Runaway Serie A leaders Inter Milan were held to a 1-1 draw by reigning champions Napoli at the San Siro.

It is the first time Simone Inzaghi’s side have dropped points in 2024 as Juan Jesus’ late goal against his former club cancelled out Matteo Darmian’s opener to secure a point for Napoli.

It has been a week to forget for Inter, who were knocked out of the Champions League by Atletico Madrid in midweek, during what is a fine domestic league campaign.

Marcus Thuram had the first clear-cut chance of the game but Jesus was on hand to make the block.

Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret then somehow kept the score level with a quick-fire double save, pushing away a Darmian header before clambering up and keeping out Lautaro Martinez on the rebound.

Inter were not at their fluent best and Hamed Traore could have punished them but headed wide as the visitors looked to take a half-time lead.

Instead, they were caught out just moments later as Darmian tucked home from inside the box for his second goal of the campaign.

After the break, Martinez stung the palms of Meret early in the second half before fluffing his lines with another opportunity shortly afterwards.

Napoli, though, with leading goalscorer Victor Osimhen watching on from the substitutes’ bench, started to enjoy more of the ball and push for an equaliser.

Despite having more possession, the champions – who sit seventh in the table following a dismal defence of their title – struggled to create chances.

That was until they were gifted a corner which Matteo Politano sent into the middle and Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni could only flick into the direction of Jesus, unmarked at the back post to turn home.

Neither side could muster a winning goal as Inter’s lead at the top of the table now sits at 14 points, with rivals AC Milan the closest of the challenging pack.

The point does little to help Napoli’s prospects of qualifying for the Champions League as they still have to make up a nine-point gap to the top four.

Inter Milan and Napoli will both look to put Champions League disappointment behind them when they meet in Serie A on Sunday.

Napoli exited the competition in the last 16 on Tuesday, beaten 4-2 on aggregate by Barcelona, and a day later Inter lost out to Atletico Madrid on penalties following a 2-2 draw.

The result was a bitter pill to swallow for the runaway Serie A leaders, who were on a run of 13 consecutive victories in all competitions and had hoped to go one better than last season, when they were beaten in the Champions League final by Manchester City.

Inter went two up in the tie but Atletico fought back to level through Memphis Depay’s goal late in normal time and, after missed chances for Simone Inzaghi’s side in extra-time, they missed three of their five penalties, with Lautaro Martinez sending the final effort high over the bar.

Inter seem certain to lift silverware this season domestically, going into the weekend 16 points clear of nearest rivals AC Milan.

And Inzaghi said on the club website: “The lads have to be proud of what they’ve done. It’s normal to be disappointed, because it’s a shame when it comes down to penalties.

“Now we’ve got 10 Serie A matches we need to play well to try to reach that crucial goal of ours. We’ve got to try and recover physically and mentally to give it our best shot against the reigning champions. We’ll try and do our best.”

Napoli’s title defence has been distinctly underwhelming and they are sweating on the fitness of striker Victor Osimhen, who missed training for two days this week with a muscle problem.

They have not given up hope of forcing their way into the European places, with victory over Juventus earlier this month a much-needed boost, although they were then held at home by Torino.

Napoli are on their third manager of the season in Francesco Calzona, who was appointed until the end of the campaign last month and also holds the position of Slovakia coach.

He insisted he is not concerned about his future, saying on Sky Sports Italia: “Let’s think about the championship, there are many games and we have to cradle the dream of catching up with the teams that are ahead of us.

“It’s difficult, but mathematics doesn’t condemn us. As for me, my future is the last thing on my mind. The boys are working hard and giving me a lot, I think we’ve made a small step forward.”

Robert Lewandowski scored a crucial late goal as a nervy Barcelona edged into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-1 win over Napoli.

Lewandowski’s 83rd-minute effort finally finished off the Italians at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium with Barca progressing 4-2 on aggregate.

Barca had stormed ahead with goals in quick succession from Fermin Lopez and Joao Cancelo but Napoli hit back through Amir Rrahmani and were threatening an equaliser before Lewandowski had the last word.

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen had the first chance of what proved an open game but failed to trouble Marc-Andre Ter Stegen before Lopez dragged a shot wide at the other end.

That proved a sighter for Lopez, who opened the scoring after 15 minutes following a flowing Barca move.

Cancelo was involved on the left before Raphinha reached the byline and pulled the ball back invitingly in front of goal. Lewandowski cleverly left the ball for the inrushing Lopez and he sidefooted firmly home.

Barca doubled their lead just two minutes later after Lamine Yamal controlled a high ball on the edge of his own box and launched a rapid counter-attack.

He broke deep into Napoli territory and then released Raphinha, who cut inside on to his right foot and thumped a shot against the post. As the ball rebounded, Cancelo was on hand to tuck away.

It seemed the Catalan giants were cruising but Napoli served warning they were not out of the contest as Osimhen tested Ter Stegen, although he was given offside.

The Italian side grabbed a goal back after 30 minutes as Matteo Politano pulled the ball back across the area and Rrahmani met it with a nice left-foot finish.

They then threatened an equaliser before the break as Giovanni Di Lorenzo got forward but Ter Stegen tipped over his dipping header.

Napoli pushed again after the break and wanted a penalty after Osimhen went down following a challenge from Pau Cubarsi but nothing was given.

Barca were forced to defend deep and struggled to get out of their half until Raphinha forced Alex Meret to save from a free-kick after 67 minutes.

Yamal then turned the ball into the net after a Lewandowski header was saved but it was ruled out for offside.

Ilkay Gundogan had a shot on the turn saved by Meret as Barca began to regain control but they were almost caught out when Jesper Lindstrom planted a header narrowly wide for Napoli.

Lewandowski claimed Barca’s decisive third goal seven minutes from time with a close-range finish after neat interplay between Gundogan and Sergi Roberto.

Napoli were not quite done as substitute Mathias Olivera rattled the woodwork and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia sent a ferocious drive inches wide, but Barca had done enough.

Barcelona boss Xavi has declared Tuesday’s Champions League tie with Napoli as their most important game of the season.

The two sides shared the first-leg honours in Italy three weeks ago, with Robert Lewandowski’s effort cancelled out by Victor Osimhen for Napoli in the 1-1 draw.

Five-time winners Barcelona have not reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League since the 2019-20 season, and Xavi is in no doubt as to the significance of the round-of-16 second-leg return at Estadi de Montjuic.

“It’s the most important game of the season and we are prepared with enthusiasm,” said Xavi.

“It’s been four years since we’ve been in the quarter-finals and that’s how we approach it.

“We want to compete against an opponent who, even though they’re not in the best moment, has the foundation of being Serie A champion.

“We need a full stadium. The fans have to be loud and turn Montjuic into a pressure cooker.”

Barcelona have been hit by injuries with Pedri (hamstring), Frenkie De Jong (ankle), Ferran Torres (hamstring), Gavi (knee) and Alejandro Balde (hamstring) all sidelined.

But the Catlans extended their unbeaten run to eight games with a 1-0 LaLiga win over Mallorca on Friday.

Xavi said: “The youngsters are key. We have to let them enjoy the moment.

“We have some important players out, but we will compete. I am very happy with my players.

“We have to play as a team if we want to be in the Champions League quarter-finals.

“We were the better side over there and on Tuesday, we have to be the better side here.

“I don’t think Napoli will sit back with the tie as it is. I expect to face a brave Napoli side who will play from the back and try to control possession.”

Napoli trio Amir Rrahmani, Cyril Ngonge and Jens Cajuste remain injury doubts after sitting out the 1-1 Serie A draw with Torino on Friday.

Francesco Calzona’s maiden game as Napoli coach was the first leg and the Italian champions are unbeaten in his five games, with two wins and three draws.

Calzona said: “We will go there with respect for the opponent but without fear. We are Napoli.

“We have started a journey and the team has made an important step forward.

“The boys have shown me great availability from day one from all points of view. There is a great desire to do well and five useful results don’t happen by chance.

“Sometimes we have to concede something, but we have to be more careful about the details. Little by little we will adjust this aspect too.”

Barcelona leapfrogged Catalan rivals Girona into second place in LaLiga after Lamine Yamal’s second-half goal handed them a 1-0 win against Real Mallorca.

The 16-year-old winger netted his sixth goal of the season in the 73rd minute, cutting inside on to his left foot and lashing a shot into the corner to break the visiting sides’ resolve.

Mallorca striker Vedat Muriqi had headed against the crossbar with goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen beaten, as Barca’s six-game unbeaten run in the league came under threat.

Victory drags them to within five points of leaders Real Madrid, who have a game in hand.

Defending Serie A champions Napoli’s mini revival stalled as Torino hit back to earn a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia made the breakthrough for the home side just past the hour mark as they sought a third win on the bounce to energise an unlikely late bid to qualify for the Champions League.

But Antonio Sanabria scored minutes later to leave Napoli lagging seven points behind the top four.

In the Bundesliga, Stuttgart moved a step closer to Champions League qualification with a comfortable 2-0 win at home to Union Berlin.

Serhou Guirassy and Chris Fuhrich scored to cement their team’s position in third and move them to within a point of Bayern Munich.

Meanwhile, Nice saw their own hopes of reaching Europe’s top competition suffer a setback as they were beaten 2-1 at home by Montpellier in Ligue 1.

Jean-Clair Todibo’s own-goal put the visitors – who climbed out of the relegation zone up to 12th – ahead after 10 minutes, before Jeremie Boga promptly levelled.

But Teji Savanier netted the winner from the penalty spot late in the first half to leave Nice a point outside of the top four.

Giacomo Raspadori’s late goal earned a Napoli a second-straight Serie A win for the first time since September as they recorded a 2-1 victory over Juventus, who lost further ground on the league leaders as a result.

A frantic first-half was on show for supporters inside the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium but Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s strike three minutes before the break put Napoli a goal up at half-time.

Excitement levels in the second period did not drop and Juventus thought they would take a share of the spoils when Federico Chiesa’s beauty levelled things up.

However, Giacomo Raspadori’s rebound from Victor Osimhen’s missed penalty gave Napoli a second win on the bounce, while – as a result – Juventus dropped further behind leaders Inter Milan.

The visitors were first to test the waters and Dusan Vlahovic aimed and fired just wide of the far post in the 11th minute.

Napoli came closest to opening the scoring when Frank Anguissa was denied by Wojciech Szczesny from six yards and Matteo Politano’s follow up was also kept out by the Poland goalkeeper.

The game was already teeing up to be an end-to-end thriller, this time Chiesa picked out Samuel Iling-Junior but his first-time effort went marginally wide.

Juventus came within inches of breaking the deadlock in the 34th minute when Vlahovic latched onto Chiesa’s through ball, he dinked it over the onrushing Alex Meret and onto the post.

Back came Napoli and Mathias Olivera’s goalbound header was cleared off the line by Alex Sandro with the score somehow still at 0-0.

Three minutes before the break, Napoli had a breakthrough. Moments after Anguissa had a shot blocked, a defensive header fell into the path of Kvaratskhelia, who proved too powerful for Szczesny and volleyed the ball into the bottom corner.

Juventus could have had an equaliser almost straight away after Daniele Rugani capitalised on some loose possession in the home defence, the ball fell kindly to Vlahovic but he could not take advantage and skied his effort over the crossbar.

Chances continued to come for Serbia international Vlahovic but he failed to find the back of the net, this time he broke the line but tamely hit his shot into the firm grasp of Meret.

Juventus went in search of an equaliser, Southampton loanee Carlos Alcaraz decided to have a crack this time but his shot deflected kindly for Meret.

The visitors found an equaliser in the 82nd minute when Chiesa found space just inside the box and cracked a daisycutter into the bottom-left corner to level things up at one apiece.

Napoli were given the chance to retake the lead after Osimhen was brought down inside the box by Joseph Nonge, with referee Maurizio Mariani awarding a penalty following a VAR check.

From the resulting spot-kick, Osimhen saw his strike saved by Szczesny but Raspadori was on hand to smash home his rebound via the post to save the blushes of the Nigeria striker.

Juventus missed a golden opportunity to snatch an equaliser at the death when Chiesa’s driven cross was diverted over the crossbar by Rugani with the goal at his mercy.

Napoli held on for maximum points to move up to seventh and leave their second-placed opponents 12 points off the lead.

Massimiliano Allegri is not fooled by Napoli’s position in the Serie A table as Juventus look to end their long hoodoo at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Heading into Sunday’s clash in Naples the reigning champions are only eighth, with visitors Juve 17 points better off and pushing Inter Milan for top spot.

However, the Bianconeri have not taken three points from this away fixture since March 2019 and head coach Allegri knows Francesco Calzona’s men can be very dangerous on home turf.

“Juventus haven’t won in Naples for five years, it won’t be easy,” Allegri said at his Saturday press conference. “It will be a difficult match as they’re a good team and it’s strange to see them in that position in the table.

“We know that there are endless challenges at Napoli; we need to limit their strengths and try to be proactive when we have the ball.

“They’ve just won a tough match against Sassuolo, and with (Victor) Osimhen returning they’ve found their bite again.

“They’ve had their problems this year but the quality of their players has not changed.”

Juve have problems of their own. Their tense win against Frosinone last weekend was a first victory in five attempts and Allegri wants his men to come flying out of the traps in March.

“We’ve been through a difficult period, it wasn’t a good February. We must ensure that March is better than last month.

“Against Frosinone we conceded two avoidable goals and we must do better as a team when defending.

“Now the most beautiful but also more complicated period of the season begins; we must stay focused and know that picking up points becomes more difficult from now.

“Last year we came third, this year if we came second it would be a good result.”

Federico Chiesa and Danilo should be in contention to feature for Juve in Naples while Moise Kean and Mattia Perin will need longer to recover from injuries and Adrien Rabiot and Weston McKennie have outside chances to be involved.

It may not all be doom and gloom for Napoli, for whom Jens Cajuste and Cyril Ngonge are injury doubts, as they ran riot to win 6-1 at Sassuolo last weekend.

Matteo Politano feels the appointment of Calzona as Walter Mazzarri’s replacement on February 19 could be the catalyst for a late-season resurgence.

The Italy midfielder told sscnapoli.it: “He is giving us a lot of motivation but keeping us calm, too.

“Some of us have known him for years, we know how he works and we are totally on board with following his ideas.”

Victor Osimhen rescued Napoli a 1-1 home draw against Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie in his first appearance for the Italian club since December.

Osimhen, who had served a ban in Napoli’s previous game after returning from Africa Cup of Nations duty for runners-up Nigeria, stole clear in the penalty area with 15 minutes remaining to fire home an equaliser.

Barcelona had taken a deserved lead on the hour-mark through Robert Lewandowski’s 93rd Champions League goal.

It was Napoli’s first game since they sacked head coach Walter Mazzarri after three months in charge and replaced him with Slovakian Francesco Calzona.

Porto winger Galeno’s stunning stoppage-time winner clinched his side a 1-0 win against Arsenal in the first leg of their tie.

Arsenal looked set to return to London all-square after a cagey tactical battle at Estadio do Dragao, but Brazilian Galeno crashed home a shot from outside the box in the fourth minute of added time.

The Gunners, bidding to reach the tournament’s last eight for the first time since 2010, created few chances, while Galeno struck a post with a close-range effort in the first half.

Kai Havertz had Arsenal’s best two chances late in the first half, firing off target from six yards before heading Bukayo Saka’s corner just wide.

The two sides will meet in the return leg at the Emirates Stadium on March 12.

Victor Osimhen snatched an unlikely 1-1 draw for Napoli in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Barcelona.

The Nigeria striker cancelled out a trademark Robert Lewandowski strike as a low-quality tie ended all square.

The champions of Italy met the champions of Spain in what should have been the glamour tie of the round at Napoli’s Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

The Argentinian’s name is synonymous with glory days at both clubs but now both are struggling to recapture last season’s title-winning successes.

Napoli, a lowly ninth in Serie A, sacked Walter Mazzarri on Monday with Francesco Calzona replacing him as their third manager of the season.

The Slovakia coach, appointed on an interim basis, had just 48 hours to try to inject some life into their dismal campaign.

Meanwhile, Barca boss Xavi – whose side lie eight points behind rivals Real Madrid in La Liga – announced last month he would be leaving at the end of the campaign.

Two sides bereft of confidence locked horns with Barca, without Gavi, Ferran Torres, Marcos Alonso and Sergi Roberto through injury, dominating the first half but lacking any real goal threat.

Lamine Yamal, their 16-year-old sensation, brought the first save from Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret with a fierce drive from the edge of the area.

Lewandowski’s first chance came from Ilkay Gundogan’s through-ball but his flicked finish was blocked by Meret.

The Napoli defence then opened up invitingly for Gundogan, whose dipping effort was also beaten away by Meret.

For Napoli, Osimhen was playing his first match since before Christmas but he looked isolated up front as the hosts finished the first half without a single effort on goal.

That sorry stat at least changed at the start of the second half when Matteo Politano planted an early header wide.

Gundogan should have done better with Yamal’s cut-back to the edge of the box but his side-footed effort was easily dealt with by Meret.

But Lewandowski broke the deadlock on the hour when Pedri played the ball into his feet.

Lewandowski expertly turned and fired low between two defenders and beyond the dive of Meret.

It was the Poland international’s 93rd Champions League goal, although he had not scored in his last four appearances in the competition.

But Barca had only kept one clean sheet in their previous nine matches and a blunt Napoli attack finally woke up in the 75th minute.

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa drove the ball forward and Osimhen rolled Inigo Martinez, who claimed he was fouled, before tucking the ball past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Both sides could have grabbed a winner but Napoli substitute Giovanni Simeone blazed over before Gundogan fired inches wide in stoppage time.

Ilkay Gundogan believes Barcelona face a “harder” test against Napoli following the Italian club’s change of manager.

The Serie A champions sacked Walter Mazzarri on Monday and immediately brought in former coach Francesco Calzona until the end of the season.

His debut in the dugout comes at home to Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash on Wednesday night.

Speaking to La Vanguardia, Gundogan said: “This is what the Champions League is all about, making big demands.

“I love this kind of pressure. Every game starts from zero. The fact they have just changed managers won’t make it any easier for us. If anything, it makes it even harder.

“There are other teams in the competition with more of a chance and better experience, but if we can reach the quarter finals, we are entering special territory. I am a realist, but I also know it’s difficult for everybody.”

Barcelona will see their boss Xavi leave the club at the end of the season.

The 44-year-old confirmed the news last month, with Barca falling behind rivals Real Madrid and Girona at the top of the LaLiga table.

Gundogan, who joined the club from Manchester City last summer after completing the treble, admitted he “didn’t expect” Xavi to leave.

He said: “Xavi played a huge role in me coming to Barcelona. If our conversations had gone another way, I wouldn’t be here.

“He made the difference and I’m grateful for that. I didn’t expect him to announce he was leaving at the end of the season, but I respect his decision.

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“He should get a lot of credit. He thinks about his family, the players and the club before himself. Xavi loves Barca.”

Despite their struggles in the league, Xavi steered Barcelona to top spot in Champions League Group H.

Napoli finished second to Madrid in Group C and are also having a far from happy time of things domestically.

They lie ninth in Serie A and have won just twice in their last eight league games.

Barcelona have Joao Felix and Sergi Roberto fit again after spells on the sidelines.

Napoli have dismissed Walter Mazzarri and made former coach Francesco Calzona their third boss of the season.

Calzona is currently Slovakia manager and will combine the role alongside taking charge of the current Serie A champions until the end of the season.

Mazzarri returned to Naples in November after Rudi Garcia was sacked after five months, but ex-Watford chief Mazzarri has now left his post after eight defeats in 17 matches.

“I thank Walter Mazzarri, a friend of the De Laurentiis family and of Napoli, for supporting the team in a complex moment,” Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

“(He) will remain in the hearts of Neapolitans and our family.

“Welcome back to Francesco Calzona, who has already worked with us with both (Maurizio) Sarri and (Luciano) Spalletti.”

Calzona spent three years at Napoli working under Sarri before a solitary campaign as part of Spalletti’s staff for the 2021-22 season.

The 55-year-old left the Serie A outfit that summer and took over as manager of Slovakia, leading them to Euro 2024 qualification in November, which resulted in him signing new terms with the nation last week.

No details of Calzona’s contract were revealed by Napoli, but the Slovak Football Association confirmed it was a short-term deal and he will lead the Naples club for the first time against Barcelona on Wednesday.

 

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“It was only on Sunday, February 18 that an official request came from SSC Napoli that Francesco Calzona could perform the function of head coach of the Slovak national football team at the same time as the head coach of the club,” a statement from the Slovak Football Association read.

“The Slovak Football Association is aware that this is a non-standard decision that may cause concern among the public.

“However, it also understands the exceptional relationship of F. Calzona to the club where he worked for a long time and wants to help him in the current difficult situation.

“Coach F. Calzona has repeatedly declared that the main priority of his activity remains the Slovak national football team and its preparation for the final tournament EURO 2024.”

Cyril Ngonge scored a last-gasp equaliser as Napoli’s meek defence of their Serie A title continued with a home draw against Genoa.

A first league crown in 23 years last season already seems a distant memory but Walter Mazzarri will take some solace in seeing his side rescue a 1-1 draw late on after Morten Frendrup had put the visitors ahead.

The result means Napoli sit ninth in Serie A – six points off the top four – as, for the second time this season, they came from behind to draw with Genoa.

With talismanic striker Victor Osimhen watching from the stands after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, Napoli started well.

Matteo Politano and Giovanni Simeone were lively, the latter heading a decent chance wide at the midway point of the first half.

Alex Meret made a good save to keep out a Mateo Retegui header with the visitors starting to come into the game.

The sides went in level at the interval but Genoa would break the deadlock soon after the restart.

A ball into Retegui on the penalty spot was cleared to the edge of the Napoli box, where Danish midfielder Frendrup finished with aplomb.

Ngonge had a sight of goal as Napoli chased a leveller, while a Frank Anguissa header came close to extending the Genoa advantage.

With time running out for Mazzarri’s side, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia almost equalised with three minutes to go but Josep Martinez kept out his effort.

There was nothing the Spain goalkeeper could do, though, soon after as Napoli finally worked a way through.

A deep cross was headed down by captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Ngonge was on hand to fire home his first Napoli goal since joining from Hellas Verona in January – salvaging a point for the hosts.

AC Milan’s unbeaten start to the year in Serie A continued with a 1-0 victory over Napoli at the San Siro.

Scudetto champions Napoli have failed to match the form which saw them win the title last season and were beaten by Theo Hernandez’s first-half strike.

The France international latched onto Rafael Leao’s through ball and fired into the bottom corner to secure Milan a sixth win in seven league games.

Fiorentina snapped a three-game winless run with a crushing 5-1 victory over Frosinone.

The hosts were out of sight by half-time through goals from Andrea Belotti, Jonathan Ikone and Lucas Martinez.

Nicolas Gonzalez made it four eight minutes into the second half and Antonin Barak completed the rout after Luca Mazzitelli’s brilliant free-kick had pulled one back for Frosinone.

Bologna’s quest for European football continued in style with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Lecce.

Sam Beukema put the hosts 1-0 up before Riccardo Orsolini bagged a brace and Jens Odgaard added a fourth with eight minutes to go to give Bologna back-to-back wins.

Atalanta earned a fourth consecutive Serie A win with a 4-1 triumph over Genoa.

Charles De Ketelaere opened the scoring in the 22nd minute but Ruslan Malinovskyi levelled things up in the second half.

However, Genoa were not level for long as Teun Koopmeiners fired Atalanta back in front and stoppage-time goals from Davide Zappacosta and El Bilal Toure made it 4-1.

Hellas Verona picked up a vital point in their fight for survival with a goalless draw at Monza.

In LaLiga, Barcelona slipped 10 points behind leaders Real Madrid after twice coming from behind to draw 3-3 with Granada.

Lamine Yamal’s opener was cancelled out by Ricard Sanchez two minutes before the break and Granada took the lead in the second half when on-loan Manchester United midfielder Facundo Pellistri bundled into an empty net at the back post.

Robert Lewandowski crashed in his 15th goal of the campaign on the hour but Granada regained the lead three minutes later, only for 16-year-old Yamal to rescue a point for Barcelona with 10 minutes to go.

Sevilla pulled six points clear of the relegation places with a 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid, who also lost further ground in the title race.

The winner came in the 15th minute when Lucas Ocampos flicked a header on for Isaac Romero to nod in at the back post.

Rayo Vallecano slipped to a fourth defeat in five as Vedat Muriqi scored a last-minute winner to earn Mallorca a 2-1 win, while Jaime Mata also left it late to snatch Getafe a dramatic 3-2 victory over Celta Vigo.

In Ligue 1, Denis Zakaria scored twice as Monaco moved a point behind second-placed opponents Nice with a 3-2 victory.

Zakaria put Monaco in front with a 30-yard screamer before Gaetan Laborde equalised, but the Swiss midfielder bagged his second of the night five minutes after the break.

Nice’s hopes of taking anything from the game diminished when Dante was handed a straight red card for a late challenge on Takumi Minamino.

But Evann Guessand did manage to level, only for Aleksandr Golovin to nick a winner.

Fourth-placed Brest were held to a 1-1 draw by rock-bottom Clermont Foot as both sides were reduced to 10 men in the closing stages.

Lyon came from behind to beat Montpellier 2-1 and earn a second successive win as second-half goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Maxence Caqueret cancelled out Armaud Nordin’s opener.

Goals from Mohamed Bamba and Tiemoue Bakayoko boosted Lorient’s survival hopes as they ran out 2-0 winners over Reims.

Nantes moved above opponents Toulouse with a 2-1 victory after goals from Mostafa Mohamed and Tino Kadewere put them two up before Thijs Dallinga scored a consolation late on.

Benjamin Bourigeaud struck on the hour to give Rennes earned a fifth straight win – 1-0 over Le Havre.

In the Bundesliga, Stuttgart kept their bid for Champions League football on course with a 3-1 win against Mainz.

Maximilian Mittelstadt, Jamie Leweling and on-loan Brighton striker Deniz Undav gave the hosts a commanding three-goal lead before Ludovic Ajorque grabbed a consolation as Mainz slipped to an 11th game without a win.

Hoffenheim’s Andrej Kramaric snatched a last-gasp equaliser to cancel out Max Finkgrafe’s 79th-minute opener to deny Cologne three vital points in their survival bid as the two sides drew 1-1.

Theo Hernandez’s first-half strike gave AC Milan a sixth win from seven Serie A matches with a 1-0 victory over Napoli.

The reigning champions made a bright start but Hernandez’s goal changed the complexion of the match for a Napoli side low on confidence.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Matteo Politano hit the woodwork for the visitors after the break but they could not find an equaliser to prevent a seventh league defeat of the season.

Napoli created the first big chance of the game when Kvaratskhelia skinned Matteo Gabbia and sent a drilled delivery into the area but Giovanni Simeone could not guide his effort beyond goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

Walter Mazzarri’s side continued to make most of the running in the opening stages but AC Milan took the lead against the run of play through a devastating counter-attack as Rafael Leao slipped Hernandez through on goal and he whipped the ball past Pierluigi Gollini at the near post.

Milan had an opportunity to make it two moments later when Leao found himself with space outside the box but his bending effort was diverted away from the top corner by Gollini.

Napoli’s frustrations were compounded when Piotr Zielinski picked himself up after being fouled on the left of the area but wastefully sent a free-kick out for a goal-kick.

The visitors had the first chance of the second half when Politano tried his luck from 20 yards but his effort did not quite get the curl needed to nestle in the bottom corner.

Hernandez could have doubled his tally in style when a corner fell to the defender inside the area and his clever back-heeled volley flew into Gollini’s gloves.

Napoli responded with another chance, this time Kvaratskhelia cut in from the left but hit a rather tame strike into Maignan’s grasp.

The visitors gifted possession to Yunus Musah and offered Milan a chance to give themselves some breathing space but Leao struck wide of the far post.

Napoli began to run out of ideas and were limited to long-range efforts, the next being Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s shot from 25 yards which flew comfortably wide of the target.

The visitors’ flurry of second-half chances did not stop and they came within inches of levelling when Jesper Lindstrom’s cross was deflected onto a post by Jan-Carlo Simic as Milan held on.

Stefano Pioli believes his longevity in the AC Milan top job speaks for itself amid ceaseless speculation the boss could soon be replaced at San Siro.

Milan, who won the Serie A title under Pioli in 2022, have won six of their last eight games in an unbeaten spell but nevertheless sit eight points behind league leaders and city rivals Inter Milan ahead of Sunday’s showdown with Napoli.

Pioli took charge of the Rossoneri in October 2019 and is poised to draw level with Milan great Arrigo Sacchi – a 1988 Scudetto winner and twice a European champion with the club – on 220 matches coached this weekend.

However, reports in Italy continue to suggest the likes of Julen Lopetegui and Antonio Conte are being lined up to replace him, a situation which the 58-year-old is growing increasingly fed up with.

He told a press conference: “Sacchi was a fantastic coach of his era, an innovator. Equalling him for the number of appearances in the Rossoneri dugout can only make me proud.

“I love my work, I have great passion for it, I have been fortunate in my career as a coach and a player.

“The pleasure of coaching always trumps the pressure and criticism, the positive elements prevail, in particular having a group of special people.”

Despite Napoli being the reigning champions, they are languishing down in seventh place under Walter Mazzarri. Pioli is suitably wary of their many threats, though.

“Napoli are not doing great in the table but they have great statistics, especially in attack,” he said. “Tactics have changed with Mazzarri. Napoli have quality, we need to face them with respect and focus.

“Both sides have forwards that can change the game, we will also need to be tight in the midfield. There needs to be a high level of organisation and play.”

Mazzarri has endured his own share of negative appraisals from Naples and beyond as he looks to steer the Azzurri back towards the Champions League places following a disappointing start to the campaign under predecessor Rudi Garcia.

The former Watford manager hopes Napoli turned a corner after last weekend’s victory over Hellas Verona.

He said: “Sixteen finals remain and perhaps the curse is lifting, let’s hope this is start of a new journey for us.”

Milan’s Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders is banned for the Sunday clash with Mario Rui suspended for the visitors, while Victor Osimhen is away contesting the Africa Cup of Nations final with Nigeria.

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