Domenico Berardi fired a stunning winner as Sassuolo hit back to halt Inter Milan’s 100 per cent start to the Serie A season with a 2-1 win at San Siro.
Italy forward Berardi crashed home a swerving shot from outside the penalty area after Nedim Bajrami’s second-half equaliser had cancelled out Denzel Dumfries’ opener for Inter.
Simone Inzaghi’s side had won all of their opening five league matches to top the table, but Sassuolo produced a second upset in the space of four days after beating Juventus 4-2 at home on Saturday.
Sassuolo made an encouraging start, enjoying an equal share of possession as neither side created a clear scoring chance in the first 30 minutes.
Inter then sparked into life when Nicolo Barella sent Dumfries sprinting down the right, with the latter’s excellent cross headed just over by Marcus Thuram.
Thuram then missed when well placed from another ball in from Dumfries before Jeremy Toljan provided Sassuolo’s best first-half chance as his fierce angled effort was well saved by Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer.
Sommer was alert again to keep out Bajrami’s low shot before Inter broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time.
Dumfries cut inside on the right edge of the penalty area and arrowed a low finish into the bottom corner for his second goal of the season.
Martin Erlic headed a golden chance wide for Sassuolo from Berardi’s brilliant cross, but the visitors drew level in the 54th minute.
Berardi was again the provider as his slide-rule pass on the right side of the area was hammered home by Bajrami, with Sommer furious he had allowed the ball to beat him at the near post.
It got worse for Inter soon after. Berardi was allowed to cut inside from the right on to his left foot and he unleashed a brilliant, dipping shot that nestled inside Sommer’s far post.
Inter boss Inzaghi sent on substitutes Carlos Augusto, Stefan de Vrij and Davide Frattesi soon after and the latter forced visiting goalkeeper Andrea Consigli into a low save.
Sassuolo dealt comfortably with Inter’s bid to get back on terms and Armand Lauriente sliced his chance to extend the visitors’ lead wide in the 85th minute.
Lauriente then saw a better effort that would have settled it saved by Sommer before Francesco Acerbi fired straight at Consigli and Lautaro Martinez shot narrowly wide in stoppage time.
Teams all set for next year's inaugural Concacaf Women's Gold Cup
The November-December window of the Concacaf Women's Gold Cup qualifiers concluded recently, with the field for next year's inaugural Concacaf Women's Gold Cup completed.
During the window, eight teams qualified for the tournament, with Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica securing spots in the group stage, while Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Haiti, Guyana and Dominican Republic progressed to the Prelims.
Here is the full list of teams currently qualified for the 2024 Women's Gold Cup.
Group Stage
United States -The four-time FIFA Women’s World Cup winners clinched their place in the Gold Cup when they defeated Canada 1-0 in the final of the 2022 Concacaf Women's Championship.
Canada -The 2020 Olympic Gold Medal winners punched their Gold Cup ticket after defeating Jamaica 4-1 on aggregate in the Concacaf Olympic Playoff.
Mexico -Mexico qualified to for the group stage as winners of Group A of League A in the qualifiers.
Panama -Panama qualified to the group stage as winners of Group B of League A.
Costa Rica -Costa Rica qualified to the group stage as winners of Group C of League A.
Brazil -Brazil are one of the four invited teams to the 2024 W Gold Cup. Brazil were winners of the 2022 Conmebol Copa America Femenina.
Colombia -Colombia another invitee were runners-up of the 2022 Conmebol Copa America Femenina.
Argentina -Argentina another invitee was the third-place finisher at the 2022 Conmebol Copa America Femenina.
Paraguay -Paraguay, by virtue of their fourth-place finish at the 2022 Conmebol Copa America Femenina, were also invited to the Concacaf Gold Cup.
Prelims
Puerto Rico-Puerto Rico were runners-up in Group A of League A.
Guatemala -Guatemala bettered Jamaica to place second behind Panama in Group B of League A.
Haiti -Haiti placed second in Group C of League A.
Guyana -Guyana finished tops in Group A of League B.
El Salvador -El Salvador topped Group B of League B.
Dominican Republic -Dominican Republic topped Group C of League B.
Massimiliano Allegri demands big push for points before halfway mark in Serie A
Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has challenged his players to rectify the club’s wretched recent results against rivals Napoli to move top of the Serie A table.
Juve have lost five of their past seven league meetings with the reigning champions, including a 5-1 thrashing in January, but are favourites for Friday evening’s clash at Allianz Stadium.
The in-form Bianconeri sit second in the table and will climb above leaders Inter Milan for at least 24 hours by registering an 11th victory of the season.
Fifth-placed Napoli are struggling to mount a title defence and, having last month reappointed former boss Walter Mazzarri after sacking Rudi Garcia, slipped 11 points adrift of Inter following a 3-0 home loss to them on Sunday.
“Tomorrow will be very tough,” Allegri told a press conference.
“Napoli stayed in the game against Inter until the second goal and we’ve only beaten them once in our last seven meetings – that’s something we need to put right.
“They’re a dangerous side away from home and have picked up 17 points on the road already.”
Juventus are just two points behind Inter, with whom they drew 1-1 on November 26, following a nine-match unbeaten run.
Allegri wants a minimum of six points from Juve’s next five fixtures to ensure the club reach the halfway point of the campaign in a stronger position than last term.
“This is a six-pointer – we have five games left before we reach the midway point of the season and they’ll all be difficult,” said Allegri, whose side finished a disappointing 2022-23 campaign in seventh position.
“Our target is to finish the first half of the campaign with more points than we did last term, when we had 38.
“We hope to achieve our target but we mustn’t take it for granted.
“Part of this job involves dealing with the pressure but we have to remember the league doesn’t finish tomorrow. There’s still a long way to go.”
Mazzarri, who initially managed Napoli between 2009 and 2013, beat Atalanta 2-1 in the first match of his second spell before the resounding loss to Inter.
The 62-year-old hopes his team can kick-start a revival by beating one of their fiercest rivals.
“Juventus v Napoli is a match that we know well because of the special sensations it generates and the importance of two teams that have been protagonists of the championship in recent years,” he told a press conference.
“We are playing against an opponent who is doing very well and there is little to add about the depth of the match.
“We go there as Italian champions and we want to highlight the progress that the boys are making.
“If we look at the squads, I don’t think there is as much of a difference as the league table says. This is also true compared to Inter.
“Unfortunately in football there are also moments and this is not a brilliant period for Napoli, especially in relation to the great last season.
“In football sometimes it doesn’t take much to make a change, it’s a question of trust but also of luck.
“There are moments which are going badly but a positive episode can change the wind.”
Usain Bolt lights up the pitch against Brazilian legend Ronaldinho in CONMEBOL Legends Match
In a star-studded spectacle just before the much-anticipated draw for the 2024 Copa América on Thursday, sprinting legend Usain Bolt took the field alongside football icons such as Ronaldinho Gaúcho in the South American Football Confederation’s (CONMEBOL) Legends Match.
The electrifying game unfolded in the vibrant city of Miami, USA, at the Inter Miami’s DRV PNK Stadium.
Bolt, known for his blazing speed on the track, showcased his skills on the football pitch as he joined forces with luminaries like Colombian maestro Carlos Valderrama and Argentine sharpshooter Sergio ‘Kun’ Agüero. The Jamaican sprint legend documented the memorable experience, sharing snapshots with his teammates on Instagram, most of which were captured in the camaraderie-filled dressing room.
Yet, it was Bolt's interaction with former Barcelona maestro Ronaldinho that set social media ablaze. The charismatic duo, pitted against each other on opposing teams, engaged in a quick chat, leaving fans thrilled. True to his flair, Ronaldinho managed to find the back of the net, securing his team's only goal in a closely contested match that ended with Bolt's team clinching a 2-1 victory.
As the final whistle blew, capturing the essence of sportsmanship, Ronaldinho posed for photographs with Bolt, capping off a night of football camaraderie. The beloved Brazilian footballer even took a moment to sign Bolt's jersey before the sprint legend headed back to the dressing room.
Adding to the spectacle, Kasi Bennett, Bolt's longtime spouse, shared glimpses of the Legends Match, posting a short video capturing Bolt's presence on the pitch. The event not only showcased the fusion of speed and skill but also celebrated the spirit of sport that transcends disciplines.
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