Juventus regained the Serie A lead after Alessandro del Piero scored a late free-kick on his 700th appearance for the club to seal a 2-1 home win over SS Lazio on Wednesday.
AC Milan had beaten Chievo Verona 1-0 on Tuesday to throw down the gauntlet to their rivals, but Juve went a point clear after a hard-fought game where Lazio’s Stefano Mauri had equalized Simone Pepe’s opener.
“We are in the final stages of the battle, we won’t give up and neither will they,” Del Piero told Sky. “I feel fine in the head and in my legs, and I’m just thinking about the next game.”
Photo: EPA
Six games remain in one of the closest title run-ins in Italy for many years, while the defeat for third-placed Lazio opened up the battle for the Champions League qualifying berth.
AS Roma beat fourth-placed Udinese 3-1 to go four points behind Lazio, while Napoli lost 3-1 at home to Atalanta BC and Inter beat AC Siena 2-1 thanks to Diego Milito’s San Siro double.
Inter are now level with Napoli in a potential final Europa League spot as new coach Andrea Stramaccioni won for the second time in his three games in charge and Napoli failed to win for the fifth straight time in the league.
Juventus dominated at their eponymous stadium and were unlucky to go in level at the break having carved out several chances, with Pepe scoring on the turn from Andrea Pirlo’s pass on 30 minutes after missing an easier opportunity moments -earlier.
Mauri scored with a header on the stroke of halftime to give champions Milan hope they would stay top going into the weekend, but 37-year-old Del Piero, mainly a substitute these days and with his future up in the air, netted eight minutes from time.
Lazio goalkeeper Federico Marchetti could perhaps have done better to save the trademark free-kick, but Juve fans did not care as their evergreen hero dug them out of a hole yet again.
In other results, bottom side Cesena are almost down after a 1-1 draw at Genoa, second-bottom Novara Calcio also look doomed following a 2-0 loss at Parma.
Lecce, who occupy the other relegation place, boosted their hopes of survival and cut the gap to Genoa to two points with a 2-1 victory at fading Catania.
Fiorentina and Palermo played out a goalless draw.
Additional reporting by staff writer
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
Taiwanese sprinter Chen Yi-cen on Friday won the silver medal in the women’s 400m final at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, with a time of 53.16 seconds. Chen, 15, was the youngest among the eight finalists, and her performance also met the qualifying standard of 53.50 seconds for the Nagoya Asian Games in Japan in September and October. Chen first made her mark at the National Games in Tainan in 2023, at the age of 13, winning the women’s 400m final in 55.55 seconds to become the youngest gold medalist in the history of the event. Meanwhile,
Liverpool are in advanced talks with former AFC Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola as they seek a replacement for Arne Slot, reports said on Tuesday. Iraola has emerged as Liverpool’s top target to replace Slot, who was sacked on Saturday last week after a turbulent second season in charge. Liverpool have reportedly agreed a deal in principle to bring the Spaniard, who left Bournemouth at the end of this season, to Anfield. Sporting director Richard Hughes was heavily involved in hiring Iraola during his time at Bournemouth and is again spearheading the recruitment of the highly rated coach. The Reds are
RSS