Plucky Siena produced a stunning backs-to-the-wall display at the San Siro to keep the Serie A title race alive with a 2-2 draw against Inter Milan.
AS Roma edged out Atalanta 2-1 at home to cut the champions’ lead at the top to just one point meaning the championship race will go down to the final matches of the season.
Inter twice held the lead against opponents who had nothing to play for but on each occasion sloppy defending cost them.
Marco Materazzi, who scored twice in a 2-1 victory at Siena last season to seal the title for Inter, also missed a late penalty as the Tuscans frustrated their more illustrious opponents.
It means everything is riding on next weekend’s matches with both Inter and Roma playing sides fighting for their Serie A survival.
Inter will travel to Parma, who have to win to have any chance of avoiding the drop. Roma will travel to Catania, who are two points above Parma and in the last position of safety.
Inter were quickly out of the traps and center-back Materazzi saw a header thunder back off the bar in the first few minutes.
The champions did not have to wait long to break the deadlock, though, as France captain Patrick Vieira rose highest to head home Mario Balotelli’s corner.
Siena stuck to their guns and equalized just after the hour mark when Houssine Kharja threaded a neat ball through to Massimo Maccarone, who slid home a shot.
The visitors were not simply there to make up the numbers but their defense let them down again on the stroke of half-time as Vieira returned the favor to Balotelli, flicking on a header for the striker to nod home.
Inter piled on the pressure after the break looking to make the game safe but incredibly Siena came back once again.
The hosts failed to cut out a deep cross from the right and Moroccan midfielder Kharja arrived on the edge of the area to beat Julio Cesar with a precise finish.
With 15 minutes remaining Inter were gifted a penalty when Daniele Ficagna was penalized for dragging down Materazzi in the box.
It was a clear case of six of one and half a dozen of the other but justice was done when goalkeeper Alex Manniger plunged to his left to beat out Materazzi’s penalty.
In Rome, Christian Panucci gave Roma a first-half lead with a header and Daniele De Rossi doubled their advantage in the second half before Gianpaolo Bellini’s late consolation.
Livorno were relegated after losing 1-0 at home to Torino, who are now safe. Reggina, who beat Empoli 2-0, are also safe but two from Catania, who drew 1-1 at Juventus, Parma, who lost 3-1 at Fiorentina, and Empoli will join Livorno in Serie B next season.
In the race for fourth place and Champions League soccer in the next campaign, Fiorentina leap-frogged back above AC Milan due to their victory.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care