Inter secured Champions League qualification in their penultimate game of the Serie A season, dealing a fatal blow to Atalanta's own top-four hopes with a 3-2 win at San Siro.

The Nerazzurri – finalists in Europe's premier club competition this term – stormed into a two-goal lead within just two minutes and 49 seconds after Romelu Lukaku and Nicolo Barella were on target. 

Atalanta needed a result to keep their slim hopes of a top-four finish alive, and they were handed a lifeline by Mario Pasalic before the interval on Saturday.

Yet Inter added a deserved third through Lautaro Martinez after the break, proving Andre Onana's late own goal a mere Atalanta consolation, as the Nerazzurri moved eight points clear of their fifth-placed visitors.

Lukaku only needed 39 seconds to put Inter ahead, timing his run from Martinez's throughball before rounding Marco Sportiello and tapping into an empty net.

Atalanta found themselves further behind by the three-minute mark, Barella hammering a rebound into the roof of the net after Sportiello twice saved from Federico Dimarco.

Hakan Calhanoglu was denied a third by the offside flag when he netted with a ferocious volley, before Andre Onana was forced into action by Rasmus Hojlund and Teun Koopmeiners.

Atalanta halved the arrears nine minutes before half-time, Pasalic hooking a finish beyond Onana following a goalmouth scramble.

Calhanoglu drew a flying save from Sportiello as Atalanta wilted after the interval, Inter managing the game in typically assured fashion.

Martinez stretched Inter's lead further when Marcelo Brozovic teed up a tap-in 13 minutes from time, before Luis Muriel's powerful long-range strike deflected in off the unfortunate Onana as the Nerazzurri just held on for victory.

Samuel Iling-Junior marked his first Serie A start with a goal as Juventus went second in the table with a 2-0 win at Atalanta. 

The English teenager fired home the opener before Dusan Vlahovic made the points safe in stoppage time, lifting the Bianconeri above Inter and Lazio in the race for Champions League qualification. 

Massimiliano Allegri's side made it back-to-back Serie A victories despite spending long periods under pressure at Gewiss Stadium, with Atalanta registering 24 shots with no reward and twice hitting the woodwork.

The hosts thus missed their opportunity to close the gap on the top four, to which they remain five points adrift.

Atalanta almost gifted Juventus the lead in the 22nd minute as Angel Di Maria pounced on Teun Koopmeiners' loose pass before shooting wide of the far post, while Arkadiusz Milik sent a header off target.

Juventus survived a couple of huge scares before the break. Giorgio Scalvini's header hit the post from Koopmeiners' corner, before Mario Pasalic fired over from 12 yards in stoppage time.

But the visitors broke the deadlock 11 minutes after the restart. Iling-Junior stole possession and fed Adrien Rabiot, before reacting quickest to fire into the roof of the net after the midfielder's cross ricocheted into his path.

Atalanta looked to respond with substitute Luis Muriel shooting wide from distance, while Wojciech Szczesny beat away Koopmeiners' fierce free-kick and Davide Zappacosta stuck the foot of the post from the edge of the area.

After keeping their opponents at bay, Juve sealed the points in the dying moments. Federico Chiesa raced away on the counter before feeding Vlahovic, who whipped a wonderful 20-yard strike into the top corner.

Lionel Messi's club future remains uncertain, with his Paris Saint-Germain contract at the end of this season.

The two parties have not reached any agreement on a new deal, while there has been speculation linking the 35-year-old with a return to Barcelona.

Messi has also been linked with big-money moves to clubs in Saudi Arabia and the United States.

TOP STORY – PSG WILLING TO MOVE ON FROM MESSI

Paris Saint-Germain are willing to let Lionel Messi exit on a free transfer in the upcoming off-season, reports the Sunday Mirror.

Contract talks between Messi and PSG have stalled in the months following Argentina's World Cup triumph, having reportedly been close to penning an extension.

The report claims PSG are "in no rush" to extend Messi's deal as interest, with president Nasser Al-Khelaifi looking to run the club in a more sustainable way, relying less on star power.

ROUND-UP

– Bayern Munich's number one striker target in the off-season remains Napoli's Victor Osimhen following talks with officials and new boss Thomas Tuchel, claims BILD. The German champions are also keen on Tottenham's Harry Kane, Atalanta's Rasmus Hojlund and Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani.

– Barcelona are considering off-season moves for Chelsea duo N'Golo Kante and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang , reports The Mirror.

– Fabrizio Romano claims Liverpool and Manchester United will both hold talks with Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister will take place "very soon".

– Brentford’s David Raya, Porto’s Diogo Costa and Valencia’s Giorgi Mamardashvili are all on Manchester United's goalkeeper shortlist to replace David De Gea, according to GiveMeSport.

– Football Insider claims Aston Villa are readying a £55m combined bid for Manchester City pair Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips.

– Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou is on Chelsea's shortlist to be their new permanent manager, reports The Guardian.

Chelsea have underwhelmed this season and may look to offload players to ensure they meet financial fair play requirements, but could Reece James really leave Stamford Bridge?

The Blues have spent big money over the past 10 months since Todd Boehly took over ownership from Roman Abramovich.

Enzo Fernandez, Wesley Fofana, Mykhailo Mudryk, Marc Cucurella, Raheem Sterling, Benoit Badiashile, Kalidou Koulibaly, Noni Madueke and Malo Gusto were all signed in lucrative moves.

TOP STORY – MADRID CONSIDER SHOCK MOVE FOR CHELSEA'S JAMES

Real Madrid are plotting a shock swoop to sign Chelsea full-back Reece James as the Blues plan a clean-out, claims AS.

James, 23, is contracted with the Blues until 2028, making any deal complicated, but Los Blancos are reportedly hoping Chelsea's need to balance the books can work in their favour.

Madrid previously landed Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard from Chelsea, albeit in different circumstances with both only having shorter terms remaining on their contracts.

AS claims Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham remains Real's priority signing.

ROUND-UP

– The Evening Standard claims Arsenal are making West Ham midfielder Declan Rice a transfer priority, amid plenty of interest from Premier League clubs. Rice is expected to leave the Hammers at the end of this season, with Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United also reportedly in the hunt.

– Manchester United are keeping an eye on Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani and Atalanta's Rasmus Hojlund should their advances for Tottenham's Harry Kane fail, claims the Manchester Evening News.

– Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat is eager for a move to Barcelona, claims Footmercato. The Blaugrana had interest in the Moroccan during the last transfer window.

– Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have lodged initial bids for 16-year-old Hajduk Split defender Luka Vuskovic, according to 90min.

– Footmercato reports Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is set to sign a new five-year contract with Napoli, having been linked with PSG recently.

– El Chiringuito claims Manchester City are eyeing a move for ex-Spain boss Luis Enrique amid talk Pep Guardiola could opt for a sabbatical at the end of the season.

Manchester City have moved to try to extend Ilkay Gundogan's stay at the Etihad Stadium in recent months.

The 32-year-old signed a four-year deal with City in 2019, meaning he is out of contract at the end of this season.

However, Gundogan has been in and out of the City starting line-up in recent months and has been weighing up his future.

TOP STORY - GUNDOGAN SET ON BARCELONA SWITCH

Ilkay Gundogan's heart is set on leaving Manchester City for Barcelona in the off-season, claims SPORT.

Barcelona head coach Xavi is eager to land the German midfielder, who scored a double on the final day of last season to clinch City the Premier League title, for his versatility.

The report claims Gundogan feels it is time to move on from Manchester, having joined the club in 2016 with the Blaugrana offering him a two-year deal.

ROUND UP

– Calciomercato claims Inter are plotting a surprise move for Paris Saint-Germain's Lionel Messi during the next transfer window, although they will face opposition from Barcelona.

– Manchester United have an interest in Portugal international striker Goncalo Ramos, per Record. Ramos has a €120million (£105.6m) release clause in his Benfica contract.

– Football Insider reports Chelsea are willing to pay £100m for Napoli forward Victor Osimhen, who is drawing interest from several top clubs.

– Barcelona have urged Dani Olmo not to sign a contract extension with RB Leipzig as the Blaugrana seek to sign him on a free transfer when his deal expires in 2024, according to Mundo Deportivo.

– Arsenal's off-season transfer priority will be Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, per Football Transfer. The Gunners tried to sign the Ecuadorian in January.

– Atalanta have placed a €40m (£35m) price tag on forward Rasmus Hojland amid interest from Juventus and Arsenal, reports Fichajes.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia hit a stunning winner as Napoli beat Atalanta 2-0 to move 18 points clear again at the top of Serie A.

The 11th goal of the Georgian's debut Serie A season came in the 60th minute, with his twinkle-toed run into the penalty area followed by an explosive finish.

Fed the ball by Victor Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia still had plenty of work to do and left Atalanta captain Rafael Toloi bamboozled by his shimmying footwork, with the defenders collectively powerless to prevent a masterpiece.

Amir Rrahmani's looping header in the 77th minute made the points safe, as Eljif Elmas sent a corner from the right into the danger zone and the centre-back did the rest.

With first-choice goalkeeper Alex Meret injured in the warm-up, Napoli fielded on-loan back-up Pierluigi Gollini, who faced his parent club. The home side were not obviously jolted by that loss and dominated the first half, but they could not find a breakthrough before the interval.

Matteo Politano saw an early effort turned wide for a corner, while Kvaratskhelia had three goal attempts that brought no reward.

Atalanta won 3-2 in this fixture last season, coming from behind to win as Napoli on that occasion slipped from first to third place. But such was their lead in the standings this time, Napoli knew they would stay comfortably top whatever the result, regardless of last week's defeat to Lazio giving the chasing pack a sliver of hope.

Kvaratskhelia smashed over the bar from the edge of the penalty area early in the second half, with Napoli creating plenty of half-chances. Osimhen spurned a more clear opening when the Serie A top scorer headed wide from Politano's right-wing cross.

But then came Kvaratskhelia's special strike, a goal of quality that is rarely surpassed. He was player of the month in Serie A for February, and this underlined his blossoming talent.

Duvan Zapata and Luis Muriel went close as Atalanta chased a leveller, Gollini defying the visitors with necessary saves from both forwards, but Rrahmani's header killed off the contest.

Luciano Spalletti has refuted suggestions Napoli's Scudetto triumph is a mere "formality", ruling out the prospect of the Partenopei focusing on their Champions League campaign.

Napoli suffered just their second defeat of the Serie A season against Lazio last time out, though they still boast a 15-point lead over Inter at the summit ahead of Saturday's meeting with Atalanta.

With Napoli's first league title since the Diego Maradona era appearing to be on the horizon, some have suggested Spalletti could manage his squad ahead of Wednesday's Champions League meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt.

Napoli hold a 2-0 lead at the midway point of that last-16 tie, but Spalletti says his team are not in any position to prioritise future games.

"We always talk about future matches, I've already said many times that it doesn't work like that for us. We face them one at a time and the focus is all on the match against Atalanta," he said.

"We don't have the presumption of being able to manage a championship as if it were a formality or an obstacle to other more important matches.

"The obstacle is only Atalanta for now and they are very strong for many reasons. It is a huge challenge, you have to deserve the final result to bring it home, they are a great team." 

With several potential challengers having dropped away, Spalletti was asked when the title could realistically be secured, but he remains uninterested in such talk.  

"It will be possible when there isn't another team in a position to take as many points as us. Guys, we still have to play many even games," he said.

"We have seen what quality there is in Italy despite what they say in the European comparisons, this says a lot about the difficulties of bringing home the results. 

"Against Lazio we didn't do anything wrong to lose to them, but we found ourselves without any points. 

"I watch the matches, I have them reviewed, and I'm sure there is no need to have a reaction because the performance was there in an important way, but we were facing another team that did important things and took advantage of a moment in their favour."

Napoli are looking to improve on their poor home record against Atalanta, having only won one of their last four league games against Gian Piero Gasperini's side in Naples (D1 L2).

Having suffered a 3-2 defeat in this fixture last season, Napoli could lose consecutive home games against Atalanta for just the second time in Serie A, having previously done so in 1997.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic compared himself to basketball star Nikola Jokic after returning from a nine-month injury lay-off in Milan's victory over Atalanta.

The evergreen striker came on in the second half of Sunday's 2-0 win at San Siro, having previously been an unused substitute in three matches this month.

He made history by overtaking Alessandro Costacurta (41y and 25d) as Milan's oldest Serie A player in the three-points-per-win era (since 1993-94) at 41 years and 146 days.

While the Sweden international may turn 42 later this year, he still feels he has a big part to play, just like two-time NBA MVP Jokic for the Denver Nuggets.

"I want to help the team in every way by doing what I have to do to be there on the field," he told Sky Sport. "I want to be there when the coach and the team need me.

"It's obvious things change between the age of 30 and 41, but I feel like Jokic in the NBA."

Ibrahimovic's previous appearance for Milan came in a 3-0 win over Sassuolo on May 25 last year, with the former Barcelona striker injuring his knee and undergoing surgery.

Given his age at the time of the operation and the length of the lay-off, many expected Ibrahimovic to call time on his legendary career.

"I've lived this year with great suffering," he said when asked what it means to be back playing again at the highest level. "I've been out for a year. 

"I didn't feel well and I couldn't do what I wanted to do. I went on with suffering to help the team but in reality I wasn't well. 

"Today I can say that I'm fine and that I can give what I can to the team. Then obviously the more you play, the more you train and the more you improve."

Juan Musso's own goal – after Theo Hernandez's volley hit the post and went in off the goalkeeper's back – and Junior Messias' late strike earned Milan a fourth win in a row.

That includes three Serie A wins on the spin without conceding for the first time in a year, helping to lift the Rossoneri level on points with second-place rivals Inter.

It has been a largely disappointing campaign on the whole for Milan as they are 18 points adrift of leaders Napoli, something Ibrahimovic suggested may be down to his absence.

"I've done everything I can to recover, but in the last few weeks I've seen the team do well," he said. "We must continue doing more if we are to do well.

"I feel important and have a great responsibility here. I started an adventure with this team and helped to bring it where we are today. 

"When I'm not available I suffer, and perhaps the teams lacks a bit of my pressure as well as a result."

Stefano Pioli hailed the return of "leaders" Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Mike Maignan after both players made their comeback in Milan's 2-0 win over Atalanta on Sunday.

Ibrahimovic was brought on in the second half for his first appearance since May 2022 when undergoing surgery on his knee that many thought would end his career.

Goalkeeper Maignan was back between the sticks for the first time since sustaining an injury of his own in September, meanwhile, and marked his return with a clean sheet.

The pair coming back into the fold coincides with Milan's best run of form this season, having now won four games in a row in all competitions, and Pioli is delighted to be back to full strength.

"Mike and Zlatan are not only two excellent players, but also two leaders of the team," Pioli, who was taking charge of his 800th career game as a coach, told DAZN. 

"Having them on the pitch helps us a lot. Now we must think about the next match. We will have players absent for that game but will still put in a good performance."

At 41 years and 146 days, Ibrahimovic overtook Alessandro Costacurta (41y, 25d) as Milan's oldest player in Serie A in the three-points-per-win era (1993-94 season).

The veteran striker only had 14 touches of the ball in his 16 minutes in action and did not manage a shot, but Milan's second goal arrived with him on the field.

Junior Messias clipped the ball over Juan Musso, who had earlier scored an unfortunate own goal when Theo Hernandez's 25-yard volley hit the post and went in off his body.

It was a brilliant strike from Hernandez after Olivier Giroud had nodded the ball into his path, and the wing-back believes he should be credited with the goal himself.

"I consider it my goal," he said. "I'm going to count it as mine. Thanks also to Oli for knocking it down for me. It was a good goal.

"It's true that we went through a difficult time, but with this victory we are getting back to being the Milan we were before."

Milan have now won four games without conceding in all competitions for the first time since February 2018, with their latest victory moving them level with second-place Inter.

The Rossoneri wasted a number of good chances with the game at 1-0, but Atalanta failed to offer any sort of attacking threat.

Indeed, they had only three attempts all match – their lowest tally since April 2013 – and did not test the returning Maignan on a single occasion.

"We gave our all and tried everything, but Milan were superior on the night and we must learn from these games to focus on the next one," Gian Piero Gasperini said. 

"What we saw tonight was that despite our best efforts, it is evident Milan simply had more than we did."

The only blemish for Milan is that Rafael Leao – who set up Messias' goal – and Rade Krunic will miss next week's trip to Fiorentina after being booked for the fifth time this term.

Milan defeated Atalanta 2-0 at San Siro to move level on points with second-place Inter in a match that saw Zlatan Ibrahimovic make his first appearance in nine months.

Inter's surprise 1-0 loss to Bologna earlier on Sunday opened the door for Milan to pounce and they took full advantage on home soil with a fourth win in a row in all competitions.

Juan Musso's 25th-minute own goal – after Theo Hernandez's long-range volley hit the frame of goal and went in off the goalkeeper's back – put Stefano Pioli's side on their way.

The hosts, who also had fit-again keeper Mike Maignan back in their side for the first time since September, added a deserved second through Junior Messias late on following the long-awaited return of Ibrahimovic.

There was a slice of fortune involved in Milan's opener as Hernandez's sublime strike from 25 yards was helped over the line by Musso after the ball had hit the post.

Rafael Leao clipped the side-netting, fired over from a glorious position and was then denied by a fine Musso save as Milan struggled to make their superiority truly show.

Messias was the next Milan player to fire off target with plenty of the goal to aim for, with that proving to be the moment Pioli turned to Ibrahimovic.

The home side finally killed off the contest through Messias' clipped finish over Musso four minutes from time after being played through on goal by Leao.

Stefano Pioli has confirmed Mike Maignan will make his first appearance since September when Milan host Atalanta on Sunday, saying the goalkeeper has resembled a "lion in a cage" while out injured.

Maignan has been out since suffering a calf injury in France's 2-0 Nations League win over Austria on September 22, missing Les Bleus' run to the World Cup final in Qatar as well as a large portion of Milan's campaign. 

Ciprian Tatarusanu has made 16 league starts as Milan's stand-in goalkeeper this season, and the Romanian made several key saves in last week's hard-fought 1-0 win at Monza. 

However, Pioli is excited by the return of a goalkeeper he believes was Serie A's finest last season, with Maignan set to start against fellow top-four contenders Atalanta at San Siro.

"Mike will play," Pioli said at Saturday's pre-match press conference.

"Tata did his duty fully. He struggled in the beginning because he hadn't played for a long time, then he found rhythm and made a good contribution. He hasn't been very well lately. 

"Mike has been a lion in a cage, he's doing well and is very motivated, he will certainly give us a great contribution. He was the best goalkeeper last season and he gives us a lot.

"However, he is a player who hasn't played for five months. He will need some time, but we are expecting a lot and I am very happy with his return."

Maignan kept 17 clean sheets in 32 league games as Milan won the Scudetto last season – more than any other Serie A goalkeeper.

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old's save percentage of 79.41 was only bettered by one goalkeeper to make at least 10 appearances in Serie A last term – Torino's Etrit Berisha with 80.49 per cent.

Maignan is not the only Milan star returning from a lengthy period on the sidelines, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic being an unused substitute on two occasions this month as he awaits his first outing since undergoing anterior cruciate ligament surgery. 

Asked whether the 41-year-old's long-awaited comeback could arrive on Sunday, Pioli said: "It could, the first call I made with him was to get him back with the group against Torino.

"Ibra is getting better and better. He knows how much he worked and suffered to be available again. Now he's available, he's ready to play."

Milan have won their last three matches across all competitions, with each victory coming via a 1-0 scoreline. 

The Rossoneri are yet to win four consecutive games at any point this season, while they have not posted four successive victories without conceding since February 2018 (a run of five).

Marcus Rashford is in talks over an extension on his Manchester United contract, which currently expires in mid-2024.

Rashford has scored 22 goals in all competitions this season, including a run of 14 strikes in 16 games.

Last off-season, United triggered a one-year option to prevent him becoming a free agent in June but interest in Rashford is ramping up amid his hot form.

TOP STORY – MAN UTD PLACE £120M PRICE ON RASHFORD

Manchester United have slapped a bumper £120 million price tag on in-form forward Marcus Rashford to ward off interest, claims The Daily Star.

Rashford, who is in the form of his life, has been the subject of reported interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

Barcelona are also monitoring Rashford according to the report, with United are desperate to retain his services amid talk of a change of ownership at Old Trafford.

ROUND-UP

– Chelsea and Bayern Munich are among the clubs lining up to sign 19-year-old Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini who is valued at €40m according to Football Italia.

– Manchester City are set to reward Nathan Ake with a new contract offer, which represents a 50 per cent pay rise, according to the Daily Star. The Dutchman's weekly wages will rise from £80,000 to £120,000.

– Juventus will rival Liverpool in trying to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount in the off-season, claims CalciomercatoWeb.

– Fichajes reports Tottenham are looking to sign Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger after this season.

– Newcastle United want to bolster their ranks by luring Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, according to Fichajes. Rabiot's contract expires next season.

– Football Insider reports Liverpool are tracking 19-year-old Independiente defender Kevin Mantilla who impressed during the recent Under-20 South American Under-20 Championship with Colombia. The Reds have held preliminary talks with Mantilla.

Simone Inzaghi felt Inter's desire to reach the Coppa Italia final four "at all costs" was crucial to their 1-0 quarter-final victory over Atalanta at San Siro.

Matteo Darmian's well-taken winner in the 57th minute saw the holders through to the semi-finals for the fourth successive season.

Having already lifted the Supercoppa Italiana earlier this month by thrashing rivals Milan in Saudi Arabia, Tuesday's victory took Inter one step closer to picking up a second trophy of the season.

The Nerazzurri are the only Italian side left fighting for silverware on all fronts, and Inzaghi lauded his team's aggressive trophy aspirations as key to the win.

"We did well against a valuable team," Inzaghi told reporters at his post-match press conference. "We wanted the semi-final at all costs.

"It was a wonderful evening for everyone. It gives us great pride to be the only team involved in all fronts in Italy."

While Inter remain in the Coppa Italia and Champions League, their Serie A title hopes are looking slim with leaders Napoli holding a 13-point lead at the top and showing no sign of slowing down.

Inzaghi believes his side would be closer to the summit were it not for Napoli's incredible form, winning 17 of their 20 league matches this term, though their sole defeat came against Inter this month.

"We are behind in the league like all the others," Inzaghi added. "We made some mistakes.

"I also see the other leagues. Bayern [Munich], we've seen what a team it is and it has a low points tally. In any other league, with 40 points after 20 games we'd be there to fight for the Scudetto.

"We just have to compliment the progress Napoli has made so far."

Much of the build-up to the Atalanta clash was centred on Milan Skriniar after the defender confirmed on Sunday he would be joining Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain.

It remained unclear whether Skriniar would make the move to France in this transfer window, but Inter CEO Beppe Marotta confirmed before the game the Slovakia international would only depart in June when his contract expires.

Despite Skriniar staying with Inter and finishing his suspension for his red card against Empoli, Inzaghi left him out of the squad for the Atalanta game, a decision he explained afterwards.

"I decided to exclude him today to leave him alone," Inzaghi told Mediaset. "But there's no problem with him.

"He's a great professional, he trains with us and I'll choose whether to use him or not each time."

Matteo Darmian fired holders Inter into the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia as the Nerazzurri ground out a 1-0 victory over Atalanta at San Siro on Tuesday.

Inter lifted the Supercoppa Italiana by thumping rivals Milan in Saudi Arabia earlier in January, but their chances of retaining the Coppa Italia trophy were put to the test by an Atalanta side previously unbeaten in six games in all competitions.

Unlikely hero Darmian popped up with a well-taken winner in the 57th minute to see Inter through to the final four for a fourth successive campaign.

With the likes of Milan and Napoli already out of the competition, Inter will fancy their chances of lifting the trophy for a ninth time.

The first half lacked clear-cut chances, though Hakan Calhanoglu nearly put Inter ahead when his dipping long-range effort crashed off the post with Juan Musso beaten.

Duvan Zapata then missed a golden opportunity for Atalanta just before the break, heading over after Joakim Maehle's excellent delivery picked him out.

Maehle nearly turned from provider to finisher after the break, but his sidefooted effort flew over after Andre Onana failed to deal with a cross.

Atalanta were made to pay for that miss shortly after, as Darmian stroked a left-footed shot into the bottom right-corner when Lautaro Martinez deftly set him up.

Jeremie Boga fizzed a shot just wide as the visitors searched for an equaliser, while substitute Ademola Lookman saw a low effort saved by Onana.

Atalanta pressed late on, but Inter held firm to see out the remaining minutes and edge a step nearer to another final.

Tottenham are reportedly investigating a potential move for young Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Piero Hincapie, despite the hefty asking price for the Ecuador international.

Hincapie, 21, is in his second Bundesliga season after arriving from Argentinian side Talleres, and has forced his way into Leverkusen's starting XI, earning 13 starts among his 15 total league appearances this campaign.

He also has 24 senior international caps for Ecuador under his belt, playing every minute of his country's three group stage fixtures at the Qatar World Cup.

Hincapie's emergence has not gone unnoticed, and Leverkusen are said to be informing interested clubs that any sale of their talented youngster will come at a heavy price.

TOP STORY – SPURS KICK THE TYRES ON PRIZED LEVERKUSEN DEFENDER

According to the Sun, Spurs boss Antonio Conte is desperate to add a new central defender before the end of the month, but the club were knocked back by a massive £80million price tag.

The report indicates Hincapie would be in favour of a move to the Premier League, and to Tottenham specifically, but that it would be far more likely to occur at the end of the season.

Interestingly, the Sun believes Leverkusen would be open to accepting as little as £20m if it meant Hincapie could spend the rest of the season on loan with the German side, but with his contract tying him to Leverkusen until 2026, it is hard to believe they would budge so significantly from their lofty valuation.

It also mentions Tottenham's pursuit of Sporting right-back Pedro Porro is on the verge of falling through, but Portuguese publication Record is reporting that a verbal agreement is in place for a £42m (€48m) deal.

ROUND-UP

– GiveMeSport are reporting Chelsea will make a run at 23-year-old Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic at the end of the season, while Calciomercato adds Juventus are anticipating the Serbian's departure and will seek to replace him with 25-year-old Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman.

– According to Sport, Barcelona are focusing on 25-year-old Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves as their long-term replacement for Sergio Busquets after failing to land Real Sociedad talent Martin Zubimendi.

– Manchester United believe they are priced out of the Harry Kane sweepstakes, per the Daily Star.

– Mail on Sunday are reporting Arsenal have returned with a second offer for 21-year-old Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, but their £70m bid is still below the £80m demand.

– The Telegraph adds that the outcome of Arsenal's push for Caicedo will not affect their desire to sign West Ham midfielder Declan Rice after the season, and they will try to secure both.