Simone Inzaghi defended the "misunderstood" Romelu Lukaku celebrations after the Inter striker sparked late carnage at Juventus on Tuesday.
Loanee forward Lukaku restored parity with a 95th-minute penalty at Allianz Stadium, leaving Inter on level terms after a 1-1 Coppa Italia semi-final first-leg draw.
The Belgium international celebrated in front of Juve's Curva Nord, immediately prompting a confrontation with Juan Cuadrado that saw Lukaku receive his marching orders for a second yellow card.
Cuadrado, who scored the 83rd-minute opener, was then dismissed for a clash with Inter captain Samir Handanovic after the full-time whistle as tempers continued to boil over in Turin.
Inzaghi insisted Lukaku's reaction was understandable, though, as the Inter coach bemoaned losing his key forward and goalkeeper Handanovic to suspension.
Asked whether Lukaku's celebration was towards the crowd, Inzaghi told Mediaset: "Yes. This was clear, but it goes beyond this.
"I see a player who scores, celebrates, and everything happens there. Lukaku's celebration was misunderstood.
"It certainly wasn't a nice sight to see in a well-conducted and fair match until the 94th minute.
"[But] now I have to be clear-headed and think that for the return semi-final. Lukaku's celebration will deprive me of him and Handanovic."
Juve goalkeeper Mattia Perin was left far from impressed by what he deemed to be a disrespectful act by Lukaku, who appeared to shush a section of Bianconeri supporters behind the goal.
"We have to be the first to set an example, but in these games it's difficult to hold back," Perin told Sky Sport Italia.
"It's a lack of respect to celebrate under the Curva of the opposing team."
A hard-fought draw somewhat halted Inter's slide, having headed to Juve on the back of three straight Serie A defeats that have left the Nerazzurri's top-four place in doubt.
Inter are level on points with fifth-placed Roma and just six clear of Juve despite their 15-point deduction, but Inzaghi is buoyed by the support of the Nerazzurri faithful.
He said: "Our supporters are unique and incomparable. We lost a home game on Saturday, and up to the end, the Curva never left us.
"We are Inter, it's normal to expect different results. There was a call for everyone that we expect more and better. Tonight was a great response from players to the whole environment."
Thomas Tuchel accepted responsibility for Bayern Munich's DFB-Pokal quarter-final exit, after they suffered a late 2-1 loss against Freiburg.
The Bundesliga leaders looked set for extra-time at Allianz Arena, after Dayot Upamecano's header was cancelled out by Nicolas Hofler.
But Jamal Muisala's penalty concession deep into second-half stoppage time allowed Lucas Holer to seal a last-gasp victory for the visitors from the spot.
In only his second game in charge since replacing Julian Nagelsmann, Tuchel acknowledged he had to shoulder the blame for their defeat.
"I am not really angry," he said. "We conceded two goals with two shots. I can’t remember another chance from Freiburg.
"The last pass, [and the] precision obviously, are all an issue. But still, we had good moments we could have used, but [we] just could not keep it up.
"In the end, it is our fault. We are very disappointed [to lose] a quarter-final at home. Of course, I am responsible."
Tuchel made a winning start to his Bayern career with a decisive 4-2 win over old club Borussia Dortmund, where he previously won the DFB-Pokal.
His failure to back it up with progress to the semi-finals of Germany's major knockout competition will take the shine off his early impression.
Bayern can claim immediate revenge on Saturday when they travel to Freiburg for a reverse fixture in the Bundesliga, looking to consolidate top spot.
They also remain in the mix for Champions League honours, and return to European competition against Manchester City next Tuesday.
Jurgen Klopp admitted he would not last at Liverpool if he oversaw multiple seasons as poor as their current campaign after the Reds played out a goalless draw with managerless Chelsea.
A much-changed Liverpool side were fortunate to escape with a point from their trip to Stamford Bridge, with a VAR review denying Kai Havertz a winning goal when the ball deflected in off his arm.
Klopp made six changes to his starting line-up for the game, with the Reds producing a disjointed display after benching the likes of Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Having gone four games without a win across all competitions, Liverpool sit seven points adrift of the Premier League's top four with 10 games remaining this term.
Asked whether he had ever endured another season as frustrating as this one, Klopp told BBC Sport: "No, thank God.
"I wouldn't be manager of Liverpool if I had a couple of these seasons. We have to get through it. That's how life is. You have to fight to change your fortunes.
"We cannot talk about the goals we have if we don't get points. We don't give up, we will fight. We can talk a lot, but we have to show it."
Liverpool have now seen each of their last four meetings with Chelsea across all competitions finish goalless, despite those games containing a total of 103 shots worth 11.9 expected goals.
However, following Saturday's heavy 4-1 defeat at Manchester City, Klopp was at least pleased by the spirit shown by his out-of-form side in west London.
"Both teams played last year in two finals, two of the best 0-0s I ever saw," Klopp added. "Today it was two teams low on confidence but really fighting.
"We're fine with a point, there was a lot of good stuff. We showed a lot of fight. We have to keep going.
"We had our opportunities up front. It was not spectacular. It was a step. That's what we have to do – make steps. Sometimes smaller steps.
"We need to have these chances. You need to keep having chances. I'm not disappointed about that. They scored twice, but both goals were disallowed.
"I didn't expect a team with six changes to play the best game of the season. The boys who came in used their opportunity and showed they were ready."
Pablo Ibanez's gorgeous extra-time volley stunned Athletic Bilbao as Osasuna sealed their spot in the Copa del Rey final with a 1-1 draw at San Mames that secured a 2-1 aggregate win.
Jagoba Arrasate's men only held a slender 1-0 lead from last month's first leg in Pamplona, and for much of the match that looked unlikely to be enough.
Athletic deservedly levelled the aggregate score just after the half-hour, with Inaki Williams diverting Mikel Vesga's flick-on home from close range.
The Ghana international's younger brother Nico Williams seemed destined to put Athletic ahead in the tie during the second half, but the Spain winger wasted two glorious opportunities.
Athletic's profligacy coupled with Sergio Herrera's excellence between the posts ensured the game was extended by another 30 minutes.
Osasuna capitalised with just four minutes of extra time left, and in spectacular fashion, as Jon Moncayola's cross to the edge of the box was met by an exceptional controlled volley from Ibanez that left Julen Agirrezabala helpless.
Los Rojillos will face either Barcelona or Real Madrid – whose second leg is on Wednesday – in what will be just Osasuna's second Copa del Rey final ever.
Dominic Thiem claimed his first win since February with victory at the Estoril Open.
The former US Open champion and two-time Roland Garros finalist had gone his previous four ATP Tour-level events without a win.
But Thiem, once ranked as high as third in the world, ended the drought with a 3-6 6-3 6-4 defeat of compatriot Sebastian Ofner.
He will next face American Ben Shelton, who defeated Constant Lestienne 7-5 7-5.
Meanwhile, there were three shocks at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakesh.
Roberto Carballes Baena came from a set down to beat fifth seed Maxime Cressy, Alexandre Muller overcame sixth seed Richard Gasquet, and qualifier Andrea Vavassori defeated eighth seed Nicolas Jarry.
Massimiliano Allegri was left to rue an "avoidable situation" as Romelu Lukaku's last-gasp leveller for Inter left Juventus "very angry" on Tuesday.
Lukaku equalised with a 95th-minute penalty at Allianz Stadium to cancel out Juan Cuadrado's 83rd-minute opener in the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg.
Chaotic scenes followed as Lukaku was dismissed for his celebrations after restoring parity, while Cuadrado and Inter captain Samir Handanovic received their marching orders for a clash after full-time.
While Allegri suggested he missed the carnage unfolding after the full-time whistle, the Juve coach called on the Bianconeri players to regroup after an avoidable late goal for Simone Inzaghi's visitors.
He told Mediaset: "I don't know anything because the match was over and I went in. I know there were some dismissals.
"It's a pity because the game was over and we needed to be quicker on the first ball that came out.
"[Filip] Kostic could have been a little smarter but the match was balanced and the result was fair. We're sorry because with 20 seconds to go it was an avoidable situation.
"I saw the boys very angry about this draw but we have to be good at accepting it."
Juve will head to San Siro on April 26 with the last-four clash finely poised, though Allegri's side must focus on a crucial run-in this month before then.
The Bianconeri visit Lazio in Serie A on Sunday, trailing the top four by just six points despite their 15-point deduction following an investigation into previous transfer dealings.
A two-legged Europa League quarter-final against Sporting CP follows either side of a league meeting with Sassuolo, before Juve host Serie A leaders Napoli ahead of the return Coppa Italia meeting with Inter.
Asked in a press conference whether Lukaku's late leveller will hit harder due to Inter holding the advantage on away goals, Allegri responded: "We have that match in a month, now we have important commitments.
"We have three league games before the return plus Sporting. We'll think about the Coppa Italia later.
"It will be a tight match where we will need to win, but now we need to focus on the championship."
Romelu Lukaku scored a last-gasp penalty before being sent off as Inter snatched a 1-1 draw at Juventus in a fiery Coppa Italia semi-final first leg on Tuesday.
Loan forward Lukaku restored parity for Inter deep into stoppage time at Allianz Stadium after Bremer was adjudged to have handled inside his area, before the goalscorer was dismissed for an altercation with Juan Cuadrado.
Cuadrado, who earlier thought he had won the game with his 83rd-minute strike, also saw red after the final whistle along with Inter captain Samir Handanovic following a clash between the pair.
The manic conclusion leaves the tie delicately poised as Inter return home on April 26 looking to reach the final and exact revenge for being on the wrong end of a Derby d'Italia double in Serie A this season.
Chelsea endured a frustrating start to the post-Graham Potter era as they shared a 0-0 Premier League draw with Liverpool, a VAR check denying Kai Havertz a winner at Stamford Bridge.
Interim Blues boss Bruno Saltor saw his team create plenty of chances against a much-changed Reds side after Jurgen Klopp omitted Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and other key players from his starting XI.
However, Chelsea's familiar attacking woes were on full display as Havertz saw a potentially decisive strike ruled out for handball to cap a wasteful performance.
While the result keeps Chelsea inside the bottom half, Liverpool failed to make up ground on their rivals for a top-four finish as their winless run was extended to four games across all competitions.
Chelsea started brightly as Mateo Kovacic forced Ibrahima Konate into a sliding goal-line clearance, before Alisson smothered Havertz's close-range flick following good work from Ben Chilwell.
Reece James thought he had volleyed Chelsea ahead after 24 minutes, but an offside call against Enzo Fernandez in the build-up saw his powerful finish chalked off.
Having offered virtually nothing as an attacking force, Liverpool almost snatched the lead on the stroke of half-time, Wesley Fofana crucially deflecting Fabinho's volley around the post.
Kovacic fired over from a glaring one-on-one chance after the interval, before Havertz was denied the opener by a VAR review when the German's tame finish bounced back off Alisson and found the net via his arm.
Joao Felix sent a wild volley over as Chelsea continued to create the clearest opportunities late on, with even the introduction of Salah failing to inspire out-of-form Liverpool.
Lucas Holer's last-gasp penalty saw Freiburg snatch a dramatic 2-1 victory against Bayern Munich in the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals to end Thomas Tuchel's hopes of a domestic double.
The tie appeared to be headed to extra time, until Jamal Musiala handled Nicolas Hofler's strike, enabling Holer to secure a shock win.
Bayern had looked the likelier of the two teams to claim a late winner, after seeing Dayot Upamecano's first-half header cancelled out by Hofler's excellent volley.
It means Tuchel, in his second game since replacing Julian Nagelsmann, will miss out of the chance of both Bundesliga and Pokal glory as Christian Streich's side proceed to the last four.
Justin Thomas is prepared for business as usual at The Masters with little interest in the contentious inclusion of LIV Golf International Series players in Augusta.
The world number 10 will be joined by 17 LIV Golf stars at the Augusta National Golf Course, with six of those rebel golfers automatically qualifying via a lifetime exemption after winning the tournament.
Majors are the only tournaments the two sets of golfers can feature in after the PGA Tour banned those who joined the Saudi-backed rebel series for record purses and 54-hole events.
The DP World Tour also acted to punish the breakaway stars, with £100,000 fines and potential suspensions for those playing in LIV events and opting out of the European competition.
A report from The Times on Tuesday claimed the DP World Tour will win its ongoing court case against the 13 LIV golfers appealing those sanctions, but Thomas is focused on his own matters in Georgia.
"I haven't really talked to any of them," Thomas said at a pre-tournament press conference.
"I don't know if it's just been coincidence or I've had the blinders on, but it's just been business. I'm just trying to take care of myself and I'm not worried about what they're doing."
Thomas' best Masters finish came when he battled to fourth in 2020, while the American tied for eighth in his most recent appearance last year.
Ahead of the start of the tournament on Thursday, Thomas is aiming to take a more casual approach in search of his third major title – having won the PGA Championship in 2017 and 2022.
"I can definitely want something too much," he continued. "I've wanted to win this tournament too much in the past.
"I've wanted to be world number one too badly, I've wanted to win golf tournaments too badly – it's a fine line.
"It's a learning process and I'm starting to learn a bit more. I'd love to be world number one and win tournaments, and not have to figure it out the tough way.
"But there is a lot of good that can come out of some negative experiences if you choose to look at it that way."
Thomas will play with Jon Rahm and Cameron Young in his first round, with that three-ball line-up teeing off at 10:42am local time.
Sai Sudharsan's unbeaten 62 helped Gujarat Titans continue their winning start in the IPL with a six-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals.
Chasing 163, defending champions Gujarat lost three wickets before the end of the powerplay, including that of captain Hardik Pandya for just five.
But Sudharsan's half-century, aided by a big-hitting cameo from David Miller (31 off 16), set up an ultimately straightforward win.
The 21-year-old survived an eighth-over review for caught behind and put on 53 for the fourth wicket with Vijay Shankar (29).
Miller then joined Sudharsan in the middle and ensured the Titans raced to their target with 11 balls to spare – the Capitals' 162-8 never having really looked like being enough.
David Warner had opened with 37 but required 32 balls, with that plodding run rate keeping the Titans firmly in the match.
Nortje enjoys opener rewards
In a brief spell in which the Capitals looked capable of causing their opponents some problems, Anrich Nortje dismissed openers Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill.
Since the start of the 2022 tournament, Nortje has taken the wicket of six openers, the second-most among Capitals bowlers.
Miller turns on the style
The Titans have an impressive record chasing targets of 150 or more, doing so a leading seven times in the past two years.
They were able to do so this time in large part due to Miller's contribution, which saw two fours and two sixes in a 28-minute dash to the finish.
Virgil van Dijk has been ruled out of Liverpool's Premier League trip to Chelsea through illness, with Mohamed Salah surprisingly named on the bench as Jurgen Klopp makes six changes to his side.
Van Dijk reportedly missed training after feeling unwell ahead of Tuesday's game at Stamford Bridge, where Liverpool are looking to end a run of three successive defeats either side of the international break.
The defender previously missed seven games with a hamstring injury in January and February, with the Reds suffering demoralising defeats at Brighton and Hove Albion and Wolves in his absence.
Van Dijk is not the only notable absentee from Klopp's starting lineup in west London, with Salah joining Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson in dropping to the bench.
Joe Gomez and Konstantinos Tsimikas replace the full-back pair, while Curtis Jones, Joel Matip, Darwin Nunez and Roberto Firmino have been brought in, with Harvey Elliott and Cody Gakpo also replaced.
Chelsea's interim head coach Bruno Saltor, meanwhile, has made two changes to the side that began Saturday's 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa – a result that led to Graham Potter's dismissal.
N'Golo Kante will captain Chelsea on his first Premier League start since last August, with Wesley Fofana the second player introduced by former Brighton and Hove Albion full-back Bruno.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mykhailo Mudryk are both named on the bench after starting the defeat against Villa, a result that left Chelsea mired inside the Premier League's bottom half.
Aleksandar Mitrovic has been handed an eight-match ban after pushing referee Chris Kavanagh during Fulham's FA Cup defeat at Manchester United last month.
Mitrovic was sent off for pushing Kavanagh after the official dismissed his Fulham team-mate Willian for handball during the second half of their 3-1 quarter-final defeat at Old Trafford.
The Serbia international subsequently apologised for his actions, though he always appeared likely to receive an extended ban after the Football Association (FA) said a three-match suspension was "clearly insufficient".
Mitrovic was subsequently charged with violent conduct, as well as with using "improper, abusive, insulting and threatening" language towards Kavanagh.
Following a hearing by an independent regulatory commission, it was revealed Mitrovic would be banned for a total of eight matches on Tuesday, with the striker also receiving a £75,000 fine.
Mitrovic missed Saturday's Premier League defeat at Bournemouth through suspension, meaning he must sit out seven further games and will next be available when the Cottagers face Southampton on May 13.
Fulham's head coach Marco Silva was also shown a red card during the defeat to United, and he will serve a two-game touchline ban after being charged with improper conduct and using "abusive and insulting" language.
Silva, who subsequently said he regretted the incident, has also been fined a total of £40,000 after the FA said his post-match comments questioned the integrity of the match officials.
In the aftermath of the loss, Silva said it was "difficult to understand" why Kavanagh had been appointed to the fixture, accusing the referee of making mistakes during a prior defeat at West Ham.
There could be more bad news to come for Fulham, however, with the FA outlining an intention to appeal the sanctions in a bid to increase their severity.
In a statement, the governing body said: "Our current intention is to appeal both sanctions, however, we will await the written reasons before confirming our final position."
Tiger Woods believes it is simply "a matter of time" before Rory McIlroy wins the Masters, backing him to complete a career grand slam in due course.
The Northern Irishman is a four-time major winner, and has claimed all three of golf's other key honours in his career.
But the nearest he has come to success at Augusta National was last year, when he finished second, three strokes off victor Scottie Scheffler.
Woods, a five-time champion in Georgia, thinks it is just a waiting game for McIlroy now, and is confident he will claim the green jacket before long.
"He will [win it]," he said. "It's a matter of time. He has the talent, he has the game, he has all the tools to be able to win here.
"It's a matter of time. A lot of things have to happen to win at this golf course, a lot has to go right. You have to know how to play the course.
"Last year he had a great run and put himself [in] there. Whether it's this year, next year or whatever, he will do it, and he will have a career grand slam."
Woods also weighed in on the anticipated revamp to several key events on the PGA Tour, with plans for no-cut tournaments in response to LIV Golf.
The 15-time major winner feels it has potential, suggesting it will not penalise players for poor performance, but stressed no firm calls had been made yet.
"There [are] still some discussions about some of the designated events and whether we're going to have cuts," he added.
"I'm certainly pushing for my event to have a cut. Maybe the player-hosted events will have cuts. There does need to be a penalty for not playing well.
"Every event shouldn't be a guaranteed 72 holes. We're trying to figure that out, to see where those designated events will be and how many there will be."
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