Udinese Stuns Lazio in Serie A for Only Second Win of the Year 

Udinese players celebrate at the end of a Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Udinese, at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP)
Udinese players celebrate at the end of a Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Udinese, at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP)
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Udinese Stuns Lazio in Serie A for Only Second Win of the Year 

Udinese players celebrate at the end of a Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Udinese, at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP)
Udinese players celebrate at the end of a Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Udinese, at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP)

Udinese took a big step away from the Serie A relegation zone when it beat Lazio 2-1 on the road on Monday.

Udinese’s only previous win this year was at Juventus, surprisingly. That dismal run brought it just seven points from a possible 27 and left it in 17th place, one spot above the relegation zone.

This win lifted Udinese four places to 13th. Lazio remained ninth.

All three goals came in a five-minute burst early in the second half.

Udinese took the lead after 47 minutes when Lorenzo Lucca diverted a shot from Hassane Kamara past despairing goalkeeper Ivan Provedel.

Lazio equalized two minutes later when Lautaro Giannetti turned Mattia Zaccagni’s cut back into his own net.

Oier Zarraga put Udinese ahead again in the 51st by placing a low shot into the corner of the net.

Nehuén Pérez was sent off for Udinese four minutes into stoppage time.



Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv Plays Soccer Game Without Incident in Hungary

28 November 2024, Berlin: Maccabi Tel Aviv fans wave Israeli flags in the stands during the EuroLeague Basketball match between Alba Berlin and Maccabi Tel Aviv at Uber Arena. Photo: Andreas Gora/dpa
28 November 2024, Berlin: Maccabi Tel Aviv fans wave Israeli flags in the stands during the EuroLeague Basketball match between Alba Berlin and Maccabi Tel Aviv at Uber Arena. Photo: Andreas Gora/dpa
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Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv Plays Soccer Game Without Incident in Hungary

28 November 2024, Berlin: Maccabi Tel Aviv fans wave Israeli flags in the stands during the EuroLeague Basketball match between Alba Berlin and Maccabi Tel Aviv at Uber Arena. Photo: Andreas Gora/dpa
28 November 2024, Berlin: Maccabi Tel Aviv fans wave Israeli flags in the stands during the EuroLeague Basketball match between Alba Berlin and Maccabi Tel Aviv at Uber Arena. Photo: Andreas Gora/dpa

Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv's game against Besiktas in the Europa League was played without incident before empty stands in Hungary on Thursday, with the stadium closed to fans over security concerns following attacks on Israeli supporters in Amsterdam this month.
Maccabi won the game 3-1 on a cold and rainy evening in Debrecen, Hungary's second-largest city. Groups of police patrolled outside the stadium but security levels did not appear overwhelming in the city of around 200,000 residents, The Associated Press reported.
After the match, Maccabi coach Zarko Lazetic said playing in front of an empty stadium without fans is always a struggle for the team.
“We play football because of the fans, to give them some pleasure, some excite(ment) and to be together,” he said.
Israel’s soccer teams play domestic games at home despite the Israel-Hamas war. But European soccer body UEFA has ruled that the war in Gaza means Israel cannot host international games.
The Thursday match was Maccabi’s first in Europe since its fans were assaulted in the Netherlands on Nov. 7 in attacks that were condemned as antisemitic by authorities in Israel and across Europe.
Before that match in Amsterdam, a large crowd of Israeli fans chanted anti-Arab slogans, and later, youths on scooters and on foot crisscrossed the city in search of Israeli fans, punching and kicking them, according to the city's mayor.
Five people were treated in hospitals and police detained dozens of people.
Even before the Amsterdam attacks, the European soccer body UEFA announced that Thursday’s Europa League match, originally scheduled to take place in Istanbul, would be moved to a neutral venue “following a decision by the Turkish authorities.”
Hungary, which has hosted several home games for Israel’s national team since the war in Gaza began, agreed to host the game.