Atalanta coach Raffaele Palladino enjoyed the team’s performance against Chelsea, especially ‘ in terms of sacrifice’ but wants to see more of the same against Cagliari: ‘It’s a maturity test.’

• Read more – Maresca still frustrated by Atalanta’s win over Chelsea: ‘Review the first goal’

Atalanta are the best-ranked Serie A team in the Champions League and the only Italian side to have earned at least a spot for the knockout playoff with two games to spare.

La Dea have 13 points in six European matches, but their form in Serie A has been very different, with only 16 points in 14 league games.

Atalanta-Cagliari: Palladino’s pre-match press conference

On Tuesday, they shocked Chelsea in the Champions League with a 2-1 comeback win in Bergamo.

“It was an excellent match in terms of spirit and sacrifice. I want to see a team that understands the moments, defending and attacking together,” Palladino said at a press conference via Gianluca Di Marzio.

“Of course, we must work to improve the approach; it’s fundamental.”

Palladino went on to praise Italy starlet Honest Ahanor, who was introduced in the second half against the Blues.

“Ahanor is a talent that we have to develop. He played a great game against Chelsea, and I really like his spirit. Being bold and making the most, 110%, of every chance he’s given.”

La Dea have lost four of the last five Serie A games, and tomorrow they host a Cagliari side who beat Roma 1-0 last week.

“I expect the right spirit and a response from the team. It’s the group that makes the difference, and for us, it is a maturity test,” Palladino concluded.

“Serie A games are always difficult, even against lower-table teams. Tomorrow we face a Cagliari side that defend well and can rely on players with great stamina. The wish is to keep the same spirit we had on Tuesday.”

Atalanta sit 12th in the Serie A table and have only won three matches domestically this season.

Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca is still frustrated by Tuesday’s loss against Atalanta in the Champions League: ‘If you review the first goal, they had one player inside the box, and we had seven players.’

Italian coach Maresca once again examined Atalanta’s win over his Chelsea side during a press conference on Friday.

La Dea secured a memorable 2-1 comeback victory in Bergamo earlier this week thanks to goals from Gianluca Scamacca and Charles De Ketelaere.

The Blues will host Everton in the Premier League tomorrow.

Maresca comments on Atalanta 2-1 Chelsea

“The reason why we dropped points, again, because this is football. Bournemouth away, we drew. Leeds away was a bad day for us, for all of us,” Maresca said via Football London.

“Atalanta game, again, it’s a game that for me, we were in the game, we were winning, we were okay. And we conceded, if you review the first goal, they had one player inside the box, and we had seven players. So we have seven against one, and we conceded the goal. So big mistakes are things that we need to improve.”

Maresca has also won the Premier League coach of the Month award for November, but didn’t leave much room for celebration: “It’s December now,” he said.

Atalanta are currently the best-ranked Serie A club in the Champions League and have mathematically qualified for the knockout playoff already.

However, two more wins in the remaining two matches of the league phase will grant La Dea a spot in the Round of 16.

Atalanta have earned 16 points in 14 Serie A games this season and will host Cagliari in the next league game tomorrow.

Lautaro Martinez insists Inter lost to Liverpool earlier this week due to a ‘referee’s mistake’, but feels the Nerazzurri are ‘improving day by day.’

• Read more – Lautaro Martinez makes Pio Esposito prediction for Italy and Inter

A controversial Dominik Szoboszlai penalty allowed Liverpool to beat Inter in a Champions League match at San Siro on Tuesday.

Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni was punished for pulling Florian Wirtz’s shirt, and the German’s dramatic fall led to a VAR pitchside review that ultimately awarded the decisive spot-kick to the Reds.

Lautaro: Inter ‘disappointed but not angry’ after loss vs. Liverpool

“We are disappointed but not angry,” Lautaro told Gazzetta.

“Because if you lose due to a referee’s mistake, there’s not much you can do. We’re upset that we threw everything away because of an injustice. If penalties were given for every shirt pull, the game would never be played.”

Inter have lost two Champions League Finals in the last three years and suffered a huge blow this past May when they succumbed to a 5-0 defeat to PSG in Munich.

Have they entirely recovered from it?

“Defeats hurt a lot, but make you grow. I get really angry when I lose, but I also have to consider the quality of the opponent,” argued Lautaro.

“Anyway, we started again. Maybe some results haven’t been positive, but it takes time. There’s a new coach who is giving us a lot of energy. Maybe it’s not visible from the outside, but we know we are improving day by day.”

Lautaro Martinez revealed he recently began seeing a psychologist to help him stay balanced.

“I’m very happy I trusted a professional; it helped me a lot,” said the Inter captain.

“I understood that if someone attacks me, it’s often because they would like to be in my place. When I was young, I used to struggle with reading or hearing harsh words about me. Now I face them with more calm, and I enjoy my career.”

Lautaro: ‘No reason to leave’ Inter

Inter are just one point below Serie A leaders Milan and Napoli. Are they going to be their main rivals for the Scudetto?

“I’d include Roma too; they have a coach I really like,” Lautaro argued.

The Argentine star’s contract at San Siro expires in June 2029.

“My family and I feel very good here; we’ve set down roots in Milan. I’ve just signed a new contract, so I have no reason to leave,” Lautaro concluded.

Fabio Capello argues that Antonio Conte is unable to convey ‘strength’ and ‘calmness’ to his Napoli team in the Champions League: ‘It’s a psychological issue.’

Napoli are the Serie A table leaders, level on 31 points with Milan, but the Partenopei are the lowest-ranked Serie A club in the Champions League.

The Partenopei have lost three games from three away from home in Europe this season, conceding 10 goals far from the Stadio Maradona.

Their latest loss came against José Mourinho’s Benfica on Wednesday.

“Maybe Conte isn’t able to transmit that calmness and strength to the players the way he does in the league,” Capello told Gazzetta.

Capello on Conte and Napoli’s ‘psychological issue’

The former Italian coach feels that Napoli’s poor results in the Champions League are not determined by tactical problems.

“I don’t think so. If you dominate in Italy or England, leagues where Conte has won, it means you’re providing something positive in terms of your playing system,” he argued.

“In my opinion, it’s more of a psychological issue.

“When you play in European competitions, you have to be convinced of your strength, find a certain calmness and take risks without being afraid to be bold,” he continued.

“Maybe, Antonio, judging by the results he gets in Europe, isn’t able to transmit this to the team.”

Napoli will visit Copenhagen and host Chelsea in the last two league phase games in January 2026.

The Partenopei will need at least one victory to secure a spot in the knockout playoff.

In the last Champions League round, Inter lost to Liverpool at home, while Juventus and Atalanta beat Pafos and Chelsea, respectively.

Capello: Easier to recover for Premier League teams

“In the last matchday, I saw that we struggled to cope with the opponents’ intensity. Inter, for example, had difficulties against Liverpool in terms of aggression, even if they would have deserved a draw,” Capello concluded.

“Also, maybe other teams have more well-equipped squads than ours. Manchester City, for example, replaced Haaland and Foden within 20 minutes, introducing players of equal quality (Reijnders and Marmoush).

“Above all, Premier League teams are more accustomed than ours to handling a double schedule, and they find it less tiring to recover because they are used to always playing at a very high pace, so when they play at a slightly lower tempo, they are already at the level of our maximum.”

Italy have stepped even further clear of Spain, but are still locked in a battle with Germany for an additional spot in next season’s Champions League after the conclusion of Thursday night’s Europa and Conference League ties. 

It was a step in the right direction for Italy’s hopes of securing an additional Champions League spot for 2026-27, as all the Serie A representatives secured victories on Thursday night.

Fiorentina beat Dynamo Kyiv 2-1 in the Conference League early kick-off, before Roma’s 3-0 victory away against Celtic and Bologna’s 2-1 comeback victory against Celta Vigo in the Europa League. 

These add to Juventus’s 2-0 win over Pafos and Atalanta’s surprise 2-1 win over Club World Cup victors Chelsea in the Champions League earlier this week. Inter were beaten 1-0 by Liverpool in San Siro, while Napoli fell to a 2-0 defeat away against Jose Mourinho’s Benfica. 

Where Italy stands in race for extra Champions League spot

The situation leaves Italy in third place in the UEFA seasonal association coefficient rankings. This is what is used to determine which two nations receive an additional Champions League spot. 

The UEFA tables are expected to be officially updated on Friday, but figures provided by Sky Sport Italia show that Italy will be in third place on 11.071 points, behind Germany in second on 11.660 points and England in first with 13.166 points. 

Spain are in fourth with 10.609 points, with Portugal slightly behind them in fifth on 10.600 points. 

There can be no doubt whatsoever that Manchester City have a world-class winger on their hands. This is what Jeremy Doku repeatedly did to any player who tried to stop him when City faced Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday. View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Manchester City (@mancity)

The post Quick feet of Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku torment Real Madrid defence (Video) appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Quick feet of Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku torment Real Madrid defence (Video) appeared first on Soccer News.

Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero believes Bianconeri players feel the ‘weight of the past’ and that playing for the Serie A giants is ‘not for everyone.’

Del Piero examined Juventus’ 2-0 win over Pafos last night. Weston McKennie and Jonathan David provided the goals for the Bianconeri in the second half, but the Cypriots had many chances to take the lead in the first half.

Former Juventus coach Capello even argued that the Bianconeri had “luck on their side” as they claimed their second victory in the competition this season.

Del Piero: Juventus players feel the ‘weight of the past’

“The weight of the past, in terms of the club’s successes, is there, but there’s also the weight of the recent past, because this team was born from what happened last season, with some big changes in key players,” Del Piero told Sky Sport Italia.

“Players with personality were replaced by young players, and the Juventus environment is not for everyone. It’s more complex.

“We’ve seen players from other clubs being freer in their heads. Difficulties are objective and daily,” Del Piero continued.

“They won today, but they must go to Bologna on Sunday and concede two goals, who knows? You are always on the brink.

Spalletti must ‘create certainties’ at Juventus

“My question for Spalletti was about this. There’s an emergency in defence because he wants a right-footed defender to play as a right centre-back. He’s been changing a lot, and he’s had no certainties tactically or even in terms of players’ characteristics, except for Yildiz. Where do you create certainties? How do you create them? It all becomes more difficult in the heads of everyone, especially those who don’t play regularly.”

Juventus sit 17th in the Champions League standings with nine points, so, technically, they need just one more victory to earn a spot in the knockout playoff.

Juventus will host Benfica and visit Monaco in January 2026 in the last two games of the league phase of the Champions League.

Manchester City came from behind to defeat Real Madrid 2-1 in the Champions League and pile more pressure on Xabi Alonso. Erling Haaland’s 43rd-minute penalty completed a first-half turnaround for the visitors at the Santiago Bernabeu. Madrid, playing without the injured Kylian Mbappe, who was an unused substitute, took the lead after a positive start […]

The post Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City: Haaland seals comeback win as pressure mounts on Alonso appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City: Haaland seals comeback win as pressure mounts on Alonso appeared first on Soccer News.

Safe to say that Luciano Spalletti was delighted with Jonathan David’s performance in Juventus’ 2-0 win over Pafos as the Juventus coach hugged and kissed the Canadian after replacing him in the second half.

David scored his third goal for Juventus on Wednesday night, contributing to a 2-0 win against Pafos in the Champions League.

David finalised a counter-attack at minute 73 and was replaced a few seconds later, but this time Spalletti showed all his gratitude towards the Canadian.

Spalletti, in fact, hugged and kissed David as soon as the striker left the pitch, making room for Vasilije Adzic.

Just a few weeks ago, Spalletti had pushed David and Lois Openda to show a different attitude on the pitch, and the Canadian’s response seems to have struck with the Italian tactician.

30 novembre, #Spalletti su #David e Openda: “Servirebbe un po’ più la faccettina di ca**o”

10 dicembre, David segna in Juve-Pafos: Spalletti lo sostituisce, lo abbraccia e… scatta il bacio pic.twitter.com/pfvMzXrEgx

— calciomercato.it (@calciomercatoit) December 10, 2025

The Champions League Round 6 is in the history books, and we take a look at how many points Atalanta, Inter, Juventus and Napoli need to qualify for the next phase.

Juventus and Atalanta beat Pafos and Chelsea, respectively, in the latest round of the league phase of the Champions League, while Inter lost at home against Liverpool and Napoli were beaten by Benfica.

Currently, the best-ranked Serie A club in the Champions League table is Atalanta with 13 points, one more than Inter.

Champions League: Atalanta, Inter, Juventus and Napoli overview

Oddly, La Dea are the lowest-ranked in Serie A among the clubs competing in this season’s Champions League, as they sit 5th in the European competition and 12th domestically.

As reported by Gazzetta, Atalanta are already qualified for the knockout playoff, but with 13 points in six games, they have the destiny in their hands. With two wins in the remaining matches against Athletic Club (home) and Union Saint-Gilloise (away), Atalanta will surely qualify for the Round of 16, finishing in the top eight.

Inter, on the other hand, have 12 points, they sit sixth, but still need one point to have the certainty to qualify for the knockout playoff. Their next two games are against Arsenal (at home) and Borussia Dortmund (away), and the Nerazzurri would need to win both, possibly increasing their goal difference, to qualify for the Round of 16.

Juventus have won two consecutive matches against Bodo/Glimt and Pafos. They need one more against Benfica (at home) or Monaco (away) in January 2026 to be mathematically certain to be in the knockout playoff. Juventus currently sit 17th, and even if the top eight is just three points away, the Bianconeri would need two wins in the remaining matches and negative results from most of the teams above them in the table, so their destiny is not entirely in their hands.

Lastly, Napoli, the Serie A table leaders, but the lowest-ranked Italian team in the Champions League. The Partenopei have lost three European games from three away, conceding ten goals. They are currently ranked 23rd, and their next opponents are Copenhagen away and Chelsea at home. Copenhagen also have seven points, so a win would boost the Partenopei’s hopes to qualify for the knockout playoff, but won’t necessarily grant them a spot in the next phase with a game to spare, given that 11 points were necessary to qualify for the knockout playoff in 2024-25.

Champions League standings after Round 6

Former coach Fabio Capello is very critical of Juventus’ first-half performance despite a 2-0 win over Pafos: ‘They had luck on their side.’

Juventus secured their second win in the 2025-26 Champions League on Wednesday, beating Cypriot side Pafos 2-0 in Turin.

Weston McKennie and Jonathan David provided the goals for the Bianconeri in the second half, but the Serie A giants were lucky not to concede in the opening 45 minutes.

Capello: Lucky Juventus in 2-0 win over Pafos

“Juve won and that’s fine, but it’s definitely not the Juve we all know. They were flat,” Capello told Sky Sport Italia via Corriere dello Sport.

“The opponents created much more in the first half, and the Bianconeri had luck on their side. They had four huge chances. Then, in the second half and after some substitutions, Juventus managed to win but I repeat, I really didn’t like them in the first half.”

Spalletti comments on Juventus 2-0 Pafos

Safe to say that Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti agreed with Capello’s analysis as the Italian tactician admitted seeing “embarrassing things” from his players before the break.

Juventus sit 17th in the Champions League table with nine points in six matches and will meet Benfica and Monaco in the last two games of the league phase.

Both matches will be played in January 2026.

They’ll first host Benfica on the 21st and then visit Monaco on the 28th.

Scott McTominay gave José Mourinho his Napoli shirt after Benfica’s 2-0 Champions League win last night: ‘I benched Paul Pogba [at Manchester United], it’s the least he could do,’ said the Portuguese coach.

Benfica coach Mourinho reveals Napoli star McTominay, one of his former players at Manchester United, gifted him his Napoli shirt after last night’s Champions League encounter, won 2-0 by the Portuguese side.

What Mourinho said about McTominay

“I gave him his debut; I put Pogba on the bench for him. The least he could do was give me his shirt,” Mourinho said at a post-match press conference via TMW.

“He was sad because he had lost, but this is Scott; this is the nature of winning players. He spoke to me for five minutes, but he was down in the dumps. He’s very happy at Napoli; he’s having a good moment. We have a strong bond; he’ll still remember me when he’s 70.”

Mourinho mentioned McTominay even during his post-match interview with Prime Video Italia.

“I told the kids I introduced in the final minutes will be the next McTominay,” said the Portuguese.

“I had many in Rome, from Bove to Volpato and others. This kid, Neto, is 17, and I had to be the first one to play him because this guy will make history, trust me.”

McTominay’s Champions League debut under Mourinho

McTominay made his Champions League debut under Mourinho in 2017 in an away 1-0 win over Benfica.

The Scotland international made 31 appearances under the Special One at Manchester United.

Last night’s defeat in Lisbon leaves Napoli 23rd in the standings with seven points. Their last two games in the league phase will be against Copenhagen and Chelsea.

Napoli’s results have been much better in Serie A as they are the joint-table leaders with Milan, having won the last three matches.

When Xabi Alonso accepted the role of Real Madrid head coach earlier this season, optimism was high. A former midfield maestro with a reputation for tactical intelligence, Alonso was seen as the ideal candidate to usher in a new era of stability and success. However, just months into his tenure, the honeymoon period appears to […]

The post Xabi Alonso Under Pressure as Real Madrid Face Crucial Clash with Manchester City appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Xabi Alonso Under Pressure as Real Madrid Face Crucial Clash with Manchester City appeared first on Soccer News.

When Xabi Alonso accepted the role of Real Madrid head coach earlier this season, optimism was high. A former midfield maestro with a reputation for tactical intelligence, Alonso was seen as the ideal candidate to usher in a new era of stability and success. However, just months into his tenure, the honeymoon period appears to […]

The post Xabi Alonso Under Pressure as Real Madrid Face Crucial Clash with Manchester City appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Xabi Alonso Under Pressure as Real Madrid Face Crucial Clash with Manchester City appeared first on Soccer News.

Charles De Ketelaere provided a hammer blow to Chelsea’s top-eight hopes in the Champions League after his late goal inspired Atalanta to a 2-1 win. Having set up Gianluca Scamacca’s second-half equaliser, the Belgium forward powered past Robert Sanchez with seven minutes remaining. His goal lifted Atalanta to third in the 36-team standings, eight places […]

The post Atalanta 2-1 Chelsea: Maresca´s top-eight push hampered by late De Ketelaere winner appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Atalanta 2-1 Chelsea: Maresca´s top-eight push hampered by late De Ketelaere winner appeared first on Soccer News.

Dominik Szoboszlai’s 88th-minute penalty got Liverpool back to winning ways as they edged Inter 1-0 in the Champions League. Liverpool were without Mohamed Salah, following his explosive post-match interview after their 3-3 draw against Leeds United, but the Reds ground out a victory at San Siro. Inter struggled at the start and were not helped […]

The post Inter 0-1 Liverpool: Late Szoboszlai penalty eases Slot´s troubles appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Inter 0-1 Liverpool: Late Szoboszlai penalty eases Slot´s troubles appeared first on Soccer News.

Jules Kounde was the unlikely hero as his double powered Barcelona to a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt to boost their Champions League hopes. Ansgar Knauff fired the visitors ahead on Tuesday, only for Kounde to inspire a second-half turnaround to move Barcelona up to 14th and just two points shy of the top eight. […]

The post Barcelona 2-1 Eintracht Frankfurt: Kounde double boosts Flick´s knockout-stage push appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Barcelona 2-1 Eintracht Frankfurt: Kounde double boosts Flick´s knockout-stage push appeared first on Soccer News.

In what is a blockbuster Champions League showdown on Wednesday night, Real Madrid will welcome Manchester City to the Spanish capital. While Los Blancos might have come flying out of the traps when opening up the 2025/26 campaign, Xabi Alonso’s men suddenly find themselves at the heart of a public struggle and the ex-Bayer Leverkusen […]

The post Real Madrid vs Manchester City Bet Builder Tips – 4/1 Champions League Special, Analysis & Predictions appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Real Madrid vs Manchester City Bet Builder Tips – 4/1 Champions League Special, Analysis & Predictions appeared first on Soccer News.

The experienced Italian coach has had his say on who wins the Champions League and the Premier League this season. Carlo Ancelotti gives us his Premier League and Champions League predictions 🔮 pic.twitter.com/stTVnVIy71 — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 9, 2025

The post Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti makes Champions League and Premier League predictions (Video) appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti makes Champions League and Premier League predictions (Video) appeared first on Soccer News.

Verdict: Away win Best odds: 4/7 Bookmaker: Olympusbet Paris Saint-Germain will seek a fifth victory in the league phase of the 2025-26 Champions League when they visit San Mamés on Wednesday to face Athletic Bilbao. The defending European champions occupy second place overall with 12 points from five matches, while Athletic sit 27th, having collected […]

The post Prediction: Athletic Bilbao vs Paris Saint-Germain appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Prediction: Athletic Bilbao vs Paris Saint-Germain appeared first on Soccer News.

Verdict: Villarreal win & Under 4.5 goals Best Odds: 19/20 Bookmaker: Luckster Desperate to put a maiden Champions League victory on the board, Villarreal will welcome FC Copenhagen to the Estadio de la Ceramica on Wednesday night. Villarreal Starting with the hosts, last seen over the weekend putting in a routine display as they clinched […]

The post Prediction: Villarreal vs FC Copenhagen – Betting Tips, Team News, Key Facts appeared first on Soccer News.

The post Prediction: Villarreal vs FC Copenhagen – Betting Tips, Team News, Key Facts appeared first on Soccer News.