Football

Juventus and Napoli played out a goalless draw on Saturday in a highly anticipated Serie A clash that saw two title contenders cancel each other out. The match marked the return of former Juventus coach Antonio Conte to his old stomping ground, but the Italian tactician's Napoli side failed to break down a resolute Juventus defense.Despite a fiercely contested battle, the match at the Allianz Stadium in Turin lacked excitement, with few clear-cut chances created. Juventus maintained their unbeaten start to the season under new coach Thiago Motta, but their third consecutive league stalemate denied them top spot.Torino currently lead the Serie A standings after their 3-2 win at Verona on Friday, followed by Udinese and Napoli, who are both a point ahead of Juventus. Conte's Napoli, despite their impressive defensive display, remain in third place.Conte, who won eight Serie A titles and the 1996 Champions League during his time with Juventus as a player and coach, received a low-key welcome from his former supporters. His team effectively shut down the match, creating the two best chances of the game.Michele Di Gregorio made a fine save from Matteo Politano's free-kick in stoppage time, while Politano also slammed a shot over the bar shortly after the break. Before kick-off, fans paid tribute to former Juventus striker Toto Schillaci, who passed away at the age of 59.However, the moment of remembrance was marred by Napoli supporters in the away end, who were loudly whistled by home fans after yelling out insults. The match itself lacked goalmouth action, with the first real chance coming in stoppage time when Di Gregorio tipped away Politano's free-kick.Politano was again involved in the last major incident of the match, cutting inside and firing a curling shot just over the bar nine minutes after the break. Both teams seemed content with a draw, unwilling to risk defeat to a direct rival so early in the season.In other Serie A action, Venezia claimed their first win since being promoted, defeating Genoa 2-0 at home.

Napoli extended their lead atop Serie A with a dominant 4-0 victory over Cagliari, while Inter Milan stumbled to a 1-1 draw at Monza.Napoli's triumph was marred by fan disorder, with a banner mocking Cagliari fans as "sheep" sparking a barrage of objects between supporters. The match was halted for seven minutes as projectiles and flares flew.Despite the disruption, Napoli remained unfazed. Giovanni Di Lorenzo's deflected opener gave them an early lead, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Romelu Lukaku combined for two more goals before the hour mark. Alessandro Buongiorno sealed the win with a stoppage-time header.Inter's title hopes took a blow as they dropped points at Monza. Denzel Dumfries rescued a point with a late equalizer after Dany Mota's header had given the hosts the lead. Simone Inzaghi's side looked sluggish and will need to improve ahead of their Champions League opener at Manchester City.Elsewhere, Ademola Lookman marked his return to Atalanta with a decisive goal in their 3-2 victory over Fiorentina. The Nigerian forward, who had been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, netted the winner in stoppage time to secure three points for the Champions League-bound side.Genoa snatched a dramatic 1-1 draw with Roma in the final seconds, continuing their impressive start to the season.

Genoa's late heroics denied Roma their first Serie A victory of the season, as the hosts snatched a dramatic 1-1 draw in the dying seconds at Stadio Luigi Ferraris.Roma had taken the lead through Artem Dovbyk's 37th-minute strike, but Koni De Winter's towering header in the sixth minute of added time rescued a point for Genoa. The result leaves Roma languishing in 15th place with just two points from their opening three matches, while Genoa climb to ninth with five points.Genoa's resilience has been a hallmark of their impressive start to the campaign. After stunning champions Inter Milan in their opening fixture, they have now earned another late home draw, this time against a Roma side that had been expected to challenge for a top-four finish.Roma's frustration was evident as they failed to capitalize on their early dominance. Dovbyk's goal had given them a deserved lead, but they were unable to build on their advantage and were ultimately punished for their profligacy.Genoa, on the other hand, showed great character to fight back from a goal down. They never gave up hope and were rewarded for their persistence when De Winter rose highest to meet a cross and send the home crowd into raptures.The draw leaves Roma with plenty to ponder ahead of their upcoming fixtures against Atalanta and Udinese. Genoa, meanwhile, will be buoyed by their positive start and will be looking to continue their impressive form when they travel to Empoli next weekend.

AC Milan's emphatic 4-0 victory over Venezia on Saturday served as a resounding statement ahead of their upcoming Champions League clash with Liverpool and next weekend's Milan derby. The Rossoneri, under pressure after a disappointing start to the season, responded with a dominant performance that showcased their attacking prowess.Theo Hernandez opened the scoring within two minutes, followed by Matteo Gabbia's header in the 16th minute. Christian Pulisic and Tammy Abraham converted two soft penalties to put the game beyond Venezia's reach before the half-hour mark. Abraham's goal marked his first for Milan since joining from Chelsea.Despite Venezia's valiant efforts, they were unable to overcome Milan's relentless attack. Francesco Zampano's consolation goal was ruled out for offside, and Joel Schingtienne's rash challenge on Rafael Leao resulted in a red card.Meanwhile, Juventus stumbled to a goalless draw at Empoli, leaving them with a temporary lead in Serie A. Thiago Motta's team struggled to create chances, with Dusan Vlahovic's shot straight at the goalkeeper being their closest attempt. Federico Gatti's goal-saving tackle in stoppage time prevented Empoli from snatching a late victory.The draw was a disappointing result for Juventus, who will face PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Tuesday. Coach Motta acknowledged the need to improve their performance, emphasizing the importance of being at their best against the Dutch side.Elsewhere, Bologna's Samuel Iling-Junior rescued a point for his team with a late equalizer in their 2-2 draw at Como. The Rossoblu, who will make their Champions League debut against Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday, have yet to secure a win this season.

Juventus' perfect start under Thiago Motta came to an end on Sunday as they were held to a goalless draw by Roma at the Allianz Stadium. The match was short on action and goalmouth incident, leaving Juve with seven points from their first three matches of the new Serie A campaign.Motta's team are behind champions and league leaders Inter Milan on goals scored after a much less inspiring performance than the two three-goal wins which preceded it. "It was an even match and the right result," said Motta to Sky Sport."We're only on our third game and today we played a team which is hard to play against, with a good coach and good players... There are lots of things we can improve. It's very early in the season, let's see where we are at the business end of the season, for now it's too early to talk about our objectives for the season."A draw at Juve, where Roma traditionally struggle, gives coach Daniele De Rossi some breathing room for the international break after a difficult opening fortnight. His team showed a level of defensive discipline which had been lacking in their first two fixtures of the campaign but offered very little else for fans to cheer about.The closest the away side came to scoring was a speculative distance effort in the final minute from full-back Angelino which whistled past the post. "We're under a lot of pressure for right now and it was important to get away from here with a point," said De Rossi."This is a good starting point. It wasn't the best performance as we could have done better with the ball, but Juve brought on some brilliant players in the second half and we held out."Earlier Fiorentina came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 thanks to Moise Kean and debutant Robin Gosens, who looped in his new team's equaliser in the sixth minute of stoppage time. Como fell to a 1-0 defeat at Udinese -- who won of four teams level with Inter -- after Patrick Cutrone smashed a stoppage-time penalty wide, leaving Cesc Fabregas' promoted side bottom of the division on a single point.

Romelu Lukaku's debut for Napoli was a memorable one, as he scored the equalizer that set up a dramatic 2-1 victory over 10-man Parma. The Belgian striker, who joined Napoli from Chelsea on Thursday, came off the bench in the second half and made an immediate impact.Parma had taken a shock lead through Ange-Yoan Bonny's penalty in the 19th minute. Napoli struggled to break down the Parma defense, but Lukaku's introduction changed the game. The former Manchester United and Inter Milan forward scored his first goal for Napoli in the 92nd minute, lashing home a shot past Enrico Delprato, who was playing in goal after Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki was sent off in the 76th minute.Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa then headed home the winning goal four minutes later, giving Napoli a dramatic victory. The win was Napoli's second in three matches, while Parma remain winless after three games.In another Serie A match, AC Milan were held to a 2-2 draw at Lazio. Milan coach Paulo Fonseca made several changes to his team following two disappointing opening displays, but the Rossoneri still struggled to find their rhythm.Lazio took the lead in the 66th minute through Valentin Castellanos and Boulaye Dia, but Milan fought back with goals from Strahinja Pavlovic, Rafael Leao, and Tammy Abraham. The draw leaves Milan in 14th place on two points, while Lazio are in seventh place on four points.

Juventus continued their impressive start to the Serie A season with a dominant 3-0 victory over Verona on Monday, extending their winning streak to two matches. The victory propelled the Bianconeri to the top of the early standings, as they aim to reclaim the Scudetto they last won in 2019/20.Dusan Vlahovic emerged as the star of the show, scoring twice to lead Juventus to victory. The Serbian striker opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark, giving the visitors a crucial advantage. Nicolo Savona, making his full debut for the club, doubled Juventus' lead with a well-taken header from Samuel Mbangula's cross.Mbangula, a Belgian youngster promoted from the youth ranks, has made an immediate impact for Juventus, contributing a goal and two assists in his first two games. Vlahovic sealed the victory with a penalty just eight minutes into the second half, putting the game beyond Verona's reach."He is certainly working hard on our aggression and our attitude," Vlahovic said of new boss Thiago Motta. "We all agree that our attitude is the key to everything, if we have the right mentality, it all works better. We play for each other, but also there are tactical changes that we know about."Juventus will face their biggest test of the early season when they host Roma on Sunday. Meanwhile, Como secured their first Serie A point since 2003 with a 1-1 draw at Cagliari, thanks to Patrick Cutrone's second-half equalizer.

Napoli secured their first victory under Antonio Conte with a convincing 3-0 triumph over Bologna, while Roma suffered a shocking 2-1 home defeat to Empoli.Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who recently became a father, played a pivotal role in Napoli's victory. The Georgian star scored the second goal with 15 minutes remaining, ensuring the three points for his team. However, his most impressive moment came in stoppage time of the first half when he delivered a delightful pass over the Bologna defense to Giovanni Di Lorenzo, who opened the scoring.Di Lorenzo, who faced criticism after his performances at Euro 2024, redeemed himself with his goal. Substitute Giovanni Simeone added to Napoli's tally in added time, converting a low cross from David Neres.In contrast, Roma's struggles continued as they lost to Empoli at home for the first time in their history. Emmanuel Gyasi and Lorenzo Colombo scored for Empoli, while Eldor Shomurodov's late goal proved to be a mere consolation for Roma.Paulo Dybala, who recently saw his move to Al Qadsiah collapse, was unable to inspire Roma to victory. The team was booed off the pitch for their lackluster performance, which saw them fall two goals behind against a relegation-threatened side.Meanwhile, Che Adams emulated Denis Law by scoring the decisive goal in Torino's 2-1 win over Atalanta. The Scottish striker netted his first goal for Torino since joining as a free agent last month, tapping home the hosts' second four minutes after half-time.Adams' goal and Vanja Milinkovic-Savic's penalty save in stoppage time secured Torino's second victory in two matches. The win came after thousands of fans protested outside the stadium, demanding the sale of the club's owner.Fiorentina were held to a goalless draw by Venezia in the day's other early kick-off.

Juventus has made a significant addition to their squad with the signing of Argentine winger Nicolas Gonzalez from Fiorentina. The deal, worth a potential 38 million euros ($42.5 million), is part of the Turin giants' ongoing revamp under new coach Thiago Motta.Gonzalez joins Juventus on a season-long loan for eight million euros, with an obligation to buy for 25 million euros plus bonuses of five million euros. The bonuses are contingent upon the achievement of certain sporting objectives, which Juventus believes are highly likely to be met.The 26-year-old has been a key player for Fiorentina over the past three years, helping them reach the final of the Europa Conference League twice and the Italian Cup once. He has also earned 39 caps for Argentina, scoring five goals and playing a role in their recent Copa America and Finalissima triumphs.Gonzalez is expected to make his Juventus debut next weekend against Roma. By then, the club is also likely to have completed the signing of Francisco Conceicao from Porto on a one-season loan.Juventus has been active in the transfer market this summer, bringing in Douglas Luiz and Khepren Thuram. They are also pursuing Atalanta's star midfielder Teun Koopmeiners.The addition of Gonzalez, a versatile and experienced winger, will provide Juventus with much-needed depth and quality in attack. He is expected to play a key role in Motta's plans as the club looks to challenge for major honors this season.