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Juventus Could Force Virus-Hit Napoli to Forfeit Match

Fans watch the teams line up prior to the start of the Serie A match between Parma and Napoli at the Ennio Tardini stadium in Parma Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. (AP)
Fans watch the teams line up prior to the start of the Serie A match between Parma and Napoli at the Ennio Tardini stadium in Parma Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. (AP)
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Juventus Could Force Virus-Hit Napoli to Forfeit Match

Fans watch the teams line up prior to the start of the Serie A match between Parma and Napoli at the Ennio Tardini stadium in Parma Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. (AP)
Fans watch the teams line up prior to the start of the Serie A match between Parma and Napoli at the Ennio Tardini stadium in Parma Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. (AP)

Napoli could be forced to forfeit its Serie A match at Juventus on Sunday.

Defending champion Juventus issued a statement Saturday saying its players will go onto the field for the game against Napoli despite its opponents reportedly being banned from traveling because of coronavirus cases.

Serie A's governing body also said on Saturday night that the match was still scheduled to go ahead the following evening.

This could force Napoli to forfeit the match 3-0.

Two Napoli players have tested positive for COVID-19 and Italian media reported that local health authorities prohibited the team from traveling on Saturday and ordered the team and staff to self-isolate.

Sunday’s match in Turin has not been officially postponed and the Italian league’s protocol for COVID cases is the same as UEFA rules. If a team has 13 available players, including at least one goalkeeper, the game can go ahead.

“Juventus Football Club announces that the First Team will take to the field for the Juventus-Napoli match tomorrow at 20:45, as foreseen by the Serie A League calendar,” read a statement by Juventus on its website and social media channels.

Napoli midfielder Eljif Elmas tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, just a day after teammate Piotr Zielinski and a squad staff member tested positive.

There has been constant testing at the club after Napoli played Genoa last weekend. More than 20 Genoa players and staff members have tested positive.

Genoa’s match at Torino on Saturday had already been postponed.

Juventus has reported that two staff members have coronavirus but that “these are neither players nor members of the technical or medical staff.”

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Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal Advances to Club World Cup Round of 16 with 2-0 Win over Pachuca

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JUNE 26: Salem Aldawsari #29 of Al Hilal celebrates his team's first goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group H match between Al Hilal and CF Pachuca at GEODIS Park on June 26, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. Alex Grimm/Getty Images/AFP
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JUNE 26: Salem Aldawsari #29 of Al Hilal celebrates his team's first goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group H match between Al Hilal and CF Pachuca at GEODIS Park on June 26, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. Alex Grimm/Getty Images/AFP
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Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal Advances to Club World Cup Round of 16 with 2-0 Win over Pachuca

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JUNE 26: Salem Aldawsari #29 of Al Hilal celebrates his team's first goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group H match between Al Hilal and CF Pachuca at GEODIS Park on June 26, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. Alex Grimm/Getty Images/AFP
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JUNE 26: Salem Aldawsari #29 of Al Hilal celebrates his team's first goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group H match between Al Hilal and CF Pachuca at GEODIS Park on June 26, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. Alex Grimm/Getty Images/AFP

Salem Aldawsari scored in the 22nd minute and Al Hilal beat Pachuca 2-0 on Thursday night to clinch a berth in the Club World Cup round of 16.

Marcus Leonardo also scored for Al Hilal, the only team outside Europe and the Americas to advance out of group play.

Al Hilal will next face English club Manchester City on Monday in Orlando, Florida.
Aldawsari, attacking from the left, scored with the ball bouncing off his right foot and soaring over the head of Pachuca goalie Sebastian Jurado to the right side of the goal.

The game drew 14,147 to Geodis Park, which has a capacity of 30,000, The Associated Press reported.

As Pachuca kept trying to keep the pace up, Leonardo scored his first goal of the tournament in the last minute of extra time, dribbling swiftly past Jurado and sending a left-footed shot in to secure Al Hilal's spot in the round of 16.

Al Hilal is the second team from Group H to move on, as Real Madrid clinched through a 3-0 victory against RB Salzburg.

Pachuca ended the tournament winless.

“Every player wants to score, my goal was ambitious, and scoring was the cherry on top,” said Aldawsari.

Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi said: "Our goal was to achieve (being in) the group of the best teams in the world.

"It was not an easy task, but the team was well united. It fought during the three games for a great objective ... we were not coming here just to have fun, we were coming here to play a World Cup and we wanted to reach this stage.

"Now we'll have to play against Manchester City ... it's one of the greatest teams in the world. These are the games where you can improve and you can mature as a team, so I'm very proud."