Sassuolo stun Juventus, Roma in race for second place

Milan (AFP) – Juventus were beaten 1-0 by modest Sassuolo to remain stuck in seventh in Serie A on Sunday when Gregoire Drefel reacted fastest to score from a fluffed clearance. The defeat leaves Juventus below the European spots after the Turin giants were docked 15 points for illicit transfer activity in January. Sassuolo beat Juve …

Alcaraz to face Sinner in Indian Wells semi-finals

Indian Wells (United States) (AFP) – Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz edged Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday to book a semi-final meeting with Jannik Sinner at the WTA and ATP Masters 1000 at Indian Wells. Alcaraz posted his first win over the 10th-ranked Canadian in four career meetings to keep his bid to regain the world number …

Survivors of Italy’s migrant shipwreck weep over their dead

Crotone (Italy) (AFP) – Survivors of a shipwreck off southern Italy wept over their dead Wednesday, as relatives of some of the 67 people who drowned arrived from other countries to claim their loved ones. The latest body to be found was that of a five-year-old boy, one of more than a dozen children who lost …

Inter squeeze past Udinese, Messias fires Milan third

Milan (AFP) – Inter Milan made sure the gap separating them from runaway Serie A leaders Napoli stayed at 15 points with a 3-1 success over Udinese on Saturday. Romelu Lukaku, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Lautaro Martinez all scored in a hard-fought win against ninth-placed Udinese, who have won only once in their last 15 league matches. …

Allegri ‘not nervous’ as reports cast doubt on future of Juve coach

Massimiliano Allegri insists he is not nervous amid reports suggesting his position as Juventus coach is at risk, saying critics cannot argue with his achievements in Turin. Juventus benefitted from a late VAR reprieve in a 1-0 win over Fiorentina in Serie A last Sunday, before being pegged back by Nantes in a 1-1 Europa …

Napoli’s dynamic duo strike again to increase massive Serie A lead

Reggio Emilia (Italy) (AFP) – Napoli took another step towards their first Serie A title since 1990 on Friday as stars Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen shot the leaders to a 2-0 win at Sassuolo and 18 points clear. It looks only a matter of time before Luciano Spalletti's rampant side secure a Scudetto dreamed of …

Regional voting starts in Italy in test for PM Meloni

Rome (AFP) – Polling stations opened on Sunday for regional elections in Italy's two most populous regions -- polls seen as a test of the popularity of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's three-month-old government. Home to a combined 13 million residents, the northern economic powerhouse of Lombardy and Lazio, which includes the capital Rome, will elect a …

Pioli believes Tottenham tie arrives at ideal time for ‘cleansed’ Milan

Milan coach Stefano Pioli believes Tuesday's Champions League meeting with Tottenham arrives at the ideal time for his team, saying Friday's win over Torino helped to "cleanse our spirit". Scudetto holders Milan halted a five-game winless run in Serie A with the 1-0 victory, as Olivier Giroud scored the only goal of a tight contest …

Italian skier Elena Fanchini dies after long cancer battle aged 37

Milan (AFP) – Italian alpine skier Elena Fanchini has died after a long battle with cancer, Italian ski federation FISI said on Wednesday, as US superstar Mikaela Shiffrin said the 37-year-old "will never be forgotten". "At the end of a serious illness, Elena Fanchini passed away in her home in Solato (near Brescia)," the FISI said …

Water levels on Italy’s Lake Garda drop to 15-year low

Sirmione (Italy) (AFP) – The pedalos lie far from the water's edge and the flat stone slabs around the Sirmione peninsula are exposed after drought reduced the level of Italy's Lake Garda to a 15-year low. Italy's largest lake, a major tourist destination nestled among mountains in the north of the country, is suffering like many …

Scaloni counts on ‘spirit of sacrifice’ for Argentina after Finalissima win

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni insisted his side can compete with any team at the World Cup, after their 3-0 win over Italy in the UEFA/CONMEBOL Finalissima at Wembley on Wednesday. The Albiceleste were ruthless in transition, pouncing on any opportunity to counter, with first-half goals from Lautaro Martinez and Angel Di Maria capped off …

Italy 0-3 Argentina: Messi and Martinez inspire Albiceleste to Finalissima win

Argentina made an early statement of intent ahead of the World Cup with an impressively dominant 3-0 win over Italy to win the UEFA/CONMEBOL Finalissima at Wembley. Although Italy failed to qualify for Qatar 2022, few would have expected the European champions to be so stunningly outclassed by the Copa America 2021 winners. Di Maria …

Empoli 0-2 Inter: D’Ambrosio and Dimarco strike as Nerazzurri return to form

Danilo D'Ambrosio and Federico Dimarco were on target as Inter returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over 10-man Empoli on Wednesday. Simone Inzaghi's side had stuttered in Serie A in recent weeks, losing to Lazio and drawing with Juventus before this trip to Empoli. Danilo D'Ambrosio celebrates after opening the scoring for Inter against …

Kjaer signs two-year contract extension with Milan

Simon Kjaer has penned a new two-year contract with Serie A leaders AC Milan. The extension will keep him at the Rossoneri until June 2024 after his current deal was due to run out at the end of the 2021-22 campaign. Simon Kjaer has penned a new deal at Milan The club announced Kjaer's new …

Azzurri return to the big time with a comfortable 3-0 win over Turkey

Rome (LiveScore) Italy made a commanding return to major tournament football as they opened Euro 2020 with a comfortable 3-0 win over Turkey at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Friday. The Azzurri failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup but have since rebuilt under Roberto Mancini, who appears to have transformed them into a credible …