Inzaghi Takes Another Step Toward His 1st Serie a Title as Inter Beats Juventus to Go 4 Points Clear 

(From L) Inter Milan's Dutch defender #02 Denzel Dumfries, Austrian forward #08 Marko Arnautovic, Argentine forward #10 Lautaro Martinez, French defender #28 Benjamin Pavard and Italian defender #95 Alessandro Bastoni celebrate their team's 1-0 victory after winning the Serie A football match between Inter Milan and Juventus at the San Siro stadium in Milan, on February 4, 2024. (AFP)
(From L) Inter Milan's Dutch defender #02 Denzel Dumfries, Austrian forward #08 Marko Arnautovic, Argentine forward #10 Lautaro Martinez, French defender #28 Benjamin Pavard and Italian defender #95 Alessandro Bastoni celebrate their team's 1-0 victory after winning the Serie A football match between Inter Milan and Juventus at the San Siro stadium in Milan, on February 4, 2024. (AFP)
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Inzaghi Takes Another Step Toward His 1st Serie a Title as Inter Beats Juventus to Go 4 Points Clear 

(From L) Inter Milan's Dutch defender #02 Denzel Dumfries, Austrian forward #08 Marko Arnautovic, Argentine forward #10 Lautaro Martinez, French defender #28 Benjamin Pavard and Italian defender #95 Alessandro Bastoni celebrate their team's 1-0 victory after winning the Serie A football match between Inter Milan and Juventus at the San Siro stadium in Milan, on February 4, 2024. (AFP)
(From L) Inter Milan's Dutch defender #02 Denzel Dumfries, Austrian forward #08 Marko Arnautovic, Argentine forward #10 Lautaro Martinez, French defender #28 Benjamin Pavard and Italian defender #95 Alessandro Bastoni celebrate their team's 1-0 victory after winning the Serie A football match between Inter Milan and Juventus at the San Siro stadium in Milan, on February 4, 2024. (AFP)

Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi took a potentially decisive step toward his first Serie A title on Sunday.

An own-goal by Bianconeri defender Federico Gatti in chaotic circumstances was enough to hand league leader Inter a 1-0 win in the Derby d’Italia and lift it four points above second-place Juventus.

Both teams were eager to highlight that nothing would be decided at San Siro, with 15 rounds remaining, but Inter has a game in hand — at home to Atalanta on Feb. 28 — and Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus will now also be nervously looking over its shoulder, with AC Milan only four points behind.

Inter started brighter on Sunday and should have taken the lead in the 25th minute. Hakan Çalhanoğlu played a wonderful, crossfield ball over the top to Federico Dimarco and he crossed for Marcus Thuram, who appeared to be through on goal before a perfectly timed, last-ditch tackle from Bremer.

Juventus went as close at the other end shortly after as Weston McKennie strode downfield before passing to an unmarked Dušan Vlahović but the in-form forward’s first touch was horrible, allowing Benjamin Pavard to get in the block for a corner.

Inter took the lead eight minutes from the break. Nicolò Barella whipped in a cross from the right. Pavard missed the ball with an overhead kick and it went through to Thuram for an attempted diving header but instead it bounced in off Gatti’s chest.

Inter started the second half just as it had begun the first and Dimarco drilled narrowly wide of the post before Çalhanoğlu thumped the right upright.

Juventus also had chances to level in an end-to-end second period and Vlahović's overhead kick went narrowly over the bar.

FIGHT FOR FOURTH

Charles De Ketelaere is finally showing the form that saw AC Milan shell out over 30 million euros ($32 million) on the Belgian youngster.

De Ketelaere never fulfilled his promise at Milan and was loaned to Atalanta for this season. He scored two goals on Sunday to help Atalanta beat rival Lazio 3-1 and consolidate fourth spot.

The 22-year-old converted a penalty in the first half and showed his confidence in the second with a delicious feint past his marker before driving a shot into the bottom near corner to put Atalanta 3-0 up.

That took De Ketelaere’s tally to seven in his past nine matches. He didn’t score at all for Milan last season.

Mario Pašalić scored the opener for a dominant Atalanta side. Lazio was looking to replace Atalanta in fourth but didn’t really get into gear until the final 10 minutes, with Ciro Immobile converting a penalty in the 84th.

It is a tight battle for fourth and Atalanta moved three points above Bologna and four above Roma and Napoli, with Fiorentina and Lazio a point further back.

Napoli kept up the pressure as two late goals saw it fight back to win 2-1 at home to relegation-threatened Hellas Verona, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia netting the winner three minutes from time.

Diego Coppola had headed the visitors in front in the 72nd but Verona was undone seven minutes later by a former player as Cyril Ngonge — who only left the club last month — saw a shot deflected into the back of the net. Ngonge didn’t celebrate and it later went down as an own-goal by Verona defender Paweł Dawidowicz.

Also, bottom club Salernitana drew 0-0 at Torino.



Barcelona Out to Prove Clasico Superiority in Copa del Rey Final

Barcelona's Brazilian forward Raphinha and Lamine Yamal have been decisive for the Catalan giants this season. Josep LAGO / AFP
Barcelona's Brazilian forward Raphinha and Lamine Yamal have been decisive for the Catalan giants this season. Josep LAGO / AFP
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Barcelona Out to Prove Clasico Superiority in Copa del Rey Final

Barcelona's Brazilian forward Raphinha and Lamine Yamal have been decisive for the Catalan giants this season. Josep LAGO / AFP
Barcelona's Brazilian forward Raphinha and Lamine Yamal have been decisive for the Catalan giants this season. Josep LAGO / AFP

Hansi Flick's Barcelona are closing in on a potential quadruple this season but blocking their path are eternal rivals Real Madrid.

Although the Catalan giants, also in the Champions League semi-finals, are widely considered the best team in Spain at the moment, Carlo Ancelotti's faltering Los Blancos could claim both domestic titles still on the line.

Madrid trail leaders Barca by four points in La Liga, with another Clasico to come in May, but first the Spanish giants butt heads in Seville on Saturday in the Copa del Rey final.

Flick's Barcelona have emphatically bested Madrid on the two prior occasions they have met this season, first winning 4-0 in La Liga at the Santiago Bernabeu in October.

Then Barca dismantled Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia in January, roaring to a 5-2 victory to claim the first trophy of the Flick era.

Barcelona outplayed Madrid in both games but their German coach had nothing but praise for his Italian counterpart.

"Real Madrid has an incredible team and one of the best coaches in the world... He (Ancelotti) has won everything," said Flick on Tuesday.

"He's a gentleman... I have the highest respect.

"On Saturday, we play the final against Real Madrid and of course against Carlo."

Ancelotti will need to find ways to shut down Pedri in midfield as well as dynamic wingers Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.

Madrid have lost 12 matches this season, compared to just two across all competitions in the previous campaign.

Barcelona breezed past Real Betis and edged Atletico Madrid on the way to the final at La Cartuja stadium, their first since 2021, when they beat Athletic Bilbao.

Real Madrid, who last won the trophy in 2023, needed an extra-time goal from Antonio Rudiger to beat Real Sociedad 5-4 on aggregate in the semi-finals.

After Madrid's Champions League elimination by Arsenal earlier this month they are desperate to beat Barcelona and claim some silverware as well as restoring their pride.

Both sides have lost important players in the run-up to the game.

Barcelona are without top goalscorer Robert Lewandowski and left-back Alejandro Balde, while Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga was ruled out for the rest of the season on Thursday with a groin injury.

French superstar Kylian Mbappe missed Madrid's nervy 1-0 win at Getafe on Wednesday as he recovers from an ankle problem, but Ancelotti said he is expected to be fit to face Barca.

'Anything can happen'

Mbappe was whistled by Madrid fans during their win over Athletic Bilbao last weekend when his face appeared on the screens at the Bernabeu and he will hoping to lift his first major trophy with the club, following European Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup wins.

When Madrid have lined up with Mbappe alongside Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo sometimes the team suffers at the back.

"Maybe they are the favorites, but a final is a final and anything can happen," said Ancelotti.

"We have to defend well and I am convinced that we will defend well and have opportunities in attack."

Barcelona will likely line up with Gerard Martin at left-back replacing Balde, which is an area Madrid can exploit, perhaps through Rodrygo, although the Brazilian has not scored in his last 11 matches.

"On a statistical level he has to play because if he's not scored in all that time, well he has to sooner or later," joked Ancelotti.

"In these type of matches he always scores and I believe in him completely."

Rodrygo netted both goals as Madrid beat Osasuna to win the Copa del Rey two years ago, the club's 20th.

Barcelona are the all-time record winners on 31 triumphs, ahead of current holders Athletic Bilbao on 24, with Madrid third.