Inter Milan stretched their lead to 10 points at the top of Serie A with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Salernitana at San Siro.
Inter were looking for a sixth consecutive victory and they were well on their way when Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez scored within two minutes of each other before Denzel Dumfries put the hosts out of sight at the break.
A dominant Inter side limited their opponents to just one shot and Marko Arnautovic saw a strike ruled out but he was not to be denied as he added a fourth for Inter with the last kick of the game to continue their 100 per cent start to 2024.
Inter Milan’s attacking intention was clear from the outset and they should have opened the scoring after three minutes when Alessandro Bastoni’s header was parried by Guillermo Ochoa into the path of Thuram but he could only poke onto the post with the goal at his mercy.
Another early chance went begging as Nicolo Barella latched onto a loose ball and fired at goal with Ochoa magnificently tipping over the bar from point-blank range.
It was wave after wave of Inter attack throughout the first 10 minutes and Ochoa once again had to stop Thuram from stabbing in from inside the six-yard box.
Inter finally made their deserved breakthrough in the 17th minute when Carlos Augusto found Thuram inside the box and this time he made no mistake, blasting into the top corner for his 10th league goal of the season.
Inter doubled their lead with a second goal in quick succession and Augusto was yet again the creator when his long throw forward found Martinez who curled in from the edge of the box.
Inter put the game to bed five minutes before the break when Barella’s deflected cross needed to be dealt with by Ochoa but he could only push into the path of Dumfries who bundled home with ease.
Inter started the second period in the same fashion as the first and almost had a fourth right away but Hakan Calhanoglu’s rifled volley was palmed behind by Ochoa.
Salernitana had yet to register a single shot during the first 55 minutes but had an opportunity from a free-kick from 25 yards that Antonio Candreva blasted over the bar.
Ochoa was keeping the score respectable and he rose well to keep out Stefan De Vrij’s header from going in.
Inter thought they had a fourth in the 78th minute when former Stoke and West Ham forward Arnautovic got on the end of a long ball and finished past Ochoa only for the offside flag to cut short celebrations.
However, they did add the cherry to the cake when Arnautovic got on the end of Dumfries’ cross and poked home from inside the area.
Juventus and Pogba agree to terminate contract
Juventus and Paul Pogba have agreed to the mutual termination of the midfielder's contract after he was banned over a failed drugs test.
The 31-year-old will complete his suspension in March after testing positive for DHEA in September 2023, a banned substance that boosts testosterone levels.
He was initially banned for four years, only for his punishment to be reduced to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in October.
Despite that reduction, Juventus director Cristiano Giuntoli recently cast doubt on Pogba's chances of representing the Bianconeri again, and he has now been released by the club.
Pogba had a contract with Juventus to run until June 2026, but he will now train in Miami in the hope of finding a new club before his suspension ends.
"The club wishes Paul all the best for his professional future," Juventus said in a statement.
Pogba added in a statement of his own: "It has been a privilege to pull on the shirt of the Bianconeri and to share so many special moments together.
"I cherish the memories we made. They live on.
"Even in the most difficult moments over the past year, your support was crucial and I want to thank Juve fans around the world for their compassion.
"I am looking forward to the next chapter of my career and to stepping out on the pitch with my next club."
Injuries limited Pogba to just 162 minutes in five appearances across the 2022-23 season, his first campaign back in Turin after leaving Manchester United.
He then played a total of 51 minutes as a substitute before being suspended last season, reportedly agreeing to take a substantial pay cut while ineligible to represent the club.
Bisseck signs Inter contract extension to 2029
Yann Bisseck has signed a new contract extension with Inter until 2029.
The defender joined the club in July 2023 from AGF for around €7million and has since made 32 appearances in all competitions.
His initial deal would keep him at Inter until 2028, but the 23-year-old has signed a one-year contract extension.
Bisseck has played 11 times for Inter so far this term, including all four of their Champions League matches, making the second-most blocks (four) and the most interceptions (five) among his team-mates in the competition.
"I feel that the club has confidence in me, as does the coach: everyone has contributed to this renewal, and I'm happy with the progress I've made. I think this deal is a positive moment for everyone," he told InterTV.
"There are many things I can still improve. I'm not a perfect player, but I'm still young and there are many aspects that I still need to work on, especially from a tactical and mental point of view.
"Technically and physically, I've reached a good level. I think my mentality will be key to my future growth."
Ranieri turned down offers before Roma retirement U-turn
Claudio Ranieri revealed he has turned down offers from other clubs since his retirement before answering Roma's call to be their new manager.
Ranieri announced his retirement at the end of last season after guiding Cagliari to Serie A safety, but after Roma sacked their second manager this season, the 73-year-old agreed on Thursday to take charge until the end of the campaign.
It is Ranieri's third spell as manager of Roma, the club where he began his playing career, and the Rome native will remain in a senior management role once his coaching term ends.
Across his previous two spells, Ranieri managed 96 games in all competitions, registering 53 wins, with a win percentage of 55.21%.
"I had stopped coaching, I have had more requests in recent months than when I won the league title with Leicester City," Ranieri told a press conference.
"I have always said no. I said only in two cases can I return to coaching, either for Roma or Cagliari, if something went wrong.
"I was convinced to have gone my own way, but fate wanted me to return home. I began at Roma as a player and I will finish there as an executive."
Ranieri has no interest in what has gone wrong for Roma this season, in which Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric have been dismissed.
"There are a thousand reasons, and honestly I don't care," he said.
"If I go looking at what happened yesterday, I won't achieve anything. I was given carte blanche and I have to do my best with these players. From now on, I am the one in charge.
"Changing two managers by November isn't easy for anyone, one wants to play in a certain manner, one wants to play another way, so there is a bit of an electroshock. That's normal."
Paulo Dybala's absence against Bologna led to speculation that it had more to do with his contract's automatic renewal clause on reaching a certain percentage of appearances than with the Argentine forward's physical fitness.
The Argentinian has made 12 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring twice in Serie A, including the only goal in their last win at the end of October.
Ranieri showed he means business when he revealed the conversation he had with Roma President Dan Friedkin.
"It's the first thing I asked the president," Ranieri said.
"I told him 'I do as I please, I don't want to know if he has clauses or not'.
"You can see that when Dybala is well he makes the difference. I wish he could always play, but he won't."
Ranieri's first game comes after the international break when Roma take on league leaders Napoli.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
