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• Astana 1-3 Chelsea: Maresca's men secure qualification in freezing temperatures

  Chelsea confirmed their spot in the last 16 of the Conference League by beating Astana 3-1 in bitterly cold conditions.

  A temperature of -10 degrees was recorded in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where the match was hosted, but it did not bother the Blues.

  Marc Guiu got the visitors off to a good start, dribbling inside from the right and firing into the net after 14 minutes.

  Enzo Maresca's side doubled their lead via an Aleksandr Marochkin own goal four minutes later, before Renato Veiga's header made it three.

  Marin Tomasov pulled one back for Astana just before the break, but it was never likely to be enough.

  The Blues cruised through the second half with a serenity that summed up their progress in the competition so far, with Maresca able to hand opportunities to several youngsters.

• T&T welcome Jamaica, SVG and Dominica for U-20 Women's Invitational football tourney

  Trinidad and Tobago is set to welcome regional rivals Dominica, Jamaica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) for the third edition of the Jewels of the Caribbean Invitational Women’s Football tournament as they intensify their respective preparations for next year’s Concacaf Under-20 qualifiers.

  The tournament, scheduled for December 15-20, provides a platform for some of the Caribbean’s most promising under-20 female footballers to display their talents ahead of their 2025 campaigns.

  As host, the Twin Island Republic will participate with two teams, the Red Angels and the White Angels, coached by former senior internationals Ayanna Russell and Dernelle Mascall, respectively.

  Details of the event were revealed by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) on Wednesday.

  “The Jewels of the Caribbean Tournament is fast becoming a staple on the Caribbean football calendar, offering valuable competitive opportunities for women’s teams outside of Concacaf and Caribbean Football Union-organized events.

  “This year’s event is made possible through the backing of the NGO Female Forward, which played a key role in securing First Citizens Bank as the tournament's title sponsor. Additionally, FIFA has stepped in to assist participating associations by covering expenses such as accommodation, meals, and internal transport,” a release said.

  The action kicks off on December 15 with a double-header at the Larry Gomes Stadium. Jamaica and SVG will face off at 2:00pm, before the Red Angels and Dominica lock horns at 4:00pm.

  On Monday, the White Angels will open their account against SVG at 7:00pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium. The tournament will conclude with the final and the third-place playoff, both to be held at the Ato Boldon Stadium.

  TTFA president Kieron Edwards emphasized the broader significance of the tournament.

  “This tournament is a tremendous step forward for women’s football in our region...it underscores the TTFA’s commitment to elevating women’s football and providing opportunities for growth and development,” Edwards noted.

  The tournament marks the start of a busy period for Trinidad Tobago as their Under-20 team is grouped with Bermuda, Canada, and Dominica for the women’s qualifiers, scheduled for February 20-25.

  Meanwhile, the Under-17 women will compete against Belize, Honduras, and the US Virgin Islands in their qualifying group from January 27-February 1.

• Lazio test looms for Inter, Serie A leaders Atalanta visit Cagliari

  Scudetto holders Inter, struggling with injuries and coming off a tough Champions League loss, face a pivotal test at Lazio as they fight to stay in touch with Serie A leaders Atalanta.

  Atalanta top the standings on 34 points, two ahead of Antonio Conte's Napoli, with Inter and Fiorentina both one point further back on 31.

  Reeling from Tuesday's 1-0 loss at Bayer Leverkusen, Simone Inzaghi's side remain without injured defensive pillars Francesco Acerbi and Benjamin Pavard ahead of Monday's visit to his former club.

  Inter's 573-minute run without conceding a goal in the Champions League ended when Nordi Mukiele scored for Leverkusen in the 90th minute on Tuesday.

  That capped a miserable trip to Germany for Inter, who failed to record a single shot on target in a Champions League game for the first time since February 2022 (versus Liverpool), and for the first time on record (since 2003-04) in the competition's first round.

   

  Lazio, meanwhile, have racked up consecutive victories over Napoli in league and cup, with the Biancocelesti facing Ajax in the Europa League on Thursday before returning to Serie A action.

  Inter could be six points off the top by the time they take to the field for that headline fixture, with Atalanta targeting a piece of history at Cagliari on Saturday.

  Gian Piero Gasperini's Dea side have won nine straight Serie A games to equal their club record, having also won nine in a row between February and July 2020. Another victory would make this their best-ever winning run in the competition.

  This is only the second time that Atalanta have topped the table at the end of a Serie A matchday since the competition returned to 20 teams in 2004-05, having only managed to do so after the fifth matchday in 2022-23.

  Until now, Atalanta had never led the top-flight table as many as 15 matches into a campaign.

  They are big favourites to maintain their winning streak against 15th-placed Cagliari, with Gasperini having no new injury concerns. Giorgio Scalvini is out, having sustained a shoulder injury ahead of Tuesday's Champions League 3-2 loss to Real Madrid, while Gianluca Scamacca and Juan Cuadrado are longer-term absentees.

  While both Inter and Atalanta were beaten in Europe this week, Juventus claimed a huge result by beating Manchester City 2-0, courtesy of goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie.

  The Bianconeri's triumph came despite them only having 31% of possession – only once previously on record (since 2003-04) have they won a Champions League game while having a lower share of possession (27% versus Chelsea in September 2021).

   

  In Serie A, however, it has been a case of possession without purpose for Juventus, who remain unbeaten but have drawn nine of their 15 matches, including each of their last three, to sit sixth.

  "Nothing bothers me. I perfectly accept all honest judgements, but I won't enter this story," Juve coach Thiago Motta said, when asked about criticism of their domestic form.

  "I am only focused on my work: improving the team and helping my players. The rest doesn’t count much."

  With last-placed Venezia travelling to Turin on Saturday, Motta should be confident of maintaining the feel-good factor built in midweek. 

  Juventus have dominated this fixture historically, winning 10 of their last 12 Serie A matches against the newly promoted side.

  Surprise package Fiorentina, meanwhile, are riding high on an eight-match winning streak in Serie A, and they could make history when they travel to Bologna – led by former Viola boss Vincenzo Italiano – on Sunday.

  Victory for Raffaele Palladino's visitors would set a new club record for successive victories in Serie A, overhauling their long-standing mark from 1960.