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Wasteful Milan Draw at Parma but Level with Serie A Leaders Napoli

Enrico Del Prato (C) scored Parma's equalizer against AC Milan. Piero CRUCIATTI / AFP
Enrico Del Prato (C) scored Parma's equalizer against AC Milan. Piero CRUCIATTI / AFP
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Wasteful Milan Draw at Parma but Level with Serie A Leaders Napoli

Enrico Del Prato (C) scored Parma's equalizer against AC Milan. Piero CRUCIATTI / AFP
Enrico Del Prato (C) scored Parma's equalizer against AC Milan. Piero CRUCIATTI / AFP

AC Milan are level with Napoli at the top of Serie A after throwing away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 on Saturday in an entertaining match at lowly Parma.

Two ahead in the 25th minute thanks to Alexis Saelemaekers' early strike and a Rafael Leao penalty, Milan looked set to go two points in front of Napoli ahead of the champions' tricky away fixture at Bologna on Sunday.

But Adrian Bernabe curled in a magnificent goal for the hosts on the stroke of half-time to halve the deficit and Enrico Delprato's glancing header gave Parma a deserved draw which put them two points above the relegation zone, said AFP.

Mateo Pellegrino hit the post seconds before captain Delprato's first goal since January as Milan had to deal with an attacking onslaught from Parma after half-time.

"We needed to battle more but we were too passive," said Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri.

"You cannot just let them shoot like we did right at the end of the first half when the match looked done, because you make it easier to be caught.

"Then we came out for the second half all over the place and we only woke up once they made it 2-2."

Milan have dropped points from winning positions against Parma, Pisa and Atalanta, and can be overtaken on Sunday by Roma and local rivals Inter Milan, who take on Lazio at the San Siro, with both teams a point behind the leading pair.

The away side could have escaped with a win as substitute Christian Pulisic and Saelemaekers wasted golden opportunities to score.

Pulisic rolled wide when one-on-one with Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki in the 76th minute, and six minutes later Saelemaekers blasted over in front of an open goal having already skipped round Suzuki.

Three points behind Milan and Napoli are Juventus, who were held to a goalless draw by local rivals Torino on a day which had featured no goals until Saelemaekers opened the scoring in Parma.

Juve sit fifth on 19 points after a scrappy but engaging derby at their Allianz Stadium in which both teams had chances to win.

Che Adams was denied in the 63rd minute when the Scotland forward charged forward and unleashed a low drive which was brilliantly kept out by Juve goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio.

And moments later Di Gregorio's Torino counterpart Alberto Paleari pulled off an even more impressive stop to claw away Weston McKennie's close-range header.

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Sports

Kimi Antonelli Reveals Advice from Roger Federer to Get Back on Track in F1 Title Fight

Formula One F1 - Belgian Grand Prix - Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium - July 16, 2026 Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli during the press conference ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Belgian Grand Prix - Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium - July 16, 2026 Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli during the press conference ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix. (Reuters)
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Kimi Antonelli Reveals Advice from Roger Federer to Get Back on Track in F1 Title Fight

Formula One F1 - Belgian Grand Prix - Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium - July 16, 2026 Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli during the press conference ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Belgian Grand Prix - Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium - July 16, 2026 Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli during the press conference ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix. (Reuters)

On the grass courts of Wimbledon or racing through the Belgian forests, what matters is staying in control.

Kimi Antonelli heads into the Belgian Grand Prix with a piece of advice he picked up recently from Roger Federer.

After a run of car problems cut into the Italian's Formula 1 standings lead, Antonelli's chat with the tennis great in the Royal Box at Wimbledon offered a fresh perspective on how to stop these blips turning into a slump.

“About pressure, he just told me to really focus one race at a time, just focus on what you can control, and also to control the emotions, especially the ones that can make you do mistakes,” Antonelli said Thursday.

“Those were the main pieces of advice. Other than that, it was an incredible experience to witness.”

So far, Antonelli seems to be staying focused, even as Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton threaten Mercedes' supremacy. Antonelli doesn't seem to have lost any of his race-winning pace, unlike last year, when his confidence hit rock-bottom after errors on the European tracks he was meant to know best.

“I just need to maximize every opportunity I get, what I have in control, and then we’ll see what the rest will be,” Antonelli said. “It's part of the sport and the team are doing a tremendous job to make sure that all these issues are not happening again.”

Russell's struggles Instead, it's his more experienced Mercedes teammate George Russell who's struggling.

A second-place finish for Russell at the British Grand Prix was more about luck than speed, as he benefited from Antonelli's car trouble, a crash for Max Verstappen and a strategy blunder for Hamilton.

Russell cut Antonelli's lead to 25 points but said he felt “less satisfied” with that home podium finish than he had breaking down from the lead in Canada.

The fast, sweeping Belgian circuit has key similarities to Silverstone. That could pose a challenge to Russell and offer an opportunity to Ferrari.

Leclerc and Ferrari were surprised he had the pace to win in Britain and they've been working since then to understand what worked so well to deliver that pace this weekend, too.

Mercedes remains the team to beat and “should be a lot further ahead" in the standings by now, Hamilton told Sky Sports.

One driver who almost certainly won't be in contention for the win is Lando Norris. The defending champion comes into this week's race with a 10-place grid penalty after McLaren switched out a troublesome electrical part on his car.

Teammate Oscar Piastri spent Thursday stressing he trusts McLaren's assurances he'll stay with the team next year despite reported interest in signing Max Verstappen.

Four-time champion Verstappen left his future open Thursday but had warm words for Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies, who started his tenure a year ago with a stunning win for Verstappen in a sprint in Belgium.

After Verstappen fumed at Red Bull's “dangerous” car after back-to-back crashes caused by rear wing failures, the team is going back to an older design this week, potentially affecting Verstappen's pace.

Sports

Alexander-Arnold Relishes Chance to Work with Mourinho at Real Madrid

Soccer Football - UEFA Champions League - Play Off - Second Leg - Real Madrid v Benfica - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - February 25, 2026 Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
Soccer Football - UEFA Champions League - Play Off - Second Leg - Real Madrid v Benfica - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - February 25, 2026 Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
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Alexander-Arnold Relishes Chance to Work with Mourinho at Real Madrid

Soccer Football - UEFA Champions League - Play Off - Second Leg - Real Madrid v Benfica - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - February 25, 2026 Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
Soccer Football - UEFA Champions League - Play Off - Second Leg - Real Madrid v Benfica - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - February 25, 2026 Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura

Trent Alexander-Arnold said it is "a pleasure" to work with reappointed Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho, adding that he has long admired the Portuguese coach and believes he can help the club win trophies.

Mourinho returned to Real Madrid in June for a second spell after a disappointing campaign last season in which they missed out on the LaLiga title and were eliminated from the Champions League quarter-finals.

"I have always admired the coach (Mourinho). I’ve ⁠played against him ⁠a couple of times, and it’s a pleasure to work with him and his team," Reuters quoted Alexander-Arnold as saying in a statement.

"It’s intense. The principles and the level of demand are very high, so I’m looking forward to seeing ⁠how, the more we get to know each other, the more we learn and the more he can teach us. And we’re all willing and eager to learn and improve.

"I’m sure he’ll teach us many things and help us win trophies this year."

Alexander-Arnold, who joined Real Madrid from Liverpool last year, endured an injury-hit first season in Spain and did not always ⁠command a ⁠regular place in the starting line-up, rotating in and out of the side.

However, the departure of defender Dani Carvajal in May has opened an opportunity for Alexander-Arnold to establish himself as Madrid's first-choice right-back.

"I’ve been out of action for a long time, so it’s good to finally be back and to lay a solid foundation for a successful season," the 27-year-old Englishman added.

Real Madrid begin their 2026-27 LaLiga campaign against Espanyol on August 22.

Sports

Argentina Await FIFA Decision Over Displaying World Cup Falklands Banner

Argentina players hold a banner with the words "The Malvinas are Argentine", referring to the Falkland Islands, at the end of the World Cup semi-final match between England and Argentina in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 15, 2026.(AP)
Argentina players hold a banner with the words "The Malvinas are Argentine", referring to the Falkland Islands, at the end of the World Cup semi-final match between England and Argentina in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 15, 2026.(AP)
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Argentina Await FIFA Decision Over Displaying World Cup Falklands Banner

Argentina players hold a banner with the words "The Malvinas are Argentine", referring to the Falkland Islands, at the end of the World Cup semi-final match between England and Argentina in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 15, 2026.(AP)
Argentina players hold a banner with the words "The Malvinas are Argentine", referring to the Falkland Islands, at the end of the World Cup semi-final match between England and Argentina in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 15, 2026.(AP)

Football's global governing body FIFA will assess match reports before deciding if they take any action over Argentina's players holding up a banner reading "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" (The Falklands are Argentine) following their 2-1 victory over England.

A British minister had Thursday called for FIFA to look into the incident following the World Cup semi-final match in Atlanta.

FIFA released a statement late Thursday saying they were "assessing the match reports".

"As is standard procedure, FIFA’s independent disciplinary committee is currently assessing the match reports and considering the relevant circumstances before deciding on potential further steps based on the FIFA disciplinary code," it said.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Downing Street office Thursday backed the calls by Business Minister Peter Kyle, who called the flag waving an "egregious violation" of FIFA rules which ban political symbols on the field of play.

"The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are," a Downing Street spokesperson said.

Argentina invaded the British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic in 1982.

But Britain regained the archipelago in a brief war after then prime minister Margaret Thatcher dispatched a naval taskforce.

"Politics needs to be separate from football. In fact, the World Cup has one of its central tenets that politics is separate from football," Kyle told BBC television.

Argentina's football association were fined £20,000 ($27,000) by FIFA in 2014 for players posing in front of a banner with the same message before a friendly against Slovenia.

FIFA said the gesture had breached rules on "political action" and team misconduct.

Britain occupied the Falklands in the 19th century, but Argentina claims the islands are part of its territory.

Argentina President Javier Milei called the stunt "perfectly valid and legitimate."

"It's a feeling that exists within all Argentines," he told El Observador radio station.

"The Malvinas are Argentine, we're going to recover them, and we will do it through diplomatic means," said Milei.

Argentina's vice president, Victoria Villarruel, upped the tensions ahead of Wednesday's kick-off by dubbing the English "usurping pirates".

The 1982 conflict ended with the deaths of 649 Argentines and 255 Britons.

After the World Cup match, Argentina's Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said Buenos Aires had filed a formal protest over a British warship near the Falkland Islands.

Quirno voiced on X "the strongest rejection" of Britain's HMS Medway's "unconsulted and illegal" passage through Argentine territorial waters.