Category: Italy Serie A

City erupts in ecstasy as Atalanta’s victory over Roma returned Bologna to Europe’s top table for the first time in 60 years

Alessio De Giuseppe hopped into the passenger seat of Riccardo Orsolini’s car without stopping to check where it was headed. The Dazn reporter had been waiting outside Bologna’s training ground, hoping to speak with players after their qualification to next season’s Champions League was confirmed by Atalanta’s 2-1 win over Roma on Sunday night. Orsolini pulled out of the gates and gestured for him to get in. Like a hitchhiker with no fixed destination, De Giuseppe climbed in first and asked questions later.

This scene unfolded live on TV, rendered more surreal by the camera cutting back not only to Dazn’s panel of analysts in the studio but also to images of a laughing Cesc Fàbregas in a white jacket. The former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea midfielder was joining the show via a separate video call to speak about his work helping Como to get promoted to Serie A.

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• Bundesliga champions win 5-0 at Bochum
• Paris Saint-Germain stunned at home by Toulouse

The Bundesliga champions, Bayer Leverkusen, crushed hosts Bochum 5-0 on Sunday to stretch their unbeaten run across all competitions to 50 matches.

Last Thursday Xabi Alonso’s team, aiming for a treble of titles, surpassed Benfica’s longstanding European unbeaten record set from 1963 to 1965 with a 2-2 draw against Roma that sent them through to the Europa League final.

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• Granada 0-4 Real Madrid, Mainz 3-0 Borussia Dortmund
• Napoli 0-2 Bologna, Milan 5-1 Cagliari

Real Madrid earned an emphatic 4-0 win over relegated Granada, extending their unbeaten league run to 28 games – while their upcoming Champions League final opponents, Borussia Dortmund, slipped to a 3-0 defeat at Mainz.

Carlo Ancelotti made a number of changes from the Champions League semi-final win over Bayern Munich, but the La Liga winners continued their relentless form. Fran García broke the deadlock after a passing move in the 38th minute, then set up Arda Guler to double Real’s advantage just before half-time.

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Neroverdi have a reputation for running a tight ship but face a struggle to stay up despite doubling up against Internazionale

This was one of those results that felt like an instant piece of sports trivia, future material for the writers of football-themed pub quizzes. “In 2023-24, Inter won their 20th league title with a dominant league campaign in which they only lost two games. Which opponents beat them?” A trick question, as both defeats were to the same team. And an unlikely answer: Sassuolo, who are on course for relegation.

We might be getting ahead of ourselves. There are still three games left in this Serie A campaign, time enough for Internazionale to lose again, or Sassuolo to steer themselves to safety. Still, it will always be a peculiar truth that Simone Inzaghi’s formidable team had a 28-game unbeaten run sandwiched by slip-ups against one of the worst sides in the division.

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Club are in the Coppa Italia final, the Europa League semis and battling for Champions League football in a remarkable season

What was the precise moment that Gian Piero Gasperini allowed himself to start believing? Was it at Anfield, watching Mario Pasalic casually side-foot home the goal that put Atalanta 3-0 ahead against Liverpool? Or during the second leg in Bergamo, seeing his team glide through the final 45 minutes of the tie without any truly nervy moments despite Mo Salah’s first-half penalty?

Perhaps it was only after the referee’s whistle had confirmed Atalanta’s place in the semi-final. Not until Sunday did we hear him acknowledge it publicly. “At this moment, the Europa League is the objective we are holding too most tightly,” said Gasperini at the end of a 2-0 Serie A win over Empoli. “We need to stay focused though. Marseille are a strong team.”

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• Harry Kane scores twice to take total to career-best 42 goals
• Bayer Leverkusen grab dramatic 2-2 draw with Stuttgart

Harry Kane scored once in either half to guide Bayern Munich to a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday and a welcome boost before Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid.

The Bavarians, who saw Bayer Leverkusen end their 11-year-Bundesliga reign by securing the league crown two weeks ago, have only the Champions League left to fight for with departing coach Thomas Tuchel eager to leave on a high note.

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• Lopetegui was one of frontrunners to replace David Moyes
• Former Wolves manager more attracted by chance to join Milan

Milan are close to appointing Julen Lopetegui, which puts him out of the running to replace David Moyes as West Ham’s manager.

Lopetegui was one of the frontrunners for the West Ham job, which is expected to become vacant when Moyes’s deal expires at the end of the season. But Milan are also looking to make a managerial change and they are poised to name the Spaniard as Stefano Pioli’s replacement. Lopetegui is more attracted by the chance to join the Italian giants.

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Simone Inzaghi’s thrilling tactics have seen Nerazzurri pull clear of their city rivals – and the rest of the Italian top flight

How else could it end but like this: tempers boiling over and the red card being shown to one player after another as Inter sealed their 20th league title with a win over neighbours Milan? Denzel Dumfries and Théo Hernández were first to be sent off after squaring up in midfield at the start of injury time. Milan’s Davide Calabria followed moments later for throwing a forearm into the face of Davide Frattesi at a corner.

And then the final whistle went, transforming a ruck into revelry as the rest of Inter’s players and staff rushed from the dugout to join their colleagues on San Siro’s pitch. They carried giant Scudetto shields displaying the No 20 against the colours of the Italian flag. The two Milan clubs began this season tied on 19 league titles apiece. Now Inter will be the first to affix a second gold star to their club badge.

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Internazionale clinched their 20th Serie A title by beating Milan in a feisty derby at San Siro, giving Simone Inzaghi’s side an unassailable lead in the standings. A goal from Francesco Acerbi and Marcus Thuram in each half proved sufficient to secure Inter’s victory, with Fikayo Tomori scoring late in the game to reduce the deficit.

The match also featured three red cards in stoppage time, with Milan being reduced to nine men as tensions flared. Theo Hernández and Davide Calabria got their marching orders along with Inter’s Denzel Dumfries.

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