Simone Inzaghi still expects Inter to put their best foot forward as he anticipates a tough test against struggling Roma on Sunday.

Roma have won just two of their nine games across all competitions this season, though Ivan Juric's side are unbeaten in their last three home outings.

Inter, meanwhile, slipped down to third following Juventus' win on Saturday, and are looking for a fourth win on the bounce following their 2-1 derby defeat to Milan. 

And even though they face a side still in search of their best form, Inzaghi has warned Inter that they cannot let their guard down. 

"We know what kind of opponent we are going to face," Inzaghi told Inter TV on Saturday.

"We've faced [coach Ivan] Juric many times in recent years, he is clearly bringing his philosophy to Roma, and we must be ready to put in a good performance, both with and without the ball. [Achieving] it will take a great Inter."

Inter will be without injured midfielders Piotr Zielinski and Kristjan Asllani, though the pair have featured minimally for Inter so far, with the former only playing 68 minutes in Serie so far this season.

"The international break shouldn't influence us. Before the break we had three wins, we need to continue on our path," Inzaghi said.

"We've got many players who have played many minutes, others like Lautaro [Martinez] and [Mehdi] Taremi who have flown far but come back in quite well, all except Zielinski who returned with a slight injury and will not play.

"Asllani picked up a slight knock to his knee and also won't be available, but [Thomas] Berenbruch will be in the squad, a promising talent from [our under-19 team], so we won't have any issues."

Inter have a busy week ahead of them, returning to Champions League action on Wednesday to face Young Boys before hosting Juventus in Serie A next weekend. 

Despite the packed schedule between the two international breaks, Inzaghi is determined to take it one game at a time.

"We know that we're about to play seven games in 20 days, so we need to do well but at the moment, the only concern for myself and the squad is to prepare well for the game against Roma [on Sunday]," he added.

"We will try to draw on the entire squad knowing that many of the lads try to cause me and my staff trouble on a daily basis when making our selections." 

Paul Pogba's hopes of playing for Juventus again took a hit on Saturday when Bianconeri director Cristiano Giuntoli said that the Serie A side are complete without him.

The 31-year-old midfielder will end his doping ban in March after testing positive for DHEA in September 2023, a banned substance that boosts testosterone levels.

The former France international had his punishment cut earlier this month from an initial four years to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and will be eligible to play for Juve as soon as the ban ends.

Yet Giuntoli suggested Thiago Motta's side are content in coping without the World Cup winner, at least for the time being.

"Our position is clear. Pogba has been a great player, he has been out for a long time and last year we were forced to invest in other players," Giuntoli told DAZN ahead of Saturday's 1-0 win over Lazio.

"So now the squad is complete as it is."

Juventus have not missed Pogba so far this season, remaining unbeaten through their first eight league games after Mario Gila's own goal handed them the narrow win over Lazio.

The club are yet to release any further update on Pogba, whose contract in Turin expires in June 2026.

AC Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca praised his team's resilience in overcoming the challenge of playing a man down during Saturday's narrow home win against Udinese.

Milan won 1-0 in the Serie A clash at home after an early goal from Samuel Chukwueze, despite being reduced to 10 men following Tijjani Reijnders' red card at the half-hour mark.

"I must say that the game had two parts. The first one until minute 30 when we received a red card," Fonseca told DAZN.

"We played 30 minutes with great personality and quality. It was close to my idea. After the red card, it was a game made of team spirit.

"We suffered, but we suffered together. If there was any doubt on whether this team was united, today we proved we are."

Fonseca believed his side deserved the win, despite Udinese having two goals disallowed, one from Kingsley Ehizibue and another from Christian Kabasele following a tight offside call.

"It would have been unfair for the team. We had the best chances and it would have been unfair not to win this game. The team deserved these three points," he said.

The former Roma boss also praised midfielder Christian Pulisic for his effort, including an assist and his defensive work, after Reijnders got sent off.

"Christian's game was fantastic. This is the spirit that we must always have," he said.

For Udinese manager Kosta Runjaic, the defeat was a bitterly disappointing affair as his side failed to take the opportunity of their numerical advantage.

"I'm not a referee. I am the coach. It’s senseless to say anything," Runjaic said about the two disallowed goals.

"Even with a man up, it was not easy against a team that defended deep. We needed patience, good passing rhythm and circulation and a bit of luck.

"Surely I don’t like the result because it was possible to go home with a draw." 

Mario Gila's late own goal handed Juventus a 1-0 home win against 10-man Lazio in Saturday's Serie A clash.

Gila edged Juventus in front in the 85th minute when he attempted to block Juan Cabal's cross, diverting past his own goalkeeper Ivan Provedel instead.

Lazio had battled hard for over an hour after defender Alessio Romagnoli was sent off for a last-man tackle on Pierre Kalulu.

The referee initially failed to deem Romagnoli's challenge as a foul, though a VAR review saw Juve awarded a free-kick and veteran centre-back Romagnoli dismissed.

Victory leaves unbeaten Juventus second on 16 points, level with leaders Napoli and two points above third-placed Inter Milan, who both have a game in hand.

Data Debrief: Defence key for magic Motta

Motta's strong start to his Bianconeri tenure has been built on a remarkable defence, with Juve only conceding once in the league through their first eight Serie A matches.

That is the fewest goals Juve have ever conceded through as many league matches to start the campaign, bettering the two in the 1966-67, 1986-87, 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons.

This win may have come as no surprise, too, considering Juve have beaten Lazio 87 times in the competition, their most against one opponent in history (also level with Inter).

Ten-man Milan held on to secure a 1-0 home win over Udinese thanks to Samuel Chukwueze's early goal.

Chukwueze struck low into the corner from a Christian Pulisic assist in the 13th minute of Saturday's Serie A contest at San Siro.

Yet the challenge of holding onto that lead was made much tougher when midfielder Tijjani Reijnders was sent off.

Netherlands international Reijnders received his marching orders in the 29th minute after colliding with Sandi Lovric, who was through on goal.

Milan are third in the league standings with 14 points, equal with Inter Milan in second and two behind leaders Napoli.

Udinese pushed to exploit their numerical advantage in the second half and they found the net through Christian Kabasele deep into stoppage time.

However, after a lengthy VAR check, the goal was disallowed for offside, ensuring the win for Milan.

Data Debrief: Captain America

Milan star Pulisic is the only player to have scored 10+ goals (17) and provided 10+ assists (11) from the beginning of last season in Serie A.

In fact, only Chelsea's Cole Palmer (44 – 28G, 16A) has been directly involved in more goals than Pulisic (28 – 17G, 11A) of midfielders in the big five European Leagues from the beginning of 2023-24.

Milan had to do it the hard way following Reijnders' dismissal. Only Bologna (54) have received more red cards than Milan in the last 10 Serie A campaigns (53).

Raphael Varane has joined Como as a board member following his retirement from football last month.

The defender joined the club as a free agent at the end of last season after three years at Manchester United, with his final year in the Premier League hampered by injuries.

However, he suffered a knee injury during his Como debut in August, prompting him to decide to hang up his boots at the age of just 31.

Varane will now serve as a board member for the Serie A club, advising on youth development, education and product innovation.

"Being a top-level sportsman comes with joy, sacrifice, and the constant drive to push beyond limits," Varane told Como's website. "Throughout my career, I've been motivated by a desire to improve and strive for excellence.

"Transitioning from the field to the boardroom isn't the end of my football journey; it's a new beginning that I'm looking forward to. Joining the board of Como allows me to continue contributing to the sport while shaping its future.

"This new phase of my career feels like a second birth, not an ending. I'm not saying goodbye to football.

"Joining the Como 1907 Development Committee excites me, and I look forward to being part of an ambitious project that resonates with my values.

"Together, we will invest in youth development, expand educational opportunities, and innovate product solutions to bring the club's vision to life."

Juventus will have Timothy Weah and Nicolo Fagioli available to face Lazio in Serie A on Saturday, though Thiago Motta's men are still without six other players.

Juventus have not won at home in the league since the opening day of the season, when they beat Como 3-0. 

A run of four draws in their last five games has left them third in the standings, level on 13 points with fourth-placed Lazio.

Defender Bremer, midfielders Teun Koopmeiners and Weston McKennie, winger Nicolas Gonzalez and forward Arkadiusz Milik are all sidelined, Motta told reporters on Friday, while winger Francisco Conceicao is suspended.

"Fagioli and Weah will be available for selection," Motta said. "I want to see a performance deserving of a positive result. We must play well in many different areas."

Midfielder Douglas Luiz, meanwhile, seems to have turned a corner in training after a poor start to the season after his big-money arrival from Aston Villa.

"Luiz has a great attitude in training," Motta added. "He's doing really well, it's telling to see people's reactions in difficult moments and I've seen a fantastic reaction from him.

"So far when he has played he has done well, but he can do better."

Motta is expecting a tough challenge against the Biancocelesti, adding: "We must be ready for anything.

"I expected Lazio to be at the top of the table, they are a good team with a great coach who has deserved what he has won.

"We will have another chance to show that even in difficult times we can be a competitive team. The stadium will be full and that's good, it means there's enthusiasm."

 

Antonio Conte believes there is still plenty of work for Napoli to do, despite sitting top of the Serie A standings. 

After narrowly edging past Serie B side Modena on penalties in the Coppa Italia first round in his first game, Conte followed it up with a 3-0 defeat to Verona in his first league match.

Since then, Napoli are unbeaten, winning six of their next seven games, only dropping points in a goalless draw with the Italian's former club, Juventus.

However, despite their impressive form, Conte is wary of getting too carried away.

"We are with the 'work in progress' sign, it cannot be otherwise after only three months," Conte told a press conference ahead of Sunday's game at Empoli.

"Otherwise, we would all underestimate the path that needs to be taken in a reconstruction phase like ours. We're just getting started.

"Victories are built, they are not invented, but what I feel I can guarantee is to rebuild solid foundations that can last over time."

The international break has left Conte without midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, injured while playing with Slovakia.

Lobotka has started all seven league games under Conte and was an ever-present in the starting side last season, but the manager is confident that Scotland international Billy Gilmour is ready for what will be his first Serie A start.

"It's not a very serious problem but we have to face it and recover, obviously I'm sorry because he was expressing himself at very high levels, but at the same time it will be an opportunity to see Gilmour," Conte said.

"Billy knows what he has to do, he hasn't trained only in these two days, but from the beginning. It changes little, the characteristics are very similar. If Gilmour hadn't been there it would have been different."

Napoli's bid to remain on top will face a stern test away to Empoli. The Tuscan side have lost only once this season, and have the second-best defensive record in Serie A, conceding four goals in their seven games.

"We are talking about a team that suffered their only defeat before the break, in the last minutes and on a difficult pitch, against Lazio at the Olimpico," Conte said.

"It is precisely in these matches that the spirit of sacrifice, according to the Empoli players, becomes an important weapon for them.

"I will not tolerate a spirit of sacrifice inferior to that of Empoli."

AC Milan boss Paulo Fonseca has had two weeks to stew on his team's latest defeat, and he will never refrain from criticising a player due to their name or status.

Milan were beaten 2-1 by Fiorentina before the international break, a defeat that came on the back of losing 1-0 to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.

It was the manner of their defeat in Florence, where Theo Hernandez and Tammy Abraham were both denied by David de Gea from the penalty spot, which left Fonseca furious.

Fonseca slated his players for disobeying orders after the game, pointing out that Christian Pulisic was the designated penalty taker, while he was also furious to see Hernandez sent off for dissent late on. 

Speaking ahead of Saturday's meeting with Udinese, Fonseca told reporters: "I was so angry after Florence that it was good not to have seen anyone.

"We had few players in those training sessions, then all the internationals arrived yesterday. We talked about the match against Fiorentina and today we spoke about Udinese.

"I know that there has been a lot of talk about Florence, for me it was very important to talk about it."

Fonseca is already under pressure, with his side sixth in the Serie A table, five points off leaders Napoli. Milan have also lost both of their Champions League games, and their coach intends to tackle any issues head on.

"I don't close my eyes to problems. We have them, let's face them," Fonseca said.

"If we have any problems, I don't give a damn about the player's name. I talk to him. Frontally, directly, with the team or with the players.

"For me, no player is more important than the team. Those who make mistakes must take responsibility. If someone doesn't follow this team spirit, it's difficult for me."

Fonseca was then asked if he had already lost control of the dressing room, responding: "I don't have to demonstrate anything, I'm not an actor.

"In football today there is a great need to be seen, I'm not like that, since day one. Ask the players, if I have been this way from the start or not."

Paul Pogba insists he is "not a cheater", but acknowledges he must take responsibility for the failed doping test that led to his ongoing ban.

The Juventus and France midfielder was suspended for four years in February by Italy's national anti-doping tribunal, after a drugs test revealed elevated testosterone levels in his system.

However, earlier this month, Pogba's ban was reduced to 18 months after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled his consuming of the banned substance "was not intentional".

It means the 31-year-old can resume training in January and will be available to play from March, and he is desperate to be back doing what he loves.

"This is not me, I'm not a cheater," Pogba told Sky Sports. 

"I'm someone that loves my sport, I love the game and I would never, ever cheat. I like to win fairly. I'm a bad loser, but I'm not a cheater.

"I take some responsibility because I took the supplement. I didn't triple-check, let's say it like that, even if it came from a professional. If I have to be punished, I am fine with it, but it should never be four years.

"I would just like to be on the pitch, any pitch. First, it's with Juventus. I want to be in training with team-mates, it's tough to be alone, playing passes on to the wall.

"My main focus is to get back in training, be fit and to be on the pitch doing what I love."

Lionel Scaloni believes Lautaro Martinez deserved the Ballon d'Or "more than anyone" after his stellar 2024.

The forward excelled for club and country this year, earning his place on the 30-man shortlist for this year's prize.

Martinez topped Serie A's goalscoring charts as Inter won their 20th Scudetto last season, netting 24 goals in 33 matches, eight more than his closest rival, Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic.

His 0.81 goals per 90 minutes was the best of any player in the division, while he outperformed his expected goals (xG) of 17.64.

He carried that form into the Copa America, scoring five goals to win the Golden Boot despite playing just 221 minutes as Argentina won the competition for the second consecutive edition.

Martinez's tally was the joint-best by an Argentine in the Copa America since the turn of the century, equalling Lionel Messi in 2016 and Juan Roman Riquelme in 2007.

And Scaloni believes those feats should put the 27-year-old among the favourites.

"Lautaro deserves the Ballon d'Or more than anyone," Scaloni said at a press conference.

"He has had a spectacular year. [At the Copa America] he scored in the final, and he was top scorer. I hope it can be given to him."

AC Milan boss Paulo Fonseca was in an angry mood following his side's 2-1 loss away to Fiorentina on Sunday, suggesting the decisions to give three penalties turned the game into a 'circus'.

Remarkably, all three spot-kicks were saved during the match. The home side initially saw Moise Kean's penalty kept out by Mike Maignan, while David de Gea then saved from Theo Hernandez - who was later sent off - and Tammy Abraham either side of half-time.

But after the game, Fonseca's attention was on the performance of the officials rather than the goalkeeping.

"I don’t like to talk about refereeing but this isn’t football. Football is about contact and a mere touch shouldn’t be enough to award a penalty," he told DAZN.

"Just a simple touch can lead to a penalty, we saw that this weekend as well. It makes everyone nervous, and that creates problems. This is football, not a circus."

Interestingly, neither Hernandez nor Abraham is Milan's designated penalty taker despite them taking the responsibility on Sunday.

"Our penalty taker is [Christian] Pulisic. I don't know why the players changed their minds, I spoke to him and said that it must not happen again," said Fonseca.

Pulisic did score Milan's only goal of the night, having equalised after an hour, before Albert Gudmondsson scored the winner for the hosts.

The United States international was visibly angry when brought off for Samuel Chukwueze with seven minutes to go after putting in a bright performance, but the Milan manager explained that he did not want to aggravate an injury.

"It was out of caution for Pulisic, he had a problem with his flexor during the week. Chukwueze came in well and created opportunities," said Fonseca.

In terms of his side's overall performance, Fonseca did not want to focus on their penalty problems and instead suggested they did not do enough to get anything from the match.

"In the first half, we lacked defensive aggression and strength in duels. The way we conceded goals clearly illustrates this; they almost always won the second balls," he said. "We weren't disciplined in our structure."

The defeat ended a run of three straight league victories for Milan, meaning they go into the international break sixth in the table and on the back of a defeat.

Despite that, and the gap to league leaders Napoli extending to six points, he was not panicking.

"In Italy when you win, you’ve played a great match. If we don’t score, we’re the worst team in the world, just as I’m the worst coach. I know how things are," he said.

Fonseca's assessment of the performance was mirrored by defender Matteo Gabbia, who was unhappy with how the game went.

"We are certainly not satisfied with the initial approach. We feel this defeat, as it was our fault and we did not do our best tonight," he said.

"It starts with us, I saw the right disappointment and anger in the dressing room and it can be the only positive from this very negative night. We are angry that we put in this performance."

David de Gea saved two penalties for Fiorentina, setting the stage for Albert Gudmundsson to score the winner in a 2-1 victory over Milan. 

In a pulsating encounter that saw three missed penalties and two red cards, Fiorentina prevailed to halt Paulo Fonseca's Serie A winning run.

The hosts had the first spot-kick of the game, with Moise Kean's tame effort being kept out by Mike Maignan before the forward had a goal disallowed for offside.

Former Milan midfielder Yacine Adli did break the deadlock soon after, ricocheting a low shot in off the far post from the edge of the box, and De Gea kept them ahead at the break, superbly denying Theo Hernandez from the spot. 

Kean had a second goal chalked off for offside in the second half and Milan wasted another golden opportunity from 12 yards, as De Gea got down well to keep out Tammy Abraham this time. 

On the hour mark, an in-form Christian Pulisic finally pulled the visitors level with a perfect volley, but the drama was far from over as Gudmundsson drilled his low shot past Maignan to put Fiorentina back in front in the 73rd minute.

Emotions ran high in the final moments as Fiorentina coach Raffaele Palladino was sent off, while Hernandez also received his marching orders for arguing with the referee after the final whistle had gone.

Data Debrief: De Gea's penalty redemption

For all the plaudits De Gea received while at Manchester United, one blip on his record was his struggles against penalties.

However, with his impressive showing against Milan, he became the first goalkeeper to make two penalty saves in a single Serie A match since Federico Marchetti in May 2016.

Since his debut in the top five European leagues (2009-10), the Spaniard has saved 10 of his 52 penalties in the league, including each of the last three, having also saved one against Fulham in May 2023.

Thiago Motta was left frustrated with Juventus' inability to make their dominance count after Razvan Marin's late equaliser snatched a 1-1 draw for Serie A strugglers Cagliari.

Dusan Vlahovic's early penalty gave Juve the lead but Marin's 88th-minute spot-kick cost the hosts two important points that would have moved them to within one of leaders Napoli.

Marin's late salvaging act was the first goal Juventus have conceded this season in the league, though their inability to build on the early strike was what head coach Motta bemoaned after Sunday's draw.

"Already in the first half, after the goal, we were content to control the game. It's no good," Motta told DAZN.

"We have to keep attacking. In the second half, we created chances but we didn't exploit them. There was always the feeling that Cagliari could come back into the game.

"In Serie A, all games are complicated, regardless of who we face and whether we play at home or away. Today we left room for Cagliari to get back into the game."

Vlahovic may have converted the penalty but was also guilty of missing an excellent chance to extend Juve's lead when he fired wide on the rebound from close range.

Motta's side accumulated a tally of 2.57 expected goals (xG) overall, compared to Cagliari's 1.12, suggesting three points should have ended in the hands of the profligate Juve.

The Italian head coach refused to point the finger at Vlahovic, though insisted improvements are needed.

"You can't say anything, it's a match situation. It happens and will happen," Motta said. "But there are other things that we can certainly do better in order to compete, to be able to continue to grow."

Francisco Conceicao made his first start of the season against Cagliari, but the Portugal winger was sent off late in the game when he received a second booking for simulation in the penalty area.

"I haven't seen the images, if it's simulation, it's the correct decision. It's something we've been talking about for a long time, simulations are not good for the game," Motta added in his press conference.

"I trust the referee, but now a precedent opens up and it must always be like this. It must always be done, not every now and then."

Juventus were reduced to 10 and conceded for the first time this season in Serie A as a late Razvan Marin penalty snatched a 1-1 draw for Cagliari.

Dusan Vlahovic put Juve ahead with a penalty of his own in the 15th minute on Sunday.

Sebastiano Luperto, making his 150th appearance in Serie A, had been judged to have handled in the area after a VAR check.

Yet despite dominating the ball, with 73.7% possession, Juve were unable to find a decisive second goal, with Vlahovic guilty of squandering a fantastic chance in the 79th minute.

And they were made to pay when Marin converted from the spot after Douglas Luiz fouled Roberto Piccoli.

Juve's frustration was compounded when Francisco Conceicao picked up his second yellow card in the 89th minute, with the post then denying Adam Obert a last-gasp winner for Cagliari. 

Data Debrief: Juve's defence finally breached

Juve were rocked by a season-ending injury to defender Bremer this week, albeit they looked largely untroubled until the late penalty drama.

Marin's penalty was the first time Juve have conceded in Serie A in 755 minutes of action, since Ricardo Calafiori's goal for Bologna back on May 20.

Thiago Motta will lament some wasteful finishing, with Juve having 21 shots and tallying up 2.57 expected goals (xG) to Cagliari's 1.12.

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