Serie A (Italy)

Zielinski had been widely expected to join the Nerazzurri after running down his contract with Napoli, who he helped to the Scudetto in 2022-23.

The Poland international joined the Partenopei for €16million in 2016 following spells with Udinese and Empoli, making 364 appearances for the club throughout a distinguished eight-year spell.

The 30-year-old has now penned a four-year contract with Simone Inzaghi's Serie A champions and is hoping to help them compete for more silverware next term.

He told the club's website: "I will try to give it my all to make the fans happy, they are fantastic and San Siro is one of the best grounds in Italy. 

"I will do my best to show my skills and bring other trophies to the club. I am very happy because I'm joining one of the best sides in the world. It is an honour, I can't wait to get started."

Zielinski will not be the only new face at San Siro, with former Porto striker Mehdi Taremi set to arrive as a free agent and Genoa goalkeeper Josep Martinez reportedly close to joining in a €13m deal.

Sergio Arribas had the hosts in front in the third minute of Saturday evening’s contest but England midfielder Bellingham – who netted in the opening day win at Athletic Bilbao – levelled the scores 16 minutes later.

After Tony Kroos had seen an effort ruled out for VAR at the end of the first half, former Birmingham midfielder Bellingham put Real ahead on the hour and Vinicius Junior made it 3-1 with 17 minutes remaining.

Athletic Bilbao were 2-0 winners at Osasuna, with goals inside the first 20 minutes from Inaki Williams and Gorkua Guruzeta doing the damage. The hosts had substitute Chimy Avila dismissed late on.

Real Sociedad and Celta Vigo drew 1-1, with Oscar Mingueza earning the visitors a point in the last minute after Ander Barrenetxea had opened the scoring for Sociedad midway through the first half.

In Italy, champions Napoli opened with a 3-1 win at Frosinone, with Viktor Osimhen on target twice.

Abdou Harroui’s seventh-minute penalty had newly-promoted Frosinone ahead but Matteo Politano and Osimhen turned things around by half-time, before the latter sealed the points with 11 minutes remaining.

Lautaro Martinez netted in each half as Inter Milan beat Monza 2-0 at San Siro, while substitute Federico Bonazzoli got the only goal 15 minutes from time as Verona – who survived last season with victory over Spezia in the relegation play-off – won at Empoli.

Fiorentina were 4-1 victors at newly-promoted Genoa, with Cristiano Biraghi, Giacomo Bonaventura, Nicolas Gonzalez and Rolando Mandragora making the points safe before Davide Biraschi replied for the hosts.

A late penalty from Zakaria Aboukhlal earned Toulouse a 1-1 draw with Ligue 1 champions Paris St Germain.

Kylian Mbappe, absent from the squad for the opening-weekend goalless draw with Lorient after a dispute over his future left him training separately from the first team, came off the bench to score a penalty just past the hour mark.

However, Aboukhlal’s spot-kick meant a second successive draw for the capital club.

Lyon are propping up the table after a 4-1 home loss to Montpellier. Mousa Al-Taamari (2), Arnaud Nordin and Akor Adams were on target for the visitors, with Alexandre Lacazette getting a red card for Laurent Blanc’s struggling hosts having netted their only goal of the game when they trailed 3-0.

In the opening round of Bundesliga action, Donyell Malen’s 88th-minute goal gave Borussia Dortmund a 1-0 win over Cologne.

Augsburg and Borussia Monchengladbach shared eight goals in a 4-4 draw, while there were also wins for Bayer Leverkusen, Freiburg, Wolfsburg and Stuttgart.

A remarkable conclusion to the match in Turin was entirely at odds with everything that had gone before, a dull first 70 minutes suggesting the two clubs were taking a collective breath at the end of a manic week.

Juve are back into the top four following their successful initial appeal of an earlier points deduction, while Napoli's full focus is on the Scudetto after crashing out of the Champions League.

If a point then perhaps suited both sides, neither showed it, with Juve twice having the ball in the net in the closing stages before Raspadori grabbed what might be considered a deserved winner.

This encounter was certainly nothing like the reverse fixture, which runaway league leaders Napoli had dominated to win 5-1.

Indeed, the Partenopei created precious little until Victor Osimhen saw three chances come and go in quick succession in the second half.

The forward had a low shot deflected off the outside of the post with 20 minutes remaining, then nodded straight at Wojciech Szczesny from the resulting corner.

Osimhen lifted a first-time effort over the crossbar soon afterwards, and that miss might have proved costly when Angel Di Maria netted a deflected strike on the counter, only for the VAR to highlight a marginal foul in the build-up.

Dusan Vlahovic was also denied after scoring as Federico Chiesa had run the ball out of play, but it looked as though Napoli's last chance had been squandered by Osimhen again when Szczesny saved well.

Seconds later, though, Eljif Elmas crossed from the right, and Raspadori hammered a low strike between the goalkeeper's legs to snatch the points.

Defender Gatti and substitute Milik both scored after the break to settle a hard-fought encounter in which the visitors rarely looked like ending a wait for a victory over their arch-rivals, which now extends to 19 games.

Massimiliano Allegri’s men struggled to create openings before half-time, but dominated after the opening goal and were ultimately good value for their win.

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Indeed, the visitors barely mustered an attempt of note on Wojciech Szczesny’s goal as they looked for a first win on enemy soil since April 1995.

Juve thought they had got off to the perfect start when striker Moise Kean smashed the ball home with just five minutes gone, but his joy instantly turned to frustration courtesy of an offside flag.

Midfielder Valentino Lazaro registered the visitors’ first effort of note when he blazed over from a tight angle, but in an open encounter, Kean was only just unable to get to Filip Kostic’s 18th-minute driven cross at the far post.

However, clear-cut chances were few and far between as the first half unfolded, although home goalkeeper Szczesny had to palm away Raoul Bellanova’s 28th-minute cross at his near post after he had linked with Demba Seck down the right.

Bellanova blazed wide after an enterprising run as he cut in a minute before the break, but the sides went in level with neither keeper having been troubled unduly.

Juve took the lead two minutes after the restart when former Torino youth player Gatti forced the ball home at the second attempt amid a goalmouth scramble after keeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic had come for, but failed to collect, a right-wing corner.

The goal was only awarded after a lengthy VAR check as Brazilian defender Bremer received treatment in the goalmouth after being accidentally caught in the face by team-mate Kean’s flying boot.

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Duvan Zapata saw a 57th-minute attempt deflected over Szczesny’s crossbar as Torino looked for a way back into the game, but their hopes were dealt a significant blow five minutes later.

Milik, a half-time replacement for Fabio Miretti, had forced Milinkovic-Savic to concede a corner by turning his downward header over the crossbar, but he got the better of the keeper from the resulting set-piece, heading home with the help of a deflection off his shoulder.

Zapata headed straight at Szczesny from Mergim Vojvoda’s cross with four minutes remaining – Torino’s first effort on target – but Milinkovic-Savic had to get down well to repel Milik’s skidding strike seconds later as the hosts eased across the finishing line.

Inter Milan’s win over Verona on Saturday saw them stretch their lead back to five points, but Allegri is in no doubt where his priorities lie for the rest of the campaign.

Allegri told a press conference: “First of all it is fundamental to maintain the gap to fifth in the standings. Our first objective must be to qualify for the next Champions League.”

Juventus head into the game unbeaten in 13 Serie A games and will start as strong favourites against a side whom they swept aside 6-1 last Thursday in the Coppa Italia.

Allegri confirmed that Hans Nicolussi Caviglia will feature for the trip to Salerno, but Andrea Cambiaso is ruled out with a fever, and the game has come too early for Moise Kean who is yet to return to full training.

Despite Thursday’s cup mauling, the hosts will head into the game in good heart having snapped a run of six games without a win with a priceless 1-0 victory at Verona last week.

Allegri is adamant his side must rely on their team spirit to see them through a game with potentially more problems than the recent statistics suggest.

“Playing in Salerno is never easy and we will find it difficult because they want to cancel out the result of Thursday’s match,” said Allegri.

“We must continue to work as we are doing, without getting excited and without ever letting our guard down.

“The match the other evening shouldn’t make us get excited, but push us to continue working well because it’s important to think about one match at a time, without projecting ourselves too far ahead.

“Right now the thing that matters most is the group. We have to put the ego aside and put the group at the centre, because this group is doing something splendid.”

Substitute Kean came close to winning it for the Massimilano Allegri’s side when he struck the woodwork in the closing moments but it was another lacklustre showing for a team with just one victory from their last eight Serie A matches.

Dusan Vlahovic, just back from suspension, made things even worse in the dying seconds when he was sent off – booked initially for a foul then again for dissent.

The Serbian could have finished things himself when he spurned a good chance in the 75th minute, but mid-table Genoa hung on for a welcome point.

The visitors were first to threaten from an early corner, Mattia Bani winning the header but unable to beat the dive of Wojciech Szczesny.

Szczesny had little to do as the game wore on but was required to mop up soon for a second time in quick succession when Vitinha got a half-volley away. Tempers soon flared between Danilo and Mateo Retegui, with the pair split up by the referee before play could resume.

Juve took their time to establish a rhythm in attack, but eventually stitched together a nice move involving Weston McKennie and Fabio Miretti. Federico Gatti took the chance to shoot but was denied by Josep Martinez.

The hosts continued to press forward without precision, Gatti trying unsuccessfully to make something out of Filip Kostic’s pass, Gleison Bremer heading wide from a corner and Federico Chiesa tumbling inside the penalty area to no avail.

Genoa’s counters were no sharper, with a couple of long shots failing to worry Szczesny.

Looking for a lift, Allegri made a triple substitution on the hour as Adrien Rabiot, Kenan Yildiz and Samuel Iling-Junior entered the fray. Things began to improve for the home side, who created a couple of half-chances for Vlahovic before Iling-Junior produced a flash of inspiration.

Letting rip from outside the area the England under-21 international came closer than anyone to breaking the deadlock, with Martinez getting a decisive touch.

Genoa’s resistance should have been broken with 15 minutes left to play, Andrea Cambiaso’s cross picking out Vlahovic in a scoring position only for the striker to fluff his lines.

That was as good as it got, despite the best efforts of the bright Iling-Junior, who had one last attempt on goal, and Kean as Genoa’s hard work earned them a share of the spoils following back-to-back defeats.

The Nerazzurri have won all of their games so far in 2024 and head south with a nine-point advantage over second-placed Juventus, who have played a game more.

Lecce may have won just twice in 20 league matches as they battle to stay clear of the relegation scrap, but D’Aversa insisted they would aim to meet Inter head on at the Stadio Via del Mare.

“Inter are coming off nine consecutive victories, their statistics in 2024 are impressive, so it might seem impossible for us to get a result – but I believe nothing is impossible in football,” D’Aversa said at a press conference.

“There are a few positive aspects, for example that we are on home turf. We need to cause problems for a team who played in the Champions League midweek (against Atletico Madrid).

“I don’t believe the idea we have nothing to lose, as there is always something to lose. We just have to give our best and see how it goes.”

Lecce will be without defenders Patrick Dorgu and Marin Pongracic through suspension, while Federico Brancolini, Jeppe Corfitzen and Kastriot Dermaku are all still injured.

D’Aversa said: “Federico Baschirotto is fit and should start tomorrow (in defence), I have two possibilities to choose from on who will be next to him.

“(Santiago) Pierotti is improving and needs time to settle, while (forward) Lameck Banda has recovered and we’ll see if he can start tomorrow.”

Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer is set to miss Sunday’s game after being laid low by a flu virus, so Emil Audero is in line to make his Serie A debut, having playing only twice in the Champions League and Coppa Italia.

French forward Marcus Thuram is injured, along with Francesco Acerbi and Juan Cuadrado.

Inter coach Simone Inzaghi could look to rotate the team, with a rescheduled league game at home to Atalanta – who are chasing a top-four place – coming up on Wednesday.

Defender Alessandro Bastoni could be rested, as one more yellow card would see him serve a suspension.

The Croatia international fired home from the edge of the box in the 81st minute to maintain Real’s five-point lead over Barcelona at the summit.

Sixth-placed Real Betis are now seven points behind fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao in the table after beating the 10-man Lions 3-1.

Ezequiel Avila’s strike and Yuri Berchiche’s own goal sent Betis ahead before Nico Williams was sent off in the 40th minute.

Gorka Guruzeta pulled one back for the Basque side, but Johnny Cardoso wrapped up victory for Betis in the 67th minute.

Strugglers Cadiz and Celta Vigo drew 2-2, while Las Palmas and Osasuna settled for a 1-1 draw.

Inter Milan continued their unbeaten start to 2024 with a 4-0 triumph over Lecce in Serie A.

Lautaro Martinez scored twice alongside goals from Davide Frattesi and Stefan De Vrij for Inter to extend their winning run to 10 games in all competitions.

They remain nine points ahead of Juventus, who were rescued by Daniele Rugani’s late stoppage-time goal to beat Frosinone 3-2 after initially taking the lead through Dusan Vlahovic’s double.

A late goal also denied Napoli victory as Zito Luvumbo cancelled out Victor Osimhen’s second-half goal for the reigning Serie A champions in a 1-1 draw with Cagliari.

Teun Koopmeiners’ penalty kept Atalanta in the race for Serie A’s top four as he cancelled out Rafael Leao’s opener in a 1-1 draw with AC Milan.

Paris St Germain needed a late penalty from Goncalo Ramos to rescue a point as they drew 1-1 with Rennes in Ligue 1.

A stunning effort from Amine Gouiri fired the visitors in front and the hosts looked destined for a second league defeat this season before Ramos scored from the spot deep into stoppage time, ensuring PSG sit 11 points clear at the top of the table.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice as Marseille beat struggling Montpellier 4-1 at the Orange Velodrome.

The visitors had gone in front five minutes in through Mousa Al-Tamari but Iliman Ndiaye equalised before former Arsenal striker Aubameyang netted either side of the break, with Falaye Sacko’s own goal piling more misery on Montpellier.

Nice’s goalless draw with bottom-of-the-table Clemont saw Monaco move into third, but they also needed a late goal to beat Lens 3-2.

They took the lead through Folarin Balogun and Brice Samba’s own goal, but Lens fought back with goals from Elye Wahi and Wesley Said before former Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino found the winner in added time.

Lille were handed a shock after being beaten 3-1 by Toulouse, while 10-man Reims earned their first win in five league games by beating Le Havre 2-1.

Maximilian Beier’s quick double helped Hoffenheim move up into seventh in the Bundesliga table after beating Borussia Dortmund 3-2.

Hoffenheim got off to the perfect start when Ihlas Bebou put them ahead just two minutes into the game, but Donyell Malen and Nico Schlotterbeck scored within four minutes of each other to hand Dortmund the lead going into half-time.

Beier then struck in the 61st and 64th minute to snatch victory for Hoffenheim, who are now four points behind Eintracht Frankfurt after they drew 2-2 with Wolfsburg.

Philipp Max cancelled out Maxence Lacroix’s opener before Kevin Behrens restored Wolfsburg’s lead, but Omar Marmoush levelled against his former club two minutes into stoppage time.

Augsburg ended their four-game winless run after second-half goals from Felix Uduokhai and Arne Engels handed them a 2-1 win against SC Freiburg.

The Belgium international has scored just four goals for the Nerazzurri since returning on loan from Chelsea last June.

Two of those have come in his last four appearances - including the winner in the first leg of Inter's Champions League last-16 tie with Porto.

The striker is just one goal away from becoming only the fourth player to score 50 times in Serie A and the Premier League, after Gianfranco Zola, Edin Dzeko and Cristiano Ronaldo.

"We know his value, he came from a problematic period, and now he is giving excellent signals," Inzaghi said of Lukaku during his press conference ahead of Inter's clash with Spezia on Friday. 

"He trains in the best way every day, he scored an important goal against Porto, and we want him to continue to raise the condition."

Second-placed Inter will be expected to cut the gap to runaway leaders Napoli to 12 points with victory over their 17th-placed opponents, who are just three points clear of the relegation zone.

The Nerazzurri saw a six-match unbeaten run ended with defeat at Bologna, but Inzaghi was pleased with his side's response in their routine 2-0 victory over Lecce. 

"We reacted well by having an excellent game against Lecce," he added. "We must continue like this, with this determination, also from tomorrow.

"[It will be] a difficult game, against a team that has a very specific goal for which it is fighting.

"They come from two draws in a row. We will have to interpret the game in the best way, doing simple things."

Kvaratskhelia has shone throughout a campaign in which Napoli appear destined to end their 33-year wait to win the Scudetto.

The Georgian netted his 11th league goal of the season as Napoli overcame Atalanta 2-0 on Saturday, leaving defenders in his wake before firing home as Spalletti's men moved 18 points clear at the Serie A summit. 

With Napoli's first title win since the Maradona era drawing closer, Spalletti believes comparisons between Kvaratskhelia and the inspirational Argentine are not without merit.

"This victory was the best. Turning the tables in terms of our results with this quality of play was the best," Spalletti told Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli on Monday.

"The team played a great game against a very tough opponent like Atalanta. Physically they are the strongest team of all in Serie A, but also in terms of running in open spaces. 

"We moved the ball faster, with a few less touches but with quality, in order to be able to hurt them with pace and speed.

"Then there was that stuff that Kvaratskhelia showed us... This time we can say it was a goal like those of Maradona. 

"The god of football was the god of football, but Kvara is on the right path. He has a speed of touch, you never know where he can go."

Kvaratskhelia's tally of 20 goal contributions (11 goals, nine assists) is only bettered by team-mate Victor Osimhen (19 goals, four assists) in Serie A this season, while he has also created 17 chances following carries and completed 41 dribbles, with the latter total only bettered by Rafael Leao's 44.

Napoli host Eintracht Frankfurt in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday, defending a 2-0 advantage in their bid to reach the last eight for the first time. 

Allegri will draw level with former great Lippi in Juve’s all-time list and behind only Giovanni Trapattoni, who was head coach for 454 matches between 1976 and 1986.

Juve will cut the gap on Serie A leaders Inter Milan to four points with victory and Allegri acknowledged it will be a special occasion for him.

The 56-year-old told a press conference: “I’m very proud to hit 405 games in charge of Juventus, especially because it puts me level with a coach like Lippi, someone who wrote history and someone whom I have a lot of affection for.”

Allegri has guided Juve to five Serie A titles and two Champions League finals – they lost both – during his two spells as head coach.

Lippi also won five domestic titles in two separate stints in charge and was a Champions League winner with the club in 1996. He also led them to three other Champions League finals.

Allegri is hoping his current side can consolidate their place in the top four by returning to winning ways against Udinese after last week’s 1-0 defeat at Inter, who extended their lead at the top by winning 4-2 at Roma on Saturday.

“We didn’t learn (on Saturday) night that Inter are the favourites and that they’re doing great things,” Allegri said.

“We’ve got 53 points and it’s important to get back to winning ways. We need to pull further clear of fifth place and go within four points of first.

“We have no shortage of motivation. We want to get back into the Champions League and on Monday, even if it’s not decisive, it is a very important game. Mentally we’re in good shape.”

Udinese have taken just two points from their last five league games and sit above the relegation zone only on goal difference.

Their solitary win on the road this season was against AC Milan in November.

Allegri said: “Udinese don’t deserve to be where they are in the table. They’ve dropped a lot of points late on in matches, but they have excellent players. They’re physical and they deserve respect.”

Juve’s new signing Carlos Alcaraz made his debut as a late substitute at Inter last week and is hoping to feature again following his loan move from Southampton earlier this month.

Allegri added: “Alcaraz has a lot of quality and the potential to improve. He’s put himself at our disposal, but he’s not ready to start.”

Slip-ups from Inter, Lazio and Roma gave Milan the chance to strike an important blow in the Champions League race on Monday, and they looked set to do so when Giroud headed the opener on the stroke of half-time.

However, Salernitana hit back through Dia just after the hour mark, before a VAR review denied Milan a penalty when Ismael Bennacer went down easily under Domagoj Bradaric's challenge.

The result means Milan remain fourth, just a point clear of fifth-placed Roma in a tense battle for Champions League qualification.

While Milan dominated possession from the off, Salernitana kept them quiet until the half-hour mark, when Giroud sent a trademark overhead kick narrowly over the crossbar.

Salernitana then squandered two chances on the break, with Grigoris Kastanos' effort deflecting wide after a loose pass from Mike Maignan, before the Milan goalkeeper made a fine last-ditch challenge to prevent Dia rounding him.

The visitors' resistance was broken just before half-time as Giroud met Bennacer's corner at the near post to glance a header into the bottom-left corner. 

Salernitana hit back after the restart as Bradaric led a Salernitana break down the left, with his driven cross turned beyond Maignan by a stretching Dia.

Milan threw on Zlatan Ibrahimovic in search of a winner and saw referee Federico La Penna reverse a decision to award them a spot-kick, while Guillermo Ochoa denied Divock Origi with a fine save late on.

Ochoa was involved again as Milan went agonisingly close to a winner late on, somehow clawing the ball away from the goal line following a scramble.

It was confirmed on Monday that Giroud would be leaving Milan to head to Major League Soccer.

And LAFC have now been revealed as the 37-year-old former Arsenal and Chelsea striker's destination.

Giroud has signed a one-year deal with LAFC, with the option to extend his stay through to 2026.

"His championship ambition and his qualities as a man and as a player directly align with ours as a club," LAFC general manager John Thorrington said.

Giroud, who has scored 14 Serie A goals this term, is France's record goalscorer, and is set to appear for Les Bleus at Euro 2024.

He will link up with his long-time international team-mate, Hugo Lloris, at LAFC.

Goals from Dany Mota and Napoli loanee Andrea Petagna handed Luciano Spalletti's men just their fourth top-flight loss of the season, dampening their ongoing title celebrations.

Spalletti opted for a handful of changes against mid-table opposition, and will have expected more from his men despite the low-stakes nature of this clash.

But for Raffaele Palladino, his Biancorossi will nevertheless delight in taking one of the biggest scalps of their successful first campaign in the top flight.

With Napoli already champions and Monza secure in their Serie A place for next season, a lacklustre dead rubber appeared to be on the cards in the first quarter-hour.

But a shrewd counter-attack from the hosts sparked matters into life shortly afterwards, with Mota taking full advantage of a disjointed defence to tuck home the opener.

The visitors chased a response, with Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa forcing a cracking save from Michele Di Gregorio just before the break, but Napoli were left trailing at the interval.

Matters worsened following the restart, when Petagna darted into the box to seize on a rebound and curl a shot beyond Pierluigi Gollini, finding the bottom-left corner.

Napoli continued to test Monza, but efforts from Mathias Olivera and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia were ably saved, while Victor Osimhen saw a penalty shout waved away.

Napoli's inability to find a way back in saw them suffer a rare reverse, in what fans will hope was merely a hangover from their Scudetto success.

Having ended a 33-year wait to win Serie A on Thursday, Luciano Spalletti's men were greeted by a jubilant crowd at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, but two much-changed lineups made for a low-key opening. 

Osimhen thought he had missed the Partenopei's best chance for victory when he had a second-half spot-kick saved by Pietro Terracciano, but a foul on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia gave him the chance to atone.

Serie A's top goalscorer hammered home at the second time of asking, ensuring Napoli's long-awaited Scudetto party was capped with three points.

Fiorentina gave Napoli a pre-match guard of honour, but they were determined not to extend similar levels of hospitality after kick-off, Luka Jovic heading narrowly over early on.

Eljif Elmas shot wide as Napoli – who started with Kvaratskhelia and Stanislav Lobotka on the bench – were slow to click into gear.

Jovic went close again when his deft header was turned away by Pierluigi Gollini, before Osimhen fired into the side netting from a tight angle as half-time approached.

Both Kvaratskhelia and Lobotka were introduced as Napoli looked to step things up, and the latter had an immediate impact when he tempted Sofyan Amrabat into a clumsy foul after the restart, handing Osimhen his first spot-kick. 

Osimhen was denied on this occasion as Terracciano pushed his effort around the left-hand post, but he was to get another chance with 16 minutes left.

Nicolas Gonzalez tripped Kvaratskhelia as he darted into the area, and Osimhen made no mistake second time around, blasting into the roof of the net.

Christian Kouame missed Fiorentina's best chance to level when he lifted over late on, ensuring the champions clung on.

Politano has undergone tests back at Napoli after being sent home from Italy’s Euro qualifying squad. He was withdrawn at half-time during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with North Macedonia in Skopje.

The Serie A champions have not confirmed whether Politano is expected to be fit for Saturday’s Serie A match at Genoa, while Denmark midfielder Jesper Lindstrom has rejoined Rudi Garcia’s squad.

The Rossoneri are second in Serie A but 19 points adrift of champions Inter, and their fans suffered witnessing their fierce rivals secure the Scudetto in the recent derby win at San Siro.

That has only increased media reports about Pioli's dismissal once the season ends, with fans also protesting at the situation Milan face.

"My task shouldn't be complicated, there are four games left," Pioli told a press conference before Sunday's home game against Genoa.

"It's true that outside they talk about everything except the games, but not us. We have a great sense of responsibility. Then we'll see what the future is at the end of the season."

Some Italian reports have suggested Pioli could move to Napoli, though the Milan head coach refuted those claims.

"No thoughts, other than the next four games. At the end of the season, I'll meet with Milan and we'll see what to do," Pioli said.

"You've waited a long time, wait a little longer to talk about the future, the work is not done. The reality is I have another year on my contract with Milan and I won't speak to any other club while I'm under contract."

The atmosphere is tense around the club, and Milan ultras have announced they will not support the team against Genoa, remaining in silence without any banners or flags, as a form of protest against the owners.

"Our fans have always been an added value, especially in difficult moments. And I don't forget it," Pioli continued.

"They have taken this position and we respect it, then we have to do everything to win the game."

Milan have a five-point lead over Juventus in third and Genoa are 12th on 42 points, moving out of relegation danger.

Everything is still to be decided – technically speaking. Title races, European qualification, relegation – all will come to a head over the next two months.

Of course, there are a few outcomes that already look like foregone conclusions, but there's still much to play for in each of the top five leagues.

With club football returning over the next few days, Stats Perform's Artificial Intelligence team have crunched the numbers using their supercomputer to predict the outcome of each league.

How's the outlook for your team?

Premier League

England is the scene of potentially most compelling title race among the top five leagues this season.

Arsenal may have an eight-point lead at the summit, but Manchester City still have a game in hand. As such, the Gunners' chances of winning a first league title since 2004 are 56.2 per cent, perhaps smaller than many might have expected.

That comes down in part to the statistical value attached to City's historic results, particularly over the past few years during their Premier League domination, whereas Arsenal haven't come close to that level of success over the same period.

Therefore, the title race still looks tight.

A little further back, Manchester United (74.5 per cent) are near-certainties to finish third, while the race for fourth promises to be engrossing – Tottenham (19.3 per cent), Newcastle United (29.1 per cent) and Liverpool (24.5 per cent) look set to tussle it out, with Brighton and Hove Albion (10.7 per cent) considered rank outsiders.

At the bottom, Southampton's 41.6 per cent likelihood of finishing 20th suggests they've a huge battle on their hands, but the supercomputer reckons West Ham and Leicester City have enough to pull themselves clear of the drop zone.

The signs are that two of Bournemouth, Everton and Nottingham Forest will join Saints in the Championship.

Bundesliga

Germany's top flight may come to rival the Premier League's title race. Ahead of the weekend's Klassiker between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, BVB are a point clear.

Yet, Dortmund's probability of finishing top is just 22.4 per cent compared to Bayern's 76.4. Again, it largely comes down to their historic results and Die Roten's dominance suggesting they'll eventually get the job done.

But it's fair to say Bayern's decision makers aren't so confident given their brutal choice to sack Julian Nagelsmann on Friday, replacing him with former Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel.

Union Berlin aren't out of it given they are only five points behind Dortmund, though this is obviously uncharted territory for them, hence the 0.9 per cent chance of winning their first top-flight title since 1923.

Third looks the best bet for them (40.3 per cent), while RB Leipzig are the most likely to fill out the top four (37.2 per cent).

It's even tighter in the relegation scrap. Only seven points separate 18th from 13th, so even rock-bottom Stuttgart are given a reasonable chance of finishing 14th (10.6 per cent) or 15th (15.2 per cent).

LaLiga

Following Barcelona's dramatic 2-1 win in El Clasico before the international break, LaLiga looks done and dusted at the top with the Blaugrana 12 points clear.

The supercomputer also reckons Atletico Madrid are nearly guaranteed third (80.3 per cent), leaving what is effectively a two-horse race for fourth.

Real Sociedad have fourth at the moment and are 43.7 per cent likely to finish there, though Real Betis (36.7 per cent) aim to push them all the way.

At the other end, Elche are given no more than a 0.1 per cent chance of getting out of the bottom three after taking just 13 points from 26 games.

Otherwise, relegation is difficult to call. Almeria in 19th are only six points behind Real Mallorca in 11th, meaning there are a host of clubs who could yet get dragged into a fight for their lives.

There are two particularly big names among those potentially in trouble. Valencia are in the bottom three and have a 21.9 per cent chance of being relegated, while Sevilla – who are on their third coach of the season after sacking Jorge Sampaoli – are only two points clear of safety.

The computer says Man Utd's next Europa League opponents only have a 5.8 per cent probability of going down, however.

Ligue 1

Paris Saint-Germain seemingly have little to worry about in Ligue 1, with the supercomputer calculating their title chances at 98 per cent.

The tiny hint of doubt gives Marseille (1.8 per cent) and Lens (0.2 per cent) a bit of hope – but even then, it's presumably nothing more than a pipe dream.

There is a similar degree of certainty at the bottom, where four teams will be relegated ahead of the league's size being reduced to 18 clubs next term.

Angers, with 10 points from 28 games, cannot get out of the bottom four according to the calculations, and the other three positions are currently taken up by Ajaccio, Troyes and Auxerre.

Brest and Strasbourg aren't out of the woods yet either, though the supercomputer believes those in the relegation zone are the ones most likely to drop into Ligue 2.

Serie A

If there's one league in Europe that's got a foregone conclusion at the top, it's Serie A.

Napoli have more than a 99.9 per cent chance of winning a first Scudetto since 1990, with the unrelenting Partenopei a whopping 19 points clear of second already.

The race for Champions League qualification promises to be a little more tense.

Eleven points is the gap between Lazio in second and Juventus in seventh. While the Bianconeri are very much outsiders, the other five teams have at least a 15 per cent chance of finishing in the top four.

Lazio, Inter and Milan appear to be the most likely to take those spots, though Roma and Atalanta will fancy their chances of putting a cat among the pigeons.

In the relegation fight, there's a rather clearer picture.

Cremonese and Sampdoria look doomed, while Hellas Verona in 18th are five points adrift of safety, giving them just an 18.8 per cent probability of avoiding relegation.

The France international has been heavily linked with a move away from Turin, with his contract with the Bianconeri due to expire in June.

Former club PSG are reportedly interested in re-signing the midfielder, who won five Ligue 1 titles and racked up over 200 appearances during his first spell with the French giants between 2010 and 2019.

But the 27-year-old's immediate attention is on ensuring a strong end to the 2022-23 campaign with Juve who, despite a 15-point deduction, are just four points outside the top four.

When asked about the reported PSG interest, he told Telefoot: "Honestly, there is nothing special. I hear a lot of noise. I know that many people are interested in it.

"But I repeat: I am very focused on this end of the season with Juventus."

Rabiot is Juventus' second-top scorer in Serie A this season with seven goals, a tally bettered only by Dusan Vlahovic (eight).

The central midfielder has also registered three assists in the Italian top flight, with only Filip Kostic (eight) and Angel Di Maria (four) recording more for the Bianconeri.

While not officially confirmed by the German club, widespread reports on Thursday suggested Nagelsmann had been dismissed.

Bayern sit second in the Bundesliga, one point behind Borussia Dortmund, and it is one of their rivals' former coaches who is favourite to replace Nagelsmann.

TOP STORY – TUCHEL SIGNS BAYERN DEAL

According to Fabrizio Romano, Tuchel – who was sacked by Chelsea in September – has already agreed to become Bayern's new coach.

Tuchel's first game would be against his former team Dortmund on April 1.

Bayern face Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals. Nagelsmann, meanwhile, is sure to be linked with plenty of high-profile job opportunities.

ROUND UP

- The Sun, citing a Sport Bild report, claim that Eintracht Frankfurt have placed an £88million (€99.7m) price tag on Manchester United target Randal Kolo Muani.

- The father of Brighton and Hove Albion's Alexis Mac Allister has informed ESPN no clubs are in concrete talks with his son, but that there are interested parties.

- According to 90min, Chelsea, Newcastle Unitedand Manchester Cityare all scouting Juventus winger Samuel Iling-Junior.

- Fabrizio Romano says that Barcelona, Real Madridand Liverpoolare interested in Florian Wirtz, though Bayer Leverkusen are confident of keeping hold of the youngster.