Fiorentina have a mountain to climb after losing 3-0 away to Crystal Palace in the first leg of the Conference League quarter-final.

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The Viola were hoping to reach their fourth consecutive Conference League semi-final, but also knew the focus was on avoiding Serie A relegation. Moise Kean, Fabiano Parisi, Manor Solomon, Niccolò Fortini and Tariq Lamptey didn’t make the trip.

Jorgen Strand Larsen was suspended, with Chris Richards and Caleb Kporha injured, so Palace gave Jean-Philippe Mateta his first start since January 25 after a failed medical ruined his move to Milan.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Mateta couldn’t keep his header on target from six yards on a Daniel Munoz cross, while Robin Gosens shinned a volley wide from a promising position.

Evann Guessand was inches away from scoring when he scuffed a volley inches wide of the far post from 12 yards.

Guessand got into the box again and had already taken the wayward shot before Dodo made contact with the clumsy sliding tackle, but the referee still awarded the penalty and VAR confirmed it.

Jean-Philippe Mateta slots the penalty past David De Gea to put Palace 1-0 up

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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 9, 2026

Mateta sent David De Gea the wrong way to give Palace the lead.

There was a second goal when Munoz sprung the offside trap on a ball over the top to knock down the ball over the top, Mateta’s tap-in was parried by De Gea, who could do nothing on the Tyrick Mitchell follow-up.

Crystal Palace have a two goal lead after just 30 minutes

Tyrick Mitchell forces it home at Selhurst Park

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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 9, 2026

The restart was delayed by several minutes when the Crystal Palace fans repeatedly threw rolls of paper at De Gea’s goal, forcing players to help stewards clean up the mess.

Fiorentina should’ve pulled one back when Dodo burst down the right and pulled back to find Giovanni Fabbian unmarked from 12 yards, but his first-time sweep only thumped the crossbar.

Former Lazio midfielder Daichi Kamada drilled just wide, while Roberto Piccoli sliding onto a Dodo assist forced a tricky save out of Dean Henderson.

Guessand went off injured and Piccoli failed to get a clean header to the Marin Pongracic cross, but it should’ve been 3-0 when Mateta steered a free header wide at the back post.

The third goal did arrive when Kamada’s cross found Ismaila Sarr for a free header at the back post, surprising Pietro Comuzzo.

Crystal Palace 3-0 Fiorentina

Mateta pen 24 (C), Mitchell 31 (C), Sarr 90 (C)

09-04-2026 20:00

1/4 Final

Selhurst Park Stadium

CRY

FIO

3 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

		21'		Dodô
Jean-Philippe Mateta		24'
Tyrick Mitchell		31'

2nd half

		69'		Roberto Piccoli
Chris Richards		76'
Ismaïla Sarr (Assist: Daichi Kamada)		90'

Match statistic

52

Possession %

48

17

Total shots

8

6

Shots on target

2

8

Shots off target

5

3

Blocked shots

1

3

Corners

1

1

Offsides

1

16

Fouls

11

CRY

FIO

Starting lineups

1

Dean Henderson

Goalkeeper

26

Chris Richards

Defender

2

Daniel Muñoz

Defender

23

Jaydee Canvot

Defender

5

Maxence Lacroix

Defender

3

Tyrick Mitchell

Defender

20

Adam Wharton

Midfielder

90'

18

Daichi Kamada

Midfielder

90'

Evann Guessand

Attacker

65'

7

Ismaïla Sarr

Attacker

14

Jean-Philippe Mateta

Attacker

83'

43

David de Gea

Goalkeeper

2

Dodô

Defender

6

Luca Ranieri

Defender

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

82'

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

80

Giovanni Fabbian

Midfielder

44

Nicolò Fagioli

Midfielder

90'

21

Robin Gosens

Midfielder

78'

10

Albert Gudmundsson

Attacker

90'

17

Jack Harrison

Attacker

77'

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

Substitutes

17

Nathaniel Clyne

Defender

44

Walter Benítez

Goalkeeper

24

Borna Sosa

Defender

34

Chadi Riad

Defender

55

Justin Devenny

Midfielder

59

Rio Cardines

Defender

31

Remi Matthews

Goalkeeper

10

Yéremy Pino

Attacker

65'

8

Jefferson Lerma

Midfielder

83'

Brennan Johnson

Attacker

90'

19

Will Hughes

Midfielder

90'

53

Oliver Christensen

Goalkeeper

60

Eddy Kouadio

Defender

50

Pietro Leonardelli

Goalkeeper

23

Eman Kospo

Defender

61

Riccardo Braschi

Attacker

64

Lapo Deli

Midfielder

22

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

77'

62

Luis Balbo

Defender

78'

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

82'

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

90'

69

Giorgio Puzzoli

Midfielder

90'

Bologna were unlucky in attack and paid a heavy price for defensive errors, suffering a 3-1 home defeat to Aston Villa in the Europa League quarter-final.

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The Rossoblu eliminated Roma in the all-Italian derby and went into this match without suspended Martin Vitik, plus injured Lukasz Skorupski, Thijs Dallinga, Charalampos Lykogiannis and Benjamin Dominguez.

Unai Emery won the Europa League four times as coach and made this trip without Jadon Sancho and Boubacar Kamara, so Youri Tielemans got his first start since January 25. Villa had won every game except one in the competition and already beat Bologna 1-0 in September, but that was the last Rossoblu defeat in this tournament.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Ollie Watkins didn’t get full control of a smart Youri Tielemans ball over the top, while Jhon Lucumi was booked early on and will be suspended for the second leg.

Bologna had a big double chance when first the Santiago Castro angled drive was charged down by Pau Torres, then Emiliano Martinez fingertipped the acrobatic Juan Miranda follow-up out from under the bar.

The hosts had the ball in the net on 26 minutes when Castro’s effort took a deflection off Ezri Konsa and was cleared by Matty Cash only after already crossing the line. However, it was disallowed by VAR as Castro’s toe was offside on the Jonathan Rowe pass.

Bologna were unlucky again moments later, this time Lewis Ferguson at full stretch poked a Rowe cross onto the underside of the crossbar.

John McGinn drilled inches wide, and Aston Villa took the lead against the run of play just before half-time. Federico Ravaglia flapped at a Youri Tielemans corner, as Konsa held off Lucumi to nod in at the back post.

Ezri Konsa gives Aston Villa the lead in Bologna!

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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 9, 2026

Straight after the restart, Rowe ran from his own half and pulled back for Tommaso Pobega to fire just over from the edge of the area.

However, Bologna made another costly and avoidable error, this time Torbjorn Heggem struggling to control an overhit Miranda pass out from the back, so Buendia intercepted, allowing Watkins to place the angled drive under Ravaglia.

Incredibly, the hosts hit the frame of the goal for a second time, as Rowe set up Bernardeschi to fire against the outside of the near post.

Moments later, Dibu Martinez flew for a sensational fingertip save to push the Rowe curler out from under the bar.

Joao Mario also had an effort charged down, as did Rowe, but Bologna finally got the goal they deserved when Rowe cut inside from the left and bent a ferocious right-foot finish past Martinez.

However, just as they had hope, Watkins was left totally unmarked to tap in a flicked-on corner from five yards and restore Villa’s two-goal cushion.

Bologna 1-3 Aston Villa

Konsa 44 (A), Watkins 51, 93 (A), Rowe 90 (B)

09-04-2026 20:00

1/4 Final

Renato Dall'Ara Stadium

BGN

AVL

1 - 3

Player statistic

1st half

Jhon Lucumí		14'
		31'		Morgan Rogers
		44'		Ezri Konsa (Assist: Youri Tielemans)

2nd half

		51'		Ollie Watkins (Assist: Emiliano Buendía)
Tommaso Pobega		65'
Jonathan Rowe (Assist: Jhon Lucumí)		90'
		90+4'		Ollie Watkins (Assist: Youri Tielemans)

Match statistic

58

Possession %

42

19

Total shots

8

4

Shots on target

4

5

Shots off target

4

10

Blocked shots

0

4

Corners

3

7

Offsides

1

18

Fouls

15

BGN

AVL

Starting lineups

13

Federico Ravaglia

Goalkeeper

26

Jhon Lucumí

Defender

João Mário

Defender

33

Juan Miranda

Defender

14

Torbjørn Heggem

Defender

11

Jonathan Rowe

Midfielder

19

Lewis Ferguson

Midfielder

67'

8

Remo Freuler

Midfielder

90'

4

Tommaso Pobega

Midfielder

67'

10

Federico Bernardeschi

Attacker

9

Santiago Castro

Attacker

82'

23

Emiliano Martínez

Goalkeeper

4

Ezri Konsa

Defender

12

Lucas Digne

Defender

2

Matty Cash

Defender

14

Pau Torres

Defender

24

Amadou Onana

Midfielder

80'

7

John McGinn

Midfielder

8

Youri Tielemans

Midfielder

10

Emiliano Buendía

Attacker

88'

27

Morgan Rogers

Attacker

88'

11

Ollie Watkins

Attacker

Substitutes

16

Nicolò Casale

Defender

20

Nadir Zortea

Defender

Simon Sohm

Midfielder

25

Massimo Pessina

Goalkeeper

82

Matteo Franceschelli

Goalkeeper

73

Francesco Castaldo

Attacker

7

Riccardo Orsolini

Attacker

67'

6

Nikola Moro

Midfielder

67'

21

Jens Odgaard

Attacker

82'

28

Nicolò Cambiaghi

Attacker

90'

Tammy Abraham

Attacker

5

Tyrone Mings

Defender

40

Marco Bizot

Goalkeeper

3

Victor Lindelöf

Defender

9

Harvey Elliott

Attacker

Douglas Luiz

Midfielder

64

James Wright

Goalkeeper

16

Andrés García

Defender

26

Lamare Bogarde

Midfielder

80'

22

Ian Maatsen

Defender

88'

Leon Bailey

Attacker

88'

Vincenzo Italiano warns Aston Villa ‘are the favourites’ in the Europa League quarter-final, but Bologna need to be ‘clinical, because we didn’t make the most of opportunities’ last time.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Dall’Ara at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).

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

The Rossoblu are the only remaining Italian team in the Europa League, having surprisingly eliminated Roma in the Round of 16 after a 4-3 second leg thriller in extra time.

They already faced Aston Villa twice recently, losing 2-0 in October 2024 and 1-0 back in September, but that was also the only Europa League defeat this season, followed by four draws and seven victories.

Italiano wants Bologna coup

“It is good to be here and taking part in games like this, we’ll see if we can perform on the night against a great opponent, a coach who has already won this competition four times. They are the favourites, and we need a super performance to cause them problems,” Italiano told Sky Sport Italia.

Martin Vitik is suspended, with Lukasz Skorupski, Thijs Dallinga, Charalampos Lykogiannis and Benjamin Dominguez out injured.

Santiago Castro leads the attack, with Federico Bernardeschi and Jonathan Rowe in support, plus Lewis Ferguson and Tommaso Pobega in midfield.

“We’ll see if we are able to work between the lines and into those corridors with Ferguson and Pobega. Once we lose the ball, we’ve got to chase it down immediately, and when we have it, we’ve got to try to hurt them, especially in the home leg.

“Above all, I want to see us be clinical, because we did create plenty of chances in the two previous matches against them, and we didn’t make the most of those scoring opportunities.”

Unai Emery won the Europa League four times, but also expressed admiration for Italiano’s record, having reached two Conference League Finals and two in the Coppa Italia, winning the latter last season.

“We are talking about a coach who gets his teams playing well, has won so many trophies, and that means he’s a winner. Here too, he immediately got Aston Villa into the Champions League, he’s a great European coach, it is an honour to challenge him and we hope to do well,” concluded Italiano.

Unai Emery said he ‘will pay’ for dinner with Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano after the Europa League quarter-final, but first Aston Villa must ‘show respect’ to their opponents.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Dall’Ara at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).

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

Emery really is a specialist in the Europa League, winning it four times at two different clubs in his coaching career between Sevilla and Villarreal.

Emery admires Bologna and Italiano

“I asked my team to show respect for this competition, for this opponent. It is very difficult to be competitive and Bologna will do so much to cause us problems, so we need to be very well-organised and ready,” Emery told Sky Sport Italia.

Bologna already lost 2-0 to Aston Villa in the Champions League last season and 1-0 back in September for this tournament, but this is the first time Aston Villa have played at the Stadio Dall’Ara.

“We have individual talents, but we need to be organised as a team in order to get the best out of them. Football is a team sport, and we need everyone to work together so that they can all give their best individually too.”

Aston Villa are flying high in the Premier League, currently in fourth place, one point behind Manchester United and five ahead of Liverpool, so are on track to qualify for the Champions League.

They eliminated Lille in the Round of 16 of the Europa League, 3-0 on aggregate, and won every game in the tournament this season except for a 2-1 loss away to Go Ahead Eagles on October 23.

Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano said he would like to meet Emery for dinner one day to talk football, away from competition.

“I have great respect for Italiano, he was already a strong player, now as a coach he has reached three finals in three years. That means he knows how to prepare his teams in these competitions and transmit his ideas, the competitive approach to the players,” smiled Emery.

“Of course, I will pay! It is always fascinating to exchange ideas with people from other countries and styles of football.”

Paolo Vanoli explains how he believes Fiorentina can ‘create problems’ for Crystal Palace in the Conference League quarter-final. ‘We must play with character and positivity.’

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It kicks off at Selhurst Park at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).

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

The Viola are hoping to reach their fourth consecutive Conference League semi-final, but are also well aware that the priority is managing to avoid relegation in Serie A.

Vanoli outlines Fiorentina approach

“I expect everyone to put in a great performance and help the team,” Vanoli told Sky Sport Italia.

“I always said the team spirit is what allowed us to get results when we had started from the bottom. This is a match against a strong, Premier League team, so we must play with character and positivity.”

Moise Kean is still struggling with that recuring ankle issue and has not made the trip to London, along with Fabiano Parisi, Manor Solomon, Niccolò Fortini and Tariq Lamptey.

Crystal Palace are in their first major UEFA tournament, but Jorgen Strand Larsen is suspended, with Chris Richards and Caleb Kporha injured.

Jean-Philippe Mateta gets his first start since January 25, when his failed medical ruined the planned €30m transfer to Milan.

It was put to Vanoli that Fiorentina can do damage to Crystal Palace’s defence, especially with Giovanni Fabbian’s position.

“In modern football, midfielders make the difference. Fagioli pulls the strings and has been sending passes to the strikers so well lately. I think we can create problems for them between the lines and support the striker, even if Palace are a very strong team,” agreed the coach.

Usually, Fiorentina were the favourites in their Conference League fixtures this season, but this is not the case for the quarter-final and might actually help them.

“Pressure is part of the game and you need it if you want to achieve something important. With the emotional state we were in domestically, the fact we got this far in the Conference League was remarkable.

“Now this is a reward for us and our fans that we are able to play this quarter-final. We’ve got to enjoy it and remember the tie is played over two legs,” concluded Vanoli.

Bologna look to Santiago Castro, Jonathan Rowe and Federico Bernardeschi in the Europa League quarter-final against Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Dall’Ara at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).

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

Vincenzo Italiano’s side were the surprise victors in the all-Italian derby in the Round of 16, eliminating Roma after a 1-1 first leg draw and 4-3 win in extra time at the Stadio Olimpico.

Martin Vitik is suspended for the first leg, with Lukasz Skorupski, Thijs Dallinga, Charalampos Lykogiannis and Benjamin Dominguez injured.

Federico Ravaglia therefore has to go in goal, with Castro the only centre-forward, but Bernardeschi and Rowe are preferred to Riccardo Orsolini and Niccolò Cambiaghi.

These teams have met twice before very recently, with Aston Villa winning 2-0 in the Champions League in October 2024, then 1-0 back in September 2025 as part of the Europa League opening phase.

Both those games were at Villa Park, so this is the first time they’ve faced off on Italian soil.

That 1-0 loss in September is also the only defeat Bologna suffered in the Europa League this season, along with four draws and seven victories.

Aston Villa currently sit fourth in the Premier League, one point behind Manchester United and five ahead of Liverpool, so are on track to qualify for the Champions League.

They eliminated Lille in the Round of 16 of the Europa League, 3-0 on aggregate, and won every game in the tournament this season except for a 2-1 loss away to Go Ahead Eagles on October 23.

Boubacar Kamara and Jadon Sancho are the only injury absentees for coach Unai Emery, who is a real specialist in this competition, winning the Europa League a record four times.

Their squad includes Argentina hero goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, ex-Roma full-back Lucas Digne, former Milan and Roma striker Tammy Abraham, Douglas Luiz on loan from Juventus and Roma flop Leon Bailey.

Bologna vs. Aston Villa line-ups

Bologna: Ravaglia; Joao Mario, Lucumi, Heggem, Miranda; Ferguson, Freuler, Pobega; Bernardeschi, Castro, Rowe

Bologna bench: Pessina, Franceschelli, Moro, Orsolini, Casale, Zortea, Odgaard, Sohm, Cambiaghi, Castaldo

Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Pau Torres, Digne; Onana, Buendia; McGinn, Tielemans, Rogers; Watkins

Aston Villa bench: Bizot, Wright, Lindelof, Mings, Elliott, Andres Garcia, Abraham, Douglas Luiz, Maatsen, Bogarde, Bailey

Ref: Schärer (SUI)

09-04-2026 20:00

1/4 Final

Renato Dall'Ara Stadium

BGN

AVL

1 - 3

Player statistic

1st half

Jhon Lucumí		14'
		31'		Morgan Rogers
		44'		Ezri Konsa (Assist: Youri Tielemans)

2nd half

		51'		Ollie Watkins (Assist: Emiliano Buendía)
Tommaso Pobega		65'
Jonathan Rowe (Assist: Jhon Lucumí)		90'
		90+4'		Ollie Watkins (Assist: Youri Tielemans)

Match statistic

58

Possession %

42

19

Total shots

8

4

Shots on target

4

5

Shots off target

4

10

Blocked shots

0

4

Corners

3

7

Offsides

1

18

Fouls

15

BGN

AVL

Starting lineups

13

Federico Ravaglia

Goalkeeper

26

Jhon Lucumí

Defender

João Mário

Defender

33

Juan Miranda

Defender

14

Torbjørn Heggem

Defender

11

Jonathan Rowe

Midfielder

19

Lewis Ferguson

Midfielder

67'

8

Remo Freuler

Midfielder

90'

4

Tommaso Pobega

Midfielder

67'

10

Federico Bernardeschi

Attacker

9

Santiago Castro

Attacker

82'

23

Emiliano Martínez

Goalkeeper

4

Ezri Konsa

Defender

12

Lucas Digne

Defender

2

Matty Cash

Defender

14

Pau Torres

Defender

24

Amadou Onana

Midfielder

80'

7

John McGinn

Midfielder

8

Youri Tielemans

Midfielder

10

Emiliano Buendía

Attacker

88'

27

Morgan Rogers

Attacker

88'

11

Ollie Watkins

Attacker

Substitutes

16

Nicolò Casale

Defender

20

Nadir Zortea

Defender

Simon Sohm

Midfielder

25

Massimo Pessina

Goalkeeper

82

Matteo Franceschelli

Goalkeeper

73

Francesco Castaldo

Attacker

7

Riccardo Orsolini

Attacker

67'

6

Nikola Moro

Midfielder

67'

21

Jens Odgaard

Attacker

82'

28

Nicolò Cambiaghi

Attacker

90'

Tammy Abraham

Attacker

5

Tyrone Mings

Defender

40

Marco Bizot

Goalkeeper

3

Victor Lindelöf

Defender

9

Harvey Elliott

Attacker

Douglas Luiz

Midfielder

64

James Wright

Goalkeeper

16

Andrés García

Defender

26

Lamare Bogarde

Midfielder

80'

22

Ian Maatsen

Defender

88'

Leon Bailey

Attacker

88'

Fiorentina are without Moise Kean, so Roberto Piccoli and Albert Gudmundsson lead the attack against Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta in the Conference League quarter-final.

• Read Football Italia Ad-Free and get access to Exclusive News and Content – Free Trial – Click Here

It kicks off at Selhurst Park at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).

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

The Viola are torn between focus on avoiding relegation from Serie A after a disastrous start to the season, and trying to reach the Conference League semi-final for the fourth year in a row.

Star striker Kean is again forced out with a recurring ankle issue and has not even made the trip, with Fabiano Parisi, Manor Solomon, Niccolò Fortini and Tariq Lamptey also injured.

Piccoli therefore is the centre-forward, supported by Gudmundsson, Italy Under-21 international Cher Ndour, Giovanni Fabbian and January signing Jack Harrison.

Veteran goalkeeper David De Gea takes the gloves, with Robin Gosens at left-back.

Crystal Palace are forced to do without suspended Jorgen Strand Larsen, while Chris Richards and Caleb Kporha are carrying injuries.

They too are struggling domestically this season, sitting 14^th in the Premier League, albeit with a healthy cushion from the relegation zone.

Mateta starts upfront after a failed medical test on his knee ruined a January transfer to Milan that had been agreed for over €30m.

Strand Larsen was signed as his replacement, so Mateta has not started since a 3-1 defeat to Chelsea in the Premier League on January 25.

Ismaila Sarr is Palace’s top Conference League scorer with five goals in 10 games this season, while Yeremy Pino netted once in eight appearances.

England international Dean Henderson is in goal and ex-Lazio midfielder Daichi Kamada in midfield.

They reached the quarter-final after a 2-1 extra time win over AEK Larnaca in the Round of 16, but this is their first ever major UEFA tournament.

Crystal Palace vs. Fiorentina line-ups

Crystal Palace: Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Canvot; Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Sarr, Mateta, Guessand

Crystal Palace bench: Benitez, Matthews, Lerma, Pino, Johnson, Clyne, Hughes, Sosa, Riad, Devenny, Cardines

Fiorentina: De Gea; Dodò, Pongracic, Ranieri, Gosens; Fagioli; Harrison, Fabbian, Ndour, Gudmundsson; Piccoli

Fiorentina bench: Leonardelli, Christensen, Mandragora, Comuzzo, Fazzini, Kospo, Kouadio, Braschi, Balbo, Deli, Puzzoli

Ref: Rumsas (LTU)

09-04-2026 20:00

1/4 Final

Selhurst Park Stadium

CRY

FIO

3 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

		21'		Dodô
Jean-Philippe Mateta		24'
Tyrick Mitchell		31'

2nd half

		69'		Roberto Piccoli
Chris Richards		76'
Ismaïla Sarr (Assist: Daichi Kamada)		90'

Match statistic

52

Possession %

48

17

Total shots

8

6

Shots on target

2

8

Shots off target

5

3

Blocked shots

1

3

Corners

1

1

Offsides

1

16

Fouls

11

CRY

FIO

Starting lineups

1

Dean Henderson

Goalkeeper

26

Chris Richards

Defender

2

Daniel Muñoz

Defender

23

Jaydee Canvot

Defender

5

Maxence Lacroix

Defender

3

Tyrick Mitchell

Defender

20

Adam Wharton

Midfielder

90'

18

Daichi Kamada

Midfielder

90'

Evann Guessand

Attacker

65'

7

Ismaïla Sarr

Attacker

14

Jean-Philippe Mateta

Attacker

83'

43

David de Gea

Goalkeeper

2

Dodô

Defender

6

Luca Ranieri

Defender

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

82'

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

80

Giovanni Fabbian

Midfielder

44

Nicolò Fagioli

Midfielder

90'

21

Robin Gosens

Midfielder

78'

10

Albert Gudmundsson

Attacker

90'

17

Jack Harrison

Attacker

77'

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

Substitutes

17

Nathaniel Clyne

Defender

44

Walter Benítez

Goalkeeper

24

Borna Sosa

Defender

34

Chadi Riad

Defender

55

Justin Devenny

Midfielder

59

Rio Cardines

Defender

31

Remi Matthews

Goalkeeper

10

Yéremy Pino

Attacker

65'

8

Jefferson Lerma

Midfielder

83'

Brennan Johnson

Attacker

90'

19

Will Hughes

Midfielder

90'

53

Oliver Christensen

Goalkeeper

60

Eddy Kouadio

Defender

50

Pietro Leonardelli

Goalkeeper

23

Eman Kospo

Defender

61

Riccardo Braschi

Attacker

64

Lapo Deli

Midfielder

22

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

77'

62

Luis Balbo

Defender

78'

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

82'

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

90'

69

Giorgio Puzzoli

Midfielder

90'

The biggest political party in Italy has presented a motion to annul the sale of San Siro to Inter and Milan following an investigation into the stadium situation.

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After a decade of discussions, projects that were presented, scrapped, represented and revised, the two clubs finally sealed the purchase of the land around the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in the San Siro area of Milan.

San Siro future still up in the air

In November 2025, the clubs completed the €200m agreement to build a new arena in what is essentially now the car park, and after that they can tear down the existing stadium or remodel it.

However, it is all being thrown back into doubt after Milan city council offices were raided by the Italian financial police as part of an investigation on suspicion of bid-rigging and collusion.

Now Fratelli d’Italia, the political party of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the opposition party in the city of Milan, has presented a motion to annul the sale of San Siro and demand the resignation of Mayor Giuseppe Sala.

They had always been against the sale of the stadium, wanting to instead refurbish the existing arena, even though that will be extremely difficult with the teams playing every three days.

Milan have reportedly intensified talks with the agent of Barcelona centre-forward Robert Lewandowski, who could be a free agent this summer.

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It is no secret that the Rossoneri are keeping a close eye on the situation, as they are hoping to replicate the successful swoop for veteran Luka Modric when his Real Madrid contract was allowed to run down last year.

Lewandowski can still deliver for Milan

Despite the fact he will celebrate his 38^th birthday in August, Lewandowski is still banging in the goals for Barcelona, finding the net 17 times with three assists in 39 competitive games this season.

His contract only runs to June 30, although it could be renewed if certain conditions are met.

According to Calciomercato, Milan have stepped up communication with agent Pini Zahavi in order to convince Lewandowski to accept a significantly lower salary.

Their ceiling is set at €7m per season, whereas the Poland international currently pockets as much as €20m at Camp Nou.

That is also a figure that MLS club Chicago Fire would be willing to pay, but Milan hope that the lure of Serie A and their likely Champions League qualification can convince him to remain.

He’d also get to be teammates with former Real Madrid rival Modric, who is finding a new lease of life in Italian football.

Italy will have some more representation at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA, because referee Maurizio Mariani and VAR Marco Di Bello are among those officiating.

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The Azzurri failed to qualify for the third edition of the World Cup in a row, although there will still be some Italian interest in the tournament.

That includes Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti, Turkiye boss Vincenzo Montella, and Uzbekistan manager Fabio Cannavaro.

Italian referee Mariani at 2026 World Cup

Meanwhile, referee Mariani has been chosen from the Italian selection of officials to be part of the selection.

Di Bello has also been included, but he will be in the role of VMO, meaning he’ll be in the VAR booth and not on the field.

Assistant referees Daniele Bindoni and Alberto Tegoni are going to the World Cup too.

There are 52 referees in total who will be involved in the tournament, which is bigger than ever with over 100 games being played in three countries.

This includes 15 officials from Europe chosen by another Italian, FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina.

“This year’s FIFA World Cup will be the biggest in history, with a 48-team line-up and 104 matches to be contested across the most extensive geographical footprint in the tournament’s history,” said Collina.

“It’ll be the largest FIFA Team One ever, with 41 more match officials than at Qatar 2022. Each of them must be ready to be appointed for a match and to contribute actively to ensuring that the refereeing at the World Cup is a success.

“The fact that six women match officials have been selected continues a trend that was started four years ago in Qatar as we aim to further develop women’s refereeing.”

The group of officials will meet in Miami for a 10-day preparation seminar starting May 31, then the VAR team will relocate to Dallas.

Italy will face France, Denmark and Montenegro in the European Under-17 Championship, which runs from May 25 to June 7 in Estonia.

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While the senior team might be struggling, youth level football is still flourishing, and they qualified for the final phase of the Under-17 tournament.

Who Italy will play in Under-17 Euros

The draw has placed the Azzurrini in Group B and will make their debut against France on May 26, then Montenegro on May 29 and Denmark on June 1.

All their games will be played at the Kalevi Central Stadium in Tallinn.

The top two teams in each group will go through to the semi-finals, while the Final is scheduled for June 7.

Italy qualified by finishing second in their group with six points, one behind leaders Montenegro, then dominated the A2 phase in March with a 100 per cent record, beating Portugal 3-2, Iceland 4-0 and Romania 2-1.

Coach Daniele Franceschini not only qualified them for the final phase of the European Under-21 Championship, but also the Under-17 World Cup, scheduled for November 2026 in Qatar.

Italy won the 2024 edition of the European Under-17 Championship and then came third in the 2025 edition of the Under-17 World Cup.

Strahinja Pavlović admits Milan ‘played slowly’ against Napoli: ‘In the end, we didn’t have a good position on the goal, and they scored.’

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Milan suffered a 1-0 away defeat at Napoli on Monday night, seeing the Partenopei overtake them in second position in the Serie A table.

The Serie A title race is now reduced to Inter and Napoli, although the Nerazzurri have a seven-point lead over the Partenopei with seven games remaining.

“We wanted to take three points here and get closer to Inter, but things didn’t go well,” Pavlovic told DAZN Italia via TMW.

“From the beginning, we played slowly and without many chances, in the end, we didn’t have a good position on the goal, and they scored.”

Milan had not been out of the top two since Week 11 this season, so are they looking over their shoulders now to secure a Champions League spot?

“We lost second place, but we are still on the way to reaching our goals,” Pavlovic replied.

“We don’t need to look at what other teams are doing; we just need to be focused on ourselves, to win next week and take three points at home.”

Pavlovic is a central defender, but has increasingly been pushing forward to act as an adjunct striker.

“We should create even more chances; we didn’t create a lot in the last few games, even if we scored three goals against Torino. When we have opportunities to score, we need to move much faster and be more focused,” he concluded.

“I had one situation too today where I didn’t know whether to shoot or pass, and I missed that moment, so we need to be more focused in these situations.”

Milan return to the pitch on Saturday, April 11, hosting Udinese at San Siro at 18:00 CET.

The Rossoneri have collected three wins and two defeats in the last five league matches and have a six-point advantage over fifth-placed Juventus.

Napoli winger Matteo Politano insists players have ‘no problem’ with Romelu Lukaku, while Leonardo Spinazzola describes the Belgian striker as a ‘gentle giant’ who has faced a ‘really difficult time’ personally.

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Napoli secured a 1-0 win over Milan on Monday night, climbing to the second position in the table, seven points behind leaders Inter.

Napoli 1-0 Milan: Spinazzola and Poitano’s post-match interviews

Italy international Politano was introduced from the bench and scored the winner for the Partenopei, and was celebrated with a warm hug from his teammate and compatriot Spinazzola.

“There is friendship for over 15 years, we grew up together and met up again here,” Politano told DAZN Italia via TMW.

“Today is the birthday of both one of my best friends and my sister, so I dedicate the goal to them.”

Napoli were without a natural centre-forward against the Rossoneri, as Rasmus Hojlund was ruled out with the flu, while Romelu Lukaku has been frozen out after staying in Belgium during and after the international break to train individually.

“We have no problem with Romelu; he always behaved well with us, and we are in contact. It’s between him and the club, it’s up to them to sort it out,” Politano said.

Spinazzola added: “This has been a really difficult time for Rom, he lost his Dad, he seems like a big tough guy, but really he’s a gentle giant, a big softie. We talked a lot, I know how much he suffered, so I hope above all for him that this can pass.”

The experienced full-back also spoke about his rapport with Politano and mentioned Italy’s World Cup play-off elimination as both players were part of the Azzurri squad last week.

“We shared something horrible a few days ago, but this is football,” he added via TMW.

“Today was a big reaction from everyone. I told Matteo before getting out there that he would decide it, because Milan are his favourite prey.

“We believe that we can win every game, then we’ll see where we end up, but we have faith that we can get a run of victories. Today was important for the Champions League places, then we’ll see where we are on May 25.”

Napoli’s next game is away at Parma on Sunday, and on the same day, Inter will visit Como.

Antonio Conte left the door wide open to an Italy recall, admitting his future at Napoli is in doubt. ‘If I was the FIGC President, I’d take me into consideration.’

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The 56-year-old has emerged as one of the strongest candidates to take over the reins of the Azzurri after the failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.

It would be a return, as he was already on the Nazionale bench from 2014 to 2016, before walking away for a new club experience at Chelsea.

When asked in today’s press conference after Napoli beat Milan 1-0 to leap into second place if he was disturbed or flattered by the Italy rumours, his response was surprisingly open.

Conte not hiding Italy ambition

“Let us not forget that last year, in the final three months of the season, there was talk in the media that I would leave Napoli to go to Juventus, right?” said Conte.

“The media has to write something, and it is only right that my name appears as part of that list. If I was the FIGC President, I would take me into consideration along with others. For many reasons, I would put Conte in that list.

“After all, I have already worked with the Nazionale and I know the environment. I am flattered, because representing your country is something wonderful.

“You all know full well that I have a year left on my contract with Napoli and that at the end of the season I will sit down with the President to discuss it.”

A new coach is only part of the process, as Italian football has struggled since that epic World Cup triumph in 2006, and the EURO 2020 victory is starting to feel like a blip more than a sign of recovery.

What more needs to be done to turn things around?

“It’s disappointing that if we had won that penalty shoot-out with Bosnia and qualified for the World Cup, people would’ve talked about a great achievement and Italy playing great football. Unfortunately, only the results count in this sport now,” noted Conte.

“After three World Cups in a row, however, something serious needs to be done. When I was CT there was a lot of talk, but I got very little help from the clubs.

“Now everything is seen as a disaster, but even in disasters, there is always something that can be salvaged. We’ve got to understand that if things aren’t working, then they remain the same whether we qualify or not. If we had qualified, the same people criticising would’ve called it a triumph.

“We all care about the Nazionale and something must be done.”

Giovane reveals his shock when discovering this morning he ‘might have to start’ in a new role for Napoli against Milan, as Rasmus Hojlund had a virus.

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This was a Scudetto showdown to see who would go into the final seven rounds as genuine challengers to leaders Inter.

It was a rough situation for the Partenopei, who lost Hojlund just hours before kick-off to a stomach bug, with Romelu Lukaku, David Neres, Antonio Vergara, Amir Rrahmani and Giovanni Di Lorenzo already injured.

Giovane was used as a makeshift centre-forward, but Politano came off the bench to meet the poor Koni De Winter header at the back post, scoring the winning goal.

Giovane had no time to prepare new role

Reports started to filter through in the afternoon that Hojlund was not in good shape, but it wasn’t much earlier that Napoli found out either.

“When I arrived at the camp this morning, I couldn’t see Hojlund, because he wasn’t well,” Giovane told DAZN Italia.

“Everyone started telling me I ought to get ready, because I might have to play. I am a young guy, I know that I need to improve and learn, and this is a role I have played only a few times.

“I am happy it went well, I really needed a performance like this against a great team like Milan.”

Giovane joined Napoli in January from Hellas Verona, but was always used as a winger and not a centre-forward.

“I had only played there at youth level, but I was ready to help the team. The coach told me to do the counter-movements in the second half, and it did go better.”

Having arrived a few months ago, the Brazilian is yet to fully discover the joys of living in Naples.

“I am rather reserved and don’t really like going out much, Juan Jesus tells me I am a weird Brazilian. What I’ve seen of the city is beautiful, it reminds me of Brazil, so I hope to see more of it.”

Antonio Conte feels Napoli beating Milan to take second place during an injury crisis is ‘extraordinary,’ but while they must be ‘realistic,’ this team still ‘wants to defend the Scudetto to the end.’

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This was a massive showdown for second place and the opportunity to keep up the pressure on leaders Inter, and it really did not start in the best way for the Partenopei.

Rasmus Hojlund came down with a stomach bug overnight and was ruled out of the squad, so with Romelu Lukaku, David Neres, Antonio Vergara, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Amir Rrahmani injured, Conte had to give January signing Giovane his first start as a makeshift centre-forward.

It was a substitute who decided the match, Matteo Politano volleying in a poor Koni De Winter clearance at the back post at the 79^th minute.

Conte thanks decimated Napoli

“This victory gives us a great deal of enthusiasm and confidence, because we must never forget that if we are up there in second place, it is thanks to those lads who covered for all the absences we dealt with this season,” Conte told DAZN Italia.

“Hojlund was missing today, but we haven’t had Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Neres and Vergara for a while either, so that’s five players who are almost all regular starters. It’s extraordinary that the team has stayed up there despite these absences.

“Any other side would’ve fallen apart and lost its fight. I think of Elmas, who came on for the final 15 minutes, he was a key player during the many absences. Mazzocchi, Beukema, they were protagonists over the season.

“That was extraordinary, not what we saw this evening. It’s inevitable that the more players we get fit, the more we have choices and the more we can rotate to keep everyone fresh.”

The news only started to filter through in the afternoon that Hojlund not only might not be in the starting XI, but wasn’t even ready for a spot on the bench.

“This morning the doctor greeted me with this marvellous news that Hojlund had a fever and was vomiting, so I had to change plans, Giovane gave a good response,” explained Conte.

“I am eager during a moment of joy now that we are in second place to thank those lads who stepped up during a tragic sporting situation that could’ve ended badly. They gave a great response, we are starting to get players back, Rrahmani and Giovanni are on track. We hope Neres and Vergara can recover before the end of the season.”

Politano was in part on the bench because he was involved in Italy’s failed World Cup play-off campaign, starting against both Northern Ireland and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“I was joking with Politano today that I had predicted he’d come on and make the difference when Milan were more tired, in an area of the pitch where they’d attack us more,” revealed Conte.

“I am very glad for Matteo, who scored his second goal of the season. Alisson Santos was important too as a substitute.”

This result means Napoli leapfrog Milan into second place and are seven points behind leaders Inter, who crushed Roma 5-2 last night.

“Now we have to keep going, because there are seven rounds to go and we took an important step towards the Champions League, which is our objective,” added Conte.

“If Milan can say the Champions League is their target, why shouldn’t it be Napoli’s? Juventus say the same too, Napoli won the Supercoppa, but people seem to expect even more from us than these clubs.

“Now we must try to stay up there and defend this position. We know Inter deserve to be first in the table, we are there, and must focus on ourselves.”

More might be expected because Napoli are the reigning Champions of Italy and won two of the last three Serie A titles, even if both times their coaches tried to depict them as sporting miracles.

How much does Conte believe in the possibility of a second consecutive Napoli Scudetto?

“We’ve got to be realistic here. We would need to not make a single mistake, and at the same time hope that Inter slip up more than once. Seeing what Inter have done so far, that seems improbable. They are a very strong squad, they deserve all they are doing, and we must try to just keep our foot on the gas.

“We want to defend the Scudetto to the very end, which we hadn’t been able to do for many months, but now we’ve been able to take back control of our history, our destiny, and we want to keep going, without making proclamations.

“The Champions League spot still needs to be locked down, and it is by no means achieved yet. That truly is a fundamental objective, because everyone knows the financial benefits that brings,” concluded Conte.

Max Allegri admits ‘the Scudetto race is not for us now’ after defeat to Napoli, so they ‘still have work to do to achieve our objective, which is Champions League football.’

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The Rossoneri made big changes at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, leaving the not fully fit Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic on the bench to start an all-new partnership of Niclas Fullkrug and Christopher Nkunku.

They struggled to test Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, and were beaten by a late Matteo Politano volley at the back post, ready to meet the poor Koni De Winter headed clearance.

Allegri regrets after Napoli 1-0 Milan

“It was a game with few scoring opportunities, so we felt like one incident would make the difference,” Allegri told DAZN Italia.

“Napoli did well to make the most of it, our defence was in position, but we conceded that goal. We should’ve been a bit quicker to finish off attacking moves in the second half, as we hesitated and allowed them to close us down.”

The choice of strikers was a big risk when they had not been used together before, but were there fitness problems behind that decision?

“I think Nkunku and Fullkrug had a good game, Nkunku worked for the team and had a couple of opportunities. Someone like him needs to score one of those chances,” replied Allegri.

“Football is made of these situations, the whole team played pretty well. We allowed one Spinazzola shot in the first half we shouldn’t have let him get through, then struggled with a few counter-attacks.

“I thought we recovered the ball three or four times in their half, but made the wrong pass, and that lack of precision is important. We absolutely need to improve, we still have some work to do in order to achieve our objective, which is Champions League football.”

Allegri has a tendency to throw strikers on when in a losing situation, but could Milan attempt a 4-3-3 formation from the start at some point too?

“The 4-3-3 is something we could try from the start, but it depends on fitness levels. Pulisic arrived on Friday from international duty, Leao was out for two weeks and had two half training sessions. I could’ve gone for it earlier, but I preferred to keep the game going for a while.

“Unfortunately, Rafa had started the season well, but has struggled with a series of injury problems.”

This was a head-to-head for second place, and Milan have slipped down to third, now two points behind Napoli and nine adrift of leaders Inter.

Perhaps more worrying, they are now only six points clear of Juventus in fifth, so that Champions League ticket is by no means locked down yet.

“The Scudetto race is not for us now, Inter are nine points away and Napoli are ahead now. We need to focus on ourselves, taking it one game at a time. We are right now on target for our objective, but it won’t be decided within a week or two, we need to maintain that advantage by trying to win games,” warned Allegri.

Matteo Politano came off the bench for a late goal to give Napoli victory over Milan, sending them into second place, with Inter’s lead at the top extended to seven points.

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This was a crucial crossroads in the campaign, as third hosted second to see who would emerge to challenge leaders Inter.

Rasmus Hojlund was ruled out by a stomach bug, so Giovane was the makeshift centre-forward, because Romelu Lukaku was frozen out for seeking treatment in Belgium, with David Neres, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani and Antonio Vergara injured.

Both Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic were only fit for the bench, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek returning after six weeks out with facial fractures, and Matteo Gabbia a long-term absentee, so Max Allegri launched a new front pairing of Niclas Fullkrug and Christopher Nkunku.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Luka Modric squirmed through a crowd to force Alessandro Buongiorno into a bookable offence, and from that free kick Strahinja Pavlovic nodded inches wide of the near post.

Leonardo Spinazzola dribbled past Youssouf Fofana to bend a finish just wide of the far top corner, with Nkunku failing to keep his finish down when sent clear down the left by Fofana.

Giovane sprinted onto a through ball and was shaping up to shoot when blocked off by Pavlovic, but he forced a big one-handed save out of Mike Maignan with a strike from outside the area after the restart.

Maignan also parried a Kevin De Bruyne effort from the by-line at the near post when sent through by Spinazzola, while Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa nodded wide from a promising position.

The breakthrough came in the final stages, as Mathias Olivera’s cross to the back post was only flicked on with a weak Koni De Winter header, finding Matteo Politano on the volley with the left foot from a tight angle to give Napoli the lead.

That magic left foot

Matteo Politano gives Napoli the lead in a must win game

TNT Sports and HBO Max pic.twitter.com/jHkoYanuhX

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 6, 2026

Santiago Gimenez saw his header sail just over the bar from a Zachary Athekame cross, while Rafael Leao fired over when going for the same ball as Pulisic.

Napoli 1-0 Milan

Politano 79 (N)

06-04-2026 19:45

MatchDay 31

Stadio Diego Armando Maradona

Napoli

Milan

1 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Alessandro Buongiorno

12'

2nd half

Matteo Politano		79'
Matteo Politano		81'

Match statistic

53

Possession %

47

10

Total shots

7

3

Shots on target

1

6

Shots off target

6

1

Blocked shots

0

4

Corners

3

5

Offsides

2

7

Fouls

6

Napoli

Milan

Starting lineups

32

Vanja Milinković-Savić

Goalkeeper

4

Alessandro Buongiorno

Defender

5

Juan Jesus

Defender

85'

37

Leonardo Spinazzola

Defender

74'

17

Mathías Olivera

Defender

3

Miguel Gutiérrez

Defender

99

Frank Anguissa

Midfielder

11

Kevin De Bruyne

Midfielder

85'

8

Scott McTominay

Midfielder

68

Stanislav Lobotka

Midfielder

23

Giovane

Attacker

70'

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

82'

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

12

Adrien Rabiot

Midfielder

56

Alexis Saelemaekers

Midfielder

62'

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

82'

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

74'

9

Niclas Füllkrug

Attacker

63'

Substitutes

1

Alex Meret

Goalkeeper

14

Nikita Contini

Goalkeeper

30

Pasquale Mazzocchi

Defender

6

Billy Gilmour

Midfielder

27

Alisson Santos

Attacker

70'

21

Matteo Politano

Attacker

74'

20

Eljif Elmas

Midfielder

85'

31

Sam Beukema

Defender

85'

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

2

Pervis Estupiñán

Defender

30

Ardon Jashari

Midfielder

96

Lorenzo Torriani

Goalkeeper

27

David Odogu

Defender

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

62'

7

Santiago Giménez

Attacker

63'

11

Christian Pulisic

Attacker

74'

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

82'

8

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Midfielder

82'

Napoli director Giovanni Manna explains Romelu Lukaku will face ‘consequences’ for his refusal to return from Belgium, but has faith in Giovane in tonight’s big match with Milan.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

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

Whoever wins will be in a position to challenge leaders Inter going into the final seven rounds of the season, as only one point separates Napoli in third from Milan in second going into this clash.

Manna outlines Napoli position on Lukaku

“It is an important match, we want to give a sense of consistency to our positive period of form, and certainly want to consolidate our position in front of our fans,” Manna told DAZN Italia.

“These are two strong teams, they are well-drilled, close together in the table. It is going to be a long and tough match.”

There was a surprising twist in the build-up to this match, because reports emerged this afternoon that Rasmus Hojlund was struggling with a stomach bug, and he is not even fit for the bench.

Lukaku, David Neres, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani and Antonio Vergara are also still out of action, though Kevin De Bruyne, Scott McTominay and Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa seem to be getting back to full fitness after long lay-offs, so Giovane is the makeshift centre-forward.

“We signed Giovane because we needed an attacking player. Centre-forward isn’t his best role, but he can play there, he is humble, professional, works hard, and that tends to pay off.

“He earned this opportunity, the coach had no doubts, so we have full faith in him.”

Lukaku faces disciplinary action after he refused to return from international duty, preferring to seek treatment in Belgium rather than with the Napoli medical staff.

“The situation is very clear to me. Romelu went to Belgium for international duty, he had a small injury setback and preferred to remain there to train, against what we had asked. Nobody would’ve stopped him from working with his doctors, but we had wanted to talk it over in Naples, and it didn’t happen. We are not happy about that.

“The integrity, respect and value of the group is above all else. Talking about this now is superfluous, because Romelu is not here, he is working in Belgium, I think and hope he will return in a week’s time.

“He knows there will be consequences, but we keep going, Giovane plays today, and so we are happy about that.”

Milan won when these teams met at San Siro in September, but Napoli replied with a 2-0 victory in the Supercoppa Italiana semi-final in December.

“We expanded the squad precisely for these issues, and if we hadn’t done that, then we wouldn’t be there competing for our main target, which is a Champions League spot,” added Manna.

“We always fought this season to deal with injuries, but we are here, we want to give more joy to our fans this evening.”

Milan director Igli Tare explains the surprising new strike partnership against Napoli and insists Rafael Leao ‘is a very important player’ despite this season’s problems.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

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

This is a crucial moment in the season, as whoever wins will be in a position to challenge leaders Inter going into the final seven rounds.

Tare stands up for Leao and Milan

“These are two great teams, the table says so as well, we expect a spectacular game of football tonight,” Tare told DAZN Italia.

“Looking at the Juventus victory too, the table is closing up and a victory would be fundamental for us this evening.”

Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic are not at 100 per cent, so rather than risk them, Allegri has launched a new strike pairing of Niclas Fullkrug and Christopher Nkunku.

“We have many excellent strikers, it is a deep squad for this reason, so there is nothing surprising about these choices. The best thing for Allegri today is that he has a lot of options to choose from.

“I generally try to look more to the top than over my shoulder, playing in a stadium with this atmosphere, there is nothing better for a player. We must try to do everything possible to win tonight.”

Leao has struggled as a False 9 and would perhaps prefer to be on the left wing, but how has his season been overall?

“We seem to talk about Leao every week, but his quality is beyond doubt,” replied Tare.

“His problem is that he suffered a lot of injuries this season that never allowed him to express himself in the best way. He was out for two weeks, had a couple of days training with the team, we brought him along because he can make the difference off the bench too.”

Will these setbacks affect the future of a player like Rafael Leao?

“He has a contract for another two years, he is a very important player for Milan,” concluded the director.

These sides have already met twice this season, Milan winning 2-1 in Serie A in September despite the Pervis Estupinan red card, but then Napoli emerged 2-0 winners in the Supercoppa Italiana semi-final.

Juventus closed to within a point of Como in fourth place with a 2-0 victory over Genoa, as Gleison Bremer and Weston McKennie scored, substitute Michele Di Gregorio saving a penalty.

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The Bianconeri were feeling the pressure after a 1-1 draw with Sassuolo left them in joint fifth place, although Como’s draw in Udine gave them the opportunity to close the gap on fourth. While they finally had a full squad to choose from, Dusan Vlahovic and Arek Milik were only ready for the bench. Genoa missed Brooke Norton-Cuffy, Maxwel Cornet and Benjamin Siegrist after a run of three wins in four games was ended by a home defeat to Udinese. It was a touchline reunion for Luciano Spalletti and his former Roma player Daniele De Rossi.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It took just four minutes to break the deadlock, as after the first Gleison Bremer header was charged down, Khephren Thuram and Lloyd Kelly knocked it back into the box for another Bremer header, this one wrong-footing Justin Bijlow with a deflection off Johan Vasquez.

Thuram flashed just wide and Ruslan Malinovskyi’s powerful free kick was deflected for a corner, but Juventus added a second with a well-worked move.

Weston McKennie started it in the centre-circle sending Francisco Conceicao down the right, continued his run and was ready to sweep home the return pass from 12 yards off the inside of the right boot.

However, McKennie was booked soon after for a clumsy sliding tackle on Vasquez and will be suspended for the big match with Atalanta.

Kenan Yildiz had a couple of weak efforts straight at Bijlow, but McKennie wasted an astonishing chance on the stroke of half-time.

Conceicao’s cross to the far post was acrobatically knocked back at the by-line by Kenan Yildiz, but McKennie somehow turned over from point-blank range.

Moments later, Conceicao went for goal himself, an angled drive flashing across the face of goal to skim the back stick.

Michele Di Gregorio came on for the second half, as Mattia Perin sustained a slight calf issue.

Juve continued to pour forward, as first McKennie was sliding in unable to fully meet the Thuram knockdown in a free kick routine, then moments later Jonathan David’s screamer from the edge of the area thumped the inside of the far post.

Tommaso Baldanzi fired straight at Di Gregorio, while the Vasquez strike was charged down, along with a Vitinha volley from a corner.

Vlahovic was getting ready to come on when he felt a calf twinge in the warm-up, so Milik was introduced instead.

Bremer brought down Aaron Martin for a yellow card, but VAR confirmed the contact was on the line, which is part of the penalty area. Martin stepped up, but Di Gregorio marked his unexpected return with a huge double save, first on the Martin spot-kick, then the follow-up volley too. It means Genoa have failed to convert four of their eight Serie A penalties this season, with four different players missing.

Baldanzi made a big difference since coming on for Genoa and was brought down by Thuram this time inches outside the box.

Arkadiusz Milik spotted Bijlow off his line and attempted an audacious lob from the centre-circle, which the Genoa goalkeeper scrambled back to claw away.

Juventus 2-0 Genoa

Bremer 4 (J), McKennie 17 (J)

Saved penalty: Martin 75 (G)

06-04-2026 17:00

MatchDay 31

Juventus Stadium (Allianz Stadium)

Juventus

Genoa

2 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Bremer (Assist: Lloyd Kelly)		4'
Manuel Locatelli		15'
Weston McKennie (Assist: Francisco Conceição)		17'
Weston McKennie		26'

2nd half

		51'		Morten Frendrup
Bremer		72'
		75'		Aarón Martín
Khéphren Thuram		78'

Match statistic

62

Possession %

38

16

Total shots

12

5

Shots on target

3

8

Shots off target

2

3

Blocked shots

7

5

Corners

5

0

Offsides

0

10

Fouls

8

Juventus

Genoa

Starting lineups

1

Mattia Perin

Goalkeeper

46'

27

Andrea Cambiaso

Defender

84'

3

Bremer

Defender

6

Lloyd Kelly

Defender

15

Pierre Kalulu

Defender

19

Khéphren Thuram

Midfielder

5

Manuel Locatelli

Midfielder

22

Weston McKennie

Midfielder

7

Francisco Conceição

Attacker

83'

30

Jonathan David

Attacker

67'

10

Kenan Yıldız

Attacker

90'

16

Justin Bijlow

Goalkeeper

3

Aarón Martín

Defender

27

Alessandro Marcandalli

Defender

22

Johan Vásquez

Defender

5

Leo Östigard

Defender

32

Morten Frendrup

Midfielder

83'

17

Ruslan Malinovskyi

Midfielder

66'

10

Junior Messias

Attacker

52'

29

Lorenzo Colombo

Attacker

66'

77

Mikael Egill Ellertsson

Attacker

9

Vitinha

Attacker

Substitutes

9

Dusan Vlahovic

Attacker

23

Carlo Pinsoglio

Goalkeeper

8

Teun Koopmeiners

Midfielder

4

Federico Gatti

Defender

20

Loïs Openda

Attacker

18

Filip Kostic

Midfielder

11

Edon Zhegrova

Attacker

32

Juan Cabal

Defender

16

Michele Di Gregorio

Goalkeeper

46'

14

Arkadiusz Milik

Attacker

67'

21

Fabio Miretti

Midfielder

83'

2

Emil Holm

Defender

84'

13

Jeremie Boga

Attacker

90'

20

Stefano Sabelli

Defender

39

Daniele Sommariva

Goalkeeper

1

Nicola Leali

Goalkeeper

13

Nils Zätterström

Defender

34

Sebastian Otoa

Defender

4

Amorim

Midfielder

98

Jacopo Grossi

Midfielder

99

Latif Ouedraogo

Defender

8

Tommaso Baldanzi

Midfielder

52'

18

Caleb Ekuban

Attacker

66'

73

Patrizio Masini

Midfielder

66'

21

Jeff Ekhator

Attacker

83'

It’s a huge Scudetto battle between third and second, as Napoli lose Rasmus Hojlund, so Giovane, Kevin De Bruyne and Scott McTominay start, while Milan revamp with Niclas Fullkrug, Christopher Nkunku and Luka Modric.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

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

This is a decisive crossroads in the campaign, as whoever wins will be in a position to challenge leaders Inter going into the final seven rounds of the season.

Napoli are still missing Romelu Lukaku, David Neres, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani and Antonio Vergara, with Lukaku frozen out of the squad as punishment for refusing to return early from international duty, seeking instead to continue treatment in Belgium.

The situation took a totally unexpected turn today when Hojlund came down with a stomach bug and fever, so he is not even fit for the bench, having started the last 29 games in a row.

Antonio Conte can finally start De Bruyne, McTominay and Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa together after their injury problems.

They need to provide support for makeshift centre-forward Giovane, who joined from Verona in January.

Miguel Gutierrez is preferred to Matteo Politano, who struggled for Italy in the World Cup play-offs, as Napoli seek a fifth straight Serie A victory.

Milan have quite a few problems to deal with after the hard-fought 3-2 win over Torino, because Rafael Leao is still not fully fit after a hip inflammation, while Christian Pulisic returned fatigued from international duty with the USMNT.

With that in mind, Max Allegri launches a brand new front pairing of Fullkrug and Nkunku, neither of them entirely accustomed to starting, let alone together.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek is back on the bench for the first time since suffering facial fractures in a collision with the Parma goalkeeper in February, so only Matteo Gabbia remains out of action entirely.

Davide Bartesaghi is chosen ahead of Pervis Estupinan, with Luka Modric and Adrien Rabiot in midfield.

These teams have already met twice this season, as Milan won 2-1 at San Siro in Serie A in September, then Napoli sealed a 2-0 victory in the Supercoppa Italiana semi-final on December 12.

Napoli vs. Milan official line-ups

Napoli: Milinkovic-Savic; Juan Jesus, Buongiorno, Olivera; Gutierrez, Lobotka, Anguissa, Spinazzola; De Bruyne, McTominay; Giovane

Milan: Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Fullkrug, Nkunku

06-04-2026 19:45

MatchDay 31

Stadio Diego Armando Maradona

Napoli

Milan

1 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Alessandro Buongiorno

12'

2nd half

Matteo Politano		79'
Matteo Politano		81'

Match statistic

53

Possession %

47

10

Total shots

7

3

Shots on target

1

6

Shots off target

6

1

Blocked shots

0

4

Corners

3

5

Offsides

2

7

Fouls

6

Napoli

Milan

Starting lineups

32

Vanja Milinković-Savić

Goalkeeper

4

Alessandro Buongiorno

Defender

5

Juan Jesus

Defender

85'

37

Leonardo Spinazzola

Defender

74'

17

Mathías Olivera

Defender

3

Miguel Gutiérrez

Defender

99

Frank Anguissa

Midfielder

11

Kevin De Bruyne

Midfielder

85'

8

Scott McTominay

Midfielder

68

Stanislav Lobotka

Midfielder

23

Giovane

Attacker

70'

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

82'

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

12

Adrien Rabiot

Midfielder

56

Alexis Saelemaekers

Midfielder

62'

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

82'

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

74'

9

Niclas Füllkrug

Attacker

63'

Substitutes

1

Alex Meret

Goalkeeper

14

Nikita Contini

Goalkeeper

30

Pasquale Mazzocchi

Defender

6

Billy Gilmour

Midfielder

27

Alisson Santos

Attacker

70'

21

Matteo Politano

Attacker

74'

20

Eljif Elmas

Midfielder

85'

31

Sam Beukema

Defender

85'

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

2

Pervis Estupiñán

Defender

30

Ardon Jashari

Midfielder

96

Lorenzo Torriani

Goalkeeper

27

David Odogu

Defender

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

62'

7

Santiago Giménez

Attacker

63'

11

Christian Pulisic

Attacker

74'

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

82'

8

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Midfielder

82'

Juventus had dropped Michele Di Gregorio as their first choice goalkeeper, but he replaced Mattia Perin at half-time in today’s game with Genoa.

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

Juventus forced into goalkeeper change

The Bianconeri have seemingly changed their hierarchy of goalkeepers due to recent form, as coach Luciano Spalletti had started out picking Di Gregorio, but switched to Perin after a series of errors.

The former Monza man was benched for six games in a row between Serie A and the Champions League, not featuring since the 2-0 home defeat to Como on February 21.

He was also on the touchline for this evening’s Week 31 fixture against Genoa, but surprisingly came on for the second half.

Sky Sport Italia report this is because Perin felt a twinge in his calf muscle and it was decided not to risk further damage, so Di Gregorio came on in his place during the break.

Raffaele Palladino was ‘satisfied’ with Atalanta’s 3-0 victory away to Lecce, which put them back in the race for the top four. ‘It was the first of eight finals, we’ll keep climbing that mountain.’

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La Dea put themselves right back in the race for a top four finish and return to the Champions League, as they started the final sprint of eight rounds with a 3-0 victory away to Lecce.

Giorgio Scalvini opened the scoring in the first half at the Stadio Via del Mare, followed by Nikola Krstovic and Giacomo Raspadori, while Marco Carnesecchi never really had a save to make.

Palladino believes in Atalanta comeback

“This was a game with many hidden dangers, as the first after the break for international duty is always complicated to get everyone back together again,” Palladino told DAZN Italia.

“It wasn’t easy to prepare for this, the two teams also struggled with the heat as the temperature is changing, so that made the passing too predictable.

“We adjusted as time went on and did well to attack the space. I’m satisfied with the performance, another clean sheet also gives confidence to the defence.

“It was the first of eight Finals, now we must continue our climb up that mountain.”

If Champions League football and a top four finish seemed improbable when Palladino took over from Ivan Juric in November, the situation is very different now.

Atalanta are within five points of fourth place after Como were held to a 0-0 draw by Udinese today.

“We expected Lecce to be aggressive, as this was a decisive match for them, so I liked the maturity shown by my team in dealing with that early strong approach,” continued Palladino.

“We let them have their runs down the flanks with Banda and Pierotti, but blocked off the channels with quality, technique and dynamism.”

Having been eliminated from the Champions League Round of 16 by Bayern Munich, Atalanta are still in the Coppa Italia semi-final, having drawn the first leg 2-2 with Lazio.

“Now we have two head-to-head clashes coming up, plus the Coppa Italia semi-final, so I asked the team to raise the bar. Everyone is really involved in this fight,” continued the coach.

“Our DNA is to attack and defend together, the players know how much I care about everyone contributing to the two phases. We need altruism in the final third to find the player in the best position to score, I saw some of that today, and we could’ve won by a wider margin.”

It is not just Como’s draw that represented a boost for Atalanta, but Roma losing 5-2 to Inter also means La Dea are within a point of their former boss Gian Piero Gasperini in sixth.

“Obviously, those results were positive for us, I tried to keep the lads concentrated on our own path. I asked them to finish off this journey by giving their all, then we will see where we end up,” concluded Palladino.

Rasmus Hojlund is reportedly out of tonight’s big game between Napoli and Milan with a virus, so Giovane or Alisson Santos could step in.

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It kicks off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

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

This is a huge match for the title race, as the winner will be in a position to keep up the pace with leaders Inter and pressure them to the end.

Napoli must do without Hojlund

Hojlund was set to start his 30^th game in a row for Napoli, but there were reports this afternoon that he was struggling for fitness.

Details were scarce, it was assumed he had sustained an injury on international duty with Denmark, but Sky Sport Italia now confirm it is a different matter.

Hojlund started feeling ill last night with a high fever, vomiting and stomach bug, he is still not in any fit condition to play, so is likely to not even be on the bench tonight.

The 23-year-old was their top scorer with 14 goals and four assists in 37 competitive games.

It’s a devastating blow for Antonio Conte, who was already missing Romelu Lukaku, David Neres, Antonio Vergara, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Amir Rrahmani.

Giovane is the only real striker available, although some are suggesting that Alisson Santos could be used as a False 9 instead.

Juventus director of sport Marco Ottolini faces his old club Genoa, giving updates on contract talks with Dusan Vlahovic and Luciano Spalletti. ‘Italian football needs vision and patience.’

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It kicks off at the Allianz Juventus Stadium in Turin at 17.00 UK time (18.00 CEST).

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

The pressure is on the Bianconeri to secure Champions League qualification, which became more difficult after their 1-1 draw with Sassuolo going into the break for international duty.

However, a win here would put them within a point of fourth place, seeing as Como were held 0-0 by Udinese earlier today and Roma lost 5-2 to Inter.

Ottolini outlines Juventus vision

“It is a special game for me, I want to salute all of Genoa, as I spent some unforgettable years there,” Ottolini told Sky Sport Italia.

“The team is doing well, including those who returned from international duty, and we are ready to concentrate on this final sprint.”

Vlahovic and Arek Milik made their comebacks two weeks ago, but are still only fit for the bench to begin with after so many months on the treatment table.

The Serbian is only under contract until June 30, but while his exit as a free agent had seemed inevitable, it is increasingly likely that a new agreement will be reached.

“With Dusan we started talking again after his return from Belgrade, showing the mutual desire to sit down and evaluate the situation. Those talks will continue over the next few weeks. There is nothing more to say than that,” explained Ottolini.

Coach Spalletti is also in discussions for a contract extension, as he arrived to replace Igor Tudor and penned a short-term deal without guarantees, even if he qualifies for the Champions League.

“With the coach, as he himself said, there is no rush. We are concentrated on these final games, but talks are at an advanced stage.”

Although Jeremie Boga had been expected to start, it is Jonathan David who gets the nod in attack, with Francisco Conceicao, Weston McKennie and Kenan Yildiz in support.

It also remains to be seen how the Italy internationals in the squad will react after the World Cup play-off failure to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The debate over how to get more young players to develop in Italy also involves stronger use of second teams.

“We were the first club in Italy to set up the Next Gen team and are very pleased with how that is progressing, but naturally that also requires investment and infrastructure,” explained Ottolini.

“It also needs patience, but if you have a medium to long-term vision, it does bring results, and we will continue to put our faith in this project.

“When it comes to Italian football as a whole, many expressed their opinions, but I feel we need to sit down, set individual interests aside, and focus on the system in total.”

Daniele De Rossi explains his Genoa choices against Juventus and why he admires Luciano Spalletti. ‘He keeps up to date with changes in football and remains a modern coach.’

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It kicks off at the Allianz Juventus Stadium in Turin at 17.00 UK time (18.00 CEST).

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

De Rossi outlines Genoa decisions

Genoa went into the break for international duty off a home defeat to Udinese, but are missing Brooke Norton-Cuffy after he suffered an injury with the England Under-21 side.

There were different options on the left flank, but Aaron Martin got the nod ahead of Stefano Sabelli.

“I can’t be using left-footed players on the opposite flank, Martin is suited to the left, so I’ll keep him there. We can solve games like this with set plays and Martin is a maestro, and his fitness levels really improved recently,” De Rossi told Sky Sport Italia.

“With five substitutions, it helps to have a deep squad, but I think Juventus have a great starting XI and play some of the best football currently in Italy along with Como.”

It is a touchline reunion with De Rossi’s former Roma coach Spalletti, and the veteran said that he considered DDR one of his ‘football sons’ who went on to become tacticians.

“He taught me so much, I worked with him when I was very young, he left and came back an even better coach than I remembered,” explained De Rossi.

“That means he is always eager to keep up to date with changes in football, continue to develop, and remain a modern coach, even when the years tick by.”

It was a long rapport, because De Rossi played 251 competitive games under Spalletti, more than with any other coach.

The midfielder scored 30 goals and provided 27 assists in that time.

Roma are expected to be without Gianluca Mancini for two to three weeks after tests showed a serious injury during the 5-2 defeat to Inter.

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The defender had been in the starting XI at San Siro on Easter Sunday and scored the equaliser, but then limped off at half-time clutching the top of his right thigh.

Mancini injury confirmed for Roma

Now tests have identified the source of the problem, namely a lesion to the adductor in the right leg.

According to the Corriere dello Sport and Sky Sport Italia, it means Mancini is expected to be out of action for two to three weeks.

It would rule him out of the games against Pisa on April 10, Atalanta on April 18 and possibly also the trip to Bologna on April 25.

This is a further blow for the Giallorossi, who were already missing Wesley, Manu Koné, Paulo Dybala, Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson.

Their chances of making it into the Champions League suffered a blow with that 5-2 defeat to Inter, although they were boosted by the fact Como in fourth were held to a 0-0 draw by Udinese today, keeping them within reach.

Juventus use Jonathan David and Kenan Yildiz upfront in a must-win game against Daniele De Rossi’s Genoa, who look to Vitinha and Lorenzo Colombo.

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It kicks off at the Allianz Juventus Stadium in Turin at 17.00 UK time (18.00 CEST).

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

The race for fourth place and that Champions League qualification could go down to the wire, but with Roma beaten 5-2 by Inter on Sunday, the pressure is on for Juve to keep up with Como.

They slipped behind going into the break for international duty with a 1-1 draw against Sassuolo.

In a rare situation, Luciano Spalletti has a full squad to choose from, although Dusan Vlahovic and Arek Milik are only fit for a spot on the bench initially.

Jonathan David and Lois Openda have been flops this season, but the Canadian is given another chance as the centre-forward, flanked by Kenan Yildiz and Francisco Conceicao, with Weston McKennie uniting midfield and attack.

Mattia Perin gets to face his old club in goal, preferred to Michele Di Gregorio.

Genoa had been on sparkling form with three wins in four rounds, until a surprising 2-0 home defeat to Udinese.

Brooke Norton-Cuffy picked up an injury playing for the England Under-21 side, so he is out along with Maxwel Cornet and Benjamin Siegrist.

Junior Messias gets the nod rather than Tommaso Baldanzi in support of strikers Vitinha and Colombo.

This is a special reunion on the touchline for Luciano Spalletti and his former Roma player De Rossi.

Juventus vs. Genoa line-ups

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

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

06-04-2026 17:00

MatchDay 31

Juventus Stadium (Allianz Stadium)

Juventus

Genoa

2 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Bremer (Assist: Lloyd Kelly)		4'
Manuel Locatelli		15'
Weston McKennie (Assist: Francisco Conceição)		17'
Weston McKennie		26'

2nd half

		51'		Morten Frendrup
Bremer		72'
		75'		Aarón Martín
Khéphren Thuram		78'

Match statistic

62

Possession %

38

16

Total shots

12

5

Shots on target

3

8

Shots off target

2

3

Blocked shots

7

5

Corners

5

0

Offsides

0

10

Fouls

8

Juventus

Genoa

Starting lineups

1

Mattia Perin

Goalkeeper

46'

27

Andrea Cambiaso

Defender

84'

3

Bremer

Defender

6

Lloyd Kelly

Defender

15

Pierre Kalulu

Defender

19

Khéphren Thuram

Midfielder

5

Manuel Locatelli

Midfielder

22

Weston McKennie

Midfielder

7

Francisco Conceição

Attacker

83'

30

Jonathan David

Attacker

67'

10

Kenan Yıldız

Attacker

90'

16

Justin Bijlow

Goalkeeper

3

Aarón Martín

Defender

27

Alessandro Marcandalli

Defender

22

Johan Vásquez

Defender

5

Leo Östigard

Defender

32

Morten Frendrup

Midfielder

83'

17

Ruslan Malinovskyi

Midfielder

66'

10

Junior Messias

Attacker

52'

29

Lorenzo Colombo

Attacker

66'

77

Mikael Egill Ellertsson

Attacker

9

Vitinha

Attacker

Substitutes

9

Dusan Vlahovic

Attacker

23

Carlo Pinsoglio

Goalkeeper

8

Teun Koopmeiners

Midfielder

4

Federico Gatti

Defender

20

Loïs Openda

Attacker

18

Filip Kostic

Midfielder

11

Edon Zhegrova

Attacker

32

Juan Cabal

Defender

16

Michele Di Gregorio

Goalkeeper

46'

14

Arkadiusz Milik

Attacker

67'

21

Fabio Miretti

Midfielder

83'

2

Emil Holm

Defender

84'

13

Jeremie Boga

Attacker

90'

20

Stefano Sabelli

Defender

39

Daniele Sommariva

Goalkeeper

1

Nicola Leali

Goalkeeper

13

Nils Zätterström

Defender

34

Sebastian Otoa

Defender

4

Amorim

Midfielder

98

Jacopo Grossi

Midfielder

99

Latif Ouedraogo

Defender

8

Tommaso Baldanzi

Midfielder

52'

18

Caleb Ekuban

Attacker

66'

73

Patrizio Masini

Midfielder

66'

21

Jeff Ekhator

Attacker

83'

Atalanta closed the gap on fourth place to just five points and plunged Lecce closer to relegation trouble with Giorgio Scalvini, Nikola Krstovic and Giacomo Raspadori goals.

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La Dea made the trip without Isak Hien and Gianluca Scamacca, so Nikola Krstovic faced his old club. The Salentini were increasingly in danger of the drop after losing four of their last five games, missing Antonino Gallo, Riccardo Sottil, Francesco Camarda, Medon Berisha and Kialonda Gaspar.

There was a mixed atmosphere before kick-off, as while Lecce ultras left the Curva Nord empty for the first 15 minutes in protest at limitations, the players brought out puppies from a local rescue centre as mascots.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Sadik Fofana should’ve done much better on 11 minutes when shinning the half-volley well over from 14 yards relatively undisturbed, so at the other end Wladimiro Falcone made a great one-handed save to deny Charles De Ketelaere on the Krstovic lay-off.

Lameck Banda had an effort charged down, but Atalanta scored on the counter-attack, as Giorgio Scalvini ran from his own box to meet the De Ketelaere pass, shrug off a defender, and smash into the net from 12 yards.

It was nearly 2-0, as De Ketelaere rolled across for Krstovic to sweep first time, forcing a sensational save out of Falcone. On the resulting corner, Danilo Veiga charged down Ederson’s scorcher with his face.

Atalanta had the ball in the net again after the restart with Ederson tapping in the De Ketelaere pass to the back post, but the offside flag went up for a very tight decision.

When Lecce did get into promising situations, they were wasteful with rushed crosses from Walid Cheddira and Lameck Banda, and were made to pay for it with a second goal on the counter-attack.

Ederson started the move and De Ketelaere threaded through for Krstovic to fire in from 12 yards. The former Lecce striker did not celebrate, instead bowing in apology to his former fans.

Falcone made another strong save to deny Ederson from close range, but the move kept going and he could do nothing as Giacomo Raspadori rifled it into the roof of the net from 12 yards for 3-0.

Banda was the last to give up for Lecce, curling just over the bar, while Krstovic’s acrobatic overhead kick was off target from a Raspadori assist.

Lecce 0-3 Atalanta

Scalvini 29 (A), Krstovic 59 (A), Raspadori 73 (A)

06-04-2026 14:00

MatchDay 31

Stadio Ettore Giardiniero - Via del Mare

Lecce

Atalanta

0 - 3

Player statistic

1st half

29'

Giorgio Scalvini (Assist: Charles De Ketelaere)

2nd half

		47'		Berat Djimsiti
		59'		Nikola Krstovic (Assist: Charles De Ketelaere)
		70'		Davide Zappacosta
		73'		Giacomo Raspadori (Assist: Mario Pasalic)

Match statistic

42

Possession %

58

11

Total shots

16

Shots on target

6

6

Shots off target

6

5

Blocked shots

4

2

Corners

5

2

Offsides

5

10

Fouls

18

Lecce

Atalanta

Starting lineups

30

Wladimiro Falcone

Goalkeeper

3

Corrie Ndaba

Defender

17

Danilo Veiga

Defender

67'

5

Jamil Siebert

Defender

8

Sadik Fofana

Defender

46'

44

Tiago Gabriel

Defender

79

Oumar Ngom

Midfielder

20

Ylber Ramadani

Midfielder

68'

19

Lameck Banda

Attacker

50

Santiago Pierotti

Attacker

99

Walid Cheddira

Attacker

78'

29

Marco Carnesecchi

Goalkeeper

19

Berat Djimsiti

Defender

70'

77

Davide Zappacosta

Defender

70'

42

Giorgio Scalvini

Defender

47

Lorenzo Bernasconi

Defender

23

Sead Kolasinac

Defender

13

Éderson

Midfielder

15

Marten de Roon

Midfielder

63'

59

Nicola Zalewski

Midfielder

63'

17

Charles De Ketelaere

Attacker

90

Nikola Krstovic

Attacker

80'

Substitutes

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

28

Olaf Gorter

Midfielder

6

Álex Sala

Midfielder

16

Omri Gandelman

Midfielder

46'

11

Konan N’Dri

Attacker

67'

29

Lassana Coulibaly

Midfielder

68'

9

Nikola Stulic

Attacker

78'

10

Lazar Samardžić

Midfielder

57

Marco Sportiello

Goalkeeper

5

Mitchel Bakker

Defender

6

Yunus Musah

Midfielder

69

Honest Ahanor

Defender

98

Albert Navarro

Defender

99

Piotr Pardel

Goalkeeper

8

Mario Pasalic

Midfielder

63'

18

Giacomo Raspadori

Attacker

63'

16

Raoul Bellanova

Defender

70'

3

Odilon Kossounou

Defender

70'

7

Kamaldeen Sulemana

Midfielder

80'