عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Juve Beats Inter to Keep Alive CL Bid, Atalanta Qualifies

Juan Cuadrado celebrates scoring Juve's second goal. (AP)
Juan Cuadrado celebrates scoring Juve's second goal. (AP)
TT
TT

Juve Beats Inter to Keep Alive CL Bid, Atalanta Qualifies

Juan Cuadrado celebrates scoring Juve's second goal. (AP)
Juan Cuadrado celebrates scoring Juve's second goal. (AP)

Juventus kept alive its Champions League qualification hopes by winning at Serie A champion Inter Milan 3-2 on Saturday, when Atalanta clinched a place in Europe’s premier competition.

Atalanta consolidated second place in the Italian league beating Genoa 4-3 and can no longer finish outside the top four.

Juan Cuadrado scored twice for Juventus, converting a clinching penalty kick in the 88th minute. Juventus rose to fourth ahead of its final game at Bologna next weekend.

Napoli, two points behind, still has two games to play.

Juventus will be hoping for a favor from Fiorentina against Napoli on Sunday.

Roma defeated city rival Lazio 2-0 in their derby with goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pedro. Lazio defender Francesco Acerbi was sent off late.

Also, Spezia Calcio enjoyed a 4-1 win over visiting Torino.

Atalanta’s brilliant achievement
Atalanta qualified for the Champions League for the third consecutive year despite a much smaller budget than its illustrious rivals.

Duvan Zapata got the visitors off to a fine start in the ninth minute and kept the ball in play to set up Ruslan Malinovskyi in the 26th. Robin Gosens made it 3-0 before the break.

Eldor Shomurodov pulled one back for Genoa, followed three minutes later by Mario Pasalic restoring Atalanta’s three-goal lead.

Gosens conceded a penalty for handball – converted by Goran Pandev in the 67th – and Shomurodov’s second goal in the 84th ensured a nervy finale, but Atalanta held on.

Juve digs deep
Antonio Conte’s Inter squad had already ended Juventus’ record run of nine straight Serie A titles, and it could have ended his former team’s chances of reaching the Champions League.

Referee Gianpaolo Calvarese had a busy game, awarding three penalties and relying on VAR for assistance.

But there was no VAR check for the deciding penalty late on – awarded when Cuadrado fell after running into the retreating Ivan Perisic.

The first spot kick was awarded to Juventus through VAR, which showed Matteo Darmian holding back Giorgio Chiellini with his arm. Cristiano Ronaldo took his second chance from the rebound in the 24th after a poor first effort.

The Inter visitors equalized through another penalty, converted by Romelu Lukaku in the 35th, after Calvarese checked video replays that showed Lautaro Martinez falling under Matthijs de Ligt’s contact.

Cuadrado restored Juve’s lead with a deflected shot before the break.

Inter was given a boost in the 55th when Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off for his second yellow card for a foul on Lukaku.

Martinez thought he equalized with a spectacular overhead kick but the goal was ruled out for an apparent foul on the wily Chiellini. TV replays showed there was minimal contact from Lukaku.

Chiellini was again in the spotlight when he bundled the ball into his own net under pressure from Lukaku in the 83rd. Calvarese initially awarded the Italy defender a free kick, then showed him a yellow card and awarded the goal after checking replays.

Cuadrado fell, then stayed cool to keep Juventus' qualification hopes alive with the decisive penalty.

Both sides finished with 10 men when Marcelo Brozovic was sent off with his second yellow card in injury time.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Nadal Says Las Vegas Event Will Test Body After Pain-Free Retirement

Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Real Sociedad - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - September 17, 2023 Tennis player Rafael Nadal in the stands before the match. (Reuters)
Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Real Sociedad - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - September 17, 2023 Tennis player Rafael Nadal in the stands before the match. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Nadal Says Las Vegas Event Will Test Body After Pain-Free Retirement

Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Real Sociedad - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - September 17, 2023 Tennis player Rafael Nadal in the stands before the match. (Reuters)
Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Real Sociedad - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - September 17, 2023 Tennis player Rafael Nadal in the stands before the match. (Reuters)

Former world number one Rafa Nadal is enjoying life after tennis and is largely free of the daily pain that marked the final years of his career, but says an upcoming Las Vegas exhibition will test whether his body can again withstand serious preparation.

Nadal, who retired from professional tennis two years ago, has stepped up his training ahead of February's MGM Slam while juggling business commitments and family life with his two young children.

"Life is treating me well," Nadal told Reuters from his home in Mallorca, Spain.

"I'm enjoying this new chapter, travelling more than expected, working more than I expected, to tell you the truth, but in a good way."

The 22-times Grand Slam ‌champion said he ‌had been concerned about his physical condition after retirement, having endured years ‌of ⁠injuries and pain ⁠during his career.

"After two years of being retired, I can say that most of the time I am in good shape," Nadal said. "I am not going through a lot of pain on a daily basis, something that for me is very important because I suffered enough for so many years."

The Spaniard said the chance to return to the court in Las Vegas appealed because he knew the venue and organizers, though he had to think carefully before agreeing to play.

"For me it will be a test ⁠that will tell me things, so let's see," he said. "I am just ‌excited to be back on court in front of ‌an amazing crowd."

Nadal also competed at the event in 2024 where he faced Carlos Alcaraz.

FEDERER FRIENDSHIP

Organizers have yet ‌to reveal the rest of the field, but Nadal did not rule out playing with or ‌against longtime rival and close friend Roger Federer at the MGM Slam or another exhibition.

"We talk very often," Nadal said of Federer. "If we find the right place, the right moment, I think we'll be excited to play against each other, or to play together in doubles."

Turning to the current generation, Nadal singled out Alcaraz and ‌Jannik Sinner as the young players he would most have liked to face more often.

He also praised the potential of American Ben Shelton, ⁠though he said the ⁠US Open runner-up was not yet fully consistent.

Nadal cautioned against comparing Alcaraz and Sinner's developing rivalry with the era defined by his matches against Federer and Novak Djokovic.

"They need time. They need to create their own stories," Nadal said. "They are doing amazing things in terms of results. Let's give them time."

GRUELING TENNIS SCHEDULE

Alcaraz and Sinner both missed significant periods through injury this season, while three of the year's four Grand Slam tournaments were played in brutally hot conditions.

Nadal reiterated his long-held concerns about the demands of the men's tennis calendar, particularly the number of mandatory tournaments and the prevalence of hardcourt events.

"The problem is not how long is the calendar," Nadal said. "The problem is how long is the calendar in terms of mandatory tournaments."

He said players should have greater freedom to skip events without suffering a substantial rankings penalty and suggested that tournaments after the US Open could be reduced or count towards the following season.

The MGM Slam will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on February 28.

Sports

Bayern Show Steel to Underline Champions League Credentials

Bayern's Lennart Karl, third from right, scores the opening goal past Atletico Madrid's goalkeeper Jan Oblak, second from right, during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (AP)
Bayern's Lennart Karl, third from right, scores the opening goal past Atletico Madrid's goalkeeper Jan Oblak, second from right, during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (AP)
TT
TT

Bayern Show Steel to Underline Champions League Credentials

Bayern's Lennart Karl, third from right, scores the opening goal past Atletico Madrid's goalkeeper Jan Oblak, second from right, during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (AP)
Bayern's Lennart Karl, third from right, scores the opening goal past Atletico Madrid's goalkeeper Jan Oblak, second from right, during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (AP)

Bayern Munich strengthened their ‌case as Champions League contenders with Tuesday's 2-0 victory at Atletico Madrid, combining defensive discipline with clinical finishing at the stadium that will host the final in June.

Facing a determined Diego Simeone side and a partisan crowd, the Bundesliga champions produced a controlled performance despite missing several attacking players and manager Vincent Kompany, who is recovering after collapsing at training.

Bayern had drawn 2-2 with Arsenal and 3-3 against Viking in their previous two European matches, leaving victory important ‌to their prospects ‌of finishing in the top eight of ‌the ⁠league phase and ⁠qualifying directly for the last 16.

Last season's semi-finalists Atletico were on a nine-game unbeaten run which included eight wins, but struggled to create clear chances against a compact Bayern defense.

Bayern had conceded at least four goals across the two legs in each of their last four Champions League eliminations, ⁠but their defensive cohesion allowed them to ‌control the game until Lennart ‌Karl capitalized on a Robin Le Normand error to open the ‌scoring.

"The way we defended together as a group to ‌get the clean sheet, we were really pleased with the whole team performance," Bayern assistant manager Aaron Danks told a press conference.

"Tonight was about the collective group, about the spirit of this ‌group, to come together in adversity and get a result in a difficult ground."

Harry Kane's ⁠pass and ⁠the power of Konrad Laimer's finish stood out in Bayern's second goal, but it was their coordinated pressing that forced Atletico into surrendering possession in a dangerous area.

Without relying on decisive individual performances or fluid attacking play, Bayern kept the Spanish side at bay with relative ease.

Led by Ballon d'Or holder Kane, Bayern possess a squad capable of competing with Europe's leading sides.

Paris St Germain's blend of attacking quality and collective discipline has been central to their two Champions League triumphs and Bayern showed at the Metropolitano that they also have the cohesion needed to challenge.

Sports

Man Utd Fightback Can Be ‘Start of Something Good’, Says Fernandes

Bruno Fernandes (R) of Manchester United scores 1-2 goal from penalty spot during the UEFA Champions League league phase match Manchester United against AS Roma, in Manchester, Britain, 03 November 2026. (EPA)
Bruno Fernandes (R) of Manchester United scores 1-2 goal from penalty spot during the UEFA Champions League league phase match Manchester United against AS Roma, in Manchester, Britain, 03 November 2026. (EPA)
TT
TT

Man Utd Fightback Can Be ‘Start of Something Good’, Says Fernandes

Bruno Fernandes (R) of Manchester United scores 1-2 goal from penalty spot during the UEFA Champions League league phase match Manchester United against AS Roma, in Manchester, Britain, 03 November 2026. (EPA)
Bruno Fernandes (R) of Manchester United scores 1-2 goal from penalty spot during the UEFA Champions League league phase match Manchester United against AS Roma, in Manchester, Britain, 03 November 2026. (EPA)

Bruno Fernandes said a rally from 2-0 down to beat Roma in the Champions League can turn around Manchester United's season as he took aim at "lies" about his relationship with under-fire manager Michael Carrick.

Fernandes kickstarted the Red Devils' fightback after a miserable first half at Old Trafford threatened to extend a nine-game winless run.

The Portuguese midfielder scored from the penalty spot at the second attempt after being handed a reprieve by encroachment from a Roma defender when his first effort was saved.

Matheus Cunha then struck twice in the final 10 minutes to complete the comeback and get United's Champions League campaign back on track after defeats to Atletico Madrid and Como.

"Fans want to win games. They've been used to seeing this club winning trophies, winning games every week and for them it's been so frustrating to see the club in this situation," Fernandes told Amazon Prime.

"But I just want to make everyone aware that we are all frustrated with the situation at the moment. We all want to get out of this and hopefully this win today gives the start of something good for us."

Fernandes took aim at Carrick's tactics after the 4-1 defeat to Como earlier in the league phase and was subsequently dropped for a 3-0 loss at home to Bournemouth.

Last season's Premier League player of the year was restored to the side against Chelsea on Saturday in a 2-0 defeat that left United above the relegation zone only on goal difference.

"It's been tough, there's been a lot of speculation in the media, a lot of lies around many things that have happened in this club between me and the manager," he added.

"The manager took a decision of making myself be on the bench because I wasn't performing. That's fair. Everyone felt that that was a punishment for the words that I had and, if it was, it was right, the manager is the one that makes the decisions, I have to accept them.

"I have to go forward with that, it doesn't change the belief I have on the manager and on the staff and every player that is in this club."

When asked if the Roma fightback should be a turning point in United's season, Fernandes replied: "It should be."