Milan saw their Serie A top-four hopes dealt a blow after Nicolas Gonzalez and Luka Jovic proved the difference in a 2-1 win for Fiorentina on Saturday.

Stefano Pioli's side had reeled off three straight league wins but came unstuck at Stadio Artemio Franchi with an underwhelming display.

Gonzalez's 49th-minute penalty was no less than Vincenzo Italiano's hosts deserved before substitute Jovic put the game beyond Milan, despite Theo Hernandez's stoppage-time strike.

Defeat left Pioli's men 18 points adrift of runaway leaders Napoli and looking over their shoulders at fifth-placed Roma, who could move level with victory against Juventus on Sunday.

Fiorentina were unable to reap the rewards of their first-half dominance against a Milan defence that had not conceded since February 5.

Giacomo Bonaventura was a constant threat against his former side, with Mike Maignan pushing away his free-kick and Fikayo Tomori clearing the midfielder's bobbling close-range finish off the line.

Milan offered little in response yet Pietro Terracciano still had to be alert to thwart Olivier Giroud's inventive left-footed volley.

Fiorentina's pressure told after the interval, though. Tomori dragged down Jonathan Ikone inside the area and Gonzalez rolled into the bottom-right corner from 12 yards.

An apparent Arthur Cabral handball seemed to offer Milan late hope, but the referee overturned his original penalty decision.

Jovic then headed in from Dodo's right-wing cross soon after, rendering Hernandez's subsequent thumping left-footed effort a mere consolation in a disappointing Milan defeat.

Jose Mourinho has been cleared to take charge of Roma's Serie A match against Juventus on Sunday after his two-match touchline ban was suspended.

The 60-year-old was sent off for the third time this season just two minutes into the second half of Roma's 2-1 loss at Cremonese on Tuesday.

Mourinho clashed with fourth official Marco Serra and was sent to the stands, before continuing to argue his case when entering the officials' dressing room after the match.

He was hit with a two-match suspension and a €10,000 fine on Wednesday, which would have seen him miss games against Juve and Sassuolo, but Roma lodged an appeal.

The Italian Football Federation's appeals committee announced on Saturday that the punishment has been suspended ahead of a further hearing taking place next Friday.

After the loss to lowly Cremonese, who won their first Serie A match in 26 years, Mourinho defended his actions that saw him sent off for an altercation with the fourth official.

"I'm emotional but not crazy. For the first time in my career a referee has spoken to me in an unjustifiable way," he said.

"To have the reaction I had is because something happened. I need to know now if I can do something from a disciplinary point of view."

Roma are fifth in Serie A ahead of the visit of Juve, who are nine points worse off in seventh after being hit with a 15-point deduction in January.

Massimiliano Allegri believes Juventus qualifying for the Champions League after being deducted 15 points would be akin to winning three Serie A titles.

Juve have earned 50 points this season, which would be enough to have them second in the table had they not been punished for past financial dealings.

Instead, they are back on 35 points, 12 points outside the Champions League places in seventh.

That remains the Bianconeri's unlikely aim, but Allegri was keen to outline just how difficult their task is ahead of Sunday's game at fifth-placed Roma.

"Perhaps my words have been misrepresented," Allegri said. "I said that the Champions League chase is an impossible, difficult thing.

"That said, the team at the moment has made 50 points. On the field, we are doing well and we must continue.

"Even among those in front, one will miss out between Inter, Milan, Lazio and Roma. One is left outside, and there is also Atalanta still behind who have the possibility to return.

"There are 42 points at stake, right? Everything is still to be played, so we have to take one step at a time. We can't look too far ahead, and we have to work for 'mini' goals."

However, Allegri was then asked what the scale of that achievement would be. Is it similar to winning a Scudetto?

"Going with minus-15 into the Champions League is not like winning a Scudetto," he replied. "It would be like winning three."

Juve have won six of their past seven away Serie A games and three of their last four league matches against Roma.

The Giallorossi face being without Jose Mourinho following a suspension due to his red card in their previous game.

But Allegri said: "I would be sorry if he wasn't there. I hope to see him on the pitch.

"In my opinion, once the coach is thrown out of the game, you can give him a fine, then the next time he has to be on the bench. With fines, you can maybe help those in need."

RB Leipzig midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has five goals and 13 assists in 31 appearances this term.

The 22-year-old's talent has not gone unnoticed, and he is sure to have plenty of potential suitors.

Szoboszlai is contracted with Leipzig 2026, but the latest reports suggest a move is coming sooner rather than later.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA SET TO AGREE SZOBOSZLAI DEAL

Chelsea are on the verge of securing the signing of Leipzig midfielder Szoboszlai, according to TuttoMercatoWeb.

The Blues have been linked with the Hungary international for the past 12 months, but the report claims they are close to securing a deal.

Negotiations have become advanced, with the two parties "very close", and an agreement is likely to be reached in the next few days.

ROUND-UP

– Marcel Sabitzer is likely to make his loan move to Manchester United permanent, claims Sky Sport's Florian Plettenberg. Bayern Munich have already identified a replacement in the form of Konrad Laimer.

– Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol  could "soon" head to the Premier League, according to Calciomercato, offering a boost for English trio Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham.

– Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has identified Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli as his main transfer target, reports Fichajes.

– Italian trio  Milan, Inter and Juventus are all monitoring  Roberto Firmino's situation at Liverpool following reports he will exit the club at the end of this season when his contract expires, claims Football Italia.

– Sport claims Newcastle United are plotting a move for Barcelona winger Raphinha . The former Leeds United man has not made a huge impact since his move to Camp Nou.

– Wilfried Zaha will exit Crystal Palace as a free agent at the end of this season, with Arsenal and Chelsea among those leading the pursuit to sign him, reports talkSPORT.

Luciano Spalletti saw positive signs from his Napoli side despite a 1-0 defeat to Lazio on Friday.

Matias Vecino's stunning effort condemned the Serie A leaders to only a second league defeat of the season and their first at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Despite the loss, which brought an end to an eight-match winning streak, Napoli retain a 17-point lead at the summit and Spalletti was happy with his side's desire.

"I expected such an attitude from the Biancocelesti, they are very compact and always move en bloc," he told DAZN.

"We made the choices in the worst way ever, but I saw a good attitude, the right application and desire, and these are the fundamental things."

Defeat for Spalletti came at the hands of a player he knows well, having managed Vecino during the pair's time at Inter, and he issued praise to his former midfielder.

"Lazio defended well, they were lucky on Victor Osimhen's header and we were naive about Vecino's goal. Then the ball found that corner," he added.

"But I congratulate Vecino, he is a great professional and a great footballer. Did he betray me? I wouldn't say, everyone has to do their job without thinking about the relationship that there was previously."

Lazio brought an end to Napoli's eight-match winning streak in Serie A with a surprise 1-0 victory at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Matias Vecino struck the only goal of the game in the second half with a thunderous effort from distance in a frustrating game for the hosts.

Solid defending from Lazio thwarted I Partenopei, who were largely limited to efforts from distance and struggled to break down the visitors.

Late chances did come Napoli's way though, Victor Osimhen hitting the bar and Kim Min-Jae's rebound brilliantly saved by Ivan Provedel as Lazio head coach Maurizio Sarri inflicted only a second league defeat of the season upon his former team.

Lazio almost stunned the home fans inside five minutes, Vecino flicking a header from Mattia Zaccagni's free-kick towards the far corner but Giovanni Di Lorenzo was on hand to make a crucial goal-line clearance.

First-half opportunities were limited for the hosts, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa having the first sight of goal with a drilled effort from distance that deflected off Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and whistled just over the bar.

Napoli's inability to threaten Provedel's goal continued after the break, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia spurning a free-kick in a dangerous position by firing harmlessly into the stands, before Piotr Zielinski dragged wide from just outside the box.

The deadlock was finally broken by the visitors after 66 minutes, Vecino unleashing a thunderbolt into the right-hand corner of the net to leave Alex Meret helpless.

Napoli came agonisingly close to an equaliser 11 minutes from the end, Osimhen heading against the crossbar and Min-Jae immediately seeing his own effort clawed off the line by Provedel.

Milinkovic-Savic came close to consolidating Lazio's win after striking the frame of the goal with a late free-kick, though it mattered little as the visitors held on for a important win in their hunt for Champions League qualification.

Stefano Pioli credited Zlatan Ibrahimovic for his influence on Milan's squad as he suggested the fit-again striker will soon be able to make his first start of the season.

Having undergone anterior cruciate ligament surgery shortly after helping Milan end an 11-year wait to win the Scudetto last May, Ibrahimovic made his first appearance of the campaign last week.

Ibrahimovic entered the fray as a substitute as Milan beat fellow top-four contenders Atalanta 2-0 at San Siro, recording their fourth consecutive victory without conceding across all competitions.

Asked what kind of involvement Ibrahimovic may have when Milan visit Fiorentina on Saturday, Pioli said: "Not full playing time, but he will soon be able to start. 

"Zlatan is Zlatan, it's his strength, his return is important. In training with him or without him, there's definitely a difference."

Milan are looking to win five successive games without conceding for just the fifth time in their history on Saturday, having last done so in 2018 under Gennaro Gattuso.

The Rossoneri's run represents a remarkable turnaround after they went seven matches without winning shortly after the World Cup, a downturn which saw them drop out of Serie A's top four and exit the Coppa Italia.

The more positive mood emerging at San Siro has been helped by the returns of Ibrahimovic and goalkeeper Mike Maignan, but Pioli puts their recent improvement down to others stepping up.

"There's more to it [than the returns of Ibrahimovic and Maignan]" Pioli said. "There's the work and the quality of the players. Then we're talking about players who raise the level of the team.

"It's time to give continuity. We are the ones who can influence our performances to achieve positive results, we must play with great attention and great determination. 

"With more players we are stronger, tomorrow [Ismael] Bennacer, [Davide] Calabria and [Alessandro] Florenzi will return."

Chelsea will reportedly make a run at signing Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic at the end of the season after a troubling campaign for the Blues in front of goal.

Through 24 Premier League fixtures, Chelsea have only scored 23 goals, ranking them 14th overall and the lowest total of any side in the top 11.

Lacking a true number nine, and with it remaining unlikely that Romelu Lukaku returns from his Inter loan next season, Chelsea have been keeping a close eye on Vlahovic.

The 23-year-old, who arrived in Turin for a €70million fee in January 2022, has had an injury-interrupted first full season in Italy, with eight goals in 15 Serie A appearances.

While Massimiliano Allegri's side would likely prefer to persist with the tall frontman, who already has 10 senior international goals for Serbia in 19 appearances, the club's financial position could force their hand.

TOP STORY – VLAHOVIC EMERGES AS POTENTIAL ANSWER TO CHELSEA'S STRIKER DILEMMA

According to Football Insider, Chelsea are "desperate" to add a true striker, and view Vlahovic as one of three desirable Serie A targets.

They are also supposedly weighing up the possibility of bringing Roma's Tammy Abraham back to Stamford Bridge, while Chelsea will also test the availability of Napoli's Victor Osimhen, who is thought to be an unrealistic option.

The report adds that Vlahovic is one of the players Juventus may make available at the end of the season as they work to recover from financial uncertainty.

ROUND-UP

– The Times reports that Chelsea have reignited their interest in 21-year-old RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol, who they are hoping to land for a fee cheaper than the £97m (€110m) release clause that will become active in 2024.

– According to Express, 24-year-old Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar has decided to snub Manchester United and will instead join Eintracht Frankfurt on a free transfer when his contract expires in July.

– Real Madrid are monitoring 25-year-old Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, although the Brazilian insists he is content with his current situation, per Mundo Deportivo.

– Sport reports that Madrid will be joined by rivals Barcelona in the pursuit of 28-year-old Manchester City centre-back Aymeric Laporte.

– According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool are considered the frontrunners to land 24-year-old Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount if he decides to not sign a long-term extension.

Victor Osimhen will not let his Premier League ambitions prove a distraction to short-term objectives of firing Napoli to a Serie A and Champions League double.

The Nigerian striker has been linked with clubs including Chelsea and Manchester United, after hitting 19 goals in 20 Serie A games this season.

Napoli are charging towards a first Scudetto since 1990 and Osimhen's goals have been crucial, drawing plenty of interest from Europe's richest clubs.

He has two years remaining on his Napoli contract, but England appeals.

Now is not the time to be thinking about a move, though, with Osimhen wanting to focus on success at home and in Europe, with Napoli close to securing a Champions League quarter-final spot.

Winning 2-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their last-16 tie means Napoli are on the charge in that competition too.

Asked about the Premier League, Osimhen said: "I think it is an ambition of all players. And who knows, one day...

"Right now, I assure you, it doesn't even cross my mind. It would distract me from a beautiful season. Only Napoli."

Speaking to the Corriere della Sera newspaper, Osimhen spoke of his blossoming attacking partnership with Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Osimhen spoke of there being "empathy from the first moment" between the pair, with Kvaratskhelia having joined last July from Dinamo Batumi.

"He is very strong, but also a golden boy. This matters to me," said the 24-year-old Osimhen.

Napoli hold an 18-point lead over Inter and Milan with 14 rounds of games remaining, meaning it would take a spectacular collapse for them not to hang on to top spot.

They finished third last season, behind the San Siro duo, but the Naples giants are having it all their own way this time around.

According to Osimhen, this title assault stemmed from a conversation he had with midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa in pre-season, which was joined by coach Luciano Spalletti.

"There is a preserved photo that testifies to the moment," Osimhen said. "It was summer and after a fairly hard training session I was talking to Anguissa.

"I said to him: 'Frank, you know that our team is strong and we can really try to win the Scudetto.'

"He was sceptical and I convinced him. Spalletti approaches and asks us what we are talking about. I tell him, he looks at me and says: 'If your team-mates are convinced, as you are, yes we can try.'

"This is how our beautiful story was born, made up of matches, training sessions, men who don't spare themselves. Made of leaders."

Declan Rice's West Ham contract is due to expire next year and he has rejected fresh terms, prompting interest from rival English clubs.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City have all been linked with the 24-year-old England international midfielder.

But the Hammers have rated Rice at £100million, which would be close to a British-record transfer fee.

TOP STORY – CITY TAKE POLE POSITION FOR RICE

Manchester City are leading the pursuit to sign West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, reports TEAMtalk.

The report claims City have come into contention with a probable trio of off-season departures paving the way for the English champions to afford the move.

Kalvin Phillips, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva are all potentially on the way out at Etihad Stadium as City contemplate a midfield overhaul.

ROUND-UP

– Fichajes claims Manchester City have placed an €80m (£71m) price tag on Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva, with Barcelona interested in securing his services. However, the report claims that valuation will likely price out the Blaugrana.

– Bayern Munich are set to hand Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting an improved contract from €5m a year to €10m including bonuses a year as part of an extension until 2024, reports Bild. The Cameroonian had been linked with Manchester United and Tottenham previously, and the deal may put to bed Bayern links with Spurs forward Harry Kane.

– Barcelona have been linked with Manchester City's Julian Alvarez lately, but Football Insider claims Real Madrid are also keeping tabs on the Argentinian forward as they look for depth behind Karim Benzema.

– Mundo Deportivo reports Real Madrid are tracking Benfica's 19-year-old defender Antonio Silva, although he is contracted with the Portuguese club until 2027.

– Manchester United and Atletico Madrid will battle it out to sign Roma forward Paulo Dybala, who has a €12m (£10.6m) release clause in his contract, according to Fichajes.

– Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar has declined Manchester United's advances and opted to sign with Eintracht Frankfurt, claims the Daily Express.

– Napoli are looking to secure Chelsea and Newcastle United target Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to a new deal until 2028 to ward off interest, reports Gazzetta dello Sport.

Juventus have officially launched an appeal against their 15-point deduction in Serie A, the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) has confirmed.

CONI has also revealed former Juve board members Andrea Agnelli, Pavel Nedved and Fabio Paratici are among those to appeal bans issued by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in January.

Juventus were docked 15 points for alleged irregularities regarding historic transfer dealings, a measure which dealt a huge blow to their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

Massimiliano Allegri's men are now seventh in Serie A and 10 points adrift of the top four, having been viewed as potential title contenders before receiving the punishment.

Juventus immediately announced their intention to appeal, and a statement released by CONI has revealed that challenge was officially submitted on Tuesday.

If Juventus were to regain the 15 points they saw deducted, Allegri's team would move up to second in Serie A on 50 points, though Napoli would still hold a huge 15-point lead at the summit. 

The entire Bianconeri board including president Agnelli, vice-president Nedved and managing director Maurizio Arrivabene all left their roles in November amid a separate investigation into tax fraud allegations – which the Bianconeri have denied.

Many of those involved in Juve's transfer dealings have been banned from Italian football for long periods, with Agnelli barred from holding office for two years and Nedved receiving an eight-month punishment. 

Both men have now submitted appeals, as has now-Tottenham managing director Paratici, who received a 30-month ban for alleged wrongdoings across his 11-year stint at Juve.

The FIGC had requested the bans be respected by UEFA and FIFA, which would throw Paratici's future with Spurs into doubt.

Jose Mourinho will serve a two-match ban after his touchline flare-up in Roma's 2-1 loss at Cremonese on Tuesday. 

The Roma head coach was sent off for the third time this season just two minutes into the second half after a heated exchange with the fourth official. 

Leonardo Spinazzola's strike had cancelled out Frank Tsadjout's opener for the hosts, but Mourinho watched on from the stands as Daniel Ciofani's late penalty secured Cremonese's first league victory of the season and their first in Serie A for 26 years.

Mourinho decided to further argue his case with the officials in their dressing room after the full-time whistle and will now face a two-match suspension and a $10,000 fine as a result.

A statement from Serie A said that the Giallorossi boss will be banned for "having contested a refereeing decision in a forceful and provocative manner in the second minute of the second half and repeating this behaviour at the time of sending off.

"Furthermore, for entering the referees' dressing room and addressing the fourth official with offensive expressions and inferences at the end of the match."

After the game, Mourinho defended his actions that saw him sent off for an altercation with the fourth official.

"I'm emotional but not crazy. For the first time in my career a referee has spoken to me in an unjustifiable way," he said.

"To have the reaction I had is because something happened. I need to know now if I can do something from a disciplinary point of view."

The ban will see Mourinho miss Sunday's clash with Juventus and Roma's home game against Sassuolo on 12 March. 

Roma sit fifth in Serie A after Wednesday's defeat, one point behind rivals Lazio in fourth.

Rafael Leao's name has long been in the rumour file given his contract status with Milan.

The forward is contracted with the Serie A side until July 2024 but has stalled on an extension, with no agreement on a salary increase.

There was speculation in January that a renewal was close but nothing materialised.

TOP STORY – MILAN'S LEAO BOOST

Rafael Leao would prefer to stay with Milan rather than move elsewhere, amid interest from a host of top clubs, claims Fabrizio Romano.

Manchester City, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Barcelona have all been linked with the 23-year-old Portugal international.

But it is claimed Milan could renew Leao's deal before the next transfer window, effectively warding off their interest.

ROUND-UP

– Erik ten Hag wants to add at least two major signings at Manchester United in the off-season, with Ajax's Mohammed Kudus and Napoli's Victor Osimhen on their list, claims the Manchester Evening News.

– Manchester City are weighing up a move for Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic, according to The Telegraph. The Croatian's contract expires in mid-2024. Football Insider reports City are also interested in Chelsea's full-back Ben Chilwell.

– Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig both have an interest in signing Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita, who is out of contract at the end of this season, claims Bild.

– Atletico Madrid have reached an agreement for Leicester City defender Caglar Soyuncu to join as a free agent in the off-season, reports 90min.

– El Nacional claims Dusan Vlahovic has also spoken to Real Madrid about a potential move to Spain from Juventus.

– Juventus are also keen on signing out-of-favour Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, according to Fichajes.

Jose Mourinho has threatened legal action against fourth official Marco Serra after the Portuguese was sent off in Roma's 2-1 Serie A loss at Cremonese on Tuesday.

Mourinho's side fluffed the chance to move up to second on the league table, going home without any points after Daniel Ciofani's 83rd-minute winner from the penalty spot.

Not for the first time this season, the Roma boss was given his marching orders by referee Marco Piccinini shortly after half-time with his side 1-0 down following a row on the sidelines with Serra.

"I am emotional, but not crazy," Mourinho told DAZN. "In order to react the way I did, something had to happen first. I need to understand if I can take any legal action.

"Piccinini gave me a red card, because unfortunately the fourth official does not have the capacity to understand what he said to me.

"I want to find out if there is an audio recording. I don't want to get into the fact that Serra is from Turin and on Sunday we are playing against Juventus.

"For the first time in my career, a fourth official spoke to me in the most incredible way. It was unjustifiable.

"At the end of the game, I went to speak to them. Piccinini, who was the fourth official in the last game when I was sent off, told me to apologise to Serra.

"I told Serra he should have the courage to explain what happened, but he had memory problems."

Mourinho lamented his side's display with the race for the top four wide open ahead of the Giallorossi's clash with Juventus on Sunday.

"We were a little unlucky, conceding two goals on their one and a half chances," he said. "The responsibility is ours. We lacked intensity, should’ve killed off the game straight away.

"I am taking it one game at a time. I cannot leave this game behind now, I cannot even think about Sunday. There is frustration, which obliges me to analyse. It is a pity this thing happened with Serra: I respect someone as much as they respect me."

Massimiliano Allegri hailed the patience and maturity demonstrated by Juventus in their Derby della Mole victory over Torino.

The Bianconeri twice came from behind to run out 4-2 winners at Allianz Stadium, extending their unbeaten streak against their city rivals to 18 matches.

Juan Cuadrado and Danilo cancelled out first-half goals from Yann Karamoh and Antonio Sanabria, while Bremer and Adrien Rabiot completed the turnaround in the final 20 minutes.

"It was a difficult game, it's not easy to play against Torino," the Juve head coach told Sky. "They are good at dribbling. In the first half, we made mistakes and went after them.

"In the second half, we had the patience to wait and hit them at the right time. This was a sign of maturity that we didn't have at the beginning of the year."

The match also provided the long-awaited second debut of Paul Pogba, who finally made his first appearance since re-joining Juventus from Manchester United.

The France international's 22-minute cameo came 2,481 days after he last appeared for the Bianconeri against Sampdoria in May 2016.

Allegri, who introduced Federico Chiesa and Mattia De Sciglio at the same time as Pogba, also acknowledged Alex Sandro and Wojciech Szczesny after the duo celebrated reaching significant milestones with the club.  

On Pogba, he said: "Nice return, we wanted it and we are all happy. There was a need for fresh players with different characteristics. Playing every three days, changes become important.

"Pogba entered well, as did Chiesa and De Sciglio. Szczesny has reached 200 appearances, Alex Sandro 300 and so there was every reason to win tonight."