AC Milan have announced the signing of Filippo Terracciano on a four-and-a-half-year deal.

The 20-year-old defender arrives at the club from Hellas Verona until June 30, 2028.

He began his career with Verona and made his senior debut for the club in December 2021 against Empoli in the Coppa Italia.

Terracciano then made his Serie A debut against the same opposition in March 2022.

He has since made 39 appearances in total for Verona in the league and has been a key cog for the Serie A strugglers this season, playing 18 of their 19 league matches.

Terracciano represents Italy on the international stage and earned a call-up to their under-21 squad in November 2022, making his debut in a friendly against Germany.

Dusan Vlahovic’s stoppage-time header saw Juventus come from behind to win 2-1 at 10-man Salernitana.

The Bianconeri had run out comfortable 6-1 winners in the Coppa Italia tie between the sides in Turin on Thursday night – but found themselves behind shortly before half-time at the Arechi Stadium when Giulio Maggiore finished off a swift counter-attack.

Maggiore was then dismissed for a second caution in the 53rd minute and Juve substitute Samuel Iling Junior equalised just after the hour.

When it seemed Serie A’s bottom club would hold out for a valuable point in their survival fight, Vlahovic headed in a looping cross from Danilo to seal a dramatic win and put Juventus back to two points behind Serie A leaders Inter.

AC Milan had earlier extended their unbeaten run to six games in all competitions with a 3-0 win at strugglers Empoli.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek put the Rossoneri ahead in the 11th minute and Olivier Giroud doubled the lead from the penalty spot before half-time.

Teenager Chaka Traore, who opened his Milan account in Tuesday’s Coppa Italia victory over Cagliari, wrapped things up with a late third.

Napoli’s dismal season continued with a 3-0 defeat at Torino to slump to ninth in the table.

Antonio Sanabria, Nikola Vlasic and Alessandro Buongiorno were on target for the hosts as the defending champions endured another miserable afternoon – with wing-back Pasquale Mazzocchi having been sent off four minutes after coming on for his debut.

Saturday’s evening kick-off saw Atalanta draw 1-1 at top-six rivals Roma, while Lazio recorded a third straight victory with a 2-1 win at relegation-battlers Udinese.

Barcelona were made to work for their place in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey with a 3-2 win at fourth tier Barbastro.

Raphinha struck in each half to seemingly put the LaLiga side in control.

The Segunda B outfit, though, pulled a goal back on the hour through Adria de Mesa before Robert Lewandowski added Barca’s third from the penalty spot with two minutes left.

Barbastro reduced the deficit again in stoppage time when Marc Prat slotted home a spot-kick, but there was to be no grandstand finish as Barca saw out the closing stages.

Villarreal’s tie at Unionistas was abandoned following a lighting problem at the Municipal Reina Sofia stadium ahead of the start of extra-time, with the scores level at 1-1.

Last-season’s runners-up Osasuna needed extra-time to get past third tier Castellon 1-0 – as did Valencia in their 2-1 win at LaLiga2 side Cartagena, who had played the second half with 10 men.

Celta Vigo fought out at 4-2 win at Segunda Division Amorebieta, while Mallorca won 3-0 at Burgos.

Juanlu Sanchez’s late goal helped Sevilla to a 2-1 victory over 10-man Racing Ferrol, while Athletic Bilbao beat Eibar 3-0 and Real Sociedad won 1-0 in Malaga.

Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick as Paris St Germain coasted to a 9-0 win over sixth-tier Revel in their Coupe de France tie.

Marco Asensio was also on target in the first half, when the Regional 1 side scored an own goal, before Mbappe completed his treble three minutes after the restart at the Stade Pierre-Fabre in Castres.

Goncalo Ramos added a sixth from the penalty spot before Randal Kolo Muani scored twice late on, either side of Cher Ndour’s first PSG goal, to wrap up a comfortable night’s work for the Ligue 1 leaders.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s second-half strike gave Marseille – depleted by players away at the Africa Cup of Nations – a 1-0 win at fifth-tier Thionville Lusitanos.

In an all-Ligue 1 tie, Monaco edged past Lens 6-5 on penalties having been 2-0 up inside the opening 20 minutes before the hosts mounted a fightback to draw 2-2.

Lyon coasted to a 3-0 win over Championnat National 3 outfit Pontarlier and Rennes won 2-0 at Guingamp.

There were also victories for Le Havre, Reims and Toulouse while fifth-tier Saint-Priest, Rouen, Laval and Championnat National 2 side Bergerac Perigord all made it through to round of 32.

Napoli’s dismal season continued as they succumbed to a seventh defeat of the season in Serie A, losing 3-0 at Torino.

Antonio Sanabria, Nikola Vlasic and Alessandro Buongiorno got the goals as Walter Mazzarri’s defending champions had another miserable afternoon.

A dismal afternoon for the visitors was compounded by the 50th-minute dismissal of Naples-born wing-back Pasquale Mazzocchi, less than three minutes into his debut.

They are now winless and without a goal in four matches and lie 20 points behind leaders Inter Milan.

Napoli had a 20-3 aggregate goal advantage in the last eight meetings of these two teams in Turin, winning seven and drawing the other.

However, it was destined to be the hosts’ day from the moment Sanabria broke the deadlock two minutes before half-time.

Duvan Zapata flicked an Ivan Ilic free-kick on for the Paraguay international, who tucked the ball away left-footed from six yards.

Napoli’s hopes of getting back into the contest were killed off as they made a sloppy start to the second half.

Zapata had already forced Pierluigi Gollini into a save at his near post less than two minutes after the restart when the visitors were reduced to 10 men.

Mazzocchi, a half-time substitute for Piotr Zielinski, had been on the pitch for  three minutes when he received a yellow card for a high, reckless challenge on Valentino Lazaro. However, referee Maurizio Mariani then decided to dismiss the 28-year-old Napoli debutant, following VAR intervention.

Torino soon doubled their advantage, Vlasic beating Gollini with a well-placed low right-footed shot into the corner two minutes later.

Sanabria hit the post from eight yards and Zapata failed to tuck the rebound away from close range, with Gollini blocking with his foot then scooping the ball away before it could cross the line.

However, the dominant hosts made it 3-0 in the 66th minute when central defender Buongiorno headed home a Lazaro corner.

Giovanni Simeone skied an 80th-minute attempt at a consolation goal, capping a miserable Napoli display as Torino moved to within a point of their ninth-placed opponents.

Teenager Chaka Traore scored his second goal in six days as AC Milan beat Serie A strugglers Empoli 3-0 at the Stadio Carlo Castellani.

The 19-year-old Ivorian winger, who had opened his Milan account in Tuesday’s 4-1 Coppa Italia victory over Cagliari, came off the bench to notch a third for Stefano Pioli’s men in the 88th minute.

That added to Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s 11th-minute opener and an Olivier Giroud penalty just past the half-hour mark.

Third-placed Milan’s third win in four league games closed the gap to second-placed Juventus to four points ahead of the Turin giants’ match at Salernitana later on Sunday.

Aurelio Andreazzoli’s Empoli remain second bottom as their winless run in the league extends to a seventh match.

As the visitors sought to make an early breakthrough, Tijjani Reijnders drilled wide in the third minute and Davide Calabria produced a dangerous cross from the right that flashed across the face of goal without a finishing touch being applied.

Milan then moved in front when Rafael Leao got past Tyronne Ebuehi on the left and laid the ball to Loftus-Cheek, who slotted past Elia Caprile.

Caprile subsequently dealt with a shot from Theo Hernandez before Empoli were forced into a change, with Ebuehi having pulled up injured and replaced by Filippo Ranocchia.

Moments later, Loftus-Cheek’s acrobatic effort hit the hand of Youssef Maleh, a VAR check ensued and after referee Federico La Penna watched footage back pitchside the verdict was a penalty, which Giroud dispatched in emphatic fashion off the crossbar for his 10th club goal of the season in all competitions.

It was then Milan having to make an early substitution due to injury as Alessandro Florenzi came off for Alex Jimenez.

Empoli’s Nicolo Cambiaghi was unable to make the most of a decent chance in first-half stoppage time, shooting wide, and Tommaso Baldanzi then saw an attempt saved by Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan early in the second half.

Milan returned to the front foot with Loftus-Cheek striking wide from outside the box, Caprile tipping over a Christian Pulisic header and Leao curling into the stand.

Empoli’s continued efforts to hit back saw Cambiaghi put a couple of attempts wide, either side of Maignan blocking a Matteo Cancellieri shot and Francesco Caputo’s follow-up deflecting behind.

Milan then wrapped things up on the counter-attack in the closing stages as Pulisic burst forward and fed Traore, who sent a composed finish into the bottom corner.

Inter Milan extended their lead at the top of Serie A to five points after Davide Frattesi sealed a dramatic late 2-1 win over Verona at the San Siro.

Inter looked set to have to settle for a draw after an early strike from Lautaro Martinez was cancelled out by Thomas Henry in the 74th minute.

But in a wild finish, Frattesi netted in the third minute of added time with a goal Verona claimed should have been disallowed for an earlier foul by Alessandro Bastoni.

Verona’s Darko Lazovic was sent off for protesting to the referee, but there was still time for the visitors to win a penalty in the 10th minute of added time, which Henry duly fired against a post.

In an equally action-packed clash at Frosinone, Monza ended a run of three games without a win as they clung on for a 3-2 victory over the hosts, who fought back from three goals down but had Pierluigi Frattali sent off in the 75th minute.

Fiorentina’s run of three straight wins came to a jolting end at Sassuolo, for whom Andrea Pinamonti’s ninth minute strike proved enough to end a run of six league games without a victory.

Cagliari remain rooted in the relegation zone despite Gaetano Oristanio’s 68th-minute effort salvaging a point in a 1-1 draw at Lecce, who led through Valentin Gendrey’s first-half opener.

Real Madrid had to be patient before seeing off fourth-tier Arandina in the last 32 of the Copa del Rey, with Joselu, Brahim Diaz and Rodrygo all scoring in the second half.

The hosts grabbed a late consolation through a Nacho own goal to make the final score 3-1 in a game that was also notable for the long-awaited debut of Real’s 18-year-old Arda Guler.

Two goals in the last half hour from Memphis Depay spared Atletico Madrid’s blushes as they edged to a 3-1 win at third-tier Lugo.

The hosts had briefly threatened to cause an upset when Leandro Antonelli cancelled out Angel Correa’s early strike for the visitors.

Goals from Daley Blind and Yan Couto saw Girona emerge unscathed with a 2-0 win at Segunda Division side Elche, while there were also wins for Getafe, Alaves and Real Vallecano.

Golden Lion’s 8,000-mile round trip to face Ligue 1 Lille turned sour as they were mauled 12-0 in the Coupe de France.

The Martinique champions, one of a number of teams from overseas territories eligible to play in the competition, were swept aside with both Jonathan David and Edon Zhegova scoring hat-tricks.

Third tier Sochaux pulled off a shock 2-1 win over Ligue 1 strugglers Lorient thanks to an added time penalty from Issouf Macalou.

Nice needed penalties to see off second-tier Auxerre after a goalless draw, while Brest edged past Angers and there were wins for Montpellier and Strasbourg over lower-tier opposition.

Stefano Pioli insists AC Milan’s focus in a “big week” is firmly on their opening test against Serie A strugglers Empoli.

Milan visit 19th-placed Empoli on Sunday ahead of two home games, the midweek Coppa Italia quarter-final against Atlanta and next weekend’s league showdown with Jose Mourinho’s Roma.

“It is definitely a big week with two league games and the Coppa Italia quarter-finals,” Milan manager Pioli said at his pre-match press conference.

“We are focused on the clash with Empoli. We want to do well in the league, we can win points but we have to perform well on the pitch.

“If we manage to pick up winning performances for a longer period, we will have overcome the momentary difficulties.

“Choices have been made given the aim of starting a balanced XI.

“The Coppa Italia (Tuesday’s 4-1 home win over Cagliari) gave some very young players a chance, they debuted because they have the quality to play with us, not out of necessity.

“We are fully focused on Empoli, after which we will have two days to work out what choices to make against Atalanta.”

Milan are unbeaten in five games in all competitions – four wins and a draw – since losing at Atalanta on December 9.

But the Rossoneri are 12 points adrift of league leaders Inter, albeit they do have a game in hand on their city rivals.

Milan need to address poor form on the road which has seen them fail to claim a Serie A win away from San Siro for three months.

Pioli said: “We made some errors that have stopped us from winning games when we could have done. We are working on resolving them.

“This is one of the elements that has punished us thus far, we clearly need to do better in the second half of the season.

“Winning (at Empoli) is the only thing that matters. Bringing home three important points means that you have put things back together.”

Nigeria striker Samuel Chukwueze has left for the Africa Cup of Nations, while fellow forward Noah Okafor remains out with a thigh injury sustained against Monza last month.

Pioli said: “I am lucky to have two centre-forwards like Olivier (Giroud) and Luka (Jovic), formation choices are never definitive because games can also be decided by coming on from the bench.

“My hope is that both of them will keep playing like this, remaining two key elements of the offensive line.

“Okafor will be available from the game against Roma and he will complete our roster, we have various personalities and resources up front.

“The directors are working in the market and they will be ready should any opportunities present themselves.”

Massimiliano Allegri has urged his Juventus side to shift their focus away from the top of the Serie A table as they prepare to travel to bottom club Salernitana on Sunday.

Inter Milan’s win over Verona on Saturday saw them stretch their lead back to five points, but Allegri is in no doubt where his priorities lie for the rest of the campaign.

Allegri told a press conference: “First of all it is fundamental to maintain the gap to fifth in the standings. Our first objective must be to qualify for the next Champions League.”

Juventus head into the game unbeaten in 13 Serie A games and will start as strong favourites against a side whom they swept aside 6-1 last Thursday in the Coppa Italia.

Allegri confirmed that Hans Nicolussi Caviglia will feature for the trip to Salerno, but Andrea Cambiaso is ruled out with a fever, and the game has come too early for Moise Kean who is yet to return to full training.

Despite Thursday’s cup mauling, the hosts will head into the game in good heart having snapped a run of six games without a win with a priceless 1-0 victory at Verona last week.

Allegri is adamant his side must rely on their team spirit to see them through a game with potentially more problems than the recent statistics suggest.

“Playing in Salerno is never easy and we will find it difficult because they want to cancel out the result of Thursday’s match,” said Allegri.

“We must continue to work as we are doing, without getting excited and without ever letting our guard down.

“The match the other evening shouldn’t make us get excited, but push us to continue working well because it’s important to think about one match at a time, without projecting ourselves too far ahead.

“Right now the thing that matters most is the group. We have to put the ego aside and put the group at the centre, because this group is doing something splendid.”

Walter Mazzarri wants reigning Serie A champions Napoli to buck the trend of recording underwhelming results and kick on in 2024, starting with a positive result at his former club Torino on Sunday.

The Azzurri claimed a first Scudetto since 1990 last season but are now languishing down in eighth after losing four of their last seven games, with last week’s goalless draw at home to Monza summing up the current sense of malaise in Naples.

Defending their crown may look a tall order, with leaders Inter Milan already 20 points better off, but Mazzarri just wants to start delivering better performances for the fans.

He said at a press conference: “I would like the trend to be reversed in 2024 and I am confident that in the new year we can do better than we did in the last chunk of the league schedule.

“I’m sorry the team are in this situation because against Monza we created so many opportunities and deserved to win. Unfortunately we failed, not in terms of creativity but with our finishing.”

Mazzarri was the driving force behind Napoli when they re-established themselves in the top flight during his original four-year tenure and the 62-year-old still has a strong feeling of unfinished business at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

“Personally, I feel at home in Naples, and the thing that makes me feel bad is not having been able to do so far what I achieved in my first stint,” he said.

“I feel indebted to the fans, who show me love on a daily basis. I will try to convey this same feeling to my players and I am convinced that the positive turning point will come soon.”

Torino are in their familiar mid-table slot, lying 10th after a four-match unbeaten run ended at Fiorentina last time out.

Raoul Bellanova has been a breakout star for Il Toro this term and next on his agenda is a senior Italy call-up.

The 23-year-old wing-back told Gazzetta: “It depends how well I do here in Turin. Right now I’m trying to give my all for the team.

“I think I’ve improved a lot compared to the start of the season, when I didn’t feel comfortable. It took me a while to get into the rhythm of the team but now I’m feeling confident.

“The next decision belongs to (Italy boss Luciano) Spalletti but I hope it happens because that is my dream.”

Verona’s Thomas Henry missed a last-gasp penalty in a dramatic finish at San Siro as Serie A leaders Inter hung on to a 2-1 victory.

Henry had cancelled out Lautaro Martinez’s 13th-minute opener with 16 minutes left only for Davide Frattesi to apparently win the game for the hosts in injury time.

However, a lengthy VAR check saw Verona, who had Darko Lazovic sent off, awarded a penalty, from which the unfortunate Henry struck a post.

Inter have never lost at home to Verona but it was the visitors who created the first real chance, Cyril Ngonge playing the ball in from the right for Tomas Suslov, who was still at a tight angle when he sent in a shot that was blocked by keeper Yann Sommer.

Inter, looking to return to winning ways after drawing with Genoa, scored the opener from their first real opening, carving the Verona defence apart.

Marcus Thuram’s deft touch played in Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who drove towards the edge of the box before teeing up Martinez for a comfortable finish into the bottom corner.

Inter continued to have most of the possession for the remainder of the first half but their final ball was disappointing and the best chance fell to Verona’s Milan Djuric, whose header was straight at Sommer.

Martinez thought he had scored a second for Inter three minutes into the second half, finding the net after Francesco Acerbi had headed on Mkhitaryan’s free-kick, but the linesman’s flag denied him.

There did not appear to be a great deal of threat from Verona until Henry scored the equaliser with his first touch after coming off the bench.

Marko Arnautovic wanted a foul for a challenge from Giangiacomo Magnani but the referee played on and Ondrej Duda’s cross from the right flew past Sommer off Henry’s knee.

Inter immediately set about trying to restore their lead and came agonisingly close in the 79th minute. A free-kick clipped the shoulder of Juan David Cabal, drawing a smart save from Lorenzo Montipo, with the ball just evading Arnautovic at the back post.

A frustrated Martinez then sent a header straight at the keeper while Arnautovic was unable to get his head on Acerbi’s high cross with the goal gaping.

But three minutes into injury time, Inter found the goal they craved. Alessandro Bastoni’s thunderous volley struck the bar, Nicolo Barella followed up with a well-struck shot that Montipo could not hold and substitute Frattesi tapped in to spark jubilant scenes.

Lazovic was shown a second yellow card in the aftermath but there was still time for another big twist when a VAR review saw Matteo Darmian penalised for kicking Magnani’s foot, only for Henry to agonisingly miss the target.

Hellas Verona boss Marco Baroni insists their showdown against Serie A leaders Inter Milan is not already a foregone conclusion as his side look to keep themselves clear of the relegation zone.

The Gialloblu have lost three straight games against Inter, all without scoring a goal – and were thrashed 6-0 at home the last time the sides met in May.

Baroni, though, is looking for a positive response after his side were beaten 1-0 at home by Salernitana in their last game of 2023.

“We are going to play a match on Saturday which may be impossible on paper, but these are the matches that give us the measure of what we are,” Baroni said.

“It’s an opportunity. We know who we are playing against, but we go looking for a performance, this is what we need. I always turn difficulties into opportunities.

“We must not be distracted by something we cannot control – work can help us obtain the our objectives, the rest is of no use to us.”

Inter saw their gap over rivals Juventus closed down to two points after being held to a 1-1 draw at Genoa in their final match of 2023, but they remain unbeaten in 12 league games.

Striker Lautaro Martinez, Serie A’s top scorer with 15 goals, and defender Federico Dimarco could be available again from muscle injuries after both trained with the squad ahead of Saturday’s game.

New signing Tajon Buchanan, though, is not expected to feature.

The 24-year-old wing-back only officially completed his move from Club Brugge on Friday afternoon to become the first Canadian to play in Serie A.

“I think that it was the right decision for me at this point in my career,” Buchanan said to Inter TV.

“I have followed Inter for a while and I see myself playing in this team. I am really excited for what is to come.”

Buchanan added: “I can play in a number of roles, but my aim is just to learn as much as possible, make myself available for the team and adapt to a new style of play.

“I want to take it day by day, working hard. I want to settle in as quickly as possible and learn as much as possible from the coach, the staff and the guys that have been here for a while.”

Napoli have completed the signing of defender Pasquale Mazzocchi from Salernitana.

The 28-year-old wing-back was born in Naples and moves to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on a three-and-a-half-year contract after making 18 appearances for Salernitana this season.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis was first to announce Mazzocchi’s capture with a post on X that read: “Welcome Pasquale.”

He is expected to provide cover for club captain and right-back Giovanni Di Lorenzo after making his reported three million euro (£2.6million) switch to the reigning Serie A champions.

Mazzocchi boasts one Italy cap after making his Azzurri debut against Hungary in a 2-0 Nations League victory in September 2022.

Juventus moved to within two points of Serie A leaders Inter Milan thanks to a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Roma.

Adrien Rabiot scored the only goal of the game early in the second half as Massimiliano Allegri’s side took advantage of Inter’s draw at Genoa on Friday to close the gap on their title rivals.

The win maintained Juve’s unbeaten record at home in Serie A this season as they bid to win the Scudetto for the first time since 2020, while the defeat leaves Roma seventh in the table and 17 points off the top.

Jose Mourinho’s side came into the game buoyed by last week’s 2-0 home win against defending champions Napoli and were also boosted by the return of Paulo Dybala, who had missed the last three games due to a thigh injury.

They duly made a bright start at the Allianz Stadium and were unlucky not to take the lead inside four minutes, Bryan Cristante’s well-struck shot taking a deflection off Dusan Vlahovic and slamming into a post as goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny could only look on.

Vlahovic was also quickly into the action at the other end, curling a left-footed shot wide and slashing another effort with his other foot off target in quick succession.

Romelu Lukaku was similarly inaccurate for the visitors before Vlahovic finally got an effort on target after turning Diego Llorente on the edge of the area, only to see his shot superbly blocked by Gianluca Mancini.

Vlahovic looked determined to break the deadlock and even attempted a spectacular bicycle kick from outside the area which flew comfortably wide, before Kenan Yildiz produced a more threatening effort after being set free on the counter by Manuel Locatelli.

Dybala went closer still at the other end with an instinctive shot with the outside of his left foot which was inches wide, but an entertaining first half ended goalless thanks to a brilliant intervention from Roma defender Evan Ndicka.

Filip Kostic’s left-foot volley was struck into the ground and beyond goalkeeper Rui Patricio after Roma failed to deal with a long throw into the box, but Ndicka read the situation and cleared the danger with a perfectly-timed diving header.

The deadlock was finally broken within two minutes of the restart, Vlahovic cleverly flicking the ball into the path of Rabiot to allow the France international to beat the advancing Patricio at his near post.

Dybala remained Roma’s best hope of an equaliser and produced a shot on target from just outside the area midway through the second half, but Szczesny was able to make a comfortable save.

Weston McKennie then should have doubled Juve’s lead when he was found six yards out by substitute Federico Chiesa on a swift counter-attack, only for the United States international to shoot straight at Patricio.

Chiesa also had a goal ruled out for offside, but the home side saw out six minutes of added time without too much difficulty to secure all three points.

AC Milan ended the year with a much-needed win as they edged past Sassuolo 1-0 at San Siro.

Christian Pulisic scored the only goal in the second half to keep Milan just about in touch with Serie A’s top two.

The Rossoneri went into the contest having picked up only one victory from their previous three league matches, leaving them 12 points behind city rivals and table toppers Inter.

Sassuolo are the only team to have beaten Inter in the league this season but they have been in poor form, having won just one of their previous 11 matches and none of the last four.

Milan had Luka Jovic available after he picked up an ankle injury against Salernitana last time out, and the Serbian was named among the substitutes.

The hosts had the ball in the back of the net after only six minutes when Ismael Bennacer slotted it in but an obvious offside in the build-up meant it was quickly chalked off.

Tijjani Reijnders was the next to threaten with a shot well wide, while Bennacer did well to create a shooting opportunity on the edge of the box but sent his effort just past the near post.

Milan thought they had found the breakthrough 31 minutes in when Rafael Leao drilled the ball into the top corner but he was again denied by an offside flag having mistimed his run.

Sassuolo looked lively on the break and two minutes later Domenico Berardi forced Mike Maignan into the first real save of the match with a long-range effort that was tipped over the bar.

The visitors have leaked goals too readily this season but they would have been happy with their first-half display, and Milan were limited to brief glimpses in the early stages of the second half as well.

However, with 59 minutes gone, Pulisic tucked away the opener, the American timing his run perfectly to meet Bennacer’s pass into the box.

Ruan Tressoldi desperately tried to intercept but could not divert the ball away from Pulisic, and he beat Andrea Consigli in the Sassuolo net.

Armand Lauriente tried to get the visitors back on level terms but he was stretching as he hit his shot from the edge of the box and it was easily stopped by Maignan.

Milan boss Stefano Pioli sent on 18-year-old Kevin Zeroli for his senior debut, and they almost grabbed a second in the 78th minute but Alessandro Florenzi’s well-struck volley dipped just over the bar.

Substitute Samuel Chukweze had the final chance but his search for a first Serie A goal goes on after shooting narrowly wide of the far post.

Inter Milan dropped points for only the fourth time this season as they were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw away to Genoa on Friday.

Marko Arnautovic headed the Serie A leaders in front late in the first half, but Radu Dragusin headed the hosts level in added time before the break and Inter could not get back in front as Genoa threatened a winner in the second half.

The result leaves Inter five points clear of Juventus who host Roma on Saturday, while Genoa remain 13th.

Inter threatened just a minute into the match as Arnautovic found the run of Henrikh Mkhitaryan to set him through on goal, but the Armenian could not get his shot on target.

Josep Martinez clawed away a Marcus Thuram header before the match was held up at the quarter-hour mark, with the number of pyrotechnics being set off leaving a thick smoke cloud over the pitch.

Play eventually resumed after an eight-minute delay and Inter quickly reasserted their dominance, with Arnautovic setting up a chance for Carlos Augusto, and then shooting wide himself after the Brazilian’s effort was blocked.

The breakthrough came in the 42nd minute as Genoa struggled to deal with a long throw into the box.

Nicolo Barella’s deflected strike was pushed on to the post by Martinez, but bounced up into the path of Arnautovic who could hardly miss with an open goal in front of him.

Genoese appeals for a push by Yann Bisseck on Kevin Strootman in the build-up fell on deaf ears.

Genoa had been decidedly second best up to that point but responded well to the setback. Caleb Ekuban saw his header saved as the first half moved into stoppage time, but they drew level in the seventh of the nine added minutes.

Albert Gudmundsson sent in an outswining corner and Dragusin got great power on his header to beat Yann Sommer low to his right.

Genoa carried that momentum into the second half as they put up a much better fight and Inter grew increasingly frustrated.

Genoa were screaming for a penalty early in the second half when Johan Vasquez’s header was blocked by Bisseck, but the defender’s arms were by his side and the officials showed no interest.

Inter’s best chance of a winner came in the 67th minute when Mkhitaryan chipped a free-kick into the box and Francesco Acerbi got his head to the ball, but Martinez got down smartly to save.

At the other end, Vasquez forced a save from Sommer who then spilled the ball, offering hope to Dragusin who was harshly booked for colliding with the goalkeeper as he challenged for the loose ball.

Dragusin had a late chance to win it but headed wide as Inter were forced to settle for a point.

Napoli keeper Alex Meret saved Matteo Pessina’s second-half penalty to ensure the Serie A title-holders walked away with a point as they played out a disappointing goalless draw with Monza.

Amir Rrahmani could have given the hosts the lead after the break but wasted a free header, and while Meret made the vital stop to preserve the draw he was worryingly forced off soon after.

Napoli boss Walter Mazzarri was sent off while his side’s finishing woes were highlighted by substitute Gianluca Gaetano’s inability to find the back of the net when in acres of space just outside the six-yard box.

The visitors, who saw Mirko Maric dismissed late in stoppage time, mustered few further chances and would be happy with the point, while the hosts extended their poor run of form at the Maradona Stadium.

Mazzarri was without the suspended Victor Osimhen and Matteo Politano, both of whom were sent off against Roma last time out.

Frank Anguissa had a deflected effort comfortably saved while at the other end of the pitch Meret looked on relieved when Pedro Pereira’s early attempt took a deflection before sailing narrowly past his left post.

The hosts had found a slightly stronger foothold by the halfway point in the first period but neither keeper found himself with much work to do.

Giacomo Raspadori nodded wide and Napoli were nearly ahead just before half-time, when an excellent Mario Rui cross found Anguissa in an ideal position but he was only able to direct his effort – easily the best chance of the first half – straight at keeper Michele Di Gregorio.

There was a second-half change for Raffaele Palladino with Samuele Birindelli coming on to replace Pereira, who had been booked, with Napoli wasting an early free-kick near the corner flag.

Rrahmani then somehow sent a free header over the crossbar from Piotr Zielinski’s delivery before Raspadori sent the ball skipping across the face of goal from a tight angle.

Valentin Carboni scuffed an effort for the visitors and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia came close for Napoli, nutmegging the Monza keeper who subsequently smothered the ball before Birindelli forced Meret into his first real save.

While Napoli had looked likelier to score since before half-time, it was Monza who won the best chance after Jesus was penalised for handball inside the penalty area, Pessina stepping up but squandering the spot-kick as Meret proved alert to his intentions.

Meret’s evening worryingly came to a close after 74 minutes and, with Pierluigi Gollini a last-minute absentee from the matchday squad due to an left ankle issue, on came Nikita Contini, while Giorgio Cittadini would soon replace the injured Danilo D’Ambrosio for the visitors.

Mazzarri, who had previously been booked, was sent off after he got involved in a touchline scuffle, while Rui, Kvaratskhelia and finally Gaetano seemed only able to direct efforts directly at the keeper as they ran out of time to find a winner.