Juventus is the latest club to express an interest in signingManchester United’s Mason Greenwood, according to reports.
The Italian Serie A team is believed to be using the presence of Greenwood’s former teammate Paul Pogba as a bargaining tool to persuade the troubled striker to join their ranks in Turin.
Greenwood has been out of competitive football for over 15 months, after being suspended by the club following allegations of sexual assault against him.
He was arrested and later released after the Crown Prosecution Service withdrew the charges.
The Red Devils are yet to allow the 21-year-old back into the fold as they complete their internal processes.
There have been reports of disquiet among the United players, especially the Women’s side, that his return could cause divisions.
As the Sun reports, Juventus have now entered the fray to offer Greenwood a route back to professional football.
Before his misfortunes, he was one of the most promising striking prospects in the world. other Italian clubs, AC Milan and Roma, are also believed to be interested.
Greenwood is contracted until 2025 and given his latest cases, he shouldn’t attract a huge fee should United decide to sell him. Juventus are said to be interested in a long-term loan deal.
Pogba, meanwhile, hasn’t had the best of seasons since rejoining the Turin club for a second stint. His minutes have been minimal, with injuries keeping him out of Massimiliano Allegri’s side. Allegri is chasing a top-four finish, with the Europa League title also a huge possibility.
Greenwood gives up on Man United
Previously, Sports Brief reported that Greenwood has reportedly informed his friends that he won’t play for the club again.
Greenwood, who hasn’t played for over 15 months after he was suspended, was hopeful of a quick return once his charges were dropped.
Greenwoodhas seemingly given up on representing the club again. The teenage star is said to have informed his friends of his decision even as he awaits the club’s verdict.
Stefano Pioli applaudedAC Milan for replicating their impressive Serie A performances in the Champions League after Sunday’s victory over Lecce stopped a slide in domestic performance.
Milan had lost five of their previous six league games, which hurt their chances of finishing in the top four, but they defeated Lecce 2-0 at San Siro thanks to a Rafael Leao hat trick.
The Rossoneri are three points behind Juventus after the Bianconeri’s 15-point deduction was reversed this week, but they are tied on points with Roma, who are in fourth place and go to Atalanta on Monday.
Their struggles in the Italian top flight were in stark contrast to Champions League performances, having reached the last four for the first time since 2007 after a 2-1 aggregate win over Serie A leaders Napoli.
Pioli revealed his message to his Milan players before the Lecce clash was a call to replicate their recent outings in Europe.
Asked by DAZN how the Milan coach motivated his side, Pioli said: “That it was important to start strong and important to bring Champions League performances onto the pitch.
“We did many good things, we need to improve others.”
Pioli’s side will meet fierce city rivals Inter in the Champions League last four, while the pair battle for a place in Italy’s top four – Inter sat in sixth, two points behind Milan.
Simone Inzaghi’s side were 3-0 victors at Empoli earlier on Sunday, although Pioli insisted that result had no bearing on Milan’s motivation.
He added: “Before today there were 8 days left. I told the team that the next two would determine our final position.
“We will try to win as many games as possible, we are fine and we must continue to work at our best.”
Leao was the chief problem for Lecce down the left-hand side throughout, heading home Sandro Tonali’s cross for the opener before a fine individual run culminated in his second goal that went in off the right post.
The Milan winger has scored 12 league goals this season, his best return in a single campaign, while he became just the second Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo to hit the 10-goal mark in back-to-back Serie A campaigns — after Cristiano Ronaldo did so for Juventus in three seasons between 2018 and 2021.
After his fourth brace in the Italian top flight and first double at home in Serie A since September 2022 against Inter, Leao was more focused on the team’s achievements.
“I always try to play a good game, helping my team-mates,” he told DAZN. “The most important thing today was to win, we haven’t done it in a long time in the league.”
As for his own exploits, Leao added: “I was thinking about it even before the match that I had to score. It’s always nice to score with these fans and I’m very happy.”
Juventus reached the Europa League quarterfinals with a 1-1 draw at Sporting CP, but Massimiliano Allegri urged the Bianconeri to show more aggression.
Federico Gatti’s goal handed Juventus a victory in the rematch last week at the Allianz Stadium, giving them a slim 1-0 lead going into the second leg at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.
An early Adrien Rabiot goal doubled Juve’s lead in the match, and even though Marcus Edwards pulled one back for Sporting, the visitors held on to advance to a semifinal matchup with Sevilla after learning prior to Thursday’s game that their 15-point deduction in Serie A for financial breaches had been suspended.
Despite earning a last-four spot in Europe for the first time since 2017, Allegri warned his players they must be more clinical in future after spurning a number of chances to kill the tie off in the second half.
“It was a good day, as we headed to the semi-finals,” the Juve coach told Sky Sport Italia. “We suffered, we did good things in the second half at the beginning.
“But we have to do better when it comes to our chances. We rushed the play in the box and more patience would have been needed. We shot little from outside the box and we must improve.
“We knew it would be difficult, but we are bringing home a good result.”
Standing between Allegri’s men and the final in Budapest on May 31 is Sevilla, whose six Europa League six titles are double any other team’s trophy haul in the competition.
Sevilla beat Manchester United 5-2 on aggregate to seal their semi-final place but Allegri says he had predicted such a result.
“I expected Sevilla to be honest,” he said of his next European opponents. “They are a tricky team, they play well and are good with the ball.
“They have won so many Europa Leagues, so they definitely have an advantage. The signs from the last game [in Manchester] were in their favour, I had that feeling.”
Rabiot’s close-range strike after nine minutes in Portugal gave Juve a crucial two-goal lead and capped a strong performance in midfield, one that saw him lead the Bianconeri in passes in the final third (15) and contribute defensively with three clearances and an interception.
Despite his impressive display, Allegri still believes Rabiot has parts of his game to work on, saying: “He has the qualities but he can still improve.
After hanging up his boots, former Ghanaian footballer Kwadwo Asamoah has teamed up with prominent agent Oliver Arthur to set up an academy and construct a small stadium in Accra.
After a respectable playing career in which he made 279 appearances in the Serie A and made 250 starts, Asamoah decided to retire from professional football.
He won 13 trophies overall.
Over the course of the period, he contributed 24 assists in addition to his 12 goals.
The 34-year-old holds the record as an African player with the most appearances in the Italian Serie A while playing for Udinese, Juventus, Inter Milan, and Cagliari.
The versatile footballer also made 32 UEFA Champions League and 16 Europa League appearances together with 17 Coppa Italia matches.
Asamoah joined Juventus in June 2012 for 18 million Euros, a fee that was widely regarded as a big one during that time, making him one of the most expensive African players.
Asamoah played 71 times for the Ghana national team, where he scored four goals since making his Black Stars debut on February 11, 2009.
Arthur posted on his Twitter page after sharing photos of the academy project:
“The dream is big, and we are committed to making it a reality. Most importantly, the impact would be massive.
Having started his career at lower-tier club Asokwa Deportivo before moving to Liberty Professionals and then to Italy where he spent majority of his career, Asamoah knows how it is to realise your dream through projects like an academy.
The respected player aims at using his connections to impact the life of the youth who dreams of playing football at the highest level.
Wojciech Szczesny, the Juventus goalkeeper described himself as “scared” after exiting the first leg of his team’s Europa League quarterfinal match against Sporting due to chest trouble.
Prior to the end of the first half, the Polish international left the pitch in tears. Mattia Perin was then brought in to finish the game at Allianz Stadium, which ended in a 1-0 victory.
Szczesny was checked by the medical team and given the all clear shortly after the resumption of the second half, though he admitted he was concerned by the sequence of events.
He told Sky Sport Italia:”I am fine, I was a little anxious, but we did all the tests and everything is fine.
“I was scared, it had never happened to me before, I was struggling to breathe and it really worried me.”
Perin’s heroics in added time with a double save to deny Pote and Hector Bellerin secured victory for Juventus, with Szczesny returning to form by joking about the situation and praisinghis team-mate.
He added: “The truth is, I saw Mattia in great shape in training, I felt tired and knew he would have a great double save at the 94th [minute].
“Nah, they fired it straight at him! I congratulated him, he is also a guy with a heart of gold, we get along well. It’s a shame Carlo [Pinsoglio] didn’t come on, he would’ve had a hat-trick of great saves today.”
Speaking shortly after, Perin hailed the team’s display and made it clear there was still plenty of work to be done.
He said: “I think the team as a whole has been exceptional not to fall into a victim mentality or false alibis, instead we used that negative energy and made it positive, proving we are real men.
“It is only half-time in the quarter-final, there are another 90 minutes to go and we can be happy with this victory, but it’s only half-done.”
Following Saturday’s vital 1-0 victory for his Roma team at Torino, Jose Mourinho could not help but take a shot at Serie A rivals Juventus.
When Milan and Inter drew on Friday, Paulo Dybala’s eighth-minute penalty gave the Giallorossi all the points they needed to move into third place.
Juve’s 2-1 loss at Lazio left the Bianconeri with 44 points, nine fewer than Mourinho’s team, but the former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager is not sure that will still be the case.
The appeal Juve lodged against their 15-point penalty for transfer fee irregularities will be heard on April 19, meaning the top-four picture could eventually look very different.
Speaking after the win in Turin, Mourinho did not care about the quality of the performance, just the three points, before referencing Juve’s situation.
“Matches are won when you score one more goal than your opponent,” he told DAZN. “This is the goal not only in football but in sport: you have to win by trying to exploit your qualities and try to hide the problems.
“We are third in the standings? Are we sure that Juve don’t have 59 points? We are in Italy.”
Since 2004-05, Dybala (11 goals, six assists) is only the second player to score more than 10 goals and record more than five assists in a debut season for Roma in Serie A, after Mohamed Salah in 2015-16.
Roma have nine league games remaining as well as their upcoming Europa League quarter-final against Feyenoord, and Mourinho is hopeful of success on both fronts despite what he sees as squad limitations.
“The opponent that worries me the most in the Champions League fight? Ourselves, the fact that we want to think like a great team but we have a squad with limits,” he said.
“We have three games a week and it’s hard for us, but I’m not capable of thinking small. We go ahead from game to game.
“I’m not able to say that Udinese is less important than Feyenoord – let’s think game by game. Today we didn’t score a second goal, otherwise the game would have been completely different.”
Romelu Lukaku of Inter was racially harassed by Juventus fans, who were punished with a one-match partial stadium suspension.
Before and after his fifth-minute penalty that gave Inter a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal on Tuesday, Lukaku was attacked by supporters of the opposing team.
For putting his fingers to his lips to quiet the Allianz Stadium fans, the Belgian international was given a second yellow card.
Serie A announced on Thursday that Juve must close the lower tier of the South Stand for their next home league game, which is against Napoli on April 23.
The judge overseeing the case stated that “the majority of the 5,034” spectators in that stand were guilty of racially abusing Lukaku.
Lukaku will still serve a one-match ban in the return fixture with Juve on April 26 for his sending off, which sparked a mass melee near full-time.
Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic and Juve midfielder Juan Cuadrado were both dismissed for their parts in the scuffle, and will serve one andthree-game bans respectively.
Lukaku, who is on loan at San Siro from Chelsea, has been subjected to racism on numerous occasions in Italy and this week called for more serious action to be taken.
“History repeats. [I’ve] been through it in 2019 and [now in] 2023 again,” he posted on his official social media channels.
“I hope the league really take actions for real this time because this beautiful game should be enjoyed by everyone.
“Thank you for the supportive messages. F*** racism.”
Juve intend to work closely with authorities to identify the fans responsible and issue bans.
Friday’s all-Italian Champions League quarterfinal betweenNapoli and Lecce is approaching, and Napoli will be looking to quickly recover from their shattering home loss to AC Milan.
After a Good Friday vacation to the Adriatic coast, coach Luciano Spalletti claimed he would know whether his team’s four-goal thrashing on Sunday was “a crack or a crater.”
Spalletti and a strangely divided fan base will want to rapidly plug the hole Milan punched through because Napoli will be flying up to the San Siro on Wednesday for the opening leg of an exciting European match.
A 16-point advantage over second-placed Lazio with 10 games to go, means Napoli are still all-but guaranteed their first Scudetto since 1990 but a strong display is needed after Milan made them look ordinary in the first of a trio of clashes.
Star striker Victor Osimhen will again be out of action with a thigh injury after also missing the Milan defeat, but the Nigerian and Napoli are both cautiously optimistic he could return midweek.
He will also have a new face mask to wear on the pitch after losing the now iconic headgear while on international duty with his country, with whom he picked up his knock.
In his place will be eitherGiovanni Simeone or Giacomo Raspadori, the former more likely to start by virtue of his performance when Osimhen was last injured in the autumn.
For Milan, who take to the field at the San Siro in the third game on Friday, mid-table Empoli are the perfect opposition to test whether last weekend was a freak result or a blazing return to the form which won them the league last season.
Stefano Pioli has finally returned to a back four, the formation which served him so well in his team’s thrilling run to the title.
Brahim Diaz, who starred in Naples alongside side two-goal Rafale Leao, is set to be rested ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash.
In Serie A, Milan are trying to cut a four-point gap between them and second-placed Lazio.
Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio host Juventus on Sunday night with both teams involved in racism controversies, the capital club for anti-Semitic chanting during last month’s Rome derby and Juve for monkey chants aimed at Romelu Lukaku on Tuesday night.
Juve are only six points off the Champions League places despite being deducted 15 points for transfer offences similar to the ones for which Lazio and their local rivals Roma are being investigated by criminal prosecutors.
Juve have won seven of their last eight and are closing in on a top-four battle which looked impossible when they were sanctioned by the Italian Football Federation in January.
The Argentine has performed admirably as a deputy to Osimhen on the rare occasionsthat Serie A’s top scorer has been out injured this season, but was practically invisible last weekend.
Restricted to just four starts in all competitions this season but the scorer of some important goals he will be key to Napoli trying to bounce back from that heavy defeat ahead of the Champions League double header.
Inter striker Romelu Lukaku has called for action from Serie A officials after allegedly being targeted by racist chants from Juventus fans following his equaliser at the Allianz Stadium.
The Belgium international netted a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time to earn Inter a 1-1 draw in Tuesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final first leg, before using his finger to shush the home fans.
Referee Davide Massa booked Lukaku for the celebration and showed the goalscorer a second yellow card following a heated aftermath that spilled over past full-time, leading to Juventus winger Juan Cuadrado and Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic also seeing red.
Lukaku pointed to his previous experiences of racism in Italy as he responded to the events with an Instagram post.
He said: “History repeats. [I’ve] been through it in 2019 and [now in] 2023 again.
“I hope the league really take actions for real this time because this beautiful game should be enjoyed by everyone.
Following a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal, loanee forward Lukaku’s 95th-minute penalty at the Allianz Stadium brought Inter back into the match.
Immediately after the Belgian international’s celebration in front of Juve’s Curva Nord, Lukaku got into a fight with Juan Cuadrado and was sent off for receiving a second yellow card.
Cuadrado, who scored the 83rd-minute opener, was then dismissed for a clash with Inter captain Samir Handanovic after the full-time whistle as tempers continued to boil over in Turin.
Inzaghi insisted Lukaku’s reaction was understandable, though, as the Inter coach bemoaned losing his key forward and goalkeeper Handanovic to suspension.
Asked whether Lukaku’s celebration was towards the crowd, Inzaghi told Mediaset: “Yes. This was clear, but it goes beyond this.
“I see a player who scores, celebrates, and everything happens there. Lukaku’s celebration was misunderstood.
“It certainly wasn’t a nice sight to see in a well-conducted and fair match until the 94th minute.
“[But] now I have to be clear-headed and think that for the return semi-final.Lukaku’s celebration will deprive me of him and Handanovic.”
Following “despicable” racist abuse directed at their client, Romelu Lukaku’s representatives have demanded an apology from Juventus and asked the Italian government to intervene.
The 95th minute of Tuesday’s Coppa Italia semifinal first leg between the two Serie A powerhouses saw Inter forward Romelu Lukaku score a penalty to earn his team a 1-1 draw.
However, Lukaku subsequently received a second yellow card after his celebration, which included holding a finger up to his lips in a “shushing” gesture to Juve’s fans, resulted in a melee between the teams.
Juve winger Juan Cuadrado and Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic also saw red.
Lukaku’s agency, Roc Nation Sports International, said the 29-year-old had been subject to racist abuse from sections of the home fanbase in Turin.
In a statement shared on Twitter, Roc Nation Sports International president Michael Yormark wrote:
“The racist remarks made towards Romelu Lukaku by Juventus fans in Turin were beyond despicable and cannot be accepted.
“Romelu scored a penalty in the game. Before, during and after the penalty, he was subjected to hostile and disgusting racist abuse.
“Romelu celebrated in the same manner he has previously celebrated goals. The referee’s response was to award a yellow card to Romelu.
A statement from the President of Roc Nation Sports International, Michael Yormark on tonight’s incident involving Romelu Lukaku pic.twitter.com/VSrNOupwdh
— Roc Nation Sports International (@RocNationSI) April 4, 2023
“Romelu deserves anapology from Juventus, and I expect the league to condemn the behaviour of this group of Juventus supporters immediately.
“The Italian authorities must use this opportunity to tackle racism, rather than punish the victim of the abuse. I am certain that the footballing world shares the same sentiment.”
Inter coach Simone Inzaghi also came to the forward’s defence.
“I see a player who scores, celebrates, and everything happens there.
Lukaku’s celebration was misunderstood,” he said.
“It certainly wasn’t a nice sight to see in a well-conducted and fair match until the 94th minute.”
On Wednesday, Inter tweeted: “We are brothers and sisters of the world. Since 9 March 1908, this has been our story.
“We want to firmly reiterate that we stand united against racism and all forms of discrimination.”
Despite the Nerazzurri’s current downward spiral, Massimiliano Allegri is adamant that Juventus will not undervalueInter Milan.
Less than three weeks have passed since their most recent Serie A match when the two teams square off in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-finals on Tuesday.
In that instance, both teams left the pitch with 10 men after a heated match thanks to a goal from Filip Kostic that gave Juventus a 1-0 victory.
That result contributed to a four-game winless streak for Inter, but despite their troubles, Allegri still sees Simone Inzaghi’s side as a serious threat.
“It’s a different competition, but it’s always Juventus [versus] Inter,” he said. “We must create the conditions in order to qualify.
“It’s not an easy game. Inter remain a strong side, regardless of the moment [they are in]. Actually, it is in these moments that we have to keep our attention.
“Too much praise for Juventus could lead us to lose touch with reality. We face a strong team, physically and technically.
They have lost a few games, [but] we need to pay attention.”
On the under-fire Inzaghi, who has led both Lazio and Inter to Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana success as a coach, Allegri believes his record speaks for itself.
“I think Inzaghi is doing a great job,” he added. “Inter are a strong team regardless of their moment. It’s dangerous to meet these teams now.
In January, Paratici received a 30-month suspension from participating in Italian Football Federation activities as part of an investigation into alleged financial mismanagement at Juventus, which resulted in the suspension of 11 other officials and a 15-point deduction for the team.
As a result of an investigation into alleged financial mismanagement at Juventus, which resulted in the suspension of 11 other officials and a 15-point deduction for the team, he was given a 30-month ban from participating in activities within the Italian Football Federation in January.
The Italian FA requested that these bans be extended globally, and FIFA confirmed to Sky Sports News that it granted this request, meaning that Paratici is now prohibited from participating in any football-related activities worldwide.
They said in a statement: “FIFA have confirmed that – following a request by the Italian FA (FIGC) – the Chairperson of FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided to extend the sanctions imposed by FIGC on several football officials to have worldwide effect.”
Sky Sports News has contacted Tottenham and the Football Association for further guidance on what this means for Paratici and his role at Spurs.
Sky Sports News understands Paratici cannot conduct any transfer market activity directly – he cannot talk to agents nor negotiate deals, which is a fundamental part of his job as managing director of football – but he can work internally at Spurs, including attending meetings.
However, Sky Sports Newsare awaiting for official clarification of this – such as whether he can be involved in Tottenham’s search for a new permanent manager following the departure of Antonio Conte.
Paratici, Juventus and the other officials involved have appealed the sanctions – with the result of the appeal expected later in April, potentially 19.
The ban is in effect even while this appeal to CONI (Italian Olympic committee) is going on.
Image:Paratici cannot conduct any transfer market activity directly
Paratici and 11 other former Juventus officials may also face a separate criminal case – with a preliminary hearing, due to take place yesterday, was postponed until May 10.
Juventus, and the 12 officials – including Paratici – deny any wrongdoing.
On Tuesday, in an extended interview on the club’s official website, Paratici described Conte’s exit as “the right decision” and called on everyone at the club to focus on a successful end to the season.
Fan group the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust on Wednesday afternoon called for clarity and reassurance from the club.
Responding to the Paratici ban, it tweeted: “This news adds further to the extremely concerning situation at the club. No manager, no director of football and uncertainty around our star player and our end of season finish.
“Fans deserve to hear a clear statement of strategy from THFC so they can be reassured by the board on their plan to bring success and stability to the club.”
The forward Heung-min Son said he was saddened by Conte’s departure and feels responsible.
“As a player, I am really sorry,” he said. “He’s a world-class coach, and we had a great journey together. I should have played better. I feel responsible for his departure, because I haven’t helped the club all that much.”
He endured difficult times at Old Trafford, often disrupted by injuries and inconsistent performances which made him a villain in the eyes of United fans.
The French international rejoined Juventus for the second time on a free transfer at the end of last season, after Man United brought his time there to an end after a six-year relationship.
Pogba dropped for disciplinary reasons
Pogba made his second debut for the Bianconeri on February 28 in the Turin derby against Torino, following a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a knee injury that ruled him out of the 2022 World Cup, as reported by Goal.
As reported by Sky Italia, the Frenchman has been dropped from the squad to face SC Freiburg in the UEFA Europa League later today after he turned up for Wednesday’s retreat late, much to the anger of manager, Massimiliano Allegri.
Fan reactions to Pogba’s indiscipline
The 29-year-old is no stranger to disciplinary issues, having previously clashed with Jose Mourinho during the Portuguese manager’s time with the Red Devils. This famously led to the Special One calling the World Cup winner a ‘virus’.
@jennaGottFans_ wrote: ”Why is he like this? Man that is amazingly talented but still finds a way to sabotage himself”
@prettycachy wrote: ”This was what was said about him in Manchester United”
@Danny_UTD7 wrote: ”A player with a lot of talent but lacks discipline, so sad”
@whitefooty wrote: ”Jose Mourinho told us all about his character”
Last year, he angered Allegri during injury rehab by undertaking a very risky personal activity while on holiday.
Pogba uploaded a video of himself on a ski trip despite nursing a knee injury that delayed his second Juve debut.
Pogba upsets Allegri with adventure As Sports Brief previously reported, this was not the first time Pogba has been in trouble since his returnto Juventus.
The France international reportedly arrived late for a team meeting on Wednesday and was left off Massimiliano Allegri’s squad when it was announced the morning of the first-leg match of the round of 16 on Thursday.
After returning to Juventus from Manchester United last July, Pogba has had a miserable start to his second stint with the team.
Multiple injuries have plagued the 29-year-old midfielder, who had to wait until February 28 to make his second debut. He came off the bench in the 4-2 derby victory over Torino and also made an appearance as a late substitute in Sunday’s 1-0 loss at Roma.
Thursday’s game against Bundesliga club Freiburg had been earmarked as one in which he could make a long-awaited start with Allegri outlining his optimism at the pre-match press conference.
However, widespread reports in Italy have suggested Pogba was late to a team meeting 24 hours before the game with Allegri subsequently opting to leave the player out completely.
Chelsea is thinking about signing Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic this summer, according to reports.
Blues manager Graham Potter is under fire because his team has only scored 23 goals in 24 Premier League games this season.
Romelu Lukaku’s season-long loan at Inter Milan is set to expire, and there is no true No. 9, so Todd Bohely and company appear ready to spend big money once more before the start of the upcoming season.
Football Insider predicts that Chelsea will be successful in persuading Juve, who is short on cash, to sell 23-year-old Vlahovic for a reasonable price.
In other news
Multiple sources suggest Real Madridare monitoring Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, 25.
The Times claim Chelsea have reignited their interest in RB Leipzig centre-backJosko Gvardiol, 21.
reportedly eyeing a summer swoop for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.
The Blues have netted just 23 goals in 24 Premier League games this season, and under-fire boss Graham Potter is desperate to beef up his attack.
Lacking a true No9, and with Romelu Lukaku’s future uncertain when his season-long loan at Inter Milan comes to an end, Todd Bohely and Co are seemingly set to splash the cash once again before next term.
And Football Insider believes Chelsea will be able to persuade cash-strapped Juventus to part with 23-year-old Vlahovic at a reasonable price.
Liverpool are said to be in the driving seat to lure Mason Mount from Stamford Bridge if the England midfielder, 24, fails to agree a new contract, according to The Daily Mail.
Although Haaland, 22, is seemingly loving life in Manchester, Rafaela Pimenta has confirmed it would be a dream for her client to sign for the LaLiga giants.
Federico Chiesa’s season has been plagued by ailments, according to Massimiliano Allegri, and the problem keeping him out this week is “nothing serious.”
Juventus‘ match against Nantes in the second leg of their Europa League knockout round play-off will not feature Chiesa.
He made an impression in the first leg, which the Bianconeri dominated before drawing 1-1 in Turin, so his absence is disappointing.
Given that Chiesa lost nearly a year due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury, any layoff for him is going to raise concerns.
However, Allegri was able to reassure Juve supporters ahead of the match at Stade de la Beaujoire, suggesting such setbacks were natural after a major injury.
“Unfortunately, tomorrow we don’t have him, but we knew this,” Allegri said.
“When a player is 10 months without playing, he comes back and when he makes two games in a row, some issues can occur that are nothing serious but affect the possibility of having him available.”
Juve would have hoped not to be playing in the Europa League, but Allegri still sees an opportunity to take a rare step.
In each of the previous three campaigns, the Serie A giants were beaten in their first knockout tie in the Champions League, meaning they are looking to end a long wait for a two-legged triumph.
“This year Juventus has an important goal,” Allegri said. “It is to pass the first qualifying round, even if these are the ‘sixteenth-finals’, given that in the last three years we have always gone out in the first knockout round in the Champions League.
“Tomorrow is a final, a unique game, since away goals no longer count double. We know that tomorrow we play a game at [Nantes’] home, and we play for the passage through this round.”
The France international, 29, has not made a single appearance for the fallen Italian giants since returning from Manchester United last summer.
He was on the bench last weekend after recovering from a knee injury but boss Max Allegri has revealed Pogba may have to wait even longer for his second debut in Turin following a setback.
And Juve, who were docked 15 points last month for false accounting, are now ready to sell him in the summer or tear up his contract, according to the Daily Mai
Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie is edging closer to a Premier League switch.
Bianconeri boss Max Allegri is supposedly willing to let the 24-year-old depart Turin this month if the price is right, with both Arsenal and Leeds said to be keen on acquiring the USA international.
Ahead of Juve’s clash with Monza on Sunday, we take a closer look at McKennie’s career to date and what he could offer his prospective buyers.
Leap of faith
McKennie spent the bulk of his childhood in Texas but did enjoy three years living in the German city of Kaiserslautern between the ages of six and nine.
That stint would prove to be a sign of things to come, with the promising prospect opting to turn down a senior contract offer from FC Dallas and instead join Bundesliga outfit Schalke in 2016.
It was a bold move for a teenager to uproot his entire life so drastically, but one that has paid off in glorious fashion.
Progressing through Schalke’s youth and reserve ranks quickly, McKennie established himself as a regular in Domenico Tedesco’s midfield during the 2017-18 campaign and was influential as Die Knappen secured an impressive second-placed finish behind Bayern Munich.
His reputation sky-rocketed further during the following season, when his impressive versatility — plugging gaps ranging from centre-back to centre forward — caught the eye of some of Europe’s grandest clubs.
By the summer of 2020, he was joining Serie A giants Juventus in a loan deal that would quickly be made permanent for an initial outlay of around £16million.
Italian job
Weston McKennie has been a reliable performer for Juventus in Serie A this season
Though McKennie’s fortunes in Italy have been mixed, he has never looked out of place at the highest level.
In his first season, only Adrien Rabiot and Dejan Kulusevski topped the American’s 46 appearances across all competitions, with Juve finishing fourth in Serie A and lifting the Coppa Italia.
His performances at the base of midfield were largely impressive, also chipping in with six goals — though it was not enough to save his head coach Andrea Pirlo from the sack.
Club legend Allegri subsequently returned for a second stint in charge of the Old Lady and kept faith with McKennie in his new-look side, before disaster struck in February last year.
A fractured metatarsal sustained in a Champions League tie at Villarreal would rule the 41-cap international out until the season’s final fixture.
Though he has wrestled his starting berth back this term, reports in Italy suggest Allegri is confident of finding a suitable replacement should the club receive a lucrative offer for his services.
In demand
Arsenal and Leeds are said to be leading the chase for McKennie — two clubs experiencing very contrasting campaigns.
The Gunners are flying high at the top of the Premier League and Mikel Arteta is looking to bolster his squad for the run-in, with central midfield known to be an area of concern.
If Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey or Granit Xhaka were to get injured, question marks hang over the quality of their backup options and McKennie would be a vast improvement in that regard.
He also covers plenty of other positions, so logically, he is the dream addition to an already thriving group.
A move to West Yorkshire could appeal for different reasons, however.
Though the Whites are locked in a relegation scrap, the opportunity to play regular football and join Jesse Marsch’s American revolution alongside Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson would surely tempt McKennie.
Exciting chapter
USA team-mates Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie could soon be playing together at Leeds
At just 24, McKennie’s best years are still to come and his physical and technical skillset should see him settle quickly into Premier League life.
Though it will understandably be hard to leave behind the lure of Champions League football, Elland Road appears the perfect venue for him to learn the ropes in England’s top tier.
The move would represent a serious coup for under-fire Marsch, following on from the captures of FC Salzburg defender Max Wober and Hoffenheim forward Georginio Rutter earlier this month.
Intriguingly, Marsch’s fellow American Chris Armas was hired as assistant head coach on Wednesday, suggesting the Leeds board are fully standing by their man.
If they secure McKennie, the 49-year-old can have few excuses when it comes to steering his side away from the bottom three.
Juventus has stated that they will appeal their 15-point deduction because they feel it is “a clear injustice towards millions of fans.”
An examination into the 36-time Italian champions’ prior transfer dealings led to the sanction, which was officially announced by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on Friday.
With 20 games remaining, Juventus has dropped from third place in Serie A to tenth place and is 12 points outside of the Champions League spots.
The FIGC also imposed two-year suspensions from Italian football on the club’s former president Andrea Agnelli and former CEO Maurizio Arrivabene.
Former sporting director Fabio Paratici, who is now at Tottenham, has been given a 30-month ban.
A statement by the club’s lawyers read: “Today’s acceptance of the appeal for revocation by the Federal Court of Appeal seems to us to constitute a clear unequal treatment to the detriment of Juventus and its managers compared to any other club or registered player.
“We are waiting to carefully read the reasons for presenting the appeal before the Sports Guarantee College. However, we point out, as of now, that only Juventus and its managers are attributed the violation of a rule, which the sports justice itself had repeatedly recognised did not exist.
“We believe that this is a clear injustice also towards millions of fans, which we trust will soon be remedied in the next level of judgement.”
Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office had been seeking a nine-point deduction following a hearing earlier on Friday.
But the FIGC announced a harsher punishment after Juve were found to have used transfers to artificially boost their balance sheet.
The sanctions come on the back of chairman Agnelli and the rest of the Bianconeri’s board resigning en masse last year.
That came in the wake of an investigation being launched into financial violations during their time in charge.
A separate ruling made last year acquitted Juve and other clubs of their financial conduct within Serie A, with a case centred on player values in exchanges and transfers.
But football prosecutors reopened the case against Juve after seeking new documents collected by public prosecutors in Turin surrounding the club’s conduct.
In the result of a probe into the team’s prior transfer activities, Juventus has been docked 15 points.
Fabio Paratici, an ex-director of Juventus who is currently at Tottenham, received a two-and-a-half-year suspension from Italian football, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced on Friday.
The ban for Paratici includes a request for an extension to encompass UEFA and FIFA activities, which could have significant repercussions for Premier League team Spurs.
Andrea Agnelli, a former Juve executive, has also been barred from holding any positions in Italian football for the subsequent two years.
It has been widely reported the decision is likely to be appealed by Juve.
The Bianconeri had been third in Serie A, but have now dropped to 10th – 12 points off the Champions League places – as a result of the punishment.
Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office had been seeking a nine-point deduction following a hearing earlier on Friday.
But the FIGC went with a harsher punishment after Juve were found to have used transfers to artificially boost their balance sheet.
The sanction comes on the back of chairman Agnelli, vice-president Pavel Nedved and the rest of the Bianconeri’s board resigning en-masse last year.
That came in the wake of an investigation being launched into financial violations during their time in charge.
A separate ruling made last year acquitted Juve and other clubs of their financial conduct within Serie A, with a case centred on player values in exchanges and transfers.
But football prosecutors reopened the case against Juve after seeking new documents collected by public prosecutors in Turin surrounding the club’s conduct.
Juve have denied any wrongdoing, while lawyers claimed prosecutors had not brought enough in to reach the adequate threshold for a new ruling.
The 36-time Italian champions are next in action on Sunday at home to Atalanta, in what was set to be a potentially crucial clash in the race for Champions League qualification.
Alexis Mac Allister’s father and representative Carlos has labelled Juventus “one of the most prestigious clubs in the world” amid growing speculation over the midfielder’s future.
Brighton and Hove Albion star Mac Allister is a player in demand after starting six of Argentina’s seven games in their triumphant World Cup 2022 campaign.
The 24-year-old signed a new three-year deal in October, with the option for Brighton to extend it by a further year, yet that has done little to quell interest from elsewhere.
Premier League trio Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea have been linked, but Juventus are reportedly the frontrunners to sign Mac Allister next year.
And Mac Alister’s agent spoke highly of the Serie A giants when providing an update on the former Boca Juniors loanee’s future on Thursday.
“Juventus is a huge club, one of the most prestigious in the world,” Carlos Mac Allister told Tuttomercato.
“I can only say that together with [Brighton] we will analyse the offers we receive, then we will decide what will happen to Alexis’ future.
“He is doing very well in England and he is grateful to Brighton because they gave him the possibility to play in Europe.
“However, we cannot provide a price, nor do we say who has called us. We don’t want to give information that could prejudice imminent negotiations, if any.”
Mac Allister scored a crucial goal for Argentina in their group-stage win against Poland and assisted Angel Di Maria’s goal in a thrilling final with France.
The 14-cap midfielder has started 14 of Brighton’s 15 matches this season, missing only Monday’s 3-1 win at Southampton as he enjoys a post-World Cup break.
Discussing the speculation surrounding Mac Allister earlier this month, Brighton chief executive Paul Barber said he is confident the club can keep hold of their prized asset.
“As we’ve always said, when players do well, when their profile increases, there’s always going to be interest in them,” Barber said.
“This will be no different; Alexis is no different. There was interest in him before the World Cup and I’m sure there will be more interest in him afterwards.
“All we can do in situations where you’ve got a great asset is to try and protect yourself as best as possible. We’ve done that with several of our players and staff.
“That’s all you can do in these situations. We hope Alexis will continue to be playing for us for some time to come.”
Gianluca Vialli has been urged to “stay strong and keep fighting” in his cancer battle after it emerged the Serie A great is being treated in hospital.
The 58-year-old former Italy striker has been visited at a London clinic by his mother and a brother, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.
Concern in Italy about Vialli’s health is shared in England, where former Chelsea defender John Terry sent a message of support.
Terry was given his Blues debut by player-manager Vialli in 1998 and went on to be a long-standing club captain.
He wrote on Twitter: “Stay strong and keep fighting Luca. We are all thinking of you. We are sending our love, strength and prayers.”
Vialli began his career at Cremonese, his hometown club, before going on to star in Serie A for Sampdoria and Juventus, later ending his playing career at Chelsea before going into management and coaching.
Cremonese posted a picture of a young Vialli on Tuesday, adding the message: “Always by your side.”
He scored 16 goals in 59 appearances for Italy and featured in the Azzurri’s 1986 and 1990 World Cup squads.
It was announced last week Vialli would be stepping away from his role as delegation chief with the Italy team to focus on his battle with pancreatic cancer.
He has been reunited of late in the Italy set-up with head coach Roberto Mancini, his former Sampdoria strike partner, and Vialli is hoping to recover in order to resume his national team role.
Vialli announced he had undergone radiotherapy and chemotherapy in November 2018, having been diagnosed with cancer one year earlier.
He was initially given the all-clear in April 2020, but he announced he was fighting the disease again in December 2021.
Explaining his decision to suspend his Italy involvement, Vialli said on December 14: “The goal is to use all my psycho-physical energies to help my body overcome this phase of the disease, in order to be able to face new adventures as soon as possible and share them with all of you.”
Stay Strong and keep fighting Luca 💙
We are all thinking of you. We are sending our love, strength and prayers.@ChelseaFC 💙 pic.twitter.com/i3Ax5lX25y
Samuel Iling-Junior, a youth player for Juventus, has extended his agreement with the Serie A powerhouse through the 2024–25 season.
In the 4-0 league victory over Empoli in October, the 19-year-old earned his senior debut for the Bianconeri. Since then, he has made two more appearances across all competitions.
In his three first-team appearances, Iling-Junior, a Chelsea academy product who joined Juventus in September 2020, has assisted two goals, one of which came in a Champions League match against Benfica.
On Monday, Juve announced on their official website that the England Under-20 international had signed new contracts.
The previous contract for Iling-Junior was set to expire at the conclusion of the current season.
Samuel Iling-Junior extends his contract until 2025, and is promoted to the Juventus First Team ⚪⚫
Massimiliano Allegri, the head coach of Juventus, has said that he does not know when Paul Pogba will make his recovery.
After returning to Turin on a free transfer prior to the start of the season, Pogba is yet to make his club debut. He had a knee injury during preseason that prevented him from participating in France’s World Cup triumphs.
Originally anticipated to make his comeback for the match against Serie A leaders Napoli on January 13, the former Manchester United midfielder’s homecoming appears to have been postponed.
In remarks made during Saturday’s 2-0 victory against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium, Allegri made it obvious he is eager to avoid any inquiries over Pogba’s rehabilitation and did not provide a timetable.
“Paul still hasn’t been consistent in training, so I cannot say when he’ll be back,” he told Sky Sport Italia.
“This is the truth and it’s important to say that, otherwise every day we’ll get these questions on how Pogba’s recovery is going. He hasn’t yet started running in training.”
Pogba is not the only injury concern for Juventus ahead of the resumption of the season, though Allegri expects the core of his squad to be ready for the clash against Cremonese on January 4.
“[Federico] Chiesa had a muscular issue, but that’s normal when stepping up the intensity after such a long injury lay-off and we preferred not to risk him. He’ll be ready for December 27,” he added.
“[Leonardo] Bonucci won’t be out for long, Juan Cuadrado will only be available after the Cremonese game and Mattia De Sciglio should be back from December 27 onwards.
“That is also when Danilo and Alex Sandro arrive, while [Adrien] Rabiot and the Argentineans will have a few more days to rest, as they are in the World Cup final tomorrow.”
According to the Juventus midfielder, Adrien Rabiot, he would like to play in the Premier League someday.
Rabiot had been heavily linked to a move to Manchester United earlier this year, but reports claimed that despite an initial fee of £15 million (€17. 4 million) having been agreed upon, the parties could not come to an agreement on terms, and the Red Devils decided to sign Casemiro from Real Madrid instead.
Ahead of Saturday’s quarterfinal against England, where the 27-year-old is presently playing for France at the World Cup, Rabiot stated that he would eventually like to play club football in the Premier League.
Referencing the short period he spent at Manchester City’s academy in 2008, he told reporters: “It was a very good experience. I didn’t do a whole season, though.
“Everything went well while I was there. I really liked the atmosphere. It’s really something that is only in England. It’s different from France and Italy.
“I have always said that I’d like to play in England in my career. I still have that desire. I’d like to evolve in the Premier League.”
Rabiot joined Juventus in 2019 after leaving Paris Saint-Germain. He has played 145 times for the Bianconeri, contributing 11 goals and 8 assists. This season, he has shined, scoring five goals in 16 games and dishing out two assists.
Rabiot, who is in the final year of his contract with the Serie A team, gave the impression that he has not yet made up his mind about his future but made it plain that he is open to moving to England in the future.
“I haven’t got a Premier League team in mind right now,” he added. “I haven’t chosen a team or anything. It’s a general thing.
“It’s the league, it’s the level of play that’s going on, that’s what attracts me most. It corresponds to my qualities.”
Andrea Agnelli (left) and Pavel Nedved will leave their roles at Juventus
The entire board of Italian club Juventus, including president Andrea Agnelli, have resigned.
The Serie A club finished fourth in the league last season and made a €254.3m (£220m) loss – a record in Italy.
Last November, Juventus said they were co-operating with police after an investigation was launched into the club’s transfers.
The investigation concerned “revenues from player registration rights” between 2019 and 2021.
Agnelli and vice-president Pavel Nedved, who is also stepping down, were among those under investigation.
The board have stepped down en masse “having considered the centrality and relevance of pending legal and accounting issues”, said a statement.
The outgoing board “considered to be in the best social interest to recommend that Juventus equip itself with a new board of directors to address these issues,” the statement added.
Managing director Maurizio Arrivabene will remain in his role for an interim period while a new board is brought together.
Agnelli was one of the chief architects of the breakaway plans to form the European Super League in 2021.
Juve, who are listed on the Italian stock exchange, are being investigated for allegations of presenting false accounting information to investors and producing invoices for non-existent transactions.
The club has denied any wrongdoing.
Other clubs are also the subject of a parallel investigation which was launched by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in October.
Shareholders are set to meet again on 18 January to appoint the new board, the club said.
According to John Elkann, CEO of the club’s primary owner Exor, Massimiliano Allegri will stay at Juventus despite the resignation of the club’s entire board.
Following an urgent meeting on Monday, Juve announced the resignations of several important individuals, including its president Andrea Agnelli, vice president Pavel Nedved, and managing director Maurizio Arrivabene.
The exodus occurs as a result of the club reporting record €254.3 million losses for 2021–2022 and as a result of an investigation into suspicions of tax fraud, which the Bianconeri have refuted.
LaLiga has urged UEFA to impose “urgent sporting punishment” on the Bianconeri, but Exor CEO Elkann has taken action to calm concerns that the turbulence in the boardroom may affect matters on the field.
“Massimiliano Allegri remains the point of reference in the Juventus sports area,” Elkann said.
“We are counting on him and on the whole team to continue winning as they have shown they can do in the last few [match] days, keeping our goals high on the pitch.”
“In these 12 years, we have won so much. The credit is mainly his, as well as the women and men who have achieved memorable goals under his leadership.
“Our history speaks of victories and gives us the strength we need precisely in these moments. With the support and affection of our fans, we have the opportunity to build an extraordinary future.”
Allegri, who came under intense criticism for overseeing Juve’s elimination from the Champions League at the group stage earlier this season, joined Elkann in complimenting Agnelli’s performance in Turin.
“It is always very positive to feel the closeness of the shareholders, and therefore I thank John Elkann for these words,” he said.
“In recent years of work, passion and victories, I have always been able to count on the support of Andrea Agnelli, to whom I am bound by a friendship that will not end with the end of his presidency.”
Following the widespread departure of the club’s board, including president Andrea Agnelli, LaLiga has demanded that UEFAimpose “immediate sport consequences” against Juventus.
Following an urgent meeting on Monday, Juve declared that Agnelli, vice president Pavel Nedved, and managing director Maurizio Arrivabene had all resigned from their positions.
It comes after Juventus reported a record deficit of €254.3 million for the 2021–2022 season and as a result of an inquiry into an alleged tax fraud, which Juventus has disputed.
“Following the resignation of the Juventus board of directors, LaLiga demands immediate sports sanctions to be applied on the club,” read a league statement.
“LaLiga filed an official complaint against Juventus with UEFA in April 2022 reporting financial fair play breaches being investigated by Italy´s Guardia di Finanza.
“Specifically, the complaint charges that Juventus accounted for transfers above fair value and under accounted for employee expenses, resulting in a breach of UEFA break even requirements.
“This Monday, in the same statement announcing the resignation of its board, Juventus acknowledges financial accounting irregularities, which are also aimed at misleading UEFA financial fair play authorities, among others.
“LaLiga continues to pursue these complaints against Juventus and demands immediate sporting sanctions to be applied on the club by the relevant authorities.”
Javier Tebas, the president of LaLiga, has enforced a high standard of financial restraint among the league’s clubs and has regularly clashed with the state-owned business models of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.
In addition, he was one of Agnelli’s most outspoken detractors of Juventus and the attempts of Barcelona and Real Madrid, two of the teams he oversaw, to form the independent European Super League.
“LaLiga has long been a major proponent for the implementation, application, and enforcement of strong financial sustainability rules in football,” the statement added.
“Financial sustainability is paramount to protecting the business of football. Protect our football.”
Alessandro Del Piero is willing to assist Juventus as the Serie A powerhouse starts looking for a new chairman to succeed Andrea Agnelli and a new board of directors.
Following an urgent meeting on Monday, Juve declared that Agnelli, vice president Pavel Nedved, and managing director Maurizio Arrivabene had all resigned from their positions.
It comes after Juventus reported a record deficit of €254.3 million for the 2021–2022 season and as a result of an inquiry into an alleged tax fraud, which Juventus has disputed.
Exor, who owns a majority ownership in Juve, said on Tuesday that Gianluca Ferrero will take over as president in lieu of Agnelli.
Agnelli, Nedved, and Arrivabene’s successors are anticipated to be chosen during a shareholders’ meeting on January 18.
Del Piero, a club great, has said he is prepared to help Juve in any way he can, just like he did as a player, during this difficult time off the field for the Turin team.
“You’re asking the question to someone like me that spent almost 20 years there,” Del Piero, who spent nine years with the Bianconeri, told beIN SPORTS.
“I got relegated with the team and I decided to stay so the relationships with me and the team, with the owners, the fans, are quite deep, very deep.
“We’ve been through everything to reach the top of the world and the bottom point in the club’s entire history. This great journey brought me here with you.
“It’s something where every news regarding Juve is emotional for me and I’m going to stand by and see what’s going to happen.
“I was with them this summer for the tour they did in Los Angeles where I lived, and also in Lisbon. I’m friends with Pavel and everybody. It’s sad for me seeing this situation.”
Del Piero added: “I don’t know the plan; nobody has called me. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I know very well all that’s happened. I still have a house in the city…”
Juve were stripped of titles and relegated to Serie B in the 2006-07 campaign over the ‘Calciopoli’ scandal, but Del Piero does not expect any such punishments this time around.
“This is not regarding the team; it’s not going to affect the team in terms of relegation or other things,” he said.
“It’s going to affect the people because it’s allegations ongoing about the people, not only the president but the other board members. This will affect them if there’s proof.”
The Bianconeri will see a major shakeup in management after confirmation that a shareholders’ meeting scheduled for last week has been postponed to next month.
Alongside Agnelli, who has been in charge of the club since 2010, vice-president Pavel Nedved and managing director Maurizio Arrivabene are also among those who have quit.
Arrivabene will remain as the club’s chief executive officer to oversee the introduction of a new board, which will be confirmed in January.
The collective resignation comes after Juventus’ financial statementsunderwent scrutiny by prosecutors and Italian market regulator Consob in recent months for alleged false accounting and market manipulation. They have denied any wrongdoing.
In a statement from the club, Juventus confirmed the board’s decision to resign had come in the wake of advice following the issues raised by Consob, and auditor Deloitte.
“The members of the Board of Directors, considering the centrality and relevance of the pending legal and technical-accounting issues, have deemed it in the best social interest to recommend that Juventus adopt a new Board of Directors to address these issues,” it read.
“To this end, on the proposal of the chairman Andrea Agnelli… all the members of the Board of Directors present at the meeting declared that they resigned from their office.
“The Board has requested Maurizio Arrivabene to maintain the position of Chief Executive Officer.”
The announcement seemingly ends a decades-long relationship with the club for Agnelli, who was the fourth member of his family to serve as chairman.
Juventus are currently third in Serie A, but missed out on progressing to the knockout round of the Champions League, instead dropping into the Europa League this season.
Moise Kean scored twice as Juventus leapfrogged Laziointo third place in Serie A after a 3-0 victory at the Allianz Stadium.
Starting up front in Dusan Vlahovic’s continued injury absence, Kean opened the scoring just before half-time with a neat 20-yard lob.
The in-form Italy international then netted his fifth goal in as many games in the 54th minute to make sure of Massimiliano Allegri’s side’s sixth successive league win – the margin widened further by Arkadiusz Milik’s late third.
Victory maintained Juve’s hold over Lazio – who have won only two of the past 36 editions of this fixture – and ensured the Bianconeri carry momentum into the World Cup break.
Kean was a threat from the outset, drilling just wide of the far post.
Nicolo Fagioli then called Ivan Provedel into action from distance, while Milik brilliantly controlled a long ball before bending a 20-yard effort marginally wide of the target.
The hosts broke through two minutes before half-time. Adrien Rabiot robbed Sergej Milinkovic-Savic of possession before his precise lofted ball found Kean, who neatly lifted over the advancing Provedel.
Lazio arrived in Turin having conceded just one away league goal this season, but Provedel was beaten again nine minutes after the restart, with Kean tucking into an empty net after the Biancocelesti goalkeeper parried Filip Kostic’s initial effort.
The visitors struggled to pose a genuine threat at the other end. Wojciech Szczesny comfortably saved tame efforts from Luis Alberto and Pedro, before Milik turned home Federico Chiesa’s inviting centre to cap a fine Juve win.
Both sides occupy the top four heading into the World Cup break, although Juve are certainly the team in form.
Indeed, Allegri’s men have now won four straight home league games for the first time since March 2021, scoring 12 times during that span without conceding. They have not conceded in any of their six consecutive wins home and away.
Clinical Kean
Following his first Serie A brace since March 2019, Kean has now scored as many goals in his past four appearances as in his previous 38.
His two strikes – meaning he has scored in successive Italian top-flight matches for the first time since April 2019 – came from game-high tallies of four shots and three on target.
Bittersweet day for Kostic
Kostic produced an impressive display on the left flank, creating a game-high four chances.
The Serbia international’s sole powerful shot led to Kean’s second goal, too, although he limped off injured in the 64th minute and will hope it is nothing too serious ahead of the World Cup later this month.
Key Opta Facts
– Juventus have kept a clean sheet in six consecutive Serie A games for the first time since December 2018, also under Allegri.
– Chiesa has been involved in a Serie A goal for the first time since January 9 (assist against Roma), a wait of 308 days.
– Juventus are now the team against whom Maurizio Sarri has lost the most games as a coach in Serie A (seven out of 11, W2 D2).
What’s next?
Both sides are on their travels when they return to action on January 4, as Juventus are away at Cremonese while Lazio head to Lecce.
Antonio Conte wants to earn the right to sign a new contract with Tottenham, but has hinted the club must match his ambitions to keep him for the long term.
Conte’s current deal with Spurs expires at the end of the season, and although the club have an option for a one-year extension, the Italian has been linked with an exit on several occasions.
A return to Juventus has been touted as a possibility for Conte at various stages this campaign, but the Tottenham boss wants to show he deserves an extended stay in north London – so long as Spurs can help him achieve his own aims.
“My contract expires on June 30. Until that moment, the club has to make the best evaluation,” Conte said at a pre-match news conference ahead of Tottenham’s meeting with Leeds United on Saturday.
“I think that everything needs to be deserved. For this reason, it’s important to see the rest of the season, what happens, if we are happy with the improvement we are doing.
“On my side, professionally, I have to feel that I deserve to sign a new contract with this club. I have to feel this, but for sure I will talk with the club and we will find the best solution.
“When you start a path with a club, your dream is to stay here many years, to try to build something important.
“I think it’s very important, the relationship that you create with your players, the relationship you create with the club, the environment around you, and also don’t forget the ambition.
“If you’re used to fighting to win, it is also very important to match this situation and then, if you are lucky and find all of these situations, it’s simpler to stay for a long-term project.
“When this happens, you are a lucky person, a lucky man. Every manager dreams of this situation. Then the reality, unfortunately, is not always this.”
Tottenham have lost three of their past four Premier League games, which is as many as they had lost in their previous 24 (W17 D4), with Conte’s side appearing stretched amid an injury crisis.
Attacking stars Son Heung-min, Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski have all been absent in recent weeks, and Conte believes Tottenham may need to add numbers when the January transfer window opens.
“For sure, after the first part of the season it will be right to have a meeting with the club, to discuss the positive and negative things, where we can improve,” Conte said.
“Then we will see what we can do. It always depends on the possibilities, and the ambition from the club.
“But for sure, we’ll speak, also to have a good evaluation of this part of the season. I have seen a lot of positive things, but with injuries and having to play every three days, I think we struggled a lot.
“In the future, we have to try to improve, to be better to face this type of situation.”
Tottenham have won seven of their past nine Premier League games against Leeds (D1 L1), having lost eight of their previous nine against them in the top flight (D1).
Massimiliano Allegri was grateful after Alex Sandro’s cynical red card helped Juventus to a 1-0 win over bottom-placed Hellas Verona on Thursday.
Moise Kean’s strike with half an hour to play looked to be enough for Juventus to make it five victories and five clean sheets in a row but in injury time, a Thomas Henry throughball put Kevin Lasagna in on goal.
However, Sandro barged Lasagna over before the Verona forward reached the box and though the full-back was sent off, the resulting free-kick was skied over and Juve saw the game out to secure the three points.
Allegri was delighted after the match with his side’s dogged performance and Sandro’s unselfish decision to take Lasagna down, telling Sky Sport: “Alex Sandro’s red card is worth a goal.
“He should not be fined but given a prize.
“It certainly wasn’t a great match on a technical level. In some situations we could have done better but it is an important sign for the team. We came through a tiring period and with players out, and luckily the changes helped us.”
Allegri also spoke of his joy for Kean, who has now scored in three straight starts in all competitions after failing to hit the target in his previous seven, saying: “If he played many games, he would score many goals.
“For me he is very important and I’m happy. It took a while to get out of the way to find space, he [Kean] and [Arkadiusz] Milik did it better in the second half.”
Angel Di Maria continued his return from injury with a cameo and though he failed to make much of an impact, Allegri was understanding with the former Real Madrid man expected to be in Argentina’s World Cup squad.
“On a technical level, he did well. Angel managed the ball,” Allegri added.
“It’s normal, there’s a World Cup in a few days and you unconsciously leave something on the pitch. It’s not wanted, but that’s the way it is.”
Massimiliano Allegri wants Juventus to channel their Champions League “anger” and show the rest of Serie A they remain a force to be reckoned with.
Under-pressure head coach Allegri said Juventus would “play an unspectacular game if necessary” on Saturday to get the better of Lecce.
After recent wins over Torino and Empoli, Juventus are looking for a third Serie A victory on the bounce, but results in Europe have been dreadful by comparison, with defeats to Maccabi Haifa and Benfica dumping the Bianconeri out at the Champions League group stage.
Italian media have not been slow to link Tottenham boss Antonio Conte with a return to Juventus, possibly at the end of the season when the former Italy coach’s contract expires at Spurs, though the Premier League club do have an option to extend that agreement.
But Allegri wants to prove his Juventus are not a busted flush, and a long streak of league wins would be timely, possibly for the 55-year-old’s job security.
The last time the Bianconeri won three league games in a row without conceding was back in February 2021, but winning 1-0 at Torino and 4-0 at home to Empoli last weekend has set up that possibility.
Now Lecce stand in Juve’s way, and Allegri said: “We have to react after the elimination from the Champions League and carry the anger with us throughout the Serie A season.
“We will have to play an unspectacular game if necessary. Up to now Lecce has always kept the games in the balance, we know the importance of tomorrow’s match, we will have to take it on as a team, with great consistency.”
He will be without striker Dusan Vlahovic due to injury, while midfielder Manuel Locatelli misses out for personal reasons, with Allegri taking a 19-player group.
Federico Chiesa and Paul Pogba are not ready to return from their injury lay-offs, while Allegri was unsure whether he would field young midfielders Nicolo Fagioli and Fabio Miretti.
Juventus have 19 points from 11 games, losing twice, and they trail leaders Napoli by 10 points.
Their next Serie A assignment, after this weekend, is a clash with improving Inter.
The Lecce game is far from a formality, but Juventus have lost only four of 32 previous Serie A encounters with the team from the Salento peninsula.
“Right now we have to do something more to get out of this situation,” Allegri said, quoted on his club’s official website.
“It’s an opportunity for everyone, it’s a time for growth, I have a group of guys who have important moral values. Talking about the Scudetto today is useless, now we have to react starting from Lecce.”
Massimiliano Allegri ruled out Paul Pogba from his Juventus plans for Friday’s clash with Empoli, saying it would be “pure madness” to rush the midfielder’s recovery.
Juventus have been unable to field Pogba or Federico Chiesa this season, with the France midfielder undergoing knee surgery last month and Italy forward Chiesa suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in January.
Pogba was initially a doubt for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, although France coach Didier Deschamps was upbeat regarding his recovery earlier this week.
Speaking at Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, Deschamps said: “His programme is going well. The important thing is that he is cured, I think he will be, and this is already a good thing.”
Despite both Pogba and Chiesa being pictured in team training recently, head coach Allegri said Juventus must treat their returns with caution.
“Let’s see the real things, the reality today is that Chiesa and Pogba don’t have them,” Allegri told a pre-match news conference on Thursday.
“Chiesa did two training sessions with the team, Pogba trained temporarily, but very partially with the team. Avoid writing all that stuff there, you have a fantasy.
“Players have not even trained with the team [and you] write that after two days they are available. Fantasy is a power and it is very beautiful. Tomorrow they will not be there.
📹👀 Tuesday training, with eyes on the return of @paulpogba 🇫🇷🐙
“I, too, would like everyone available, especially to make changes. With those we have, we will have a great match tomorrow, and we will prepare well for Benfica.
“Chiesa has already made progress. On Saturday morning there will be a friendly for Federico, to see how he moves on the whole field.
“Paul has done some partial work with the team, but we are on Thursday and until Tuesday there are four days. Damaging his work is pure madness.”
After their meeting with Empoli, Juventus will have just three days to recover ahead of the decisive Champions League clash with Benfica, but Allegri would not be drawn on whether striker Dusan Vlahovic would be rested on Friday.
“Dusan, regardless of his goal, played one of the best games on a technical level [against Torino last week],” Allegri said.
“[Moise] Kean also did well, I’m happy with Moise because he’s growing, he’s physically better, and he makes himself available for the team above all.
“To obtain results, everyone must be available, and there seem to be good signs of this. Tomorrow will not be easy; among other things, they beat us last year.”
Vlahovic has scored three goals in three Serie A appearances against Empoli, including his first league double for Juventus in February. The Serbian has also hit the net five times in five home league games this season.
Paul Pogba returned to training with Juventus on Tuesday just over a month before France’s first World Cup game.
The midfielder’s second spell with Juve got off to a nightmare start when he suffered a lesion to the lateral meniscus in his right knee.
That injury blow has prevented Pogba from making a competitive appearance for the Bianconeri following his Manchester United exit.
Pogba was back training with his Juve team-mates on Tuesday, however, with the club revealing he worked “partially” with the squad as he was pictured in action.
That is good news for both the Serie A giants and France five weeks before the holders start their defence of the World Cup against Australia in Qatar.
Confirmation of Pogba’s return came after Les Bleus head coach Didier Deschamps stated he would need to be sure the 29-year-old is fully fit before naming him in his squad.
Speaking after attending Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, Deschamps told Sport Mediaset: “His programme is going well. The important thing is that he is cured, I think he will be, and this is already a good thing.
“Then there will be the question of whether he looks athletic, since he hasn’t played for a long time.
“But I repeat, before thinking about whether I call him up, he must be healed.”
Juve confirmed on Monday that Bremer, who was taken off in the 52nd minute of Saturday’s win over his former side Torino, had suffered a “low-grade lesion to the hamstring of the left thigh”.
Bremer faces approximately 20 days out of action, meaning he will miss games against Empoli, Benfica, Lecce, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter during a hectic period of fixtures.
He might be fit to feature for Juve in matches against Verona and Lazio ahead of the break for the World Cup, which starts on November 20.
Brazil’s first game sees them take on Serbia four days later. While Bremer’s place in Tite’s squad was by no means guaranteed, the Selecao will be hoping Tottenham forward Richarlison – who has been a key player in recent seasons – recovers from a calf injury in time to make it to Qatar.
Massimiliano Allegri has denied reports that several Juventus players were angered by his decision to impose a training retreat ahead of Saturday’s derby against Torino.
Juventus suffered a humiliating 2-0 defeat at Maccabi Haifa on Tuesday, leaving Allegri’s team on the brink of a group-stage exit from the Champions League.
Meanwhile, Juve have taken just 13 points from their first nine matches of the Serie A season, their worst return at this stage of a campaign since 2015-16 (12), and are already 10 points adrift of leaders Napoli.
Bianconeri chairman Andrea Agnelli was forced to reject reports Allegri would be fired following the loss in Israel, after which the Juventus coach revealed the team would hunker down at their Continassa training ground ahead of Saturday’s Derby della Mole.
Subsequent reports suggested that decision irritated several players, but Allegri claimed that is not the case on Friday, saying: “These are unfounded rumours. The team has never asked not to retire.
“We know the moment, we came back on Wednesday, we trained when we arrived and the next morning we were on the pitch.
A double session at Continassa ahead of #ToroJuve 💪
“We are focused on trying to get out of this situation which is certainly not beautiful. We know that we cannot come out with just one match, but we must start achieving results.
“I talk to the team every day. Withdrawal is just a moment to be together, it is not a punishment.
“We had yesterday and today to do double workouts, to give a little more order because it is normal that when there are no results, we tend to see things blacker than they are.”
Juventus are winless in their last six away games in Serie A (D2 L4), their longest such run since they failed to win on seven consecutive road trips in 2010, but Allegri says the Bianconeri retain a sense of togetherness.
“It is not my personal challenge, it belongs to everyone,” he added. “It is not that one wins and the others lose, it is done all together.
“The team has worked well for two days, this afternoon we will do the last refinement and then we will arrive tomorrow evening to play against Torino.”
Juventus’ struggles show no signs of abating — and a Derby della Mole clash with Torino is next up for the beleaguered Bianconeri.
Max Allegri’s men are bidding to bounce back from a humbling midweek defeat against Maccabi Haifa when they face an out-of-form Granata this weekend.
Elsewhere, table-toppers Napoli host Bologna, while fellow title challengers AC Milan head to Verona.
European hopefuls Lazio and Udinese meet in the capital on Sunday, before sixth-place Roma take on bottom side Sampdoria.
Game of the week: Torino vs Juventus (Saturday, 5pm)
It is now back-to-back defeats for Juventus, who are reeling from losses to AC Milan and Israeli outfit Maccabi Haifa in the past week.
But a meeting with Torino should offer the perfect opportunity to put things right — Juve have only lost one of their previous 32 Serie A meetings against their city rivals (won 23, drawn eight).
The Granata have also won just two of their last 12 league fixtures at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino (drawn five, lost five), failing to score in five of their most recent eight home encounters.
Ivan Juric’s side will need to pay particular attention to Juan Cuadrado, who has been involved in an impressive 11 Serie A goals against Saturday’s opponents.
Despite Juventus’ struggles, Juan Cuadrado has created a number of chances for his team-mates in 2022-23
Napoli vs Bologna (Sunday, 5pm)
Unstoppable Napoli continue to demolish all that come before them, both domestically and in Europe.
Buoyed by a 4-2 midweek victory over Ajax, Luciano Spalletti’s high-flyers will fancy their chances of racking up another win against struggling Bologna.
After all, Napoli have won their last four fixtures against the Rossoblu — keeping three clean sheets in the process — and are in sensational form.
Only AC Milan (64) have picked up more points since the turn of the year than the Partenopei (63), while Napoli’s attack is the best in the division over that period with 61 goals scored.
Verona vs AC Milan (Sunday, 7.45pm)
Milan will be itching to get back to domestic matters, after their damaging Champions League defeat to Chelsea in midweek.
The Rossoneri are just three points off Serie A’s summit — and should be confident of adding to their points total at lowly Verona.
Stefano Pioli’s outfit are the division’s only unbeaten team away from home in 2022 (played 13, won nine, drawn four), while their opponents have lost their previous four matches.
The visitors have an impressive recent record against the Gialloblu too, winning five of their last seven encounters and each of their three most recent meetings.
Lazio vs Udinese (Sunday, 2pm)
Gerard Deulofeu’s displays has been a key factor in Udinese’s impressive Serie A form
Rome’s Stadio Olimpico plays host to a fascinating encounter between Lazio and Udinese on Sunday afternoon, with both teams firmly in the hunt for Champions League qualification.
Surprise package Udinese have picked up 20 points from their first nine games of the season for only the second time in their history — but they face a Biancocelesti side in scintillating form.
Maurizio Sarri’s unit have won their last four league matches by an aggregate scoreline of 14-0. They could triumph in five consecutive games without conceding a goal for the first time ever on Sunday.
However, Gerard Deulofeu will be confident of stopping that run. The Zebrette forward has been involved in a goal in each of his last three appearances and has already registered an eye-catching six assists this term.
Sampdoria vs Roma (Monday, 5.30pm)
Roma narrowly edged their last visit to Stadio Luigi Ferraris
Sampdoria are yet to win a single Serie A game in 2022-23 — and Jose Mourinho’s resurgent Roma will be aiming to inflict more misery on the Blucerchiati faithful.
Monday’s hosts have won only one of their last eight meetings with the club from the capital (drawn two, lost five).
However, scoring goals has not been the Giallorossi’s forte this term. They have only found the net 12 times, which is some way below their expected goals tally of 18.92 — no other club in Europe’s big five leagues has a greater disparity.
The visitors will be confident of coming away with all three points if they open the scoring though. Only Milan can match the six times that Roma have triumphed when they have netted first.
Roma head coach Jose Mourinho mocked clubs qualifying for the Europa League knockout stages via the backdoor as ‘the failed sharks of the Champions League’.
Mourinho’s side are in a battle to reach the knockout stages via Group C after a 1-1 draw at Real Betis left them third on four points, behind the Spaniards (10) and Ludogorets (seven). Roma will still hope to overhaul Ludogorets and advance with two games to play in the group.
The draw, however, meant Betis were assured of reaching the next stage and Mourinho was asked if they were the Europa League favourites, leading him to implicitly goad teams like Barcelona and Juventus.
“I see them [Betis] as candidates, but the failed sharks of the Champions League will arrive, and they will come in hard,” Mourinho said, referring to sides who drop into the Europa League after finishing third in their Champions League groups.
“They shouldn’t come but it’s the reality. It’s going to be fun. The failures of the Champions League.”
Among the clubs currently third in Champions League groups are Barcelona, Juventus, Ajax, Atletico Madrid and Milan.
Should Roma fail to finish in the top two in Group C, they will qualify for the Conference League where they will defend the title they won under Mourinho last season.
The Portuguese added: “We want to go through and finish second, but if we finish third, we’ll become candidates to retain the Conference League.”
“We have two games left, two games we need to win – if we don’t win those then we are out. But that’s a good thing too, because we can focus on ourselves – we don’t have to worry about other results elsewhere.” #ASRoma#UEL#RealBetisRoma
Maurizio Sarri has aired his frustration over the consistent speculation on Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and his future, amid frequent links with a move to Serie A rivals Juventus.
The Serbia international has been one of the form players of the campaign in the Italian top flight, with three goals and six assists for a total of nine involvements so far this term.
That form has not gone unnoticed, and Milinkovic-Savic has been subsequently mooted as a major transfer target, with La Gazetto dello Sport running a splash page on a potential Bianconeri switch.
It is not the first time the playmaker has been the subject of intense speculation, but the feverish nature has irked Sarri now, who believes too much hyperbole is being spun about his player.
“I think there is too much noise around him,” he stated ahead of his side’s UEFA Europe League clash with Sturm Graz.
“The day after our 4-0 win [over Fiorentina] a paper put his name on their front page [about] transfers.
“Milinkovic-Savic, he has room for improvement. You can see that from how many balls he loses.”
Lazio’s president Claudio Lotito previously warned potential suitors that Milinkovic-Savic would cost a minimum of €120million for any interested party to pry him away from the capital.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has not agreed a January move to Juventus, according to Lazio owner Claudio Lotito.
The Serbian midfielder has impressed this season with three goals and seven assists in his nine Serie A games, helping Maurizio Sarri’s side climb to third.
Such form is said to have piqued the interest of Juventus, with reports suggesting the Bianconeri will plan to offer up to €60million, including bonuses.
But Lotito told Il Messaggero: “I have no agreement with his agent [Mateja] Kezman to sell him to Juventus or anyone else in the winter.
“On the contrary, he is now worth €120m, not €100m. Every month the price goes up.”
🆕 Most in-form players in Europe’s top 5 leagues:
🥇 Leo Messi – 8.77 form rating
🥈 Erling Haaland – 8.58
🥉 Sergej Milinkovic-Savic – 8.30 pic.twitter.com/CmaHNGo46B
The transfer talk emerged after Lazio’s convincing 4-0 win against Fiorentina on Tuesday, with Milinkovic-Savic adding to his tally with two more assists.
When asked about the performance, Lotito said: “I am satisfied with the spirit I saw again. As I have already said, if we continue with this attitude, we will not set ourselves limits and we can go far.”
Lazio face Austrian side Sturm Graz in the Europa League on Thursday before Sunday’s league fixture against fourth-place Udinese.
Adrien Rabiot is unsure about his future as he tries to “drag” Juventus back into form following a poor start to the season.
Rabiot’s contract expires at the end of the season and there appears to be no sign of him signing a new one.
The France midfielder was linked with Manchester United during the last transfer window, but a deal reportedly fell through before the Red Devils signed Casemiro from Real Madrid.
Juve are eighth in Serie A after a 2-0 defeat to champions Milan at San Siro on Saturday and face a battle to qualify for the Champions League round of 16, with the pressure on head coach Massimiliano Allegri.
The Bianconeri got up and running in Group H by beating Maccabi Haifa last week to sit four points behind Paris Saint-Germain and Benfica, Rabiot scoring twice in a 3-1 victory.
Rabiot says his focus is on turning Juve’s fortunes around ahead of the return fixture against Maccabi at Sammy Ofer Stadium on Tuesday.
“I feel important for the team, but I think we all are,” he said. “Everyone has an important role. Right now I feel good, I’m trying to drag the team and do my best to help my team-mates.
“I don’t know about the future. There are other things to think about now. I’m focused on the pitch, getting out of this difficult moment. Then we’ll see what happens.”
Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri urged his under-fire team to manage their nerves ahead of Saturday’s trip to Serie A champions Milan.
Juve have only won three of their eight Serie Amatches this season, and Allegri has faced severe criticism with the Bianconeri already seven points behind leaders Napoli.
While Allegri’s team boosted their Champions League hopes by beating Maccabi Haifa on Wednesday, they go to San Siro having failed to win any of their three away league games this term.
Should they fail to beat the Rossoneri, it will be just the second time they have started a Serie A season with a four-match winless run on the road, having done so in 1993-94.
Allegri believes his team’s problems are primarily psychological, saying: “The other day I was reflecting, we made a mistake with Salernitana [in a 2-2 draw last month], regardless of what happened at the end.
“We got too nervous and it doesn’t have to happen any more, because the championship is long.
“We wasted a lot of energy and we arrived at Monza not in the ideal conditions to get the three points that would have changed the standings.
“The most important thing is to give continuity, tomorrow is a great game and we have to play it. We need a high level of performance.
“However, they have a strong team, with technical and very fast players. They have [Rafael] Leao who can shift the balance, then they play in front of their fans and San Siro pushes them when full.
“You need personality and clarity. It will be a good test.
“It is Milan-Juventus, we play against the Italian champions and it will be more difficult than usual because they come from a bad defeat [3-0 to Chelsea], and they will want to make up for it.”
Allegri led Milan to the Scudetto in the 2010-11 season, but Stefano Pioli ended the Rossoneri’s 11-year wait to replicate that triumph in May.
The Juventus boss heaped praise on his counterpart as he added: “He is doing better [than myself], because they have four points more than us.
“I can only congratulate Pioli for the work he is doing, for the championship he won last year, which they haven’t won since 2011. The numbers are all on his side.”
Milan have avoided defeat in four of their last five Serie A meetings with Juventus (W2 L2), having lost 13 of their previous 14 league games against them (W1).
Reigning Serie A champions AC Milan take on fellow giants Juventus at the San Siro this weekend.
Elsewhere, Udinese host Atalanta in a tantalising clash, while leaders Napoli visit winless Cremonese.
Inconsistent Inter Milan face a tough test at Sassuolo, with Jose Mourinho’s Roma hosting Lecce on Sunday night.
Game of the week: AC Milan vs Juventus (Saturday, 5pm)
Two of Italy’s biggest clubs meet in what should be a titanic clash in Lombardy.
Milan (two) and Juventus(four) are among the three teams that have lost the fewest Serie A matches in 2022, alongside Napoli (three).
However, the Bianconeri have been underwhelming on the road this term, managing just two points from their three away games.
The Rossoneri, meanwhile, have been strong on their own patch — but their six-match Serie A winning streak at the San Siro was ended in their last home match against Napoli.
They will hope Ante Rebic can maintain his positive record of scoring against Juventus — he has four goals in all competitions against them since joining Milan in 2019-20, the joint-most of any player in that period.
AC Milan’s Ante Rebic has been lethal from close range this term
Udinese vs Atalanta (Sunday, 2pm)
Third-place Udinese host unbeaten Atalanta hoping to jump above their table.
The visitors are unbeaten in their last nine Serie A meetings with their hosts (seven wins, two draws) and will hope to keep it that way by extending that record to 10 in a row.
Games between these two outfits are usually entertaining and 30 goals have been scored in their last six clashes.
Both sides are in excellent form, with Udinese having won each of their last six matches, while Atalanta have won their last four on the road without conceding.
If preserving their unbeaten status was not enough motivation, Gian Piero Gasperini’s 300th game in charge of Atalanta certainly will be — and they will be keen to mark the occasion appropriately.
Cremonese vs Napoli (Sunday, 5pm)
Cremonese are one of just two clubs yet to record a win in this season’s Serie A — while league leaders Napoli are one of only two that remain unbeaten.
The Partenopei are heavy favourites and will certainly set out on the front foot — no side in the competition has attempted more shots than their 150, while no team has faced more than the hosts’ 138.
Cremonese will do their utmost to put Napoli off their passing game. Luciano Spalletti’s unit have racked up the highest number of pass sequences that involve 10 or more passes in the league (112), while their opponents have made the most interceptions (99).
It seems highly likely that Napoli will extend their 12-game Serie A unbeaten streak (10 wins, two draws) against a struggling side, whose wait for a first league win of the season is expected to go on.
Napoli continued their strong start to the season by beating Torino last Saturday
Sassuolo vs Inter Milan (Saturday, 2pm)
Inter sit a disappointing ninth with four wins and four defeats from their first eight games — one place below Sassuolo on goal difference.
The hosts have kept five clean sheets so far, with only Barcelona (six) managing more in Europe’s top five leagues this season.
The Nerazzurri will be relying on Edin Dzeko and Robin Gosens to continue their strong individual records against Sassuolo, in the hopes of breaching their stubborn rearguard.
Dzeko has only scored more times in Serie A against Atalanta and Bologna (seven) than he has against Sassuolo (six), while Gosens (four) has not netted more against any other team in the competition.
Attacking wing-back Robin Gosens has an impressive goalscoring record against Sassuolo
Roma vs Lecce (Sunday, 7.45pm)
Roma will expect to get a result against Lecce based on recent history between the two teams.
The Giallorossi have won eight of their last nine Serie A meetings with this week’s opponents (one defeat) and have won 13 of the previous 15 clashes at home (two draws).
Mourinho’s men have been strong at the Stadio Olimpico, losing just one of their last 11 at home in the Italian top flight (six wins, four draws).
But they have failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their previous four league outings — and Lecce will hope to capitalise on those recent deficiencies at the back.
Dusan Vlahovic said he was “honoured” to play alongside Angel Di Maria after the Argentina international claimed three assists in Juventus’ Champions League win over Maccabi Haifa.
Adrien Rabiot scored a brace either side of Vlahovic’s cool second-half finish as Juventus triumphed 3-1 to boost their hopes of progressing from Group H on Wednesday, but Di Maria was the star of the show.
At 34 years and 233 days old, Di Maria became the oldest player to record a hat-trick of assists in the Champions League since data began in 2003-04, as well as the first player to do so for an Italian club.
Since Di Maria made his first Champions League appearance in the 2007-08 season, meanwhile, only Lionel Messi can match his tally of 35 assists in the competition.
Asked about Di Maria’s influence by Sky Sports, Vlahovic said: “I don’t know what to say. I am honoured to have the opportunity to play with him, to see him every day, to learn from him. I would like to make the most of my moments with him on the pitch.”
Vlahovic was pleased to see Juventusend a three-match losing streak in the Champions League, but saw room for improvement in his own performance.
“I could do better and do more,” he added. “I had to make better use of the assists of my team-mates, but we won. We have to improve and work with our heads down in silence.
“Attackers live on goals. I am always focused on the team, then the goals come as a consequence.
“If I think I have to do something, I just put weight on myself and I don’t do things with clarity. I have to be more calm and focused.”
Meanwhile, under-pressure Bianconeri coach Massimiliano Allegri praised Di Maria’s display, but was concerned by his team’s lack of control in the final 15 minutes.
“Di Maria is good, the important thing is to get the ball to him, the first and second assists were of excellent craftsmanship,” he said in his post-match news conference.
“The boys immediately realised that you cannot not play for a quarter of an hour. The games must be closed earlier, this does not mean to stop playing, but to play less and be more bad.
“We were too light, then the games are about psychology, and we risked 2-2. This doesn’t have to happen.
“The defensive phase is a mental issue. Everything seemed easy, we gave up as a team. We didn’t foul [ahead of] their goal, that’s not good. Goal difference will also be important.”
Looking ahead to next week’s return fixture in Israel, two-goal hero Rabiot said: “We will have to be concentrated, but with this attitude, I am convinced that we will win. We must continue like this.
“I’m happy to have scored, but it’s more important to win, and tonight we did it well. We played well – a little less in the second half – but we’re on the right path.”
Former Juventus and Inter full-back Kwadwo Asamoah has announced his retirement from playing at the age of 33.
Asamoah, who was capped 74 times by Ghana and appeared at two World Cups, most recently featured for Cagliari at club level in the 2020-21 season.
He confirmed on social media he has officially called time on one chapter of his career and will now become a player agent.
Versatile defender Asamoah started his career at Udinese and made 279 appearances in Serie A – the most for an African player in the competition’s history.
Asamoah joined Juve from Udinese in July 2012 and won 13 titles across six seasons with the Turin giants before spending two years with Inter.
Injuries curtailed his time at Cagliari, for whom he made his final appearance in a goalless draw against Milan in May 2021.
Juventusboss Massimiliano Allegri says his side must take matters “one step at a time” after breaking a month-long winless streak against Bologna on Sunday.
The Bianconeri ran out 3-0 winners at the Allianz Stadium, clinching their first victory in all competitions since the end of August thanks to goals from Filip Kostic, Dusan Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik.
The result arrested Juventus’ slide into mid-table mediocrity in Serie A, although they remain four points adrift of the top four and seven shy of early-season leaders Napoli.
The difficulty of the challenge facing Juve is not lost on Allegri, who says his team need to avoid getting ahead of themselves in the coming weeks.
“We need to take it one step at a time, and hopefully, we can close the gap,” he told DAZN. “We closed it last season, so [we know] we can do it again.
“We needed patience and focus to build the performance and get the result. I almost felt like we couldn’t believe it when we got back to the locker room.
“It needs to be one small step at a time. We can’t make up that difference all in one go. At this moment, we need clear and cool heads.”
Kostic netted his first goal in club colours to round off a superb run from Vlahovic, who arguably delivered his best performance of the season in Turin.
Kostic said he would look to repay the favour by teeing up his fellow Serbia international in the future, stating: “I do a good job with Dusan, I thanked him for the assist and I hope I can give one back next time.”
Goals from Filip Kostic, Dusan Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik helped Juventus snap their month-long winless streak as they returned to Serie A action with a 3-0 victory over Bologna.
Heading into Sunday’s encounter, Massimiliano Allegri’s side had not won across all competitions since the end of August, to leave the head coach’s future at the club in serious doubt.
But an assured display from the Bianconeri against Thiago Motta’s embattled side has likely assuaged immediate fears at Allianz Stadium, while the scope of the Bologna boss’ task is becoming readily apparent.
Aside from an off-target Manuel Locatelli effort in the first minute, the early exchanges provided scant entertainment in Turin as both sides sought to settle into the game.
But it was Juventus who looked the livelier of the two and when Vlahovic picked off a loose ball in midfield, the crowd rose to roar on his blazing run.
Kostic ran crafty support along the left flank, and when the ball came wide to him, his low strike beyond Lukasz Skorupski back across the box was a worthy opener.
Bologna seldom looked like they would disturb that lead and the visitors were made to pay again just before the hour mark when Vlahovic powered Weston McKennie’s cross home with a header.
Merely three minutes later, Milik took advantage of a defensive lapse to rifle a vicious volley into the roof of the net, and from there the hosts cruised to full-time for a morale-boosting result.
What does it mean? Juventus steady ship
Having last tasted victory at the end of August with a 2-0 win over Spezia, the Bianconeri had since gone five without victory until this weekend.
With serious questions looming over whether they would be able to force their way back into the top four again, even at this early juncture, this result offers a much-needed optimism.
Vlahovic maintains happy streak
After an opening-day brace, it all went a little bit quiet for Dusan Vlahovic, but the Serbian got back to goalscoring ways with a fine bit of work here.
Bologna are one of his favourites to face too – he has scored in each of his last four league games against them, having only achieved a similar feat against Sampdoria.
Motta facing fight to survive
If the new Bologna boss was in any doubt as to the difficulty of the task he has inherited, Thiago Motta will be significantly more aware now, with Sinisa Mihajlovic’s successor overseeing a chastening trip to Turin.
He will be more frustrated by the fact his side actually had more possession (52 per cent) but were particularly ineffective with the ball at their feet.
Key Opta Facts
– Juventus scored three goals for the first time since the opening-day win over Sassuolo.
– This was Manuel Locatelli’s 50th appearance with Juventus in all competitions.
– Dusan Vlahovic has scored in each of his last four league games against Bologna.
– Arkadiusz Milik has scored five goals against Bologna in Serie A – his best return against any team in the division.
What’s next?
Juventus return to Champions League action with a match against Maccabi Haifa on October 5. Bologna, meanwhile, will wait for the next Serie A round, when they face Sampdoria on October 8.
&w=707&quality=100)
&w=707&quality=100)
&w=707&quality=100)
&w=707&quality=100)
&w=707&quality=100)
&w=707&quality=100)
&w=707&quality=100)
&w=707&quality=100)