with his third goal in as many Serie A games, this time turning in the Kenan Yildiz assist.

Francisco Conceicao had also put the ball in the net, though it was disallowed because Teun Koopmeiners was offside and interfering with play.

Spalletti impressed with Juventus approach

“The team did really well, maintaining that level of determination to close the game as soon as possible. We had also scored a second, but that’s fine, because we were up against a very strong opponent,” Spalletti told Sky Sport Italia.

Kenan Yildiz initially started as a False 9, but as usual he seemed to enjoy himself far more when moved over to the left flank and Boga was more central.

“I had never put Boga there, I always played him on the left, but he surprised me with the way he moved as a striker today,” confessed the coach.

“Yildiz I’ve said before doesn’t entirely enjoy being a centre-forward because he doesn’t yet have the art of dealing with a defender who is constantly on his tail. Starting from there I think creates problems for him.”

Kosta Runjaic confessed that Udinese struggled with the long balls from Manuel Locatelli over the top, which is where the goal came from.

“The lads did well to put those balls over the top, because if you let Udinese defend inside their own half, you’re not getting through that blockade,” noted Spalletti.

“So rather than allow them to be comfortable in those physical situations, we preferred to put them on the back foot by forcing them to run back.”

Andrea Cambiaso is another player whose versatility can be both a benefit and a problem for Juventus, as he often struggles to find the right position, but the coach insists this only has positives.

“If he doesn’t wander around all over the pitch, then I won’t pick him,” replied Spalletti to criticism from the Sky Sport Italia studio.

“These aren’t spaces, they are half-spaces, and you need players who can find them and drag others out of position. Being able to find those spaces where they open up is a quality that benefits the team.”

This was also the second consecutive clean sheet for the Bianconeri, so what improved in their defending?

“When we see more of the ball, then we defend better. Possession isn’t just a superficial exercise, it is used to create chances, and that doesn’t mean taking unnecessary risks. You consolidate the dominance of the game, and then choose the moments when should take those risks. We were perfect in that today, not allowing Udinese many counter-attacks that we had to chase back,” replied Spalletti.

“This reflects the mentality, as tonight we played with the mentality of a strong team.”

This result means Juventus leapfrog Roma and Como into fourth place for one night, and could well stay there, depending on the result of tomorrow’s showdown between those two teams.

Riccardo Calafiori and Gianluigi Donnarumma were the two Italians in action in today’s Premier League action, with both playing a vital role in the ongoing title race.

Sandro Tonali missed Newcastle United’s 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea, after he was taken ill in the run-up to the game.

Calafiori shines for Arsenal as Gunners close in on Premier League

Calafiori started at left-back for Arsenal today as they hosted Everton at the Emirates Stadium, after Ecuadorian Piero Hincapie was given a rest by head coach Mikel Arteta.

In the 17th minute, Everton fashioned a good chance to break the deadlock but Calafiori made a fantastic block to deny the Toffees the lead in London.

Arsenal went on to win the game 2-0, opening up their gap at the head of the league table.

Later in the day, Manchester City travelled to the capital to face relegation battlers West Ham. Gianluigi Donnarumma started in goal for Pep Guardiola’s team, but conceded the Irons’ only shot in the entire match.

So as Calafiori works hard to keep Arsenal’s advantage, Donnarumma had a quiet night – with one painful sting in the tail.

Kosta Runjaic admits Udinese ‘were not able to compete on the same level’ with a practically full-strength Juventus. ‘They have world class players like Kenan Yildiz and Jeremie Boga.’

The Friulani suffered a 1-0 home defeat this evening, as Boga turned in the assist from Kenan Yildiz to beat Maduka Okoye, the goalkeeper having made several big saves.

Francisco Conceicao had also managed to find the net, but it was disallowed because Teun Koopmeiners was considered to be interfering with play in an offside position.

Runjaic acknowledges Udinese limits

“Juventus played better, that is clear, we expected to have less possession, but were missing a little bit of quality at times. We also had chances, soccer is not just about playing better, but taking the chances,” Runjaic told Sky Sport Italia.

“Ekkelenkamp had a good situation, Zaniolo was in a good position when there Atta should’ve had a cut-back ball, and other choices were made.

“Juventus are a strong team, they have world class wide players like Yildiz and Conceicao, so right now we are not able to compete on the same level.”

Udinese are now in mid-table, so for the remaining nine games of the season, will he motivate them aiming for Europe or just to improve on last season’s tally?

“I don’t need to push the team,” shrugged Runjaic.

Udinese seemed to struggle with long balls down the left in particular, where players like Yildiz and Boga managed to control and attack the near post.

“Juventus are a very versatile team, they are able to play short combinations, but also dangerous with deep balls from Locatelli, and one of those we didn’t defend well enough, so they scored the goal. It is not easy to protect a fantastic deep ball like that, they have players who are running deep and can receive with one touch.

“It’s not easy to find the balance, we did better in the second half, but that is just one of many elements.”

Yildiz moved over to his preferred left side, that added to the sense that Udinese’s defence was struggling, but Runjaic points out his choices were also limited.

“It’s nothing new, Yildiz played many times as a winger, so it was just a matter of time. We were completely aware about this, but were also missing players like Zanoli, Bertola and Solet. It is not an excuse, but we were unable to perform with a full squad.

“On the other hand, Juve put all their quality out without any big injuries at the moment, so if it wasn’t Yildiz, then Conceicao would do something. We don’t need to look for micro-details, it’s not about this.”

Juventus battled to a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Udinese on Saturday evening, with a first half goal from Jeremie Boga all that separated the two sides.

Football Italia’s Man of the Match was Boga, for his vital goal that continues his good start to life in Bianconeri.

Udinese 0-1 Juventus – Player Ratings

Udinese: Okoye 6.5; Ehizibue 6, Kabasele 5.5, Kristensen 6; Zarraga 5 (Mlacic N/A), Ekkelenkamp 5.5 (Miller 6), Karlstrom 5.5 (Piotrowski N/A), Atta 5.5, Kamara 6 (Arizala 6); Zaniolo 5, Davis 6

Best Udinese player: Maduka Okoye – Made six saves tonight to keep his team in the game and cannot be faulted too much for Boba’s goal. Looked very competent and prevented the scoreline from being a lot worse.

Lowest Udinese rating: Nicolo Zaniolo – Uncharacteristically poor compared to his typical performances for Udinese this season, struggling to have much involvement at all beyond a yellow card.

Coach: Kosta Runjaic 6 – Would have preferred, obviously, to come away with a result but will not be too disheartened with his team’s performance against a side with much more financial pull than themselves.

Juventus: Perin 6; Kalulu 6, Bremer 6.5, Kelly 6, Cambiaso 6; Locatelli 6.5, Thuram 6 (Koopmeiners 6); Conceicao 6.5 (Miretti N/A), McKennie 6, Boga 7 (Gatti N/A); Yildiz 7

Best Juventus player: Jeremie Boga – Once again finding the back of the net, bringing him two goals off Jonathan David’s Serie A tally for the season, the Ivorian is proving to be an excellent winter addition. Created a number of good chances for his teammates too.

Lowest Juventus rating: Khephren Thuram – Had a difficult first half before having to come off early in the second period due to a knock. Was not involved a whole lot when he was on the pitch but he wasn’t atrocious.

Coach: Luciano Spalletti 6.5 – Will be happy with his team’s performance, and less so with the scoreline. Spalletti’s tactics overwhelmed the opposition but poor finishing of chances meant the match was a lot closer than the Italian coach may have liked.

Jeremie Boga scored for the third Serie A match in a row to give Juventus a precious 1-0 victory away to Udinese, but a Francisco Conceicao goal was disallowed.

The Bianconeri ended their crisis with a 4-0 win over Pisa, but with Dusan Vlahovic and Emil Holm still out, dropped Jonathan David to bring in Jeremie Boga as support for False 9 Kenan Yildiz. The Friulani were also back on track, beating Fiorentina 3-0 and holding Atalanta 2-2, not coincidentally once Keinan Davis returned from injury. Arthur Atta and Oumar Solet were available again, though Adam Buksa, Nicolò Bertola, Jordan Zemura and Alessandro Zanoli missed out.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Boga got down the left to force a tricky save out of Maduka Okoye at the near post, then Francisco Conceicao scuffed the finish on the resulting short corner and had another attempt charged down by Thomas Kristensen.

Arthur Atta tested Mattia Perin at the near post, as did Boga at the other end with Okoye, but it was only a warning.

Juventus took the lead when another long ball allowed Kenan Yildiz to spring the offside trap down the left, holding off Oier Zarraga to roll across for a Boga tap-in from six yards. It was his third goal in as many games.

It was wide open before half-time, as Atta fired over from close range after a loose ball fell into his path, then Boga again tested Okoye after running onto a Francisco Conceicao through ball.

On the resulting corner, Andrea Cambiaso forced a big reaction save out of Okoye at the back stick.

Juve lost Khephren Thuram to injury and Udinese wasted an astonishing chance to equalise, as Keinan Davis rolled across from the left only for Jurgen Ekkelenkamp to stumble, unable to tap in from six yards.

Okoye flew to palm away the Manuel Locatelli curler, while Teun Koopmeiners couldn’t keep his header down from six yards on the Boga cross.

Yildiz tested Okoye at the near post, then his strike was on target until deflected wide by Kingsley Ehizibue.

Juventus thought they had doubled their lead on 70 minutes when Kenan Yildiz twisted and turned, threaded through for Francisco Conceicao, who took one touch before sweeping into the far bottom corner from 12 yards. However, Koopmeiners was offside and got out of the way to let the ball through, so the goal was disallowed following a VAR review.

Yildiz completed a give and go with substitute Fabio Miretti, the Italian seeing his finish parried from close range by Okoye.

Udinese 0-1 Juventus

Boga 38 (J)

14-03-2026 19:45

MatchDay 29

Friuli Stadium (Dacia Arena)

Udinese

Juventus

0 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Nicolò Zaniolo		32'
		38'		Jeremie Boga (Assist: Kenan Yıldız)

2nd half

Branimir Mlacic		88'
Christian Kabasele		90+2'
		90'		Lloyd Kelly

Match statistic

44

Possession %

56

10

Total shots

22

2

Shots on target

8

7

Shots off target

9

1

Blocked shots

5

2

Corners

6

Offsides

3

12

Fouls

14

Udinese

Juventus

Starting lineups

40

Maduka Okoye

Goalkeeper

27

Christian Kabasele

Defender

11

Hassane Kamara

Defender

67'

19

Kingsley Ehizibue

Defender

31

Thomas Kristensen

Defender

14

Arthur Atta

Midfielder

84'

8

Jesper Karlström

Midfielder

76'

32

Jurgen Ekkelenkamp

Midfielder

67'

10

Nicolò Zaniolo

Midfielder

6

Oier Zarraga

Midfielder

76'

9

Keinan Davis

Attacker

1

Mattia Perin

Goalkeeper

27

Andrea Cambiaso

Defender

90'

3

Bremer

Defender

6

Lloyd Kelly

Defender

15

Pierre Kalulu

Defender

19

Khéphren Thuram

Midfielder

49'

5

Manuel Locatelli

Midfielder

22

Weston McKennie

Midfielder

7

Francisco Conceição

Attacker

79'

13

Jeremie Boga

Attacker

79'

10

Kenan Yıldız

Attacker

90'

Substitutes

93

Daniele Padelli

Goalkeeper

28

Oumar Solet

Defender

90

Răzvan Sava

Goalkeeper

15

Vakoun Bayo

Attacker

29

Abdoulaye Camara

Midfielder

38

Lennon Miller

Midfielder

67'

20

Juan Arizala

Defender

67'

24

Jakub Piotrowski

Midfielder

76'

22

Branimir Mlacic

Defender

76'

7

Idrissa Gueye

Attacker

84'

23

Carlo Pinsoglio

Goalkeeper

16

Michele Di Gregorio

Goalkeeper

14

Arkadiusz Milik

Attacker

20

Loïs Openda

Attacker

11

Edon Zhegrova

Attacker

32

Juan Cabal

Defender

17

Vasilije Adžić

Midfielder

8

Teun Koopmeiners

Midfielder

49'

21

Fabio Miretti

Midfielder

79'

4

Federico Gatti

Defender

79'

18

Filip Kostic

Midfielder

90'

30

Jonathan David

Attacker

90'

Maurizio Sarri held his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s home clash with Milan, and the Lazio head coach was in candid and thoughtful mood, touching on tactical concerns, injury news, and even offering a wry observation about what he might envy in his opposite number Massimiliano Allegri.

The return of supporters to the Stadio Olimpico after a period of reduced attendance was a clear source of motivation for Sarri, who rarely hides his affection for the Lazio faithful.

“Both myself and the players are all happy to play in front of our people and a full stadium,” he said, with quotes via LaLazioSiamoNoi.

“It is a strong motivation for us.”

He also revealed he intends to visit the Curva Nord before the match, something he typically avoids out of respect for his players, after supporters extended a personal invitation.

“The fact that they want to greet me means a lot. I think tomorrow I will go.”

Lazio coach Sarri anticipates Milan threat

On the tactical challenge posed by Milan, Sarri was typically precise in his assessment.

“Milan have well-defined characteristics, they hurt you even when they don’t seem in control of the game. Great technical and physical quality, devastating acceleration. We cannot give them open space.”

He then delivered a counterintuitive but sharp observation that will resonate with anyone who has watched Lazio struggle in transition.

“When you play Milan, the most dangerous moment is when we have the ball.”

Set pieces have become a structural problem for Lazio, and Sarri was honest about why. “Without Vecino and Guendouzi, dead balls are now a real issue,” he said. “Having to change formation also means changing the positioning of players at set pieces, none of that makes things easier.”

In terms of injured players, Alessio Romagnoli remains a doubt and will be assessed on Sunday morning, while Patric and Taylor have both been trialled in training as Sarri looks to finalise his options.

Asked what he might envy about Allegri, the Lazio coach allowed himself a smile. “Allegri manages the club with the highest revenue in Italy, they can afford important players. You envy some things, but that is part of the game. What does he envy about me? Ask him,” he laughed.

On his own future, Sarri was measured. He acknowledged that several players are out of contract at the end of the season and that another transitional summer may be coming. “I have a contract. If the club is not happy or if I am not happy, we will speak. But today there is no discussion.”

The sense, reading between the lines, is of a coach who remains committed but is watching closely to see how the club intends to rebuild.

Napoli dug deep to claim a hard-fought comeback victory over Lecce, and the mood in the dressing room afterwards was one of relief mixed with genuine satisfaction, particularly for Matteo Politano, who finally ended a long personal drought with a goal and an assist in the same game.

“I am so happy, I finally scored that blessed goal that had been escaping me for ages,” Politano told DAZN, via IlNapolista.

“A fantastic, perfect day. We won a difficult game and Conte told us at half-time to stay calm, that one goal would put things right. He knew our strength.”

The experienced winger was equally keen to credit the returning players for changing the game, pointing to the broader squad depth as a key factor in Napoli’s continued push for Champions League football.

Napoli 2-1 Lecce – Hojlund ‘happy’ to find shooting boots

Rasmus Højlund was another man in fine fettle after rediscovering his scoring touch.

“I am happy to have found my goal again and to help the team,” the Danish striker said.

“Players like McTominay, De Bruyne and Politano stimulate us a lot, the squad needs players like them.” He also singled out Politano specifically, noting that the winger has assists running through his veins.

Captain for the evening Alex Meret was more measured in his assessment, offering an honest appraisal of a first half that left plenty to be desired.

“We did not play well in the first half, too many misplaced passes and we gave away dangerous counter-attacks,” he said.

“In the second half we were more aggressive and the goal gave us the momentum we needed.”

Wearing the armband was a source of enormous pride for the goalkeeper, who also spoke of his ambitions to be part of Italy’s World Cup squad. He did flag one area of concern, however, aerial balls and set-pieces.

“The matches are decided there now. We need to be more focused and concede fewer goals.”

Brazilian forward Alisson Santos rounded off the reaction with a neat insight into his goalscoring philosophy.

“I always try to finish at the near post, I believe it puts the goalkeeper in more difficulty,” he said simply. “The most important thing is that Napoli won.”

Antonio Conte warns Napoli that he will be ruthless for the ‘common good, which is Champions League qualification,’ and reveals what he saw with Lameck Banda’s collapse.

It was the worst possible start to the game at the Stadio Maradona when Lecce took the lead in the third minute, as Jamil Siebert was allowed a free header on a corner.

The Partenopei struggled to get back into it, but were transformed at half-time when introducing Kevin De Bruyne and Scott McTominay off the bench.

They equalised within 60 seconds thanks to Rasmus Hojlund meeting a Matteo Politano pull-back, then Politano ended his 43-match drought to turn it around completely for a third consecutive victory.

Conte keeps eye on big picture for Napoli

“I am not someone who tends to pay attention to statistics, but I can only be satisfied when hearing I have such a good record,” Conte told DAZN Italia when informed he has an average of 2.21 points per game in Serie A.

Although De Bruyne had made his comeback last week against Torino, this was his first appearance at the Stadio Maradona since he suffered that serious thigh tear on October 25, converting a penalty against Inter.

With everyone available again, how could this change the Napoli line-up?

“These are all hypotheticals, because we are talking about players who have been out for four or five months, so we cannot expect them to immediately be in good shape,” replied Conte.

“We started out using Elmas against Torino with Gilmour, then in the second half I brought on Anguissa and pushed Elmas further forward. Today we started with Anguissa and Gilmour, then Elmas as a Number 10.

“As we were losing the match, I changed again. These are great players, but we must give them time to regain the match tempo.

“It’s true that the lads need to regain confidence, but the most important thing is the common good, which is what is good for Napoli.

“I made choices today and made changes at half-time. Everyone wants to play, but we’ve got to be smart and they must trust what I see and feel.

“The most important thing is that we qualify for the Champions League.”

There was also tension in the final minutes when Lecce player Lameck Banda collapsed near to Conte on the touchline, so the coach alerted the medical staff to get him treatment.

According to the latest reports, Banda received a knock to the chest moments earlier and was struggling to breathe, but did not appear to lose consciousness.

“I was right there preparing the wall for a free kick and I saw him looking a bit shaky, he started to go down, then he had his hand on his chest, which really frightened me,” revealed Conte.

“I rushed onto the field and called for help, I hope he is doing well and has a quick recovery. Banda is a good lad, he’s expecting a baby too, so I wish him and his family well.”

Luciano Spalletti tells Juventus that the trip to Udinese is ‘about stepping up to the next level, like in video games’ and wants to learn from Bayern Munich’s ‘encyclopaedia of football.’

It kicks off at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

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

The Bianconeri had been going through a crisis, which included crashing out of the Champions League and Coppa Italia, but got back on track by thrashing Pisa 4-0.

Jeremie Boga impressed off the bench in the game, so he gets his first start here in place of Jonathan David, moving Kenan Yildiz to a False 9 role.

Spalletti outlines Juventus changes

“It is going to be a very important game for our season, as it is the kind of match where we are stepping up to the next level, like in video games,” Spalletti told Sky Sport Italia.

“My players therefore need to defend all they have built and gone through this term, and do it against a tough opponent.”

Dusan Vlahovic returned to training this week for the first time since his serious tendon injury in November 2025, but is not in the squad yet, missing out along with Emil Holm.

“Udinese are not the team we faced earlier this season in Serie A and the Coppa Italia, they have found their identity. They are also very physical, so we need to make our quality count and the first touch is going to be decisive, as that is what allows you to take control of the ball and rob their physicality of that power,” added Spalletti.

The Juventus coach gained inspiration from watching the Champions League, where Bayern Munich beat Atalanta 6-1 on Tuesday.

“This is why I chose three upfront who have great quality on the ball and can take men on. In modern football, everyone has to find their position on the field with balance and continual changing of role, but doing it in a dynamic and fluid manner.

“Just look at Bayern Munich the other day against Atalanta, they showed us a whole encyclopaedia of movement and positioning in football.

“It’s about realising where the gaps are and not letting Davis gather a long ball to sprint into space.”

Juve hope that with Roma and Como going head-to-head tomorrow for fourth place, it can let them back into that tussle for Champions League qualification.

“What becomes fundamental is that players realise a match can change in a second, and we can dictate what happens in that second. It’s always up to us,” concluded Spalletti.

Lecce player Lameck Banda collapsed during the final minutes of the 2-1 defeat to Napoli, but reports from the club are reassuring on his condition.

The wide forward was in the starting XI for the Salentini at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, a game his team had been leading through Jamil Siebert before Rasmus Hojlund and Matteo Politano turned it around.

Banda collapse worrying for Lecce and Napoli

In the final minutes of the Serie A fixture, Napoli coach Antonio Conte spotted that Banda was struggling to breathe, as he was in the vicinity of the touchline, and immediately alerted the Lecce medical staff.

A hushed silence fell over the crowd as medics ran on to provide assistance, then after a few minutes he was stretchered off and taken to a nearby ambulance on the side of the pitch for tests.

According to DAZN Italia, Banda sustained a knock to the chest around 40 seconds before he collapsed, so was badly winded and struggling to breathe.

He never appeared to lose consciousness, and initial reports from the touchline are reassuring on his condition.

Matteo Politano ended his goal drought after 43 games, as Napoli fought back to beat Lecce 2-1 on the return of Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne to the Stadio Maradona.

The Partenopei regained their confidence with back-to-back 2-1 wins over Verona and Torino. A significant boost was Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa’s first start since November, although Antonio Vergara and Juan Jesus joined Stanislav Lobotka, David Neres, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Amir Rrahmani on the treatment table. Scott McTominay returned to the bench after a month out. Lecce clambered out of the bottom four with a victory over Cremonese, and had Omri Gandelman back after a knee problem, but missed Medon Berisha, Francesco Camarda and Kialonda Gaspar.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It was a very aggressive start from the visitors, who took the lead on their second Antonino Gallo corner of the game, as Jamil Siebert was allowed a free header from six yards at the back post after just two minutes and 20 seconds.

They very nearly conceded an identical second, as this time Tiago Gabriel nodded a Gallo corner over from five yards after the Lameck Banda shot had been deflected off target.

Billy Gilmour prodded inches wide from 12 yards on an Alisson Santos pull-back, while Gallo was decisive to intercept an Alisson cross for Matteo Politano and Rasmus Hojlund couldn’t quite get on the end of a cross from six yards.

Alex Meret got down to parry a Nikola Stulic strike at the base of the near post, while Politano’s screamer only hit the side-netting.

Antonio Conte pulled out the big guns for the restart, introducing McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne, and it paid off within 60 seconds.

Gilmour’s inspired pass sent Politano down the right, he pulled back from the by-line and Hojlund was ready to tap in from six yards.

Tiago Gabriel failed to make the most of slack marking on a free kick moments later, as Walid Cheddira only hit the side-netting against his parent club and Alisson Santos sent through by De Bruyne forced a desperate Wladimiro Falcone save with an outstretched leg.

Napoli turned the game around completely when De Bruyne’s corner was flicked on to the back post for the precise Politano volley. It was his first goal in almost a full calendar year, ending a drought of 43 competitive games.

De Bruyne also sent Alisson Santos through to drill inches wide of the near post, while Siebert did just enough to stop Hojlund getting a shot away from a dangerous position.

There was a hushed silence in the Stadio Maradona when Lameck Banda was struggling to breathe after being winded, but he was stretchered off after a few minutes for treatment. Lecce had completed their substitutions, so played stoppages with only 10 men.

Napoli 2-1 Lecce

Siebert 3 (L), Hojlund 46 (N), Politano 67 (N)

14-03-2026 17:00

MatchDay 29

Stadio Diego Armando Maradona

Napoli

Lecce

2 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

		3'		Jamil Siebert (Assist: Antonino Gallo)
		19'		Jamil Siebert

2nd half

Rasmus Højlund (Assist: Matteo Politano)		46'
Matteo Politano		67'

Match statistic

70

Possession %

30

12

Total shots

12

4

Shots on target

2

6

Shots off target

6

2

Blocked shots

4

7

Corners

7

11

Fouls

7

Napoli

Lecce

Starting lineups

1

Alex Meret

Goalkeeper

4

Alessandro Buongiorno

Defender

37

Leonardo Spinazzola

Defender

72'

17

Mathías Olivera

Defender

31

Sam Beukema

Defender

99

Frank Anguissa

Midfielder

46'

6

Billy Gilmour

Midfielder

20

Eljif Elmas

Midfielder

46'

27

Alisson Santos

Attacker

85'

21

Matteo Politano

Attacker

72'

19

Rasmus Højlund

Attacker

30

Wladimiro Falcone

Goalkeeper

25

Antonino Gallo

Defender

79'

17

Danilo Veiga

Defender

5

Jamil Siebert

Defender

44

Tiago Gabriel

Defender

29

Lassana Coulibaly

Midfielder

46'

79

Oumar Ngom

Midfielder

85'

20

Ylber Ramadani

Midfielder

19

Lameck Banda

Attacker

9

Nikola Stulic

Attacker

59'

50

Santiago Pierotti

Attacker

79'

Substitutes

5

Juan Jesus

Defender

14

Nikita Contini

Goalkeeper

32

Vanja Milinković-Savić

Goalkeeper

9

Romelu Lukaku

Attacker

23

Giovane Nascimento

Attacker

11

Kevin De Bruyne

Midfielder

46'

8

Scott McTominay

Midfielder

46'

30

Pasquale Mazzocchi

Defender

72'

3

Miguel Gutiérrez

Defender

72'

23

Giovane

Attacker

85'

23

Riccardo Sottil

Attacker

14

Thórir Jóhann Helgason

Midfielder

32

Jasper Samooja

Goalkeeper

1

Christian Früchtl

Goalkeeper

36

Filip Marchwinski

Midfielder

18

Gaby Jean

Defender

13

Matías Pérez

Defender

6

Álex Sala

Midfielder

16

Omri Gandelman

Midfielder

46'

99

Walid Cheddira

Attacker

59'

11

Konan N’Dri

Attacker

79'

3

Corrie Ndaba

Defender

79'

8

Sadik Fofana

Defender

85'

Juventus launch a new strike force of Kenan Yildiz, Jeremie Boga, Francisco Conceicao and Weston McKennie against Udinese’s Keinan Davis and Nicolò Zaniolo.

It kicks off at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).

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

The Bianconeri had been in a crisis of results until thrashing Pisa 4-0 last week, and hope the fixture list can give them a helping hand to get back into the top four.

Dusan Vlahovic returned to training over the last few days, but has not made the trip along with Emil Holm and Arek Milik.

Misfiring Jonathan David is therefore dropped and replaced with Yildiz as a False 9, supported by Francisco Conceicao, McKennie and new entry Boga.

The former Sassuolo and Marseille winger impressed off the bench and gets his first start.

Udinese had a dismal run of three straight defeats, but it’s no coincidence that ended with the return of Davis from injury.

He had a starring role in the 3-0 win over Fiorentina and 2-2 draw with Atalanta, so again partners Italy international Zaniolo upfront.

Arthur Atta and Oumar Solet are back in the squad after injury, but Adam Buksa, Nicolò Bertola, Jordan Zemura and Alessandro Zanoli miss out.

Udinese vs. Juventus line-ups

Udinese: Okoye; Ehizibue, Kabasele, Kristensen; Zarraga, Ekkelenkamp, Karlstrom, Atta, Kamara; Zaniolo, Davis

Juventus: Perin; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; Conceicao, McKennie, Boga; Yildiz

14-03-2026 19:45

MatchDay 29

Friuli Stadium (Dacia Arena)

Udinese

Juventus

0 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Nicolò Zaniolo		32'
		38'		Jeremie Boga (Assist: Kenan Yıldız)

2nd half

Branimir Mlacic		88'
Christian Kabasele		90+2'
		90'		Lloyd Kelly

Match statistic

44

Possession %

56

10

Total shots

22

2

Shots on target

8

7

Shots off target

9

1

Blocked shots

5

2

Corners

6

Offsides

3

12

Fouls

14

Udinese

Juventus

Starting lineups

40

Maduka Okoye

Goalkeeper

27

Christian Kabasele

Defender

11

Hassane Kamara

Defender

67'

19

Kingsley Ehizibue

Defender

31

Thomas Kristensen

Defender

14

Arthur Atta

Midfielder

84'

8

Jesper Karlström

Midfielder

76'

32

Jurgen Ekkelenkamp

Midfielder

67'

10

Nicolò Zaniolo

Midfielder

6

Oier Zarraga

Midfielder

76'

9

Keinan Davis

Attacker

1

Mattia Perin

Goalkeeper

27

Andrea Cambiaso

Defender

90'

3

Bremer

Defender

6

Lloyd Kelly

Defender

15

Pierre Kalulu

Defender

19

Khéphren Thuram

Midfielder

49'

5

Manuel Locatelli

Midfielder

22

Weston McKennie

Midfielder

7

Francisco Conceição

Attacker

79'

13

Jeremie Boga

Attacker

79'

10

Kenan Yıldız

Attacker

90'

Substitutes

93

Daniele Padelli

Goalkeeper

28

Oumar Solet

Defender

90

Răzvan Sava

Goalkeeper

15

Vakoun Bayo

Attacker

29

Abdoulaye Camara

Midfielder

38

Lennon Miller

Midfielder

67'

20

Juan Arizala

Defender

67'

24

Jakub Piotrowski

Midfielder

76'

22

Branimir Mlacic

Defender

76'

7

Idrissa Gueye

Attacker

84'

23

Carlo Pinsoglio

Goalkeeper

16

Michele Di Gregorio

Goalkeeper

14

Arkadiusz Milik

Attacker

20

Loïs Openda

Attacker

11

Edon Zhegrova

Attacker

32

Juan Cabal

Defender

17

Vasilije Adžić

Midfielder

8

Teun Koopmeiners

Midfielder

49'

21

Fabio Miretti

Midfielder

79'

4

Federico Gatti

Defender

79'

18

Filip Kostic

Midfielder

90'

30

Jonathan David

Attacker

90'

Former Roma defender Ashley Cole has reportedly been lined up as the new coach of Serie B side Cesena, leaving the staff of the Under-21 England team.

According to Sportitalia transfer pundit Alfredo Pedullà, Cole is already in Italy and having physical meetings with the Cesena hierarchy to sign the contract.

Surprising Serie B adventure for Cole

The 45-year-old had some experience in Italian football as a player for Roma from 2014 to 2016, when he went on to the LA Galaxy and ended his playing career at Derby in 2019.

Before that, he had made his mark as a full-back for Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Chelsea.

When it came to management, Cole has worked at the Chelsea youth academy, plus as an assistant manager to the likes of Lee Carsley, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and more.

Above all, he worked with Carsley, and is currently the assistant to the England Under-21 team coach.

Cesena were held to a 2-2 home draw by Frosinone today and the decision was made to sack coach Michele Mignani.

It left them in eighth place, the final slot available for the promotion play-offs.

Manu Koné returns to the Roma squad for their fourth place showdown with Como, but Matias Soulé and Paulo Dybala are still out of action with Evan Ndicka suspended.

It kicks off at the Stadio Sinigaglia on Sunday at 17.00 GMT (18.00 CET).

This is a huge crossroads in the race for Champions League qualification, as the two teams are stuck together in joint fourth place.

The good news for Gian Piero Gasperini is the return of Koné, who was not even on the bench after a muscular twinge during Thursday’s Europa League 1-1 draw with Bologna.

Wesley is also back after sitting out last week’s Serie A defeat to Genoa, but he is replaced on the naughty step by Ndicka.

It had been hoped that Soulé would recover from his on-going inflammation of the groin area, but the pain persists and he is again not going to make the trip.

Paulo Dybala, Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson are long-term absentees, leaving very few alternatives in attack.

As for the defence, Ndicka’s ban makes it likely that Mario Hermoso will receive his first start since February 2, having played 25 minutes against Bologna on Thursday.

Roma squad for Como

Svilar, De Marzi, Gollini; Rensch, Angelino, Tsimikas, Celik, Hermoso, Mancini, Ziolkowski, Wesley, Ghilardi; Cristante, Pellegrini, El Aynaoui, Kone, Pisilli; Malen, Venturino, Vaz, El Shaarawy, Zaragoza

Cristian Chivu and Inter have imposed a press silence in protest at two controversial refereeing decisions in their 1-1 draw with Atalanta.

The coach was sent off for dissent after two yellow cards in quick succession, as he was protesting the decision to give the equaliser from Nikola Krstovic, claiming that Kamaldeen Sulemana had fouled Denzel Dumfries.

Francesco Pio Esposito had given Inter the lead before half-time, while the hosts also had penalty appeals rejected late on for Giorgio Scalvini’s contact with Davide Frattesi.

You can read how DAZN refereeing pundit Luca Marelli evaluated the two incidents here.

Inter stage silent protest

There was a lengthy wait in the press room for Chivu or some club representative to reach the microphones, but nobody ever came.

This press silence is Inter’s way of protesting the decisions of referee Gianluca Mangnaniello, and the failure of VAR to overturn those calls.

This is the second setback in a row for the Nerazzurri, who already saw their Serie A lead reduced to seven points after last week’s defeat to Milan.

If Milan manage to beat Lazio tomorrow, it will close the gap further to just five points.

Inter had also been very unhappy with some calls in the Derby della Madonnina last week, specifically a penalty appeal for handball, even though the referee’s association confirmed there were no errors.

DAZN refereeing expert Luca Marelli has given his verdict on the controversial decisions that infuriated Inter in their 1-1 draw with Atalanta. ‘They are subjective situations.’

There were two significant incidents in the space of a few final minutes of this Serie A match at San Siro, after Francesco Pio Esposito had opened the scoring.

Inter furious with refereeing decisions

Atalanta equalised with Nikola Krstovic only after Kamaldeen Sulemana had robbed Denzel Dumfries on the edge of the area, making the Dutch player stumble and fall over.

Referee Gianluca Manganiello had the whistle in his mouth, seemingly hesitated, and eventually did not blow it, awarding the goal.

A long VAR check confirmed the original decision, which infuriated Cristian Chivu so much that the Inter coach was sent off.

“There is no lower contact between the legs, the only contact is one hand resting on the back, but he doesn’t seem to push,” explained DAZN expert and former referee Marelli.

“In my view, Manganiello was right to let play continue, because any contact is minimal.”

The other moment to hit the headlines occurred a few moments later, when Davide Frattesi got to a bouncing ball first, caught on the boot by Giorgio Scalvini.

Here too, the referee waved play on, and VAR did not consider it necessary to suggest an On-Field Review.

“It is a subjective situation, penalties are a serious matter and should not be given for any contact,” added Marelli.

“I see contact between Scalvini and Frattesi that should be evaluated, but there isn’t a genuine kick from the Atalanta defender.

“I don’t think Manganiello saw it, but I also feel VAR was right not to intervene, because this is not a clear and obvious error.

“It is a situation that can be interpreted and of course all opinions are legitimate.”

Raffaele Palladino thanks Atalanta for ‘battling with such courage’ to a 1-1 draw with Inter, especially thanks to their substitutes, and shrugs off controversy.

La Dea were feeling the pressure after one point from two Serie A games, a 2-2 Coppa Italia semi-final draw at Lazio, and above all Tuesday’s 6-1 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich.

So when going a goal down at San Siro to Francesco Pio Esposito’s angled drive, it as not to be taken for granted that they’d get back into it.

Palladino hails Atalanta fightback

“This is a great squad, I’ve been asking so much of then for the last four months, and I want to publicly thank them for all their efforts,” Palladino told DAZN Italia.

“They’ve battled with such courage and it’s not easy to play every three days, but they put in a strong performance today. We improved over the course of the match, we had wanted to sit a little deeper and use the transitions in the first half, but didn’t do it well enough.”

This has to be treated as a positive result in the circumstances, and there was a boost with the return of Ederson and Charles De Ketelaere as substitutes after injury problems.

“I knew the inertia of the game could change and those who came off the bench gave us a great energy boost,” continued Palladino.

“Krstovic gave a big hand, we needed his work ethic. We also got De Ketelaere back, Isak Hien won every defensive duel. The players who can come off the bench are a real strength of this club.”

There was controversy too, as Inter were furious a foul wasn’t given for Kamaldeen Sulemana on Denzel Dumfries in the build-up to Nikola Krstovic’s equaliser, then felt Giorgio Scalvini’s contact on Davide Frattesi was worthy of a penalty.

“I never talk about referees. Your own refereeing expert Luca Marelli confirmed the referee did not make a mistake here, so I try to respect everyone’s work.”

Now Atalanta travel to Munich for the second leg of their Champions League tie, having lost the first leg 6-1.

“The result is compromised and there’s a mountain to climb, but we’ll play our game against a great opponent,” concluded Palladino.

Italy international Sandro Tonali is not in the Newcastle United squad travelling for this evening’s game with Chelsea, raising questions on his fitness ahead of the World Cup play-offs.

The Premier League clash is due to kick off at Stamford Bridge at 17.30 GMT and Tonali had been expected to start the match.

Instead, he is not even on the bench, and the official club website confirms that his absence is due to illness.

Tonali out of Newcastle United squad

According to Sky Sports UK, this is the same virus that also forced Newcastle United to leave Anthony Gordon and Nick Woltemade at home recently.

Both those players are back in the starting XI, so that suggests it should only be a short-term issue.

This will be reassuring for Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso, who is set to name his squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup play-offs.

Arguably, the 25-year-old could do with some rest, having already played 46 competitive games at club level so far this season.

Tonali scored three goals and provided seven assists this term in the Newcastle United jersey.

Antonio Conte warns Napoli their match with Lecce is the start of a ‘mini-tournament’ and reassures fans on his future. ‘My intention is to continue this journey.’

It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 17.00 GMT (18.00 CET).

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

The Partenopei had been stuttering in Serie A, but got back on track with two consecutive victories over Verona and Torino.

With the fixture list providing head-to-head battles and tough trips elsewhere, it’s a chance for them to consolidate third place.

Conte wants final Napoli flurry

“We are starting to recover players who were absent for a very long time. Inevitably, when you are out for that long, it takes time, so I need to evaluate the minutes I give them during the game,” Conte told DAZN Italia.

“I always tell the lads we must try to consider these last 10 matches as a mini-tournament where the Scudetto, Champions League, Europa League and Conference League places will be assigned.

“So we need to be very concentrated and try to do our best.”

Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa returns to the starting XI for the first time since November 2025, but Antonio Vergara and Juan Jesus have joined Stanislav Lobotka, David Neres, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Amir Rrahmani on the absentee list.

Scott McTominay, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku are only fit enough for a spot on the bench.

Conte has transformed his tactics several times throughout the season to fit the players at his disposal, so will he reshuffle the pack again?

“We were missing a fundamental element like Di Lorenzo, who along with Mazzocchi are the only players who can be full-backs, so we can’t have a four-man defence without Giovanni. Throwing away all the guarantees we’ve earned with this system now would in my view be dangerous and potentially damaging for us.”

There have been suggestions that Conte could be reconsidering his future for next season, having clashed with President Aurelio De Laurentiis a few times.

“When I arrived at Napoli, I signed a three-year contract, so that is the length of the project. Every end of the season, we sit down with the President, discussing and evaluating where we want to go. We’ll do it again at the end of this season, very calmly,” replied Conte.

“Everyone knows I am very happy in Naples, but at the same time, it is only right to evaluate the project and decide whether it is the right decision to keep going. My intention and desire is to continue this journey.”

Napoli give Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa his first start since November, as Alisson Santos supports Rasmus Hojlund against unpredictable Lecce.

It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 17.00 GMT (18.00 CET).

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

The Partenopei have the opportunity to consolidate third place after slender and hard-fought 2-1 wins over Verona and Torino.

Antonio Conte has yet more additions to the injury list, losing Antonio Vergara and Juan Jesus, with Stanislav Lobotka, David Neres, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Amir Rrahmani already out.

Scott McTominay has been back in training since Tuesday and therefore gets a spot on the bench along with Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, both recovering from long-term injuries.

Lecce earned a potentially crucial 2-1 victory over Cremonese to drag them out of the bottom four.

Omri Gandelman has shaken off a knee problem, but Medon Berisha, Francesco Camarda and Kialonda Gaspar are out of action.

Nikola Stulic leads the attack with Lameck Banda, while Napoli-owned Walid Cheddira is on the bench.

Napoli vs. Lecce line-ups

Napoli: Meret; Beukema, Buongiorno, Olivera; Politano, Anguissa, Gilmour, Spinazzola; Elmas, Alisson Santos; Hojlund

Lecce: Falcone; Danilo Veiga, Siebert, Tiago Gabriel, Gallo; Coulibaly, Ramadani; Pierotti, Ngom, Banda; Stulic

14-03-2026 17:00

MatchDay 29

Stadio Diego Armando Maradona

Napoli

Lecce

2 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

		3'		Jamil Siebert (Assist: Antonino Gallo)
		19'		Jamil Siebert

2nd half

Rasmus Højlund (Assist: Matteo Politano)		46'
Matteo Politano		67'

Match statistic

70

Possession %

30

12

Total shots

12

4

Shots on target

2

6

Shots off target

6

2

Blocked shots

4

7

Corners

7

11

Fouls

7

Napoli

Lecce

Starting lineups

1

Alex Meret

Goalkeeper

4

Alessandro Buongiorno

Defender

37

Leonardo Spinazzola

Defender

72'

17

Mathías Olivera

Defender

31

Sam Beukema

Defender

99

Frank Anguissa

Midfielder

46'

6

Billy Gilmour

Midfielder

20

Eljif Elmas

Midfielder

46'

27

Alisson Santos

Attacker

85'

21

Matteo Politano

Attacker

72'

19

Rasmus Højlund

Attacker

30

Wladimiro Falcone

Goalkeeper

25

Antonino Gallo

Defender

79'

17

Danilo Veiga

Defender

5

Jamil Siebert

Defender

44

Tiago Gabriel

Defender

29

Lassana Coulibaly

Midfielder

46'

79

Oumar Ngom

Midfielder

85'

20

Ylber Ramadani

Midfielder

19

Lameck Banda

Attacker

9

Nikola Stulic

Attacker

59'

50

Santiago Pierotti

Attacker

79'

Substitutes

5

Juan Jesus

Defender

14

Nikita Contini

Goalkeeper

32

Vanja Milinković-Savić

Goalkeeper

9

Romelu Lukaku

Attacker

23

Giovane Nascimento

Attacker

11

Kevin De Bruyne

Midfielder

46'

8

Scott McTominay

Midfielder

46'

30

Pasquale Mazzocchi

Defender

72'

3

Miguel Gutiérrez

Defender

72'

23

Giovane

Attacker

85'

23

Riccardo Sottil

Attacker

14

Thórir Jóhann Helgason

Midfielder

32

Jasper Samooja

Goalkeeper

1

Christian Früchtl

Goalkeeper

36

Filip Marchwinski

Midfielder

18

Gaby Jean

Defender

13

Matías Pérez

Defender

6

Álex Sala

Midfielder

16

Omri Gandelman

Midfielder

46'

99

Walid Cheddira

Attacker

59'

11

Konan N’Dri

Attacker

79'

3

Corrie Ndaba

Defender

79'

8

Sadik Fofana

Defender

85'

Inter were furious after protesting two refereeing decisions in the final minutes of their 1-1 draw with Atalanta, as Nikola Krstovic cancelled out a Francesco Pio Esposito opener.

It had been a rough week for both sides, as the hosts lost the Derby della Madonnina and saw their lead at the top reduced to seven points. La Dea scraped one point from two Serie A rounds, then were humiliated 6-1 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Alessandro Bastoni joined Lautaro Martinez and Hakan Calhanoglu on the treatment table, though Marcus Thuram returned and Denzel Dumfries got his first start since November 2025. Giacomo Raspadori, Charles De Ketelaere and Ederson were still carrying muscular issues.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Federico Dimarco shinned a volley from a similar position to one he scored against Genoa, while Yann Sommer only parried a Gianluca Scamacca low drive on the counter-attack, managing to smother before Scalvini could pounce on the rebound.

Inter opened the scoring when Dumfries intercepted the ball for Sead Kolasinac and Niccolò Barella sent it down the left for Pio Esposito’s precise angled drive, surprising Marco Carnesecchi at the near post.

Dimarco flashed another attempt across the face of goal, while Piotr Zielinski’s counter-attack was deflected just wide.

Twice Dumfries tried and failed to steer a header on target at the back post from Dimarco crosses, while Thuram blasted just wide of the near top corner following a Mario Pasalic error.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan surged forward to set up Thuram, forcing a desperate Carnesecchi save one-on-one, then Dumfries couldn’t keep his finish down under pressure on a roll across from the right.

Lorenzo Bernasconi got it all wrong with a badly scuffed finish on the Nikola Krstovic lay-off, allowing Carlos Augusto to charge it down.

Thuram turned a back-heel flick wide of the near post from Ange-Yoan Bonny’s pull-back.

De Ketelaere made his comeback for Atalanta, but Manuel Akanji limped off for Inter in the final minutes.

Atalanta equalised in controversial circumstances, as Kamaldeen Sulemana robbed Dumfries just outside the area, tested Sommer, and Krstovic was free to turn in the rebound. Referee Manganiello had the whistle in his mouth after that contact, but never blew it, and VAR also gave the all-clear, a decision that saw Cristian Chivu sent off for his furious protests. Dumfries claimed he had been fouled, but any contact seemed minimal.

Inter were also enraged moments later when Giorgio Scalvini caught Davide Frattesi on the boot as they both went for a bouncing ball, but the referee and VAR ignored penalty appeals.

Both sides pushed to the end, but these are more dropped points for the Nerazzurri.

Inter 1-1 Atalanta

Esposito 26 (I), Krstovic 82 (A)

14-03-2026 14:00

MatchDay 29

San Siro Stadium (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza)

Inter

Atalanta

1 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Petar Sucic		21'
		21'		Sead Kolasinac
Pio Esposito (Assist: Nicolò Barella)		26'

2nd half

Carlos Augusto		59'
		82'		Nikola Krstovic
		90+5'		Charles De Ketelaere

Match statistic

58

Possession %

42

16

Total shots

8

3

Shots on target

3

10

Shots off target

5

3

Blocked shots

0

2

Corners

3

3

Offsides

2

11

Fouls

5

Inter

Atalanta

Starting lineups

1

Yann Sommer

Goalkeeper

32

Federico Dimarco

Defender

65'

25

Manuel Akanji

Defender

80'

8

Petar Sucic

Defender

46'

31

Yann Bisseck

Defender

30

Carlos Augusto

Midfielder

2

Denzel Dumfries

Midfielder

23

Nicolò Barella

Midfielder

76'

7

Piotr Zielinski

Midfielder

94

Pio Esposito

Attacker

65'

9

Marcus Thuram

Attacker

29

Marco Carnesecchi

Goalkeeper

19

Berat Djimsiti

Defender

77

Davide Zappacosta

Defender

42

Giorgio Scalvini

Defender

47

Lorenzo Bernasconi

Defender

23

Sead Kolasinac

Defender

65'

10

Lazar Samardžić

Midfielder

52'

8

Mario Pasalic

Midfielder

15

Marten de Roon

Midfielder

76'

59

Nicola Zalewski

Midfielder

65'

9

Gianluca Scamacca

Attacker

51'

Substitutes

15

Francesco Acerbi

Defender

36

Matteo Darmian

Defender

95

Alessandro Bastoni

Defender

13

Josep Martínez

Goalkeeper

17

Andy Diouf

Attacker

12

Raffaele Di Gennaro

Goalkeeper

53

Matteo Lavelli

Attacker

57

Iwo Kaczmarski

Midfielder

22

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Midfielder

46'

14

Ange-Yoan Bonny

Defender

65'

11

Luis Henrique

Attacker

65'

16

Davide Frattesi

Midfielder

76'

6

Stefan de Vrij

Defender

80'

16

Raoul Bellanova

Defender

31

Francesco Rossi

Goalkeeper

57

Marco Sportiello

Goalkeeper

5

Mitchel Bakker

Defender

3

Odilon Kossounou

Defender

6

Yunus Musah

Midfielder

69

Honest Ahanor

Defender

90

Nikola Krstovic

Attacker

51'

13

Éderson

Midfielder

52'

7

Kamaldeen Sulemana

Midfielder

65'

4

Isak Hien

Defender

65'

17

Charles De Ketelaere

Attacker

76'

Inter fans showed their support for Alessandro Bastoni, but a suggested award for ‘confessing’ his simulation against Juventus to get Pierre Kalulu sent off has reignited the controversy.

The defender has been in the eye of the media storm since Inter beat 10-man Juventus, thanks largely to the second yellow card that had Kalulu sent off.

Bastoni simulated much worse contact than there was in reality, and VAR could not intervene to correct the clear and obvious error because protocol bars their involvement in yellow cards.

Ever since then, the Italy international has been loudly jeered by opposition fans in every stadium, with some even calling for him to be dropped from the Nazionale as punishment.

Bastoni could get award for ‘fair play’

It therefore raised eyebrows when Federico Romani, a regional councillor of Lombardy, suggested Bastoni should be awarded the Rosa Camuna, the maximum honour from the region.

“He was able to recognise his mistake publicly and take responsibility,” explained the political figure.

“Bastoni’s attitude is not to be taken for granted or considered common, it shows respect for the sport, for opponents, and for the fans.”

This obviously prompted a furious and incredulous reaction from other political figures in the Lombardy region, above all Franco Lucente, who is a Juventus fan.

“I am the first to condemn the jeers from the crowd and media targeting of Bastoni, but to give him an award seems a bit much.

“I doubt that eventually making a late apology represents a great sporting virtue. What then are we to give to Kalulu, who was sent off for a foul he didn’t commit, had to sit out a ban, and now sees Bastoni hailed as an example of fair play?”

The Inter supporters certainly made their voices heard during today’s Serie A match against Atalanta, even though Bastoni was on the bench due to a bruise.

‘Bastoni, our pride’ was a banner in his honour, along with chants that prompted him to stand and wave to the crowd.

Sandro Tonali’s agent Beppe Riso says that attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City has always been ‘the goal’ after moving to the Premier League, and says that the Newcastle midfielder is currently the most valuable Italian player in the world. 

Tonali has excelled on an individual level with Newcastle in 2025-26, despite his side currently sitting in 12th place in the Premier League table. 

Life has not always been straightforward for Tonali since his move to Newcastle from Milan in 2023, though. 

Shortly after he joined Newcastle, Tonali was hit with a 10-match suspension from the FIGC for his involvement in prohibited gambling activity. 

Riso, speaking in an interview with Calcio e Finanza, insists that he never had any knowledge of Tonali’s struggles, otherwise he would have done his best to help earlier. 

“Absolutely not, otherwise I would have intervened,” he replied when asked if he knew beforehand that there was a possibility Tonali would be suspended. 

“I have to say that I think the transfer (away from Milan) proved to be a winning choice in that respect. Newcastle fans were incredible with Sandro, they always supported him. He received different treatment in Italy, but not by the Milan fans, who have always protected him.

“The mentality is different in England, and there was always a standing ovation from the crowd whenever Sandro came into the stadium, despite his disqualification. We’re talking about a young guy who made a mistake. The fans realised that and he was forgiven. Now, Sandro has changed completely.” 

Tonali agent comments on Arsenal and Manchester City rumours

Now, Tonali is excelling in the Premier League and Champions League with Newcastle and is beginning to attract interest from some of the biggest clubs in the world. 

“This was the goal from the moment he went to England, to try and make him a star footballer,” said Riso. “I think he’s the most valuable Italian footballer in the world right now.” 

Riso was asked why there doesn’t seem to be too many Italian players who excel in leagues outside of Serie A, aside from a handful of exceptions. 

“Not many Italians have a market abroad today. But that blame also falls on us,” he said. 

“It’s always fine in Italy, but elsewhere, difficulties with settling in can crop up. I think Sandro is the only one who has done that well in the Premier League, many have failed. And in Italy, we’re left looking at high prices, especially when it comes to a strong Italian player.” 

Riso also believes that this is part of the reason why Serie A sides seem to field increasingly fewer young Italian players, instead focussing on foreign imports. 

“Yes, but also because a lot of owners often make profits from trading players, and from here they’ve understood that a young, foreign player has more of a market abroad when looking at a future resale. It’s their ability to speak foreign languages, the mentality, the ability to adapt quicker. 

“Often today, when it’s a choice between an 18-year-old Italian and an 18-year-old from abroad, we’ll go with the foreigner, which is why it’s difficult to develop big players in Italy. 

“You have to sell to make money in football, and you have to take on these foreign profiles, which have a wider range on the market, in order to do so. So, it’s very complicated. Italian kids are often punished as a result.”

Gennaro Gattuso is less than a week away from announcing his Italy national team squad for the World Cup play-off campaign at the end of the month, and though several Azzurri hopefuls will be involved in Udinese vs. Juventus in Serie A on Saturday evening, only three or four are expected to be under genuine consideration for a call-up. 

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

This weekend’s round of Serie A fixtures is the last set of league matches before Gattuso announces his squad, and the penultimate set of league games before players head off for the international break. 

• Read more: Which Italy players will Gattuso be keeping an eye on in Inter vs. Atalanta?

Which Juventus players could feature in the next Italy squad?

On the Serie A schedule this Saturday evening is Juventus’s visit to Udinese. The Old Lady have a former CT in Luciano Spalletti in charge, and are expected to field a number of Italy hopefuls in Udine this evening. 

Juventus have two Italian goalkeepers on their books in Michele Di Gregorio and Mattia Perin, but the former has disappointed with his performances in 2025-26 and has recently lost his no.1 status to the latter. Neither are expected to be in the Italy squad this month. 

Federico Gatti started in Juventus’s 4-0 win over Pisa last weekend, but he is not guaranteed to keep his place in the Bianconeri line-up, nor is he a nailed-on member of Gattuso’s Italy squad. That said, his inclusion can’t be definitively ruled out either. The chances of him starting over the likes of Alessandro Bastoni, Riccardo Calafiori, Alessandro Buongiorno or Gianluca Mancini are slim, though. 

The other three Juventus players that are in contention to feature in Italy’s World Cup play-off squad are Andrea Cambiaso, Manuel Locatelli and Fabio Miretti. 

Cambiaso has been a mainstay of the Italy set-up under its last three head coaches, but despite his ability to play on either flank, he will face plenty of competition from the likes of Federico Dimarco, Marco Palestra and potentially even Michael Kayode on both sides of the pitch. 

Locatelli, meanwhile, is expected to start for Italy at the base of its midfield, which is also likely to feature Inter’s Nicolo Barella and Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali. 

Miretti is also one of the midfielders in contention to be called up to the Italy squad, albeit as more of a squad player given the aforementioned options in the starting XI. 

The most high-profile Italy player on Udinese’s books is Nicolo Zaniolo, who, however, is not expected to be called up to the national team squad this month according to recent reports from various outlets in Italy.

{rsn-live-v2}

Atalanta CEO Luca Percassi insists the club and fans are ‘proud’ to have played Bayern Munich in the Champions League Round of 16, and today have another tough test with Inter.

It kicks off at San Siro at 14.00 GMT (15.00 CET).

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

La Dea have hit serious problems over the last few weeks, as they were held 2-2 by Lazio in the Coppa Italia semi-final, picked up just one point from two Serie A rounds, then were hammered 6-1 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League Round of 16.

Atalanta won’t forget their roots

Despite that result, even the Germans were impressed with the way the Atalanta supporters continued to cheer on their players and applaud them in Bergamo.

“Atalanta deserved on the field to achieve a fantastic objective, which is reaching the Champions League Round of 16,” Percassi told DAZN Italia.

“When facing one of the best teams in the whole world, we were unable to give our best for a set of different reasons. Despite that, the response of the fans shows how much getting here was something the crowd appreciated, and we are very proud of that.”

Atalanta were after all the only Italian side to make it to the Champions League last 16, despite having a significantly smaller budget than most of the other contenders.

Now they are in the Coppa Italia semi-final and still hoping to finish in the top four to get back into the Champions League.

“We would be happy every year to achieve targets like this. We know what our DNA is, we are working to keep doing well,” noted the chief.

Giorgio Scalvini is back in defence after injury, while Ederson and Charles De Ketelaere return to the bench for the first time in March, but Giacomo Raspadori is still out of action.

“Bayern Munich represented a slip-up that we must reflect on, today we are facing the Serie A leaders in a huge stadium, and it will be another very difficult match. We’ve seen in recent years how hard it is to pick up points in this stadium.

“It will require the best Atalanta, so whatever happens we want to leave here without regrets, aware that Inter are a very strong side.”

Inter are something of a taboo for La Dea, unbeaten on home turf against their Lombardy rivals since 2014.

Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski, who has recently been linked with potential moves to Juventus and Milan, has revealed that Genoa are the only Serie A side that has ever been close to striking a deal with him, and insists that he has not yet decided on his next steps after the 2025-26 season. 

Lewandowski is out of contract at the end of the season and according to recent reports in Italy, he is of interest to both Milan and Juventus following the success that veteran Luka Modric has brought to San Siro after his free transfer from Real Madrid last summer. 

The former Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund star sat down for an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport’s Sportweek, published on Saturday, during which he discussed his previous links with Serie A and his current views on the Italian championship. 

Lewandowski on Genoa interest and next career steps: ‘The goal is …’

Lewandowski insists that he has not made any decisions either way regarding his future after the 2025-26 season, despite the recent links to Milan and Juventus. 

“Honestly, today, there’s nothing to say. And I’m being honest,” he said. 

“The goal is to get to the end of the season with as many wins, goals and titles as possible, then we’ll see. I’m not thinking about it and I haven’t decided. It’s not a priority at the moment.” 

Lewandowski revealed that he has only once been close to joining a Serie A side, and that was all the way back in 2010 before he ended up joining Borussia Dortmund. 

“In 2010, I was still in Poland and I was about to move to Borussia Dortmund. Genoa wanted to sign me, so they invited me to watch a match against Sampdoria. 

“I was curious to see what the club was like, the stadium, the atmosphere, and also to be fair to those who had shown an interest in me. I came to watch the derby at Marassi. It was the only time I’ve dealt with an Italian team.” 

Lewandowski was also asked about his views on the state of Italian football in 2026. 

“I think the Italian league is very competitive,” he said. “It’s usually a fight and the same team doesn’t always win. Teams like Juventus and Inter have reached Champions League finals (in recent years), it doesn’t seem to be in a crisis if you’re asking me.”

Cristian Chivu insists Inter must ‘learn from our mistakes and go forward with confidence’ against Atalanta, because ‘one defeat isn’t going to change’ anything.

It kicks off at San Siro at 14.00 GMT (15.00 CET).

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

The Nerazzurri saw their lead at the top of the Serie A table cut to seven points by defeat to second-placed Milan, so the pressure is back on them to keep that advantage intact.

Chivu has faith in Inter progress

“We must get back to doing what we did throughout the season, with tempo and intensity. There are exceptions, but we must learn from our mistakes and go forward with confidence,” Chivu told DAZN Italia.

Atalanta are a high press team too, and also use a three-man defence, but Marcus Thuram returns to the Inter attack after missing the Milan clash.

“Thuram trained well, he recovered from the problem he had with a fever before the derby. He is back to 100 per cent and an important player for us.”

Alessandro Bastoni is only fit for the bench, Lautaro Martinez and Hakan Calhanoglu are out of action, but the big news is the return of Denzel Dumfries to the starting XI for the first time since his ankle surgery in November 2025.

Versatile Carlos Augusto therefore steps into the back three to replace Bastoni.

“I am not worried by a defeat, my worry has always been about building this team, taking the right direction and achieving our targets. We’ve always said we want to be competitive to the end and one defeat isn’t going to change that.

“We need to keep going with even more determination and confidence,” concluded Chivu.

Denzel Dumfries and Marcus Thuram return to the Inter starting XI, while Atalanta hope Gianluca Scamacca and Nicola Zalewski can revive their fortunes.

It kicks off at San Siro at 14.00 GMT (15.00 CET).

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

This has been a rough week for both teams, as Inter saw their Serie A lead cut to seven points by defeat to rivals Milan, while La Dea stumbled domestically and then lost 6-1 to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

The hosts saw Alessandro Bastoni limp off during the Derby della Madonnina with a bruised shin and he is still not fully fit, with Hakan Calhanoglu and Lautaro Martinez already on the treatment table.

There is some good news for coach Cristian Chivu, as Thuram returns to the side with Francesco Pio Esposito.

The big change is that Dumfries has his first start since that ankle surgery in November 2025.

Atalanta had been on stunning form, but stumbled over the last few weeks, losing to Sassuolo and then held 2-2 by Udinese in Serie A, followed by Tuesday’s humiliating 6-1 home defeat in the Champions League to Bayern Munich.

Giacomo Raspadori, Charles De Ketelaere and Ederson have been big losses recently and continue to carry those injury problems, though the Brazilian and Belgian are both back on the bench for the first time this month.

Giorgio Scalvini has shaken off a knee issue to start in defence, while Zalewski and Lazar Samardzic support Scamacca upfront.

Inter vs. Atalanta line-ups

Inter: Sommer; Bisseck, Akanji, Carlos Augusto; Dumfries, Barella, Zielinski, Sucic, Dimarco; Thuram, Pio Esposito

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

14-03-2026 14:00

MatchDay 29

San Siro Stadium (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza)

Inter

Atalanta

1 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Petar Sucic		21'
		21'		Sead Kolasinac
Pio Esposito (Assist: Nicolò Barella)		26'

2nd half

Carlos Augusto		59'
		82'		Nikola Krstovic
		90+5'		Charles De Ketelaere

Match statistic

58

Possession %

42

16

Total shots

8

3

Shots on target

3

10

Shots off target

5

3

Blocked shots

0

2

Corners

3

3

Offsides

2

11

Fouls

5

Inter

Atalanta

Starting lineups

1

Yann Sommer

Goalkeeper

32

Federico Dimarco

Defender

65'

25

Manuel Akanji

Defender

80'

8

Petar Sucic

Defender

46'

31

Yann Bisseck

Defender

30

Carlos Augusto

Midfielder

2

Denzel Dumfries

Midfielder

23

Nicolò Barella

Midfielder

76'

7

Piotr Zielinski

Midfielder

94

Pio Esposito

Attacker

65'

9

Marcus Thuram

Attacker

29

Marco Carnesecchi

Goalkeeper

19

Berat Djimsiti

Defender

77

Davide Zappacosta

Defender

42

Giorgio Scalvini

Defender

47

Lorenzo Bernasconi

Defender

23

Sead Kolasinac

Defender

65'

10

Lazar Samardžić

Midfielder

52'

8

Mario Pasalic

Midfielder

15

Marten de Roon

Midfielder

76'

59

Nicola Zalewski

Midfielder

65'

9

Gianluca Scamacca

Attacker

51'

Substitutes

15

Francesco Acerbi

Defender

36

Matteo Darmian

Defender

95

Alessandro Bastoni

Defender

13

Josep Martínez

Goalkeeper

17

Andy Diouf

Attacker

12

Raffaele Di Gennaro

Goalkeeper

53

Matteo Lavelli

Attacker

57

Iwo Kaczmarski

Midfielder

22

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Midfielder

46'

14

Ange-Yoan Bonny

Defender

65'

11

Luis Henrique

Attacker

65'

16

Davide Frattesi

Midfielder

76'

6

Stefan de Vrij

Defender

80'

16

Raoul Bellanova

Defender

31

Francesco Rossi

Goalkeeper

57

Marco Sportiello

Goalkeeper

5

Mitchel Bakker

Defender

3

Odilon Kossounou

Defender

6

Yunus Musah

Midfielder

69

Honest Ahanor

Defender

90

Nikola Krstovic

Attacker

51'

13

Éderson

Midfielder

52'

7

Kamaldeen Sulemana

Midfielder

65'

4

Isak Hien

Defender

65'

17

Charles De Ketelaere

Attacker

76'

Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed that Santiago Gimenez is the only player Milan will be without for Sunday’s Serie A match away against Lazio, has provided comments on Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao and has hinted at which player could replace the suspended Adrien Rabiot. 

Milan are in high spirits after their 1-0 victory over city rivals and league leaders Inter last weekend, which cut the deficit between the two teams to seven points at the top of the Serie A table with 10 games to go. 

Up next for the Rossoneri is a trip to the capital to face Maurizio Sarri and Lazio, where Allegri’s side will be hoping to make it three Serie A wins on the spin. 

Allegri provides Milan injury update: ‘Physically doing much better’

Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Saturday, Allegri confirmed that Gimenez is the only Milan player set to miss out against Lazio. 

“Gimenez will not be there tomorrow, but he’s doing well from a psychological point of view,” said Allegri (via TMW).  

Allegri also confirmed that Christian Pulisic “physically is doing much better. He had a good game in the derby. He’s constantly growing. Both he, Leao, Fullkrug and even Nkunku are doing well.”

Allegri’s trusted midfield general Rabiot, who has played the full 90 minutes in every Serie A match he has been available for this season, will be suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season against Inter last weekend. 

A decision is still yet to be made over his replacement, but it is down to one of two options, Allegri confirmed. 

“I don’t know who out of Jashari or Ricci will play, but the important thing is that the team puts in a good collective performance, with organisation and awareness. Lazio score a lot of goals towards the end of games.” 

Click here to read Allegri’s pre-match press conference in full.

Massimiliano Allegri has once again insisted that Inter and Cristian Chivu are the nailed-on favourites to win the Serie A title, that Milan are only focused on Champions League qualification and has predicted how many more points the Rossoneri need to achieve that goal. 

The spirits are high in the Rossoneri camp after defeating city rivals and Serie A leaders Inter 1-0 in the Derby della Madonnina last weekend, their second consecutive win against the Nerazzurri this season. 

Milan have not lost in any of their last seven matches against Inter, who still have a seven-point lead at the top of the Serie A standings heading into the final 10 league matches of the season. 

Despite many claiming that Milan kept the title race alive with their victory over Inter last season, Allegri, like he has done all season, insists that his side are only focused on securing a spot in the top four and a place in next season’s Champions League. 

Allegri sat down to talk all things Milan during his pre-match press conference on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s match away against Lazio. 

Allegri: ‘Milan are happy’, but ‘Inter have shown they’re the best’

Milan were visited by legendary former attacker Andriy Shevchenko at their training ground on Friday: “It was a pleasure for me, the staff and the whole team. We hope he brings us good luck ahead of tomorrow’s game,” said Allegri (via TMW). 

Allegri went on to give his thoughts now that the dust has settled following last weekend’s Derby della Madonnina victory over Inter. 

“We’re all happy after the last game and rightly so, but the team returned to a calm state on Tuesday,” he said. 

“Now we’ve got Lazio, though, which is always a complicated game because Sarri’s sides are difficult to face. For us it’s an important game because we want to take another step forwards.” 

During practically every press conference of his this season, Allegri has maintained his stance that Milan are not focusing on a title fight, but that their main goal is a return to Champions League action for 2026-27. 

“It’s not a question of trying to win the Scudetto,” he repeated on Saturday. “We have to try and win games because you don’t get anywhere with just 60 points. Inter have a seven-point advantage, they’ve shown us that they’re the best and the strongest. 

“There are also teams behind us chasing. We have to win more games to reach a certain quota. We have to win five more games to get into the top four.

“We have to achieve our own results regardless of the others, then we’ll make sure the others behind us can’t catch up.”

 Milan will be without the suspended Adrien Rabiot on Sunday, but a decision over his replacement is still yet to be made. 

“Numbers always end up getting cut down. I don’t know who out of Jashari or Ricci will play, but the important thing is that the team puts in a good collective performance, with organisation and awareness. Lazio score a lot of goals towards the end of games.

“Fortunately there will be a full stadium with 10,000 Milan fans tomorrow, which is very important for us.”

And on his injury list, Allegri said: “Gimenez will not be there tomorrow, but he’s doing well from a psychological point of view.” 

And on Christian Pulisic, he added: “Physically he’s doing much better. He had a good game in the derby. He’s constantly growing. Both he, Leao, Fullkrug and even Nkunku are doing well.”

And previewing Lazio, Allegri said: “It will be a difficult game. They don’t concede much. It will be a big game for them, because they will want to try and beat Milan, and it’s important for us because it would allow us to take a small step forwards.” 

Allegri also weighed in with his verdict on this season’s Champions League and the disappointing results by the Italian sides competing this season. 

“Football is great because it’s debatable, and because these situations change every year. Right now, looking at the final stages, even the English sides are in difficulty. 

“This format is fun on one hand, there are a lot of games, but you risk finding yourself on the ‘wrong’ side of the standings. Maybe next year will be different. The important thing is to play in it. Then we’ll see what everyone’s capable of doing. There are no rules.” 

Allegri also gave one final reminder of what he hopes to achieve before the end of the season: “The ambition is not the Scudetto, but to do our best, to commit ourselves every day. We’ll see who’s the ‘best’ later on because it’s such a long season and the best over the course of the year always wins it.” 

Juventus have confirmed that Dusan Vlahovic will not feature against Udinese in Serie A on Saturday evening, but there is a surprise inclusion in Luciano Spalletti’s squad as Arkadiusz Milik makes a rare appearance. 

The Bianconeri are currently sitting in sixth place in the Serie A table on 50 points after 28 matches, one point but two positions shy of the top four with 10 league games of the season left to go. 

Spalletti’s side will take on Udinese away from home on Saturday evening, kicking off at 19.45 GMT, and will be keeping a particularly keen eye on Sunday’s match between the fourth-placed Como and the fifth-placed Roma at the Stadio Sinigaglia (17.00 GMT kick-off). 

Vlahovic has been involved in Juventus training this week after spending over three months recovering from surgery on his adductor, however, it was revealed on Friday that the Serbian would not be involved this weekend, which has since been confirmed in Juve’s official squad announcement. 

Despite the absence of Vlahovic, Spalletti has still been able to welcome another striker back into his squad, as Milik returns for just the third time this season. 

Milik has not played competitively for Juventus since the end of the 2023-24 season after a torrid few years with injuries and fitness issues. The 32-year-old was called up to the squad for two consecutive matches against Roma and Pisa in December, without featuring, but has missed the last 11 league matches with a calf injury. He is among the selections for Udinese, though. 

Confirmed Juventus squad vs. Udinese

Goalkeepers: Perin, Di Gregorio, Pinsoglio. 

Defenders: Bremer, Gatti, Kelly, Kalulu, Cambiaso, Cabal. 

Midfielders: Locatelli, Koopmeiners, Adzic, Kostic, Thuram, Miretti, McKennie. 

Forwards: Conceicao, Yildiz, Zhegrova, Boga, Milik, Openda, David.

I convocati da mister Spalletti per la gara in trasferta di questa sera #UdineseJuve

Powered by @WhiteBit pic.twitter.com/D8WC39hbJN

— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) March 14, 2026

There is now less than a week to go before Gennaro Gattuso announced his Italy national team squad for the World Cup play-off campaign coming up at the end of March, and recent reports claim that the CT will be in San Siro to keep an eye on some of his players during Saturday’s Serie A match between Inter and Atalanta. 

Here is a reminder of the players who will be of interest to Gattuso ahead of the crucial Northern Ireland clash on March 26. 

Gattuso drawing up final plans for Italy’s World Cup play-offs 

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

Should Italy fail to win both matches, it will mean three consecutive World Cup absences for the joint-second-most successful nation in the tournament’s history. The Azzurri have not featured at the World Cup group stages since 2014 and have not won a knock-out game at the tournament since lifting the trophy in 2006 

Gattuso is expected to announce his squad for the World Cup play-offs, which will be played during the March international break, on Friday. 

Before then, he will be in San Siro to keep an eye on some of his players during Saturday’s Serie A match between Inter and Atalanta according to reports from Il Giorno and various other outlets. 

Between the Inter and Atalanta squads, there are 14 senior players who have either represented Italy in the past, or are tipped to earn a call-up in the near future. 

Cristian Chivu’s side contains five players who are practically guaranteed a spot in the side. They are Alessandro Bastoni, Federico Dimarco, Nicolo Barella, Davide Frattesi and Pio Esposito.

Bastoni is still nursing an impact injury he suffered against Milan last weekend, and might not start against Atalanta, but is still expected to be involved with the Italy national team squad. 

Senior Nerazzurri players in Matteo Darmian and Francesco Acerbi are highly unlikely to be involved in Gattuso’s next squad, though. 

Atalanta also have a decent crop of players hoping to be called up to the Italy squad next week. 

Marco Carnesecchi and Gianluca Scamacca are likely to be called up to the Italy squad next week. Giacomo Raspadori is normally a sure-fire pick as well, but there are still ongoing doubts surrounding his fitness. 

Evaluations could also be made over Giorgio Scalvini, who is expected to start against Inter on Saturday after serving his suspension in the Champions League midweek. 

Atalanta also have three Italian wing-backs on their books in Davide Zappacosta, Raoul Bellanova and Luca Bernasconi. Zappacosta has been performing well in recent weeks, but is not currently expected to be called up to the Italy squad.

Bellanova currently has plenty of position for a spot on Italy’s right flank given the recent form youngsters Marco Palestra, on loan from Atalanta to Cagliari, and Michael Kayode of Premier League side Brentford. Juventus’s Andrea Cambiaso is also expected to be called up and is capable of covering on the right, too.

Some reports, however, suggest that left-sided wing-back Bernasconi is among the players on Gattuso’s preliminary squad list.

Reports in Italy claim that Inter are set to show their faith in head coach Cristian Chivu by handing him an extension to his contract, which is currently set to expire at the end of the 2026-27 season. 

Inter want to lock down head coach Chivu

Chivu, in his first full season as a head coach in the senior game, has taken Inter from the depths of their disappointment following last season’s 5-0 humiliation against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, and within the space of 10 months, has developed a side that now sits seven points clear at the top of the Serie A table with 10 games to go. 

There have been some recent reports in Italy claiming that the pressure is on Inter following their 1-0 defeat against city rivals Milan in the league last weekend, which cut the Nerazzurro lead at the top of the table from 10 points to seven, but La Gazzetta dello Sport suggests that this ‘pressure’ is more on the players than it is on the head coach. 

At the time of Chivu’s appointment at the beginning of last summer, the 45-year-old head coach put pen to paper on a relatively short-term contract: A two-year deal that would run until the end of the 2026-27 campaign. 

That means that Chivu will be heading into the final year of his deal this summer, despite being widely expected to claim the Scudetto at the end of the 2025-26 season. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport suggests that an extension to Chivu’s contract is a necessity for Inter. Reports elsewhere suggest that Chivu could extend his deal until the end of the 2027-28 season with an option to renew by an additional 12 months. 

Juventus will have to do without Dusan Vlahovic for another week as Luciano Spalletti and his team prepare to take on Udinese away from home in Serie A on Saturday evening. 

The Bianconeri have bounced back after a dismal run of results in February and have since recorded a 3-3 comeback draw away against Roma and a 4-0 thrashing of Pisa over their last two Serie A matches at the beginning of March. 

Spalletti’s side are locked in a battle for one of the positions in the top four, and currently find themselves in sixth place on 50 points, one shy of fourth position ahead of Saturday’s fixtures. 

Hosts Udinese are also unbeaten over their two games in March so far, having beaten Fiorentina 3-0 at the beginning of the month and having recorded a 2-2 draw away against Atalanta last weekend. They are in 11th place ahead of the Juve clash. 

There had been hopes earlier this week that Vlahovic would be able to feature for the Old Lady after missing almost four months of action with an adductor injury. The Serbian has been in training last week, but it was confirmed on Friday that he would not be risked and is therefore not part of the matchday squad. 

Mattia Perin is expected to keep hold of his place between the sticks, with Michele Di Gregorio still out of favour after a series of disappointing displays across this season. 

Only Inter’s Lautaro Martinez has scored more goals in Serie A this season than Udinese striker Keinan Davis, who sits in joint-second in the league’s goalscoring charts along with an impressive list of names: Kenan Yildiz, Rafael Leao, Nico Paz, Rasmus Hojlund and Anastasios Douvikas, all of whom have nine so far. Davis is expected to start alongside Nicolo Zaniolo in attack on Saturday. 

Kick-off is due at 19.45 GMT. 

Udinese vs. Juventus: Probable line-ups

Udinese (3-5-2): Okoye; Kristensen, Kabasele, Mlacic; Ezihibue, Piotrowski, Karlstrom, Atta, Kamara; Davis, Zaniolo. 

Juventus (4-2-3-1): Perin; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; Conceicao, McKennie, Boga; Yildiz. 

Where to watch Udinese vs. Juventus

Tonight’s game will be available to watch live in the UK on TNT Sports 2 and through DAZN. Supporters in the USA are able to tune in via Paramount+. 

Join us for all the pre-match build-up, in-game coverage and post-match reactions on the Football Italia Liveblog. 

Scott McTominay could potentially feature, but compatriot Billy Gilmour is expected to keep his place in the Napoli starting line-up for Saturday’s Serie A match against Lecce. 

Antonio Conte’s side are hoping to make it three wins on the spin when Lecce visit the Stadio Maradona in Serie A on Saturday evening. The visitors were also victorious last weekend, picking up an important 2-1 win over Cremonese, which has helped lift them out of the relegation zone. They still have a long way to go before safety is secured, though. 

Injuries have been a constant issue for Napoli in 2025-26, but the encouraging news is that three members of their ‘fab four’ – McTominay, Kevin De Bruyne and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa are back in training after. 

Anguissa could potentially start alongside Gilmour in midfield, but neither McTominay nor De Bruyne are expected to start just yet. 

Stanislav Lobotka, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, David Neres and Antonio Vergara remain sidelined with injuries. Juan Jesus is also a doubt in defence. 

Lecce are expected to stick with a similar side that beat Cremonese last weekend, but there is a chance that Omri Gandelman comes into the starting XI according to Sky Sport Italia. 

Kick-off is due at 17.00 GMT. 

Napoli vs. Lecce: Probable line-ups 

Napoli (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Buongiorno, Olivera; Politano, Anguissa, Gilmour, Spinazzola; Elmas, Alisson; Hojlund. 

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

Where to watch Napoli vs. Lecce

Tonight’s game will be available to watch live in the UK on DAZN from 17.15 onwards, once the blackout ends. Supporters in the USA are able to watch the game live and in full on Paramount+. 

You can also join us for all the pre-match build-up, in-game commentary and post-match reactions on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Denzel Dumfries could make his return to the Inter starting line-up as Cristian Chivu’s side look to bounce back from last weekend’s derby defeat with Saturday’s visit from Atalanta in Serie A. 

Kick-off is due at 14.00 GMT. 

Inter sit seven points clear at the top of the Serie A standings ahead of kick-off, but fell to defeat against their city rivals Milan in a 1-0 loss in San Siro last weekend. 

Atalanta are also hoping to bounce back on Saturday after suffering a 6-1 thumping at home against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday night. La Dea are one of several teams still hoping for a spot in the top four, but are four points shy of the Champions League spots in seventh place ahead of this weekend’s fixtures. 

Inter are still without Lautaro Martinez in attack, and it remains to be seen what involvement Alessandro Bastoni will have after coming off injured during last week’s derby. Pre-match reports indicate that Bastoni is still struggling with the bruising he suffered against Milan and that Carlos Augusto is currently more likely to start on the left of the back three. 

Marcus Thuram missed out on the Milan derby due to illness last weekend, but is expected to start alongside Pio Esposito in attack on Saturday. 

There could also be a long-awaited return to the starting XI for Denzel Dumfries, who has missed most of the last four months with an ankle injury, but was able to make a 30-minute substitute appearance off the bench last weekend. 

Atalanta were without several key players against Bayern Munich on Tuesday night, including Giorgio Scalvini, who was suspended in Europe and is likely to return against Inter. 

Ederson was not fit enough to play against Bayern, but could potentially return against Inter as well according to Gianluca Di Marzio. The Brazilian is part of the travelling squad, but is unlikely to be thrown straight into the starting XI. 

Charles De Ketelaere and Giacomo Raspadori are not expected to return this weekend. 

Inter vs. Atalanta: Probable line-ups 

Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, Akanji, C.Augusto; Dumfries, Barella, Zielinski, Sucic, Dimarco; Thuram, Esposito. 

Atalanta (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Hien, Ahanor; Zappacosta, De Roon, Pasalic, Bernasconi; Samardzic, Zalewski; Scamacca. 

Where to watch Inter vs. Atalanta 

Supporters in the USA are able to watch today’s game on Paramount+. DAZN and TNT Sports share the rights for Serie A coverage in the UK, but today’s game will not be shown live due to blackout restrictions. 

You can join us for all the pre-match build-up, in-game commentary and post-match reactions on the Football Italia Liveblog. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport 

Inter put faith in Chivu 

The club ties him down, the renewal is ready 

Players under pressure, not the coach Against Atalanta today, looking for the post-derby relaunch

Jashari does the Rabiot 

Against Lazio tomorrow

The Frenchman (suspended) has been fundamental for Milan. Over to the Swiss to replace him 

The new Yildiz 

Udinese-Juve at 19.45

Kenan at the centre of the attack: Will be the false nine 

Napoli against Lecce, Anguissa from the off 

Roma stadium: The okay from the council. Work to begin in ’27

In Pietralata

A bit more like Toro 

Parma beaten 4-1 

Cairo: ‘Terrible things were written about me in Masio’ 

Corriere dello Sport 

Game of nerves

Chivu, the derby bounceback: The only possible response is going +10 ahead in the standings

Pressure on Inter | Atalanta visit at 14.00, also needing to rebuild after the 1-6 defeat in the Champions League

Thuram up front with Esposito in an attempt to get over the disappointments against Bodo/Glimt and AC Milan, who are playing away against Lazio tomorrow evening. The strikers haven’t scored for five games. Zielinski holding. A toss-up between Sucic and Mkhiratyan

Spirito Santos: A hat-trick to make history

Napoli taking on Lecce (17.00)

A new signing has never previously scored in their first three games at the Stadio Maradona

David test: last call

Juve in Udine (19.45)

Spalletti doesn’t call up Vlahovic, room for the Canadian. Boga is also tempting

Tuttosport 

It’s a different Toro

4-1 against Parma. Two victories from three for D’Aversa: Halfway to safety  

The spark from Simeone (and an error from Suzuki), then the leveller from Pellegrino (Paleari poor): But, the second-half frenzy led to Ilkhan’s goal, Keita’s own-goal (set up by Cholito) and Zapata’s goal. They’d not had a win as big as this so far this season. Vlasic dazzling. Second win in a row at the Grande Torino, now with a +9 lead over third-last place. D’Aversa: ‘The attitude made the difference. Casadei left out? He should ask himself some questions’

‘Stronger than Como and Roma’ 

Juve in Udine at 19.45: Conceicao leads the Champions League charge 

The Portuguese out in the open: ‘The race for fourth place? We’ve got more quality, we just have to show it. Bernardo Silva? If he comes, I’ll tell him we have to win here’. Vlahovic still out, but Milik recovered. Eyes on Davis, special observation. Interview with Padelli: ‘Spalletti gets in your head’. Torricelli, hero of the ‘96 Champions League: ‘A turning point with Lucio, but this team is lacking in personality’

Inter, Scudetto angst. And one wish … Paz 

Against Atalanta at 14.00

Chivu under pressure after the derby defeat and letting Milan back to -7. Thuram back again. Meanwhile, the Como ace at lunch with Zanetti

Andriy Shevchenko paid a surprise visit to Milanello on Thursday morning, dropping in on Massimiliano Allegri’s squad as part of his trip to Milan for the World Legends Padel Tour 2026, and the Ukrainian icon left with his faith in the club firmly renewed.

Speaking to Sky Sport after his visit, with quotes via MilanNews, Shevchenko made no attempt to hide the emotion of returning to a place so central to his career.

“It was beautiful, I felt something in my stomach,” he said. “I haven’t been here in four or five years. It was wonderful to see the team and Allegri, I also visited the youth academy and saw Tassotti. Seeing Milan win makes me feel good.”

Shevchenko: ‘Allegri makes me believe Milan can do it’

It was Allegri who left the strongest impression on the former striker.

“I found him energised, cheerful and positive, he genuinely makes me believe Milan can do it,” Shevchenko said. “The team is functioning well and they must keep putting pressure on Inter.”

Shevchenko also had warm words for Luka Modric, describing a brief exchange in which the Croatian veteran expressed his happiness at the club.

“He has always impressed me with his humility, he is a real leader,” he said. “I asked him how he had settled in Milan and he told me he was happy and that the Milan fans are special. And that is true.”

On Rafael Leao, Shevchenko was measured and honest.

The Portuguese forward has been deployed in a role that does not entirely suit his natural instincts, and Shevchenko acknowledged the challenge.

“He has been very willing to respond to the manager’s requests and has played some good matches,” he said. “But it will take time to know if the role truly fits him.”

Roberto D’Aversa’s Torino continued their encouraging revival under the new coach with a convincing home win over Parma, ending their opponents’ five-game unbeaten run and closing to within a point of them in the Serie A table in the process.

Torino made the perfect start when Giovanni Simeone pounced on a rebound inside the box to slot home in just the third minute, giving the hosts exactly the platform they needed at the Olimpico Grande Torino.

Parma responded well, however, and levelled matters on 20 minutes through Mateo Pellegrino, who met a delightful Gabriel Strefezza cross with a precise header inside the right post to restore parity.

Torino put Parma to the sword in exciting second half

The second half was where the match turned decisively in Torino’s favour, and in the most dramatic and unlikely fashion.

Within the space of two minutes, Parma gifted their hosts a two-goal cushion through a pair of own goals, although the first was later awarded to Emirhan Ilkhan.

First Enrico Delprato put through his own net on 55 minutes, after a deflected effort from Ilkhan.

Then Mandela Keita compounded Parma’s misery two minutes later to make it 3-1. It was a devastating spell for Carlos Cuesta’s side, undoing everything they had worked hard to build.

Parma pushed for a way back into the match in the closing stages but found Torino resolute, with goalkeeper Alberto Paleari working hard to prevent any comeback.

Then, in stoppage time, the hosts extended their lead to 4-1 thanks to a well-taken goal by experienced forward Duvan Zapata.

The result lifts Torino to 13th in the table, now just a single point behind Parma in 12th. D’Aversa’s side are building momentum at exactly the right time, with the two sides now inextricably linked in what promises to be a tense battle to pull clear of the relegation picture.

13-03-2026 19:45

MatchDay 29

Olympic Grande Torino Stadium

Torino

Parma

4 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Giovanni Simeone		3'
		20'		Mateo Pellegrino (Assist: Gabriel Strefezza)

2nd half

Emirhan Ilkhan		54'
Mandela Keita		56'
		59'		Christian Ordoñez
		59'		Enrico Delprato
		77'		Gabriel Strefezza
Sandro Kulenovic		85'
Duván Zapata (Assist: Sandro Kulenovic)		90+1'

Match statistic

50

Possession %

50

15

Total shots

6

6

Shots on target

3

7

Shots off target

2

2

Blocked shots

1

2

Corners

7

4

Offsides

3

17

Fouls

13

Torino

Parma

Starting lineups

1

Alberto Paleari

Goalkeeper

44

Ardian Ismajli

Defender

77

Enzo Ebosse

Defender

90'

16

Marcus Pedersen

Defender

33

Rafa Obrador

Defender

23

Saúl Coco

Defender

6

Emirhan Ilkhan

Midfielder

76'

66

Gvidas Gineitis

Midfielder

10

Nikola Vlasic

Midfielder

90'

19

Ché Adams

Attacker

61'

18

Giovanni Simeone

Attacker

77'

31

Zion Suzuki

Goalkeeper

39

Alessandro Circati

Defender

14

Emanuele Valeri

Defender

15

Enrico Delprato

Defender

37

Mariano Troilo

Defender

62'

25

Benja Cremaschi

Midfielder

11'

24

Christian Ordoñez

Midfielder

63'

16

Mandela Keita

Midfielder

63'

22

Oliver Sörensen

Midfielder

7

Gabriel Strefezza

Attacker

9

Mateo Pellegrino

Attacker

Substitutes

34

Cristiano Biraghi

Defender

81

Franco Israel

Goalkeeper

20

Valentino Lazaro

Defender

61

Adrien Tameze

Midfielder

8

Ivan Ilić

Midfielder

13

Guillermo Maripán

Defender

22

Cesare Casadei

Midfielder

25

Niels Nkounkou

Defender

92

Alieu Njie

Attacker

99

Lapo Siviero

Goalkeeper

91

Duván Zapata

Attacker

61'

98

Matteo Prati

Midfielder

76'

17

Sandro Kulenovic

Attacker

77'

14

Tino Anjorin

Midfielder

90'

35

Luca Marianucci

Defender

90'

41

Hans Nicolussi Caviglia

Midfielder

66

Filippo Rinaldi

Goalkeeper

40

Edoardo Corvi

Goalkeeper

3

Abdoulaye Ndiaye

Defender

23

Nesta Elphege

Attacker

63

Marlon Mena Martinez

Defender

5

Lautaro Valenti

Defender

62'

8

Nahuel Estévez

Midfielder

63'

21

Gaetano Oristanio

Midfielder

63'

17

Jacob Ondrejka

Attacker

78'

27

Sascha Britschgi

Defender

Alessandro Bastoni is set to miss Inter’s Serie A clash with Atalanta after failing to fully recover from the knock he sustained during Sunday’s Milan derby, when the defender was forced off after a foul on Adrien Rabiot.

According to Sky Sport, via FCInter1908, Bastoni has remained in the squad’s training retreat and will be assessed on Friday, but the expectation is that he will not start, and may not even make the bench.

Carlos Augusto is set to deputise on the left of Inter’s back three in his absence.

The situation also has a knock-on effect on Cristian Chivu’s other defensive decisions.

Inter vs Atalanta – Chivu weighs defensive dilemma with Bastoni struggling

Should Francesco Acerbi be passed fit to start, Chivu would likely shift Manuel Akanji to the right centre-back role, with Yann Bisseck dropping to the bench as a result.

Elsewhere, there are two other selection battles to resolve.

In midfield, Petar Sucic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are competing for a starting berth, while on the right flank Denzel Dumfries faces competition from Luis Henrique.

Despite Dumfries being fit again following his lengthy injury absence, Chivu may opt to ease him back gradually rather than throwing him straight into a fixture of this magnitude, a cautious but understandable approach given the Dutchman has been sidelined for months.

Milan are pushing ahead with plans to extend Fikayo Tomori’s contract, with transfer expert Matteo Moretto reporting that talks between the club and the England international’s camp are well advanced, though a formal agreement has not yet been reached.

Discussions first opened as far back as August or September, with reports via MilanNews24, and despite Tomori’s current deal not expiring until 2027, Milan are eager to reward one of their defensive cornerstones and ward off interest from the Premier League.

The defender himself is said to be fully committed to remaining in Milan, a city he has settled into comfortably since joining from Chelsea.

Milan director Tare driving Tomori renewal talks

Sporting director Igli Tare has been driving the negotiations, identifying Tomori as a central pillar around whom the club’s defensive future should be built.

Massimiliano Allegri is equally keen to retain him, with the former Chelsea man considered the ideal fit for the head coach’s system, intelligent, rapid in recovery and a reliable presence at the back.

Further meetings are required to finalise bonus structures and contractual clauses before any deal can be formally signed. The broad optimism from both sides, however, suggests this is a matter of when rather than if.

For a Milan side still challenging on multiple fronts, tying down one of their most consistent performers would represent an important piece of business completed well ahead of schedule.

Fiorentina could be without key striker Moise Kean for a crucial Serie A clash against Cremonese on Monday evening.

The Viola are preparing for a high-stakes relegation battle at the Stadio Zini, pitting the third-bottom side against the team just above them. A victory would allow Fiorentina to open a four-point cushion above the drop zone, making the fixture potentially decisive for the closing stretch of their turbulent season.

The Tuscan side approach the match after their comeback victory over Rakow Czestochowa in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, but domestic concerns now take priority as they look to secure vital league points.

Fiorentina hoping for Kean return in Cremonese clash

Head coach Paolo Vanoli is hoping to welcome Kean back into the squad, although the striker’s availability remains uncertain. The former Juventus forward has not played since March 2, when he was forced off in the 71st minute during Fiorentina’s defeat to Udinese.

Since then, Kean has missed the following Serie A match against Parma Calcio 1913 as well as the European fixture with Rakow due to a tibia issue.

Reports from Goal indicate the striker has still not returned to full group training and has continued to work individually in recent days. Fiorentina’s medical staff will monitor his progress closely over the coming days in the hope he can recover in time for the trip to Cremona.

Given the importance of the match, there is also the possibility Kean could be included even if he is not at full fitness, though a final decision will likely come closer to kick-off.

Roberto D’Aversa confirmed Che Adams will start tonight’s Serie A clash with Parma, explaining that the Scottish forward’s technical qualities make him the ideal choice against a side renowned for their defensive organisation.

“Parma concede very little, against a team that defends so well, we need to exploit Adams’ technical qualities,” D’Aversa told Sky Sport, via TuttoMercatoWeb, ahead of the 20:45 (local time) kick-off at the Olimpico Grande Torino.

In a colourful pre-match address, D’Aversa drew an unlikely but compelling parallel between his side’s required mentality and that of Italian tennis sensation Jannik Sinner.

“Sinner is an example of mental strength and hard work,” he said.

“Tonight we must also take to the pitch with the will to get a result, but also to be patient and stay lucid for 95 minutes.”

Torino vs Parma – D’Aversa identifies Pellegrino threat

It is the kind of motivational thinking that has characterised D’Aversa’s management style since taking charge, and his players have responded well, losing just once so far.

When asked about the threat posed by Parma striker Mateo Pellegrino, one of the most dangerous aerial threats in the division from set-pieces, D’Aversa acknowledged that corners represent Torino’s most vulnerable area.

“In terms of goals conceded from dead balls overall, we are around the average,” he said. “But the data on corners is more concerning. In every match we work on the details to limit the qualities of our opponents.”

With safety still not mathematically secured, every point matters, and D’Aversa will be hoping Adams and the Sinner mentality deliver the goods on Friday night.

Torino host Parma at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino this evening, as both sides look for valuable point in their race to guarantee Serie A survival.

Torino head into the game with one win and one defeat so far under Roberto D’Aversa, with an impressive 2-0 win over Lazio followed last weekend by a 2-1 defeat to champions Napoli.

The Turin side sit in 15th place, six points above 18th placed Cremonese, who have been in diabolical form as of late and slipped into the relegation zone following Fiorentina’s upturn in form.

Parma, meanwhile, are in a really good spot of form under Carlos Cuesta, who has earned plaudits for recent results that sees the Gialloblu five games unbeaten – including impressive wins against division heavyweights Milan and Bologna.

As a result, Cuesta’s side have climbed the table and sit in 12th place – yet just four points above tonight’s opposition – making it a really vital game to not lose for the visitors.

Torino vs Parma – Official Lineups

Torino: Paleari; Coco, Ismajili, Ebosse; Pedersen, Ilkhan, Gineitis, Obrador; Adams, Vlasic; Simeone

Parma: Suzuki; Delprato, Troilo, Circati; Cremaschi, Ordonez, Keita, Sorensen, Valeri; Strefezza; Pellegrino

13-03-2026 19:45

MatchDay 29

Olympic Grande Torino Stadium

Torino

Parma

4 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Giovanni Simeone		3'
		20'		Mateo Pellegrino (Assist: Gabriel Strefezza)

2nd half

Emirhan Ilkhan		54'
Mandela Keita		56'
		59'		Christian Ordoñez
		59'		Enrico Delprato
		77'		Gabriel Strefezza
Sandro Kulenovic		85'
Duván Zapata (Assist: Sandro Kulenovic)		90+1'

Match statistic

50

Possession %

50

15

Total shots

6

6

Shots on target

3

7

Shots off target

2

2

Blocked shots

1

2

Corners

7

4

Offsides

3

17

Fouls

13

Torino

Parma

Starting lineups

1

Alberto Paleari

Goalkeeper

44

Ardian Ismajli

Defender

77

Enzo Ebosse

Defender

90'

16

Marcus Pedersen

Defender

33

Rafa Obrador

Defender

23

Saúl Coco

Defender

6

Emirhan Ilkhan

Midfielder

76'

66

Gvidas Gineitis

Midfielder

10

Nikola Vlasic

Midfielder

90'

19

Ché Adams

Attacker

61'

18

Giovanni Simeone

Attacker

77'

31

Zion Suzuki

Goalkeeper

39

Alessandro Circati

Defender

14

Emanuele Valeri

Defender

15

Enrico Delprato

Defender

37

Mariano Troilo

Defender

62'

25

Benja Cremaschi

Midfielder

11'

24

Christian Ordoñez

Midfielder

63'

16

Mandela Keita

Midfielder

63'

22

Oliver Sörensen

Midfielder

7

Gabriel Strefezza

Attacker

9

Mateo Pellegrino

Attacker

Substitutes

34

Cristiano Biraghi

Defender

81

Franco Israel

Goalkeeper

20

Valentino Lazaro

Defender

61

Adrien Tameze

Midfielder

8

Ivan Ilić

Midfielder

13

Guillermo Maripán

Defender

22

Cesare Casadei

Midfielder

25

Niels Nkounkou

Defender

92

Alieu Njie

Attacker

99

Lapo Siviero

Goalkeeper

91

Duván Zapata

Attacker

61'

98

Matteo Prati

Midfielder

76'

17

Sandro Kulenovic

Attacker

77'

14

Tino Anjorin

Midfielder

90'

35

Luca Marianucci

Defender

90'

41

Hans Nicolussi Caviglia

Midfielder

66

Filippo Rinaldi

Goalkeeper

40

Edoardo Corvi

Goalkeeper

3

Abdoulaye Ndiaye

Defender

23

Nesta Elphege

Attacker

63

Marlon Mena Martinez

Defender

5

Lautaro Valenti

Defender

62'

8

Nahuel Estévez

Midfielder

63'

21

Gaetano Oristanio

Midfielder

63'

17

Jacob Ondrejka

Attacker

78'

27

Sascha Britschgi

Defender

Cesc Fabregas held his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s crucial Serie A clash with Roma, and the Como head coach was in characteristically thoughtful and candid mood, touching on tactical philosophy, squad selection and the remarkable position his side find themselves in with ten games remaining.

Como head into the weekend sitting fourth in Serie A, and the significance of that is not lost on anyone, except, apparently, Fabregas himself.

When asked whether he thinks about his side’s Champions League position, his response was characteristically grounded, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb.

“If we get there, great, if we don’t, we continue to build. I would get angry if my players talked about Champions League right now. Not because of the subject itself, but because it’s not the moment. If it doesn’t happen, what are we, failures?”

Fabregas: ‘Roma improved more than anyone in January’

On Roma, Fabregas was respectful but confident.

“They had an extraordinary transfer window, they have raised their level more than anyone. We need the perfect game,” he said.

“Like when we won at Napoli or against Juventus. We must play our way, and then the pitch will speak.”

He dismissed the suggestion that the match was a must-win, describing it simply as “one more important game” rather than a defining moment.

Tactically, Fabregas offered an interesting insight into how he views Nico Paz‘s development.

Asked about potentially deploying the Argentine in a deeper midfield role, the Como coach was firm.

“Not yet. He is a trequartista, instinctive. In a deep role you need a specific way of reading the game, of analysing situations. That is not Nico yet. He is not Perrone or Baturina.”

He was equally direct when asked about Sergi Roberto potentially replacing the injured Perrone, using an unexpected reference point to make his point.

“You think Guardiola’s Manchester City always build from the back? They don’t. Sometimes the opponent presses you, sometimes you don’t have a Busquets or a Piqué. When a coach doesn’t trust his first phase, you must work hard and build that trust instead.”

Perrone himself trained individually and is expected to rejoin the group on Saturday, with his availability for Sunday still to be confirmed.

Gennaro Gattuso has less than a week to go before he is expected to announce his Italy national team squad for the crucial World Cup play-offs at the end of March. Here is a look at five young hopefuls who could be included in the Azzurri side for the Northern Ireland match on the 26th of this month. 

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

Should Italy fail to win both matches, they will miss out on the World Cup for the third tournament cycle in a row. The Azzurri have not qualified for the group stages since 2014 and have not won a knock-out game at the World Cup since lifting the trophy in 2006. 

Here are five youngsters who could be involved with the Italy side come the end of March. 

• Read more: 12 Italy players certain of a place in the next squad
• Read more: Seven Italy players currently unavailable through injury

Which Italy players could be involved for World Cup play-offs?

Marco Palestra 

The 21-year-old Cagliari right-back, on loan from Atalanta, is not only an option for the future, but very much a valuable addition for the present as well. 

Marco Palestra is enjoying a fantastic breakthrough season in Serie A and has been a mainstay in the Cagliari side, appearing in all 27 of his side’s league matches following his signing. In fact, he has only been taken off twice before full-time across his last 18 league outings. 

The 21-year-old plays week in, week out at right wing-back, an area where Italy are fairly light, and is also capable of playing in a back four should Gattuso stick with the 4-4-2 that he utilised in November. 

Michael Kayode 

Italy’s shortage at right-back could be solved with the inclusion of another 21-year-old in Michael Kayode, who is having a brilliant season on an individual and collective level in the Premier League with Brentford. 

Tipped for relegation by many at the beginning of the season, Kayode has been a crucial part of the Brentford side that currently sits in seventh place in the Premier League table and are pushing for an historic spot in Europe for next season. 

Kayode’s long throw has also been causing chaos for various Premier League sides over the course of the 2025-26 campaign, and could offer Gattuso that direct option, particularly if he has a strong headerer of the ball, like a Pio Esposito, on the pitch. 

Davide Bartesaghi 

Though Italy have been somewhat short on options on the right flank, Federico Dimarco and Destiny Udogie have provided decent options on the left for the last few seasons, and now, Milan’s Davide Bartesaghi is looking like an enticing option for Gattuso as well. 

Dimarco, tipped by some for the Serie A MVP award this season, is the expected starter at left back or left wing-back approaching Italy’s World Cup play-off campaign at the end of the month, but with Udogie still recovering from his latest hamstring injury, a spot in the squad for Bartesaghi is looking like an increasingly likely and deserved possibility. 

Bartesaghi has carved out a place for himself as Milan’s go-to left wing-back, despite their signing of the experienced Pervis Estupinan, who had been expected to be the guaranteed starter for the Rossoneri at the beginning of the campaign. 

And, should the unthinkable happen and Dimarco becomes available for whatever reason, Bartesaghi has more than proved himself a worthy understudy in 2025-26. 

Niccolo Pisilli 

Roma’s Niccolo Pisilli is now an expected call-up for the Italy squad heading into the World Cup play-offs at the end of March. 33-year-old Marco Verratti was rumoured to be in line for a return to the Azzurri set-up after a three-year absence, but he has not recovered from a knee injury and is now not expected to be involved this month. 

That means that there is a high chance that Pisilli is called up to the midfield department instead. 

The 21-year-old is unlikely to start ahead of the likes of Sandro Tonali, Nicolo Barella and Manuel Locatelli, but his increasingly prominent role under Gian Piero Gasperini at Roma should not go unnoticed. 

Pio Esposito 

The Inter ‘starboy’ is also expected to be included in Gattuso’s squad after earning a series of call-ups to the Italy side during the first half of the 2025-26 season. 

The 20-year-old already has three goals for the Italy senior side from his first five caps, and despite the expected call-ups of Moise Kean and Mateo Retegui, there are arguments that the youngster should be starting for the national team, particularly if Gattuso plays two up front. 

Esposito has also been handed an even more involved role with Inter in recent weeks, following the injury to Lautaro Martinez, and was trusted to lead the line in the recent Derby della Madonnina against rivals Milan. He has three goals and two assists to his name in Serie A since the start of the calendar year. 

Italian football’s hopes of securing a fifth Champions League place next season remain alive, just, but the path to achieving it is narrow and dependent on a sequence of results that is far from straightforward.

The basis for qualification is UEFA’s in-season coefficient ranking, which determines whether a fifth club from a given nation earns an additional Champions League spot, as noted by the Gazzetta dello Sport.

Italy currently sit fourth in that table, behind England, Spain and Germany, with Portugal close behind.

The encouraging news is that this week’s European results, despite Atalanta’s heavy defeat to Bayern Munich, actually allowed Italy to close the gap slightly on those above them and extend their lead over Portugal.

The updated standings make for slightly more optimistic reading than they did 24 hours ago.

Serie A clubs face uphill battle for 5th Champions League spot

The bad news, however, is more structural.

Of the four Serie A clubs still active in European competition, realistically only two are likely to progress to the next round.

Atalanta face a near-impossible task overturning a 6-1 deficit against Bayern, while the Bologna-Roma Europa League tie guarantees that one Italian club will be eliminated regardless of the result. Fiorentina’s Conference League progression looks the most straightforward following their 2-1 win over Rakow.

The real battle is with Spain, whose clubs, including Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, are in strong positions across the Champions League and Europa League.

Germany’s picture is more complicated, offering Italy a slightly more realistic target to chase.

The true picture will become clear in seven days’ time, when the round of sixteen concludes. For now, the fifth spot remains a long shot, but not yet an impossibility.

Both Inter and Juventus have been linked with moves for Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker over the last few weeks, but the Bianconeri feel that they are able to match the Brazilian’s salary demands and are hoping that Luciano Spalletti is a major convincing factor as well. 

Why Juventus seem confident over Alisson Becker deal

Both Inter and Juventus could be on the lookout for new goalkeepers heading into the summer transfer window. 

The Nerazzurri are expected to part ways with 37-year-old stopper Yann Sommer once his contract expires at the end of the season, and Juventus are unconvinced by the performances of Michele Di Gregorio, who has lost his no.1 status in recent weeks. 

Unsurprisingly, a similar set of potential targets has cropped up for both clubs. Guglielmo Vicario is an option for both sides, as is Liverpool’s Alisson. Reports on Thursday claimed that Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez could also be a possibility for the Bianconeri. 

However, reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport on Friday claim that Alisson is the most ‘reliable’ option for Juventus. 

The Brazilian is still under contract with Liverpool until the end of the 2026-27 season, but Juventus hold out hope that the Premier League side may sanction a sale given that Alisson will be into the final year of his deal in the summer, and they already have his replacement lined up in Giorgi Mamardashvili. 

Juventus are not put off by Alisson’s salary demands either. According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, he currently earns a net salary in the region of €6m per season at Anfield, which would not go beyond Juve’s current wage structure. 

Aside from Dusan Vlahovic, whose hefty contract will expire this summer, Juventus aim to keep all of their players on salaries below €7m per season according to Friday’s report. 

There is also the Spalletti factor for Alisson, who worked under the current Bianconeri head coach at Roma. La Gazzetta dello Sport writes that if Spalletti is able to convince the Brazilian to join this summer, negotiations with Liverpool will become a ‘downhill slope’. 

The council in Rome has voted in favour of approving the plans submitted by AS Roma for a new 60,000-seater stadium, reports on Thursday confirm: “Today is an historic day, not just for the fans, but for all Romans,” said the mayor.