Allegri has tried to play down his side’s scudetto hopes but after Derby d’Italia draw Juve really do look like contenders On the eve of this season’s first Derby d’Italia, both managers insisted they would not “sign for a draw”. Simone Inzaghi was pragmatic, claiming he would never do that “unless it’s the second leg [of a knockout game] and you already won the first.” Massimiliano Allegri found a way to be even more so, saying: “No. We need to play the match that starts at 8.45pm.” Those replies were as inevitable as the question being posed. Neither manager could pre-declare a willingness t ..read more

Rodrygo scores twice for Real in 3-0 win Inter stay top of Serie A after draw with Juventus Real Madrid’s Rodrygo struck twice and Jude Bellingham was also on target as the visitors enjoyed a 3-0 win at Cádiz in La Liga on Sunday to move to the top of the standings. Real went ahead after 14 minutes when Rodrygo cut into the area and fired a superb shot into the top-right corner. The Brazilian got his second in the 64th with another fine shot after finding space in the box before Bellingham sealed the win 10 minutes later with his 11th league goal this season ..read more

German champions see off Heidenheim 4-2 in Bundesliga Juventus go top of Serie A; Kylian Mbappé grabs PSG hat-trick Harry Kane scored twice in Bayern Munich’s 4-2 victory over Heidenheim to lift them into top spot in the Bundesliga while extending his own record-breaking scoring run in Germany. Kane, who has scored 21 goals in 15 matches in the Bundesliga and Champions League for Bayern, opened his account in the 14th minute with a superb turn and shot in the box. The England captain struck again with a powerful header a minute before the break to become the first player in Bundesliga histor ..read more

Real stalemate leaves Girona top; Juventus earn 1-0 victory Nice see off Rennes 2-0 to retake the lead in Ligue 1 Real Madrid spurned several chances as they were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Rayo Vallecano to leave them second in La Liga behind Girona. Carlo Ancelotti’s side are on 29 points, two behind the unexpected leaders who won 4-2 at Osasuna on Saturday. Third-place Barcelona have 27 points. The hosts dominated from the start at the Bernabéu but could not score despite piling on the pressure and recording 22 shots. Rayo Vallecano produced a strong defensive display led by their goal ..read more

The midfielder is prone to crying, but against Milan his emotions proved that he can guide the Bianconeri to title hopes Manuel Locatelli never has been one to hold back the tears. He sobbed after he scored his first Serie A goal back in 2016, when he became a European champion with Italy in 2021 and again when injury forced him out of a game against Inter last year. As Giorgio Chiellini brought down the curtain on his own 17 seasons at Juventus, he noted: “Locatelli has been crying since yesterday. I told him to stop.” It happened again yesterday, Locatelli weeping into the arms of Daniele Ru ..read more

Manuel Locatelli scores second-half winner at San Siro Seventeen-year-old Marc Guiu earns Barça victory Manuel Locatelli secured a 1-0 win for Juventus at Milan in Serie A on Sunday with a second-half strike, after the hosts were reduced to 10 men when the defender Malick Thiaw received a straight red card. A relatively slow-paced match took a surprising turn five minutes before the break when Thiaw received his marching orders for a last-man foul on Moise Kean. With the numerical advantage, Juve took charge and Locatelli scored in the 63rd minute with a deflected long-range shot off Rade Kr ..read more

Serie A football club urged to ‘take a stance’ over Cristiano Giuntoli’s remarks about women A Juventus football club chief has triggered outrage after saying that buying the wrong footballer was akin to discovering a girlfriend was “not good” because she did not do household chores. Cristiano Giuntoli, the top-flight club’s sporting director, made the remarks during a discussion at a sports festival in Trento ..read more

Midfielder investigated for alleged betting on illegal websites Tonali’s agent says Newcastle player has gambling addiction The Juventus midfielder Nicolò Fagioli has been handed a seven-month ban as part of a settlement with the Italian football federation (FIGC) after breaching rules surrounding betting on matches, the governing body said on Tuesday. Fagioli was banned for 12 months, of which five months were suspended, and fined €12,500 (£10,843). He has also agreed to a treatment programme for gambling problems. The 22-year-old has been placed under investigation by prosecutors in Turin ..read more

La Liga top scorer Bellingham scores double in Osasuna win 15-minute Guirassy hat-trick sends Stuttgart top of Bundesliga Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham scored twice and produced another masterful display in a 4-0 La Liga home win over Osasuna, with the England midfielder reaching an astonishing 10 goals in his first 10 starts for his new team. Ten goals scored from 19 shots is extraordinary effectiveness from the 20-year-old Bellingham who has made his transition to Spanish soccer look ridiculously easy. He equalled Cristiano Ronaldo’s 10 goals, but delivered three assists against only one b ..read more

He could be banned for up to four years if found guilty of doping Pogba’s agent has said player ‘never wanted to break a rule’ Paul Pogba has tested positive in his B sample and could be banned for between two and four years if found guilty of doping. Juventus are deciding how to proceed regarding the midfielder’s contract, which runs to 2026. Pogba was provisionally suspended after a random drugs test taken after his club’s 3-0 win at Udinese on 20 August, at which he was an unused substitute. His B sample was then tested ..read more