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
TT

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.



Nine-man Bayern Come from Behind to Rescue 1-1 Draw at Leverkusen

14 March 2026, Leverkusen: Munich's Luis Diaz celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Bayern Munich at the BayArena. Photo: Federico Gambarini/dpa
14 March 2026, Leverkusen: Munich's Luis Diaz celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Bayern Munich at the BayArena. Photo: Federico Gambarini/dpa
TT

Nine-man Bayern Come from Behind to Rescue 1-1 Draw at Leverkusen

14 March 2026, Leverkusen: Munich's Luis Diaz celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Bayern Munich at the BayArena. Photo: Federico Gambarini/dpa
14 March 2026, Leverkusen: Munich's Luis Diaz celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Bayern Munich at the BayArena. Photo: Federico Gambarini/dpa

Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich had two players sent off and two goals disallowed but came back from a goal down to snatch a 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.

Bayern have 67 points ahead of second-placed Borussia Dortmund, who closed the gap to nine after a 2-0 home victory over Augsburg, with eight games remaining, Reuters reported.

The Bavarians, fresh from Tuesday's 6-1 demolition of Atalanta in the Champions League last 16, had Nicolas Jackson sent off for a wild ⁠tackle before the ⁠break. Forward Luis Diaz, who scored a 69th-minute equalizer, joined him on the sidelines after a second booking for diving. The hosts made a perfect start when Garcia fired them into the lead as Bayern, with top scorer Harry Kane on the bench, failed to settle.

They put the ball in the net through Jonathan ⁠Tah but the effort was disallowed following a VAR review for hand ball. It got worse three minutes from halftime when Jackson was dismissed for his reckless tackle on Martin Terrier.

Malik Tillman should have added another for Leverkusen when he was sent through with a clever Patrik Schick backheel but the US international fired wide with only Bayern keeper Sven Ulreich to beat.

Bayern's third-choice keeper, making a rare appearance due to injuries to Manuel Neuer and Jonas Urbig, also denied Schick in a one-on-one.

Kane, back ⁠after missing two ⁠matches with a muscle injury, challenged keeper Janis Blaswich and tapped in from close range a minute after coming on, only for the goal to be disallowed for handball by the England captain.

Diaz did better, slotting in after a defensive blunder from Robert Andrich and Michael Olise's record-breaking 17th assist of the season, to level but he got his marching orders six minutes from time for a spectacular dive in the box. There was more late drama when the hosts thought they had won it in stoppage time through substitute Jonas Hofmann's close-range effort but a VAR review showed a narrow offside position.


Iran Says Wants to Play World Cup Matches in Mexico

Will Iran play its World Cup matches in Mexico? (Reuters)
Will Iran play its World Cup matches in Mexico? (Reuters)
TT

Iran Says Wants to Play World Cup Matches in Mexico

Will Iran play its World Cup matches in Mexico? (Reuters)
Will Iran play its World Cup matches in Mexico? (Reuters)

Iran has suggested to move its World Cup matches from the United States to co-hosts Mexico in connection with the Middle East war.

Sports minister Ahmad Donyamali was quoted by state news agency Irna as saying that they would look into the proposal together with the world governing body FIFA.

"I hope that conditions can be created so that our boys can take part at the World Cup after all," Donyamali said.

"It is important to make careful use of all sporting aspects to ensure that participation is still possible.”

Iran are set to face Belgium, New Zealand and Egypt in the group stage with all three matches to be played in the US, which hosts the June 11-July 19 tournament together with Mexico and Canada.

The US and Israel have been carrying out air strikes against Iran since February 28. Tehran is carrying out counterstrikes in the region.

Donyamali ruled out Iran's participation at the World Cup on Wednesday.

US President Donald trump said the next day it was not "appropriate" for Iran to play for safety reasons. Iran dismissed this, saying that decisions were made solely by FIFA.


Iran State Media Says Two More Footballers Pull Australia Asylum Bids

The members of Iran's women's football team who did not claim asylum in Australia arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 11, 2026 © ARIF KARTONO / AFP
The members of Iran's women's football team who did not claim asylum in Australia arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 11, 2026 © ARIF KARTONO / AFP
TT

Iran State Media Says Two More Footballers Pull Australia Asylum Bids

The members of Iran's women's football team who did not claim asylum in Australia arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 11, 2026 © ARIF KARTONO / AFP
The members of Iran's women's football team who did not claim asylum in Australia arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 11, 2026 © ARIF KARTONO / AFP

Two more players of the Iranian women's football team, which competed in the Asian Cup in Australia, and one member of the backroom staff have withdrawn their requests for asylum in the country, Iranian state media said on Saturday.

Seven members of the visiting women's football delegation -- six players and one backroom staff member -- had sought sanctuary in Australia after they were branded "traitors" at home for refusing to sing the national anthem during the ongoing war between Iran and the US and its ally Israel, AFP reported.

One of the players had withdrawn her request earlier in the week and linked up with the rest of the team who are returning to Iran via Malaysia, according to Iranian media and Australian authorities.

State broadcaster IRIB said on Saturday "two players and a member of the technical staff of the women's national football team, have given up on their asylum application in Australia and are currently heading to Malaysia."

It posted a picture of the three women -- wearing the Islamic hijab -- as they were apparently about to board a plane.

The rest of the team are believed to still be in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur awaiting their return to Iran.

According to Australian authorities, the first woman who changed her mind over the asylum application exposed the location of the other asylum seekers when she contacted Iran's embassy in Australia.

They were then forced to change the safe house where they were living.

Rights groups have repeatedly accused Iranian authorities of pressuring athletes abroad by threatening relatives or with the seizure of property if they defect or make statements against the Islamic republic.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has lauded the bravery of the women, vowing they would be welcomed with open arms.

But Iran's governing football body has accused Australia of kidnapping the players and forcing them to forsake their home nation against their will.

Iranian players fell silent as the national anthem played ahead of a tournament match in Australia, an act seen as a symbol of defiance against the Islamic republic.

A presenter on Iranian state TV branded the players "wartime traitors", fuelling fears they faced persecution, or worse, if they returned home.

Five players, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, slipped away from the team hotel under the cover of darkness to claim asylum in Australia.

Two more team members -- a player and a support staffer -- claimed asylum before the team flew out of Sydney earlier this week.