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.



Champions League Semis: Barcelona-Inter Revives Memories of 2010 Epic and Arsenal Hosts PSG 

Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho, of Portugal, reacts after a Champions League semifinal match, second leg, between Barcelona and Inter Milan, at the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona, Spain, on April 28, 2010. (AP)
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho, of Portugal, reacts after a Champions League semifinal match, second leg, between Barcelona and Inter Milan, at the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona, Spain, on April 28, 2010. (AP)
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Champions League Semis: Barcelona-Inter Revives Memories of 2010 Epic and Arsenal Hosts PSG 

Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho, of Portugal, reacts after a Champions League semifinal match, second leg, between Barcelona and Inter Milan, at the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona, Spain, on April 28, 2010. (AP)
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho, of Portugal, reacts after a Champions League semifinal match, second leg, between Barcelona and Inter Milan, at the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona, Spain, on April 28, 2010. (AP)

The free-flowing attack of Barcelona comes up against the rugged, smothering defense of Inter Milan in the Champions League semifinals.

Ring any bells?

Go back to 2010 — when Lamine Yamal was not even 3 years old and Lionel Messi was close to his prime — and Camp Nou was the scene of one of the most memorable matches in Champions League history, between the same teams going head-to-head there again on Wednesday.

Protecting a 3-1 lead from the first leg, Inter — coached at the time by Jose Mourinho — delivered a defensive masterclass against Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona to survive with 10 men for more than an hour and lose just 1-0 to progress to the title match.

Memories will come flooding back ahead of the rematch this week, especially with the two protagonists owning the same traits as 15 years ago.

Barcelona is back in the Champions League semifinals for the first time since the 2018-19 season, on the back of by far the best attack in the new-look, 36-team league stage. With Yamal, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski up front, Barca scored 28 goals in eight games — and has netted nine more goals in eliminating Benfica and Borussia Dortmund in the knockouts.

Then there’s Inter, the Italian champion, which conceded just once in eight games in the first stage and held on grimly to oust Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.

Inter won the 2010 final, against Bayern, for a third European Cup title so its run toward the final this season has echoes of that title-winning campaign.

Arsenal vs. Paris

Saint-Germain While the Barcelona-Inter Milan semifinal is awash with history, this one seems relatively fresh.

Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain have met just three times in the Champions League and never in the knockout stage. One of those occasions was this season, when Arsenal won 2-0 at Emirates Stadium.

And it’s at home that the Gunners play on Tuesday in the first leg, hoping to reproduce the exploits that saw them beat defending champion Real Madrid in both legs in the quarterfinals.

Their opponents, however, are aiming to eliminate an English opponent for the third straight round, after seeing off Liverpool and — less impressively — Aston Villa.

With its “galacticos” — Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Messi — long gone, PSG is bidding to win a first Champions League title by going with talented up-and-coming players instead.

Arsenal is also striving to become European champion for the first time, having not reached the semis since 2009.