Mauro Icardi s second-half brace helped Inter seal a comfortable 2-0 win over Atalanta and climb up to second in Serie A.
Argentina striker Icardi, who scored a hat-trick in a 7-1 battering of Atalanta in last season s corresponding fixture, was denied an opener by a smart save from Etrit Berisha during a mundane first half at San Siro.
But Icardi would not be denied shortly after the break as he opened the scoring with a simple header to bring the home fans to their feet.
Inter s captain came up with the goods again on the hour with another header to essentially put the game to bed and take his tally in a prolific season up to 13 league goals, two behind Serie A s leading scorer Ciro Immobile.
The double ensured Inter took full advantage of Juventus surp…
Luuk de Jong has brought an end to his three-year spell in LaLiga with Sevilla and Barcelona by returning to PSV.
The 31-year-old joined Sevilla from PSV in 2019 and scored 19 goals in 94 appearances, including a brace in the club s 3-2 win over Inter in the 2020 Europa League final.
He joined Barcelona on loan last season and featured 29 times, but the seven goals netted were not enough to persuade Xavi s side of making a permanent move for the striker.
Rather than return to Sevilla for the 2022-23 campaign, the Netherlands international has instead re-joined Eredivisie side PSV on a three-year deal.
PSV and Sevilla both confirmed the transfer on their official websites on Saturday, with reports from Spain valuing the transfer in the region of €4mil…
Cristiano Ronaldo has beaten Lionel Messi to the Champions league top scorer award after netting twice in the final against Juventus.
Madrid beat Juve 4-1 in Cardiff on Saturday, the Portugal international getting his side s opener after 20 minutes and later scoring their third after 64.
That means Ronaldo finishes the tournament on 12 goals, one clear of Messi after the Barcelona forward did not play since the quarter-finals, when his side lost to Juve.
Ronaldo has now either won or shared the award for five consecutive seasons – a record and has six overall top scorer triumphs.
Messi is one behind on five wins. He was outright winner for four straight years from 2009-2012, before sharing the accolade in 2014-15 with Ronaldo and Barca team-mate Neymar…
Juventus stayed in contention for a fourth consecutive domestic double as Miralem Pjanic s second-half penalty sealed a 1-0 win over Atalanta, closing out a 2-0 aggregate triumph in the Coppa Italia semi-final.
It was far from plain sailing for Massimiliano Allegri s men, with Atalanta the better side early on before Alejandro Gomez struck the post, almost capitalising upon an uncharacteristic lapse from Gianluigi Buffon.
Gomez failed to convert a spot-kick in the initial encounter and saw an impressive display go unrewarded on this occasion.
Pjanic was booked in first-half stoppage time for diving in the area but, when a more clear foul was committed by Gianluca Mancini on Blaise Matuidi, he made no mistake.
Allegri will acknowledge this was not a displa…
The January transfer window set several records in the Premier League, with Chelsea s eye-watering spending spree sending shock waves across the football world.
Todd Boehly s takeover last year resulted in major acquisitions ahead of the start of this season, including Raheem Sterling, Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly, but it is the mid-season business that has really thrust the club under the spotlight.
Chelsea s spending has split the footballing world down the middle, with some concerned by the outlay and what it means for Financial Fair Play (FFP), while others praised the club s hierarchy for their determination and ambition.
Here, Stats Perform has broken down the Blues activity, the controversies and FFP impact, as well as the vast differences to Europe…
Stuttgart defender Holger Badstuber scored his first Bundesliga goal for 2,822 days against Mainz on Saturday.
The 28-year-old netted in the 53rd minute of his side s home match, heading in Dennis Aogo s corner with what proved to be the winner.
It was only Badstuber s second Bundesliga goal, his first having coming in December 2009 for Bayern Munich against Borussia Monchengladbach.
Badstuber signed a one-year deal with Bundesliga newcomers Stuttgart earlier this month after calling time on his long association with Bayern.
2822 ( ) scored his 2nd goal after 2822 days his 1st one was on December 4th 2009. Cheers.
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz)
The move saw him re-join the club of his youth after 15 years away with Bayern, where he won fi…
Barcelona hope to have new signing Dani Olmo available against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday after facing issues with registering the midfielder, coach Hansi Flick said on Friday.
Barcelona host Bilbao in their second match of the season in LaLiga, having beaten Valencia 2-1 on matchday one.
Olmo, who arrived in a €60million deal from RB Leipzig after helping Spain win Euro 2024, did not feature in that match and is yet to be registered with LaLiga.
Barcelona have faced well-documented financial issues in recent years and sanctioned Ilkay Gundogan s return to Manchester City on Friday, hoping that move will allow them to comply with the league s strict salary cap rules.
Flick hopes to receive positive news regarding Olmo s availability ahead of Saturday s…
Newcastle United are interested in signing Kalvin Phillips from Premier League rivals Manchester City in the summer transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that former Leeds United midfielder Phillips is likely to leave City in the middle of the season, and that Newcastle are keen on bringing him to St. James’ Park.
Phillips joined City from Leeds in the summer of 2022. The 27-year-old has failed to make a huge impact at the Etihad Stadium so far and has been a peripheral figure in manager Pep Guardiola’s side. The England international has made three substitute appearances in the Premier League, has made one appearance in the EFL Cup, and has played only seven minutes in the UEFA Champions League for the Citizens this campaign.
Newcastle United are e…
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insisted the decision to start Paul Pogba on the bench in Manchester United s crucial Champions League clash with RB Leipzig was made way before the game.
Pogba starred in a 3-1 win over West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday, but was left out of the team for the meeting with Bundesliga side Leipzig on Tuesday after his agent, Mino Raiola, claimed he is unhappy at United and should be sold in the next transfer window.
The outspoken Raiola told Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport that Pogba could return to Juventus as he needs a change of air .
His comments come at a crucial juncture for United, who need to take at least a point from their game against Leipzig to qualify for the last 16, with Manchester City up next in the Premier League.
Benin head coach Michel Dussuyer believes his players are equipped to chase a maiden win in the Africa Cup of Nations against Guinea-Bissau.
A brace from Mickael Franck Pote helped the Squirrels to a 2-2 draw when faced with a much-fancied Ghana side in their opening Group F match.
However, versus opponents ranked 118th in the world by FIFA, Dussuyer and his players must now deal with a weight of expectation.
All my players are ready physically and mentally to win the next match, the 60-year-old, who is in his second spell as Benin boss having led Ivory Coast s unsuccessful defence of their title at the 2017 AFCON, told a pre-match news conference.
I respect Guinea-Bissau and it won t be an easy game.
Benin are boosted by having veteran at…