Massimiliano Allegri says "nobody will have the opportunity" to catch up to Serie A leaders Napoli if they keep up their impressive form.

Luciano Spalletti's side beat Empoli 2-0 on Tuesday to secure their 10th straight league victory and move eight points clear of reigning champions Milan at the summit.

Allegri's Juve have won four consecutive Serie A games themselves, but their head coach says that may pale into insignificance if Napoli continue their stunning streak.

"Napoli are having an extraordinary championship," Allegri told reporters ahead of Juve's match with Hellas Verona on Thursday.

"If they continue like this, nobody will have the opportunity to get closer.

"We have to take one step at a time. Verona, Lazio and then to recover energy."

Despite picking up maximum points over their last four league matches, Juve still lag 13 points behind Napoli as they sit fifth, having won nine titles in a row between 2011-12 and 2019-20.

Allegri's men have also been knocked out of the Champions League group stage, losing five of their six games.

But a 2-0 win over rivals Inter on Sunday has fostered some positive feeling heading into their penultimate fixture before Serie A pauses for the World Cup.

Allegri demanded his players do not take Verona lightly, despite them sitting bottom after picking up just five points from 13 matches this season.

"It [the Inter victory] let us spend an evening of satisfaction and joy, but the next day we closed the chapter," Allegri added.

"Tomorrow in Verona we will play against a team that has beaten Juventus three times in the last five games.

"In the last few matches they have been defeated in an undeserved way. They have a physical and attacking team. It will not be an easy match.

"It is a team that does not deserve the ranking it has. We will have to play an equal match to them from a physical point of view."

Real Madrid are looking to Serie A for their next striker, with Napoli's Victor Osimhen and Milan's Rafael Leao interesting the Spanish giants.

Osimhen, 23, arrived at Napoli after a club-record €70million transfer from Lille in 2020 and quickly adapted to life in Italy.

Leao, who is the same age, was Osimhen's team-mate at Lille back in 2019 before being pried away to Milan. He was spectacular last campaign in helping Milan to their first Serie A title since the 2010-11 season, scoring a career-high 11 league goals, and has hit form this term, too.

TOP STORY – REAL MADRID IDENTIFY OSIMHEN AND LEAO AS KEY FORWARD TARGETS

According to Calciomercato, the only thing standing between Madrid and "another nine-figure investment" in one of Serie A's leading lights is the contract of 31-year-old winger Eden Hazard.

Forbes reports Hazard is making approximately €500,000 per week, and if Madrid can find a taker for him in January, or at the end of the season, their financial flexibility will vastly improve.

Come January, Leao will have 18 months remaining on his contract, and with numerous reports that negotiations for an extension have made little progress, Milan will eventually have to entertain the likelihood of a sale.

Osimhen has an extra year on top of that, tying him to Napoli until 2025 and giving the club plenty of leverage in any potential sale.

ROUND-UP

– The Evening Standard is reporting Chelsea have held multiple meetings with 16-year-old Palmeiras prospect Endrick, who is also a target for Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. He will not be allowed to leave for Europe until he turns 18 in 2024.

– According to TeamTalk, Tottenham are looking to replace goalkeeper and club captain Hugo Lloris.

– West Ham and Leicester City are interested in 28-year-old Inter left-back Robin Gosens, per Gazzetta dello Sport. 

– Sport is reporting Juventus are willing to meet the contract demands of Chelsea midfielder Jorginho, with the Italy international demanding €13.6m per year.

– Barcelona are considering a move for Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, who they view as a potential replacement for Memphis Depay, according to Sport.

UEFA has hit out at the "greedy plan" to revive the Super League following Tuesday's meeting with the competition's backers A22 Sports, accusing them of jeopardising the future of football.

It was revealed last month that Bernd Reichart was heading up plans for a revival of the Super League, which retains the support of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus following a failed launch in April 2021.

On Tuesday, UEFA announced it had reaffirmed its opposition to the Super League project at a meeting requested by A22, which was attended by several big-name executives including Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Bayern Munich chief executive Oliver Kahn.

However, European football's governing body was infuriated by a subsequent statement from A22, accusing UEFA of seeking to preserve the "status quo" and possessing a monopoly over continental competitions.

UEFA then released a second statement of its own, saying A22 had disrespected football's organisers and possessed no concrete plans for a new Super League format. 

"A22 Sports Management has published an account of their visit to UEFA Headquarters in Nyon today. UEFA is currently checking the recording to see if they are talking about the same meeting," the statement began.

"The 'other executives' they refer to were not faceless bureaucrats but senior stakeholders from across European football; players, clubs, leagues and fans, people who live and breathe the game every day. To fail to recognise that is disrespectful.

"If there is a 'takeaway' from today, it should be that the whole of European football opposes their greedy plan, as was clearly communicated in our media release. 

"European football has constantly demonstrated its openness to change, but it must be for the benefit of the whole game, not just a few clubs.

"A22 wanted dialogue, so we gave them two-and-a-half hours of time from all of the game's stakeholders, and each one rejected their approach. 

"As the Football Supporters' Association said, the UK has had as many Prime Ministers in the last two months as they have supporters of their plans.

"They claim not to represent the three remaining clubs. They refuse to define what their alleged new approach is. They claim to want dialogue. But when presented with the chance, they have nothing to say.

"The time for real dialogue is tomorrow, when the Convention on the Future of European Football reconvenes here in Nyon. 

"National associations, clubs, leagues, coaches, players, fans, agents and administrators will gather to discuss the real issues facing the game, not to spend time indulging bankers and marketing executives on ideas that put the future of the world's favourite game in jeopardy."

Barcelona will face Manchester United in their return to the Europa League after the Blaugrana were drawn against the Premier League club in the knockout round play-offs.

Xavi's side dropped into Europe's second-tier competition for the second season running after failing to progress from the Champions League group stages, finishing behind Bayern Munich and Inter.

It sets up the outstanding tie with Erik ten Hag's United, who are looking to end a trophy drought stretching back to when they last won the Europa League under Jose Mourinho in 2017.

United came second to Real Sociedad in the Europa League group stage, ultimately missing out to La Real by one goal.

They have paid the price for their failure in that regard, with Barca arguably the toughest draw they could possibly get and La Real already through to the competition's last 16.

Joining Barca in dropping down from the Champions League are Juventus, though they will likely be much more content with their draw after being paired with Ligue 1 side Nantes.

Europa League knockout round play-offs:

Barcelona v Manchester United
Juventus v Nantes
Sporting CP v Midtjylland
Shakhtar Donetsk v Rennes
Ajax v Union Berlin
Bayer Leverkusen v Monaco
Sevilla v PSV
Salzburg v Roma

Youssoufa Moukoko has scored six goals and provided four assists this Bundesliga season for Borussia Dortmund, putting him firmly in the spotlight. 

The 17-year-old has stepped up since Erling Haaland's exit for Manchester City, with Dortmund sitting fourth in the Bundesliga.

The Cameroon-born forward is contracted with Dortmund until 2023, but his impressive displays are attracting interest.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL ENTER RACE FOR DORTMUND'S MOUKOKO

Liverpool have entered the race for Borussia Dortmund's Youssoufa Moukoko with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus already circling, according to SPORT.

Moukoko is out of contract in mid-2023, when many clubs are hoping to sign him on a free transfer.

The teenager has hinted he is content at Dortmund for now, with reports he will hold off until he turns 18 on November 20 to sign a new deal when viewed as an adult under German labour laws.

ROUND-UP

– Real Madrid midfielder Eden Hazard could be lured back to the Premier League with interest from Newcastle United and Aston Villa, claims El Nacional.

– Christopher Nkunku's proposed move to Chelsea may be hijacked by Real Madrid, reports El Nacional. The RB Leipzig forward is willing to wait for Madrid before confirming his Blues move.

– Birmingham Live claims new Aston Villa manager Unai Emery wants to bring in forward trio Nicolas Jackson, Yeremi Pino and Samuel Chukwueze from his former club Villarreal in January, along with Pau Torres.

– The Sun reports Tottenham are considering making a January move for Everton winger Anthony Gordon.

– Struggling Premier League club Southampton have decided to sack manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, according to The Athletic.

Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi remains hopeful of a title charge despite Sunday's 2-0 loss to Juventus leaving them 11 points off the pace in Serie A.

The Nerazzurri were downed in the Derby d'Italia by second-half goals from Adrien Rabiot and Nicolo Fagioli, snapping their four-game winning run.

The Bianconeri climb above Inter into fifth, while Inzaghi's side slid down to seventh on 24 points from 13 games, well behind leaders Napoli.

"There are 25 games to go from now to the end," Inzaghi told reporters about their title prospects.

"This is a defeat that slows us down a lot with the progress of this championship but we must be good at putting this defeat behind us immediately.

"We have to improve in these matches, the performance has been there but we have to be better."

Inzaghi added to DAZN: "At this moment, Inter must focus on becoming more consistent. We were coming off four consecutive victories, we are back on the field in a couple of days and a defeat like this can leave some psychological scars, as it was an important match.

"We had been able to score in 24 consecutive Serie A matches, this time unfortunately we were unable to."

Scoring goals has not been an issue for Inter, but conceding them has, shipping 19 from 13 games this campaign, which is the equal sixth worst in Serie A.

The Nerazzurri have conceded 16 of those 19 goals away from home which is the leakiest record in Serie A, having managed only nine points from seven away league games this term.

"We played the most complicated games away," Inzaghi said, having travelled to Lecce, Lazio, Milan, Udinese, Sassuolo, Fiorentina and Juventus this Serie A season.

"Clearly we need to improve in the big matches and in the goals scored. Juve shot three times on goal and scored two goals and one hit the post. We shot eight, nine times, with clearer chances and we didn't score.

"This is a defeat that slows us down, that hurts and for what we have seen on the pitch it is not deserved. It's regret having ended the first half at 0-0."

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said the future of Italy's national team is bright after Nicolo Fagioli marked his first Serie A start with a goal in a crucial Derby d'Italia win over Inter.

Fagioli capped an outstanding Juventus counter-attack by beating Andre Onana with a deflected strike as the Bianconeri leapfrogged their rivals in the Serie A table with a 2-0 victory.

As well as making the points safe with his 84th-minute effort, Fagioli created two chances and completed a team-high 93 per cent of his passes, leaving Allegri enthused.

Asked whether Fagioli deserved an Italy call-up, Allegri hailed the 21-year-old and said Juventus' big-name absentees must compete with him and fellow youngster Fabio Miretti when they return.

"You have to ask [Roberto] Mancini," Allegri said. "One thing is certain, I believe that the national team has an important future with strong young players who need to grow, not only at Juve. 

"There is a good pool to face things in the best way in the coming years.

"Whoever is out will have to run, because these kids run. Fagioli and Miretti must be left alone. 

"Every now and then they will play less well, it is normal, but they must enjoy this moment in serenity."

At 21 years and 267 days old, Fagioli is the third-youngest midfielder to score for Juventus in a Derby d'Italia contest in Serie A, after Giacomo Neri in 1936 (20 years, 291 days) and Antonio Montico in 1955 (21 years, 115 days).

Meanwhile, Juventus have now won four consecutive league games without conceding, and Allegri hopes their improved run will breed additional confidence.

"Winning helps you win, especially because you create a team with values. You need to have important values to achieve your goals," Allegri said.

"Tonight, it was nice to see everyone participating in the match, those who played and those who didn't, with great enthusiasm. 

"We must enjoy the victory tonight but from tomorrow we must immediately think about Verona, otherwise on Thursday we risk throwing what we have done overboard. 

"We are two points from fourth place, let's see what happens in Verona."

Nicolo Fagioli marked his first Serie A start with a crucial goal as Juventus clinched a 2-0 win over Derby d'Italia rivals Inter in Turin, leapfrogging the Nerazzurri in the Serie A table.

Juventus and Inter entered Sunday's match 13 and 11 points adrift of the Serie A summit respectively, but the Nerazzurri began with more urgency and missed several clear chances before half-time.

However, Allegri's hosts improved after Adrien Rabiot's side-footed finish put them ahead against the run of play, and 21-year-old midfielder Fagioli made the points safe with a late deflected effort. 

The result lifted Juventus above Inter into Serie A's top five, leaving Simone Inzaghi's men – runners-up last term – languishing in seventh place.

Lautaro Martinez hammered a left-footed volley wide as Inter started well, before Bremer hit the side-netting when Juventus created a rare opening at the other end.

Edin Dzeko headed wide of the top-left corner as the home crowd began to grow frustrated, and Denzel Dumfries should have put Inter ahead when firing over from six yards out as half-time approached.

Inter again went close again when Hakan Calhanoglu forced Wojciech Szczesny into an acrobatic save from range, but Juventus punished their profligacy as Rabiot turned Filip Kostic's cut-back into the bottom-right corner after 52 minutes.

That goal lifted Juventus, who were denied a second goal when a VAR review spotted a handball by Danilo following his volleyed finish, before Szczesny denied Martinez with his legs.

The Bianconeri went close to doubling their lead through Kostic, who saw his shot turned onto the post by Andre Onana, but the Serbian turned provider once more as Juventus wrapped up the win, teeing up Fagioli for his dream goal.

Milan forward Rafael Leao continues to be linked with a host of top European clubs who are plotting January moves.

Leao won last season's Serie A Footballer of the Year and has maintained his fine form this term.

The 23-year-old forward is contracted with Milan until mid-2024, prompting interest to prise him away from the Rossoneri.

TOP STORY – MILAN PREPARING FOR BUMPER JANUARY BIDS FOR RAFAEL LEAO

Milan are preparing for January bids from Chelsea and Manchester City of approximately £105 million for Rafael Leao, reports Tuttomercato.

Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain have also shown an interest in the Portuguese attacker.

Milan are still working on a new deal with Leao before he departs for the World Cup, hoping to tie him down on a long-term contract.

ROUND-UP

– Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is considering trying to lure Dusan Vlahovic to Old Trafford as he prepares for life without Cristiano Ronaldo, reports The Sun on Sunday. Juventus forward Vlahovic moved to the Bianconeri from Fiorentina in January for £62million.

– Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has told the club to sign Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans in the January transfer window, claims The Sun. Tielemans is valued at £40m and is out of contract at the end of this season.

– The Mirror reports Arsenal are also interested in a January move for Vitoria Guimaraes midfielder Ibrahima Bamba, having sent scouts to watch him.

– Calciomercato claims Tottenham are looking into a swap deal involving Emerson Royal in order to bring Dutch defender Denzel Dumfries to the club from Inter.

– Serie A leaders Napoli are preparing an offer for Barcelona's Jordi Alba, who is looking for first-team football, according to El Nacional.

Massimiliano Allegri is set to make a number of late calls on his Juventus XI for Sunday's Derby d'Italia, with Dusan Vlahovic still not fully fit.

Vlahovic has not featured for the Bianconeri since their costly Champions League defeat to Benfica in the middle of last week.

And the Serbia striker may not return in time to take on Inter this weekend, as Allegri revealed an ongoing groin issue at his pre-match news conference on Saturday.

The coach could at least offer a more positive update on Angel Di Maria and Bremer, who are both back in the fold, although he would not confirm the role of either player at Allianz Stadium.

"[Di Maria and Bremer] are recovered – the only doubt is Vlahovic, because he is not well and tomorrow I have to evaluate," Allegri said.

"On Bremer and Di Maria, I have to decide whether to let both play or just one, but I have to evaluate."

Pressed further on Vlahovic, he replied: "We don't know if he's okay, because he's missed sessions.

"If he is well and tells me he is available, he will be on the bench; otherwise, it is useless to bring a player who cannot play."

Allegri added he would also "evaluate and decide" whether Di Maria and Bremer may be able to start on Sunday.

"The important thing is to have everyone available," he said.

Should they line up on the bench, they would likely join Federico Chiesa, whose successful return to action following an ACL tear has given his coach "a pleasant surprise".

"Now, I just have to increase his minutes," Allegri said. "Tomorrow he will definitely be part of the game."

As Inter coach Simone Inzaghi had earlier in the day, Allegri played down the importance of this match in the context of the season.

But Allegri acknowledged the need for Juve to get a result in this fixture, having taken only a single point against the Nerazzurri last term.

"It would be important [to move above Inter], but the season is long," he said. "Last year we never beat them, and we will have to do everything we can to reverse the trend."

Romelu Lukaku will not play again for Inter before going to the World Cup with Belgium, Simone Inzaghi has confirmed.

Lukaku's return to San Siro on loan this season has been disrupted by injury.

The Chelsea striker has been limited to just 255 minutes of action across five appearances in all competitions, starting three matches and scoring once.

Lukaku made his comeback from a thigh problem against Viktoria Plzen late last month but was quickly ruled out again.

Coach Inzaghi was initially hopeful Inter would see Lukaku before the Serie A season breaks for the World Cup, but he has now accepted defeat.

The Nerazzurri play Juventus on Sunday, then both Bologna and Atalanta next week.

Lukaku will hope to feature when Belgium begin their Qatar 2022 campaign against Canada on November 23.

Speaking ahead of the Derby d'Italia, Inzaghi said: "We will be without him, without [Danilo] D'Ambrosio and with [Alessandro] Bastoni to evaluate because he had a fever.

"It is normal for a coach to want to have all his weapons, but we know that playing so much there are difficulties in organising with all the team.

"Lukaku will do another test next week; unlike last time, I can say that I don't think he will be there for the last game.

"I'm sorry, because he worked so hard to be there. We will wait for him after the break, because we know he can give us a great hand."

Inter are sixth in Serie A and Juve eighth heading into Sunday's game, but Inzaghi does not believe their title hopes are on the line.

"We know how much it matters, but we also know that there are 25 games to go," he said. "In a week, there will be a break for the World Cup, and then there will be more than one round.

"We know how important it is, but also how long there is until the end. Tomorrow is very important for both [teams], yes."

Massimiliano Allegri will expect Juventus to take the "anger" of their Champions League failure on Inter when they do battle in the Derby d'Italia on Sunday.

A 2-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday made it five defeats from six Group H games for Juve, but they will move into the Europa League after finishing in third place.

Allegri stated he expects his players to use the fury of falling short in the Champions League as fuel for the remainder of the season, and a victory at the Allianz Stadium would move them above Inter.

The sixth-placed Nerazzurri, who head into the weekend two points better off than Juve, had already qualified for the Champions League before they were beaten 2-0 at Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

Stats Perform picks out the standout Opta data to preview a showdown between two heavyweights of Italian football in Turin.

An upturn in Serie A fortunes for Juve

While Juve suffered another European loss in midweek, they have won three consecutive Serie A games without conceding a goal.

The last time they had four clean sheets in a row in the competition was in December 2018, when they won six matches in a row without conceding.

Allegri was also boosted by the return of long-term absentee Federico Chiesa from a knee injury as a substitute against PSG, a timely lift after it was revealed Paul Pogba will miss the World Cup. It remains to seen when Pogba will return.

Inter eyeing Derby d'Italia repeat

The Nerazzurri had won four consecutive games and gone seven without defeat before they came unstuck at Bayern.

Inter won three and drew one of four meetings between these two sides last season, beating the Bianconeri 1-0 away from home in Serie A in April.

They could win two Serie A meetings in a row against Juve for the first time since Alberto Zaccheroni was in charge in 2003-04, while the last time they won two such games in a single calendar year was back in 1987.

Juve building on strong foundations, youngsters doing their bit

While Juve have not started the season in the manner they would have liked, they have an excellent defensive record in Serie A.

In the top 10 European leagues this season, only Barcelona (four goals in 12 matches) and Benfica (five in 11) have conceded fewer goals than the seven Juve have shipped in 12 matches in the Italian top flight.

They also have the most players born since 2000 to be involved in at least one goal in Serie A this season with a total of five, with Dusan Vlahovic (seven), Moise Kean (one), Nicolo Fagioli (one), Fabio Miretti (one) and Samuel Iling-Junior (one) making their mark.

Inzaghi the scourge of Bianconeri

Inter's Simone Inzaghi has beaten Juventus seven times in 18 meetings in his coaching career, drawing twice. 

He has defeated the Bianconeri more times than any other coach since he took his first job in April 2016.

Inzaghi could become the second Inter coach to win two Serie A away matches against Juventus, after Helenio Herrera (three, between 1961 and 1965).

LaLiga has warned a fresh attempt to launch a European Super League will be offering only a rehashed version of the competition that launched and collapsed within days last year, leaving clubs humiliated.

The Spanish league is determined to fend off a new proposition for an elite league, and has warned it would "destroy" the existing structure of the domestic game.

In a statement, LaLiga pointed to a previous proposal from 2019, as well as the calamitous launching of the Super League last year that saw 12 teams agree to take part, before almost all pulled out in a hurry after a furious backlash from fans, politicians and football governing bodies.

It was revealed in October 2022 that A22 Sports Management – a company representing the Super League clubs – is planning to revive the proposals. Bernd Reichart, a media executive, has been appointed to head up the plans.

LaLiga said on Twitter on Friday: "The promoters of the Super League are now preparing a model similar to the one put forward in 2019, which is still closed or mostly closed, which will destroy the national leagues and which has already been rejected by clubs and leagues in Europe."

Spanish giants Barcelona are among the teams still keen on the idea of a new competition, with club president Joan Laporta last month saying it would be "more even" than the current system, claiming UEFA is not satisfactorily enforcing the ethos of financial fair play.

LaLiga published a video expressing its opposition to the Super League, in which it stated that "the whole of European football took a stand against its closed, selfish and elitist model".

"Now the promoters of the Super League are trying to conceal its format, claiming that they still don't have a fixed model although it will be an inclusive and open," LaLiga added.

"We know that this is false, and that they want to present a semi-closed format similar to 2019 which has already been rejected by the clubs and European leagues.

"This model is based on promotion and relegation between European divisions where the national leagues do not provide direct access to the top tier. On the contrary, they perpetuate the participation of a privileged few, even if they perform poorly in their domestic leagues.

"To be clear: anything less than any club earning its place in Europe's top flight through success in the domestic leagues will remain a closed or semi-closed model.

"We have also heard that the Super League wants to claim to be the saviour of football, saying that the current system no longer appeals to young people. Fake news. As an example, data shows that LaLiga's audience in Spain among those under the age of 24 has increased by more than 22 per cent in the last four seasons."

LaLiga also said research showed football's global fan base had risen by 3.4 per cent in the 16-29 age bracket, while stating TikTok metrics revealed 60 per cent of its mainly young audience consumes football content.

The statement from LaLiga said the Super League's promise of "a more exciting competition" would in reality mean "a constant stream of the same type of clashes, turning the extraordinary into the ordinary".

It warned such a competition "would destroy the ability to turn dreams into reality", denying smaller clubs than the cherry-picked elite the long-established pathway to competition at the highest level.

LaLiga, whose president Javier Tebas has been a vocal opponent of the proposed new competition, added: "The promoters of the Super League must respect the will of European fans and citizens, where the Council of Europe has already taken a position against the Super League and the European Parliament has defended an open, democratic model based on meritocracy."

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Christophe Galtier was "proud" despite his team being astonishingly beaten to top spot in Champions League Group H by Benfica, an outcome that left captain Marquinhos frustrated.

Goals from Kylian Mbappe and Nuno Mendes at Juventus, either side of Leonardo Bonucci's equaliser, on Wednesday seemed to have Galtier's side on course to win the group courtesy of a 2-1 triumph.

However, Benfica scored five unanswered second-half goals at Maccabi Haifa to win 6-1, with Joao Mario's 92nd-minute effort snatching first place on away goals scored.

PSG and Benfica could not be separated by their head-to-head record, goals scored or conceded, making the away goals scored tie-breaker a Champions League first.

Finishing second means the Ligue 1 champions will face one of the group winners in the last 16, but Galtier generally seemed content, acknowledging how unusual and unfortunate it was to be pipped in such fashion.

"Of course, we have to value our campaign," he told reporters. "We beat Juventus twice, we got 14 points, we scored a lot of goals and in the end we finished second on the number of goals scored away from home, and that's how it is.

"But obviously I'm still very proud of my group, of my team in this group stage. We had a tough match, we knew we were going to have a difficult match, but we still managed to win, and then there is this scenario [Benfica scoring their sixth goal] that happens in the 92nd minute.

"Nobody could have imagined that. We finished second on the number of goals scored away from home. That's incredible."

But Marquinhos was rather more subdued as he struggled to hide his irritation despite claiming he was attempting to be optimistic.

"We're trying to take the positives out of it," he told reporters. "There were obviously two feelings, because we won against Juve in a difficult match, but we finished second, whereas the aim was to get this first place. Unfortunately, we didn't succeed.

"You have to look at the good aspects of things, there are good things to take away from this group stage, even if there are things to improve.

"In the Champions League, this first phase was important, but it is really played out in the second half of the season.

"That's when we have to perform well, be decisive, be good, because it's all about the end of the season."

Nevertheless, Marquinhos did value PSG's ability to see out an important win against a big club even though their performance was hardly spectacular.

"We have already seen teams win without necessarily being the best or playing the most beautiful football, but knowing how to be effective," he continued. "If we manage to be effective in these decisive moments, we can do great things.

"Even if there were difficult moments in this match, we managed to score and that unlocks a match. So, when we win a match like this, even if it wasn't our best game, we have to tell ourselves that it's important to know how to play like that too."

Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is expected to cost €100million if the undefeated Serie A leaders choose to sell at the end of the season.

Kvaratskhelia, 21, was with Rubin Kazan for three seasons before the Russian invasion of Ukraine halted their 2021-22 campaign, allowing the Georgia-born player to sign with Georgian club Dinamo Batumi.

Napoli scooped him up from Batumi for around €10m, and he has been in fine form since arriving in Italy. In 12 Serie A games, Kvaratskhelia has six goals and seven assists, while adding two goals and three assists in five Champions League matches.

A January sale has been ruled out, but if the club decide to cash-in on their shrewd piece of business, they could reportedly multiply their investment 10-fold.

TOP STORY – BREAKOUT NAPOLI YOUNGSTER SET TO COMMAND NINE-FIGURE FEE

According to Kvaratskhelia's agent Christian Emile in an interview with Fabrizio Romano, the Georgian sensation affectionately referred to as 'Kvaradona' by Napoli fans is one of the hottest names on the transfer market.

In the interview, reported by the London Evening Standard, Emile said there is "a zero per cent chance" he is sold in January as Napoli push for their first title since the 1989-90 season. 

However, he said "people are talking about €100m" when discussing Kvaratskhelia's value now, and if his form continues in this fashion the rest of the season, Emile added "he will reach €100m for sure".

The report names Liverpool and Chelsea as two of the key clubs known to have interest at this point.

ROUND-UP

– Mundo Deportivo is reporting Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan – who is out of contract at the end of the season – is a target for Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid. 

– According to The Daily Mail, Manchester United have made Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham their top target.

– Eden Hazard could leave Real Madrid in January, per Mundo Deportivo, with Juventus named as a club interested in the 31-year-old.

– Media Foot is reporting United are "seriously considering" a move for 33-year-old Bayern Munich forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, but they will not be making any significant purchases in January.

– According to L'Equipe, Lionel Messi does not want to leave Paris Saint-Germain without winning "a major trophy", and is considering extending his contract beyond this season.