Milik Scrambles in Juventus’ Winner for 1-0 Victory over Previously Unbeaten Lecce in Serie A

 Juventus' Polish forward #14 Arkadiusz Milik (R) celebrates with teammates after winning the Italian Serie A football match Juventus vs Lecce at the “Allianz Stadium” in Turin on September 26, 2023. (AFP)
Juventus' Polish forward #14 Arkadiusz Milik (R) celebrates with teammates after winning the Italian Serie A football match Juventus vs Lecce at the “Allianz Stadium” in Turin on September 26, 2023. (AFP)
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Milik Scrambles in Juventus’ Winner for 1-0 Victory over Previously Unbeaten Lecce in Serie A

 Juventus' Polish forward #14 Arkadiusz Milik (R) celebrates with teammates after winning the Italian Serie A football match Juventus vs Lecce at the “Allianz Stadium” in Turin on September 26, 2023. (AFP)
Juventus' Polish forward #14 Arkadiusz Milik (R) celebrates with teammates after winning the Italian Serie A football match Juventus vs Lecce at the “Allianz Stadium” in Turin on September 26, 2023. (AFP)

Arkadiusz Milik scored for Juventus to beat Lecce 1-0 on Tuesday and deal the visitors their first Serie A loss of the season.

Federico Chiesa missed the only real chance in a forgettable first half for Juventus, which emerged with more vigor after the break.

Milik made the breakthrough in the 57th minute when he emerged at the back post to convert from close range after Adrien Rabiot headed on Weston McKennie’s cross. A VAR check confirmed the Poland striker was onside.

Lecce was one of only two remaining teams along with Inter Milan to remain unbeaten after the opening five rounds, but the visitors lacked the attacking threat to trouble Juve’s well-organized defense.

Nikola Krstović went closest for Lecce when he fired wide in the 76th.

Lecce’s Mohamed Kaba was sent off with a second yellow card for what the referee felt was a dive in injury time. Replays suggested the French forward wasn’t looking for a penalty and simply fell in a tussle for the ball.

Juventus slumped to a 4-2 defeat at struggling Sassuolo on Saturday after making three glaring errors and the home team was careful not to risk giving away any more goals on Tuesday. The win lifted the “Old Lady” to second, two points behind Inter, which hosts Sassuolo on Wednesday.



PSG Coach Faces Crucial Month in Fight for Champions League Survival

Players of PSG celebrate their 3-0 victory over FC Salzburg at the end of a Champions League opening phase soccer match in Salzburg, Austria, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Players of PSG celebrate their 3-0 victory over FC Salzburg at the end of a Champions League opening phase soccer match in Salzburg, Austria, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
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PSG Coach Faces Crucial Month in Fight for Champions League Survival

Players of PSG celebrate their 3-0 victory over FC Salzburg at the end of a Champions League opening phase soccer match in Salzburg, Austria, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Players of PSG celebrate their 3-0 victory over FC Salzburg at the end of a Champions League opening phase soccer match in Salzburg, Austria, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

January could be a crucial month in determining Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique's future at the club.
While runaway league leader PSG is unbeaten in domestic competition heading into Sunday's Trophée des Champions (the French super cup) against Monaco, it is a far different story in the Champions League.
Three defeats in the new-look group format have left PSG in a perilous position, and the ambitious Qatari-backed club faces the threat of elimination.
With only two games remaining PSG is in a dismal 25th place out of 36 teams, with the bottom 12 all going out.
PSG next faces 2023 champion Manchester City at home on Jan. 22 before traveling to play German club Stuttgart the following week.
Those would already be tough games, but they are made even more difficult given the fact that City and Stuttgart are similarly in danger and need victories. City is one point ahead of PSG with eight points and Stuttgart is level on seven.
Stuttgart's penultimate game is against Slovan Bratislava — which has lost all six matches so far and conceded 21 goals — and so victory there would put it ahead of PSG going into the final round, if Enrique's side fails to beat City.
City is struggling to defend its Premier League title and European success could prove coach Pep Guardiola's salvation, so the PSG game is massive for the club.
Defeat may prove costly for Enrique, who is PSG's eighth manager since Qatari investors QSI bought the club in 2011. In that time, Carlo Ancelotti is the only coach not to be sacked, leaving for Real Madrid in 2013.
The hire-and-fire approach is unlikely to spare Enrique if he suffers the crushing humiliation of being knocked out of the new giant group-stage format of the Champions League — where eight sides qualify directly and 16 reach the knockout phase playoffs.
Modest Lille and tournament newcomers Brest are both in the top eight while 2004 runner-up Monaco is 16th, leaving PSG last among the French clubs.
Whatever PSG achieves in France — with the Ligue 1 and French Cup double a possibility — Enrique will be judged on what happens in Europe's elite competition.