Simone Inzaghi hailed Inter for playing as a "real team" after the Nerazzurri battled past Juventus to reach the Coppa Italia final.

Federico Dimarco's first-half strike proved the difference as Inter defeated Juve 1-0 at San Siro on Wednesday, securing a 2-1 aggregate triumph in the semi-final tie.

Victory kept Inter's Coppa defence alive, having beaten Juve in last year's final, while the Nerazzurri are also in the Champions League semi-finals – where they face fierce rivals Milan.

Massimiliano Allegri's side offered little with a performance in stark contrast to a fiery first leg, and Inzaghi believes his side were good value for their triumph.

"It was an intense match from start to finish, we deserved to reach the final," the Inter coach told Mediaset. 

"We are very happy, we wanted to return to Rome [to the Stadio Olimpico for the May 24 final]."

Inter outclassed Allegri's visitors in all departments, with Juve mustering an expected goals tally of just 0.15 to the Nerazzurri's 1.19.

It also marked Inter's first Coppa semi-final victory over Juve in six attempts as the Nerazzurri reached the last four in back-to-back seasons for the first time since doing so between 2009 and 2011.

"They were very good, they had a great race tonight," Inzaghi said of his players. "We did not lose a yard against a strong team, we have remained united and compact, we have been a real team. 

"Whoever entered played his part. I take away many excellent points."

Dimarco was the hero in front of his home crowd, scoring his fifth goal in all competitions this season – only Achraf Hakimi (seven in 2020-21) has managed more in the last 10 seasons among Inter defenders.

The Inter left-back was quick to share the praise, though, pinpointing his team-mates' will to fight as the driving factor for their success.

Asked what the difference was for Inter, Dimarco told Mediaset: "There are no secrets. In this group everyone is fighting for the shirt and to show what they're worth."

"We played an excellent match. It was what we wanted and we achieved it with a good victory."

Federico Dimarco scored the only goal of the game as Inter kept their Coppa Italia defence on course with a 1-0 semi-final win over Juventus, securing a 2-1 aggregate triumph.

The Nerazzurri, who defeated Juve in last year's final, will face either Cremonese or Fiorentina – the latter leading 2-0 ahead of Thursday's second leg – in this season's showpiece on May 24 at Stadio Olimpico.

Inter headed into Wednesday's clash at San Siro with the semi-final tie finely poised at 1-1 after a fiery first leg, although Dimarco's neat first-half finish soon had Simone Inzaghi's hosts in control.

Edin Dzeko saw a strike ruled out for offside in the second half as Massimiliano Allegri's side crashed out of the Coppa with a whimper.

Inter started at a frenetic pace and should have taken a third-minute lead when Nicolo Barella's right-wing cross found Dzeko, who bundled wide at the back post.

Yet the hosts' early dominance was rewarded after 15 minutes as Dimarco coolly rolled into the bottom-left corner following Barella's delicate throughball.

A fine Andre Onana stop from Filip Kostic's arrowing drive was required to keep Inter's lead intact, while Mattia Perin denied a low Lautaro Martinez effort with an equally impressive save.

Another attempt from range by Fabio Miretti tested Onana after the interval, before Dzeko saw a driven finish chalked off for offside from Dimarco's pinpoint pass.

Perin thwarted Henrikh Mkhitaryan late on to limit the damage as Inter advanced into another Coppa final.

What does it mean? Inter alleviate Serie A concerns with more cup joy

Inter are facing a battle to finish in Italy's top four in Serie A for a place in Europe next season, but their cup exploits have kept the Nerazzurri faithful with reason to cheer.

Inzaghi's side are into the Champions League semi-finals, where they face fierce rivals Milan across a two-legged tie, while they remain on course to defend their Coppa Italia crown.

Juve, meanwhile, may have been buoyed by the reversal of their 15-point deduction in Serie A, but the Europa League now represents the Bianconeri's only chance of silverware this season.

Deadly Dimarco

Dimarco continues to be an unlikely source of goals for Inter this season, chipping in with the opener for his fifth strike in all competitions – four of those assisted by Barella.

Across the last 10 seasons for Inter, Achraf Hakimi (seven goals in 2020-21) is the only defender to manage more than Dimarco's tally in the 2022-23 campaign.

Strikerless plan fails for Allegri

Allegri opted to start without a recognised striker, leaving his only out-and-out number nine Arkadiusz Milik on the bench after choosing Federico Chiesa to play up top with Angel Di Maria.

The Juve coach soon introduced Milik at half-time but that did little to improve the Bianconeri's fortunes as they rarely tested Onana in a timid showing that belied their gutsy first-leg performance.

What's next?

Inter return to Serie A action at home to Lazio on Sunday, when Juventus visit Bologna.

Chelsea's disappointing season has created speculation about several of their key players' futures.

The Blues are mid-table in the Premier League and will miss out on Champions League qualification next term.

It has been a tumultuous season, with Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter both axed under their new ownership led by Todd Boehly.

TOP STORY – REAL MADRID OPEN HAVERTZ TALKS

Real Madrid have commenced negotiations with Chelsea about a possible off-season move for Kai Havertz, reports 90min.

Los Blancos view the 23-year-old German forward as a potential successor for veteran striker Karim Benzema.

Madrid are eager to reinforce their offensive options in the next transfer window. Bayern Munich are known to be admirers of Havertz too.

ROUND-UP

– Gazzetta dello Sport claims Juventus are planning a move to bring Chelsea's Kalidou Koulibaly back to Italy as he is unhappy at Stamford Bridge.

– Liverpool's interest in RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol has cooled given the German club's £80m valuation which they believe is too high, according to Football Insider.

– The Mirror reports Paris Saint-Germain are considering selling Neymar in the off-season with his contract up in 2025. Chelsea and one other Premier League club are interested.

– Real Madrid are preparing a new contract offer for Eduardo Camavinga amid links with Premier League clubs, reports Fabrizio Romano. The Frenchman wants to remain with Madrid.

– The Sun claims Manchester City are plotting a move for Brentford full back Aaron Hickey who is expected to cost around £30m.

– There is no truth to speculation linking Barcelona with a move for Chelsea's Reece James, according to Fabrizio Romano. James signed a long-term deal last year.

Massimiliano Allegri was left to rue Juventus' "slow and static" defending after Napoli snatched a dramatic late winner at the Allianz Stadium.

A generally dull contest was settled in the third minute of stoppage time, when Giacamo Raspadori's thumping volley edged the runaway Serie A leaders ever closer to clinching the Scudetto.

The Juve defence were caught napping as Luciano Spalletti's side snatched all three points, and Allegri admitted he expects higher standards from his players.

"It's disappointing to lose a game like that, but we should've done better on the goal," he told DAZN. "We just stopped playing and absolutely need to do better in that sense.

"It’s simple, just look at the move, we are at the 93rd minute and ought to have bodies into the box to defend.

"This is part of the growth process for players, something we take for granted. We were too slow and static in reacting to the ball in that situation."

Juventus saw two goals disallowed in the final 20 minutes, with Angel Di Maria and Dusan Vlahovic both denied, but Allegri refused to blame referee Michael Fabbri for the result.

"We need to stay calm, accept as we always have done the refereeing decisions – good or bad," the head coach added. "Otherwise, we waste energy, because we cannot change the result now.

"The referee was very good today, I congratulate him on his performance."

It was the Bianconeri's first league outing since the reversal of their 15-point deduction, lifting them to third in the table with 59 points - three ahead of Roma and Milan in fourth and fifth respectively.

Nevertheless, Juve still trail Napoli by 19 points and, while praising his players' attitudes in adversity, Allegri hopes they can close the gap and launch a greater title challenge next season.

"This is a surreal situation we were in, and the lads were marvellous," he said.

"We had some difficulties this season, especially after the 15-point penalty. We've still got a lead over Milan and Inter, so now we must pick up the points we are missing.

"This is a season that will help us grow a great deal and next year, we'll be right back up there fighting for the Scudetto."

Luciano Spalletti recalled his long journey to Serie A glory after Napoli took another significant step towards the Scudetto with a dramatic win at Juventus.

Napoli could wrap up the title as soon as next weekend after Giacomo Raspadori's 93rd-minute volley gave them a 1-0 victory in Turin on Sunday.

The gap to second-placed Lazio is 17 points with seven games remaining, meaning it will surely soon be party time for the Partenopei, who have not won the title since the days of Diego Maradona.

Spalletti said Napoli would have to "wait to uncork the bottles", but he only half-heartedly talked down their title celebrations having had his own long wait to this point. The coach is yet to win a league title in his home country.

"I haven't travelled in the window seat," he told DAZN. "I've always hitch-hiked. The fact that I am in a position to win this Scudetto repays all the sacrifices I've made.

"Sometimes I was made fun of because of my boots [on the touchline], but I suffered to have those. I remember well when I couldn't buy them. Since I suffered a few times before, this year I put them on.

"I took a more difficult road than others who start from different levels, and it's probably right for them, too, because in their careers as players they gained such esteem as to start from a higher level."

While Raspadori has not quite had the same difficult path as Spalletti, his first season in Naples has also not been straightforward, limited to only nine Serie A starts due to injury.

Sunday's goal was his second of the season, but it was a big one.

"I am happy because they have shown me that they love me, as they do every day," the forward said.

"There is never a moment to stand still, it was a difficult moment and I worked to get out of it together with the coaching staff. Now, I'm happy for the goal."

Giacomo Raspadori's 93rd-minute volley gave Napoli a dramatic 1-0 win against Juventus on Sunday, securing a rare Serie A double over the Bianconeri.

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.

Lazio head coach Maurizio Sarri has called for resignations over the decision to overturn Juventus' 15-point deduction in Serie A.

The Bianconeri were hit with the penalty in January after an investigation into a capital gains case, with the club found guilty of alleged breaches in relation to historical transfers.

However, Juve's appeal to have the deduction revoked proved successful, with the Collegio di Garanzia announcing on Thursday the penalty has been annulled.

The Italian Football Federation (FICG) could yet punish Juve again after re-evaluating the case, but for now they have jumped to third in Serie A.

Massimiliano Allegri's men have the chance to leapfrog Lazio into second should they beat leaders Napoli on Sunday, but Sarri is not happy with how the situation has been handled.

"From a legal point of view, I don't have the knowledge to be able to give an opinion," he said following Lazio's 1-0 home loss to Torino on Saturday.

"But from a sporting point of view, the championship is distorted. For months there was a ranking, but now it's different and could change. 

"I hope someone in sports justice has the good taste to resign."

Sarri's mood was not helped by what he thought was a poor display from the officials in the loss to Torino, with Ivan Ilic's first-half goal proving the difference.

"The refereeing had an impact," he said. "[Elseid] Hysaj should have had a penalty, and Torino's goal came from a throw-in metres inside the pitch. It influenced the game. 

"I wonder how seven people didn’t see these things. The boys were good – there was a risk of being reduced to nine or 10 men with these referees."

Romelu Lukaku was dramatically cleared to face Juventus in the second leg of Inter's Coppa Italia semi-final as Italian football chiefs rescinded the red card he received for standing up to racist abuse.

An intervention on Saturday from the president of the Italian FA (FIGC), Gabriele Gravina, brought about the cancellation of Lukaku's second yellow card in the first leg of the Juventus tie.

That was despite the FIGC on Friday announcing the ban would stand, which was followed by an outraged response from Inter.

Inter reacted with dismay and "great sorrow" to Friday's ruling, saying it appeared Lukaku had been judged "the only guilty party" despite being the victim.

Gravina's decision to subsequently quash the verdict was warmly welcomed by Lukaku, who said in a statement on Inter's website: "I am really happy about this decision from the president of the FIGC, who has shown great sensitivity to the situation.

"I believe that thanks to his intervention, justice has been done and this sends out a great message to the whole world of sport and beyond. This has shown that the desire is there to fight racism."

The initial decision to uphold the red card and suspension had all the attributes of an embarrassing own goal for the FIGC amid efforts to show they take racism seriously.

Belgian striker Lukaku converted a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time to earn Inter a 1-1 draw in the semi-final first leg on April 4 at the Allianz Stadium.

He then used his finger to shush the home fans' vitriol and that reaction was deemed a bookable offence by referee Davide Massa. Lukaku had already been booked for a foul in the 80th minute, so the second yellow card saw him dismissed.

The Inter frontman, who is on loan from Chelsea, subsequently demanded action from Italian authorities after the latest case of him being targeted for abuse, while team-mate Edin Dzeko described the treatment from the Juventus fans as something "that should never happen".

FIFA president Gianni Infantino labelled the abuse "unacceptable" and called for those responsible to be punished.

A partial stadium closure was initially imposed on Juventus as a result of Lukaku being targeted, with the section from where the abuse came ordered to be shut for one game, but that decision was overturned, without an explanation being offered.

The second leg will take place on Wednesday at San Siro, and Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi will be relieved to have Lukaku available.

Saturday's apparent common sense decision from the FIGC was announced in a statement to Italian media, which announced Lukaku had been pardoned "in an exceptional and extraordinary way".

The FIGC statement added: "The principle of the fight against all forms of racism is a fundamental element of the sports system."

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri is urging his team to take advantage of their Serie A points deduction reprieve as they host leaders Napoli with second place in sight.

The Bianconeri were hit with a 15-point deduction in January after an investigation into a capital gains case, with the club found guilty of alleged breaches in relation to historical transfers.

Former chairman Andrea Agnelli, ex-director Pavel Nedved and one-time managing director Fabio Paratici, who joined Tottenham in 2021, were all suspended from football by the Italian Football Federation (FICG), along with eight other individuals.

Juve's initial appeal to have the deduction revoked proved successful, with the Collegio di Garanzia referring the case back to the FIGC following Thursday's announcement. Nedved and some other former directors have been cleared, although Agnelli and Paratici had their suspensions upheld.

The FIGC could yet punish Juve again after re-evaluating the case, but for the time being the 15 points they lost in January have been reinstated, hoisting them back up third in the table.

It is timely for the Bianconeri as they bid to qualify for the Champions League, and Allegri appreciates the magnitude of the boost.

"We did what was possible after the penalty. It's normal that there was some conditioning but there shouldn't be any excuses. What happened, happened. Now we have to think about what must happen from today until June 4," he said.

"It would be too easy to think about what if... It could be said that [the deduction] brought us together, but maybe we would've won 10 points more than we have without what happened, because maybe in terms of mental conditioning it's difficult to explain.

"I'm happy with what the boys have done, it's something important.

"We had to reset everything, make a mental effort to readjust to what the rankings were and try to get back on track.

"In the meantime we had the Europa League, the Coppa Italia. What we've done has been done well, now we have to do better from here to the end of the season. We have the possibility of going to the final of the Coppa Italia and the Europa League, and we try to go and get Lazio in second place."

They could usurp Lazio as early as Sunday if they do beat Napoli, though even after the Partenopei's Champions League disappointment in midweek, Luciano Spalletti's side represent a huge threat.

Serie A's runaway leaders crushed Juventus 5-1 earlier this season, meaning they are aiming to do the double over the Old Lady for only the fourth time in the top flight.

Napoli's form has become a little patchier in recent times, failing to win three of their previous six games in the league, as many as in their first 24 of the season.

But those disappointments have all been at home. On the road they have been irrepressible, winning each of their past seven away games in the league and 12 of 13, the exception being a 1-0 defeat at Inter in January.

While Napoli were knocked out of Europe by Milan this week, Allegri recognises Napoli's standing.

"There is no desire for revenge. There is just a desire to beat the league leaders who have won seven times in their last seven away games," he said.

"They are strong, they have shown it in Italy and in Europe. Sometimes you lose games that you don't deserve to lose, but in the end the results count.

"Napoli are doing very well. They killed the championship by keeping an impressive away record.

"This is a Napoli that's on its way to winning the Scudetto. They've had an extraordinary season and are deservedly winning [the title].

"It will be a difficult match against a strong team, who came out of the Champions League despite playing a good game and who will try to score as many points as possible to get to the Scudetto as soon as possible."

Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly prepared to submit a €150million bid for star Napoli striker Victor Osimhen in the upcoming transfer window.

Osimhen, 24, is in his third season with Napoli after arriving in a club-record €70m move from Lille, and this time around he has put together one of the best goalscoring campaigns in Europe.

With 21 goals in 24 Serie A appearances, and five goals in six Champions League outings, the Nigeria international has been unstoppable.

Now, the world's best clubs have taken notice.
 

TOP STORY – PSG PREPARED TO MEET MASSIVE ASKING PRICE

While there is also said to be strong interest in Osimhen coming from the deep pockets of Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain are trying to wrap things up early with a serious bid.

Football Insider is reporting the French giants are ready to meet Napoli's enormous €150m asking price, with the hope they can blow Chelsea out of the water as they consider a £100m (€112m) bid of their own.

Osimhen's contract ties him to the club for two more seasons after this one, but with his value at an all-time high, and with Napoli being able to offer the chance at league titles and deep Champions League runs, the Serie A leaders can demand a substantial windfall.

ROUND-UP

– According to GiveMeSport, Manchester United view Valencia's 22-year-old goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili – who is priced around £45m (€50m) – as a potential long-term replacement for David de Gea.

– United are also showing interest in 19-year-old Benfica centre-back Antonio Silva, although they face competition from Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli, Real Madrid, Juventus and Liverpool, per Ekrem Konur.

– Football Insider is reporting Liverpool and Tottenham are the two teams 23-year-old Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Evan Ndicka will choose between when his contract expires in a few months.

– According to the Daily Mail, 31-year-old Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino will join Barcelona on a free transfer at the end of the season.

– Arsenal sent scouts to Spain to get a closer look at the Real Sociedad duo of 24-year-old midfielder Martin Zubimendi and 26-year-old defender Robin Le Normand, per the Daily Mail.

Inter reacted with dismay and "great sorrow" on Friday as the Italian FA refused to overturn the red card shown to Romelu Lukaku when he stood up to racist abuse against Juventus.

The Belgian striker converted a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time to earn Inter a 1-1 draw in the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg on April 4 at the Allianz Stadium.

He then used his finger to shush the home fans' vitriol and that reaction was deemed a bookable offence by referee Davide Massa.

Lukaku had already been booked for a foul in the 80th minute, so the second yellow card saw him dismissed.

The Inter frontman called for action from Serie A officials after being targeted for abuse, while team-mate Edin Dzeko described the treatment from the Juventus fans as something "that should never happen".

FIFA president Gianni Infantino labelled the abuse "unacceptable" and called for those responsible to be punished.

A partial stadium closure was initially imposed on Juventus as a result of Lukaku being targeted, with the section from where the abuse came ordered to be shut for one game, but that decision was overturned this week.

An appeal against Lukaku's punishment was submitted by Inter to the Italian FA – the FIGC – but that was rejected on Friday, meaning the on-loan Chelsea player must miss next Wednesday's second leg.

In a statement, Inter said: "The FIGC's National Court of Appeal today confirmed the suspension of Romelu Lukaku, who will be unable to participate in Wednesday's Coppa Italia semi-final.

"FC Internazionale Milano feels it must consolidate its support for the player and expresses great sorrow at the fact that the victim has become the only guilty party."

Fabio Paratici has resigned from his role as Tottenham's managing director of football after his worldwide ban was upheld.

Former Juventus managing director Paratici was among those suspended from football by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in January, following an investigation into the Bianconeri's historic transfer dealings.

FIFA extended Paratici's 30-month suspension worldwide in March, a ruling which led the Italian to step back from his duties with Spurs.

And while Juventus successfully appealed their 15-point deduction in Serie A on Thursday, with the Collegio di Garanzia referring the case back to the FIGC, Paratici failed in an attempt to have his ban overturned.

As a result, Paratici resigned from his role at Tottenham on Friday, with a club statement saying "there continues to be a dispute as to the scope and extent of the ban" but that it "prevents Fabio from fulfilling his duties".

Paratici will now "focus on his legal position in respect of the FIGC and FIFA rulings", it added.

Chairman Daniel Levy said: "This has been a stressful time for Fabio and his family. We wanted to ensure that we allowed for due process to be followed. Fabio is a man who lives and breathes football – we wish him well.

"As outlined in our year-end results, we started several months ago to restructure our football operations and last week announced the appointment of Scott Munn as chief football officer to head up all the departments. 

"We shall continue to strengthen our football functions over the coming months."

Massimiliano Allegri called on Juventus to become more ruthless despite the Bianconeri reaching the Europa League last four with a 1-1 draw at Sporting CP.

Juve took a slender 1-0 lead into the second leg at the Estadio Jose Alvalade after Federico Gatti's goal gave them victory in last week's reverse fixture at Allianz Stadium.

After learning prior to Thursday's match that their 15-point deduction in Serie A for financial breaches had been suspended, an early Adrien Rabiot goal doubled Juve's lead in the tie, and though Marcus Edwards pulled a goal back for Sporting, the visitors held on to set up a semi-final clash with Sevilla.

Despite earning a last-four spot in Europe for the first time since 2017, Allegri warned his players they must be more clinical in future after spurning a number of chances to kill the tie off in the second half.

"It was a good day, as we headed to the semi-finals," the Juve coach told Sky Sport Italia. "We suffered, we did good things in the second half at the beginning.

"But we have to do better when it comes to our chances. We rushed the play in the box and more patience would have been needed. We shot little from outside the box and we must improve.

"We knew it would be difficult, but we are bringing home a good result."

Standing between Allegri's men and the final in Budapest on May 31 is Sevilla, whose six Europa League six titles are double any other team's trophy haul in the competition.

Sevilla beat Manchester United 5-2 on aggregate to seal their semi-final place but Allegri says he had predicted such a result.

"I expected Sevilla to be honest," he said of his next European opponents. "They are a tricky team, they play well and are good with the ball.

"They have won so many Europa Leagues, so they definitely have an advantage. The signs from the last game [in Manchester] were in their favour, I had that feeling."

Rabiot's close-range strike after nine minutes in Portugal gave Juve a crucial two-goal lead and capped a strong performance in midfield, one that saw him lead the Bianconeri in passes in the final third (15) and contribute defensively with three clearances and an interception.

Despite his impressive display, Allegri still believes Rabiot has parts of his game to work on, saying: "He has the qualities but he can still improve.

"Sometimes he gets close to the area and doesn't shoot. He has to improve but he has become important, extraordinary."

Juventus reached the Europa League semi-finals as a 1-1 draw against Sporting CP at Estadio Jose Alvalade sealed a 2-1 aggregate triumph.

Buoyed by learning prior to Thursday's second leg that their 15-point deduction in Serie A for financial breaches had been suspended, Adrien Rabiot struck early on to double Juve's lead in the tie after Federico Gatti had given them a slender advantage in last week's reverse fixture at Allianz Stadium.

Marcus Edwards quickly pulled one back for Sporting from the penalty spot after Rabiot's foul on Manuel Ugarte, but resilient defending saw the Bianconeri through.

Juve will feature in a European semi-final for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign and will do battle with Sevilla for a place in the final after they knocked Manchester United out.

Juve took the lead after only nine minutes as Rabiot was first to a loose ball in the box from a corner and lashed into the bottom left-corner.

Sporting were offered a way back into the tie when Rabiot brought down Ugarte in the area, with referee Francois Letexier pointing to the spot and Edwards firing the ball straight down the middle as Wojciech Szczesny dived to his left.

The hosts nearly drew level on aggregate when Ousmane Diomande nodded just wide before half-time, and they nearly fell further behind after the interval when Dusan Vlahovic failed to get his header on target.

Sporting pressed for a goal that would force the game into extra-time and nearly found one when Ricardo Esgaio blazed just over the crossbar, but Massimiliano Allegri's men held on to reach the last four.

Juventus' 15-point deduction has been suspended, but Fabio Paratici has had his ban from football upheld.

Serie A giants Juve were handed the punishment in January after an investigation into a capital gains case, with the club found guilty of alleged breaches in relation to historical transfer dealings.

Former chairman Andrea Agnelli, ex-director Pavel Nedved and managing director Fabio Paratici, who joined Tottenham in 2021, were all suspended from football by the Italian Football Federation (FICG), along with eight other individuals.

However, Juve's initial appeal to have the deduction revoked has proved successful, with the Collegio di Garanzia referring the case back to the FIGC.

That will mean the Bianconeri rise to third in Serie A, back into the Champions League places, though the FIGC Federal Court of Appeal must re-evaluate the case, meaning Juve may yet still face punishment.

While Nedved, along with some of Juve's other former board members, have been cleared, Paratici and Agnelli have had their suspensions upheld.

It is bad news for Tottenham, with Paratici's 30-month ban from Italian football having been extended worldwide by FIFA in March.

Paratici stepped back from his duties with Spurs, though has not officially left the club.

The news came ahead of Juve's Europa League clash with Sporting CP on Thursday, while Massimiliano Allegri's team face Serie A leaders Napoli on Sunday.