MILAN: Napoli grew their lead at the top of the Serie A table to seven points with a 2-0 win at AC Milan on Tuesday.
Antonio Conte’s resurgent side wrapped the match up inside the first half, courtesy of an early Romelu Lukaku goal and a sensational strike by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Napoli sit on 25 points, with champions Inter Milan on 18 but with the chance to reduce the gap when they visit Empoli on Wednesday.
A third defeat of the campaign leaves AC Milan in eighth place, 11 points behind the leaders.
Belgian striker Lukaku scored his fourth goal of the season since joining the 2023 Italian champions in the summer when he broke the deadlock on five minutes.
He raced onto a pass from Frank Anguissa, held off a defender and slotted coolly past Mike Maignan in the AC Milan goal.
Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret was forced twice into action before the half-hour to maintain his side’s lead.
As the clock ticked down to half-time, Georgian winger Kvaratskhelia doubled the visitors’ lead.
Picking the ball up on the left wing, he drove suddenly inside on his right foot past Youssouf Fofana and rifled a shot from distance into the far post beyond the dive of Maignan.
Alvaro Morata thought he had given Milan a lifeline two minutes after the break with a powerful header.
However, upon VAR review he was shown to have been offside in the build-up to the goal and it was disallowed.
The hosts continued to search for a way back into the encounter and only a fine reflex save by Meret to deny Rafael Leao in the 83rd minute kept Napoli’s two-goal cushion intact.
Earlier, goals in either half by Riccardo Orsolini and Jens Odgaard sent Bologna up to 10th in the table with a 2-0 win at Cagliari.
Lecce climbed off the foot of the table by beating nine-men Verona 1-0 thanks to a Patrick Dorgu goal on 51 minutes.
The away side lost Jackson Tchatchoua to a red card five minutes before half-time, then Reda Belahyane was given his marching orders inside the final 10 minutes for a second bookable offense
Napoli extend lead at top of Serie A with win at AC Milan
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Napoli extend lead at top of Serie A with win at AC Milan
Ronaldo misses late penalty as Al-Nassr eliminated from Saudi cup
The five-time Ballon D’Or winner has yet to win a major trophy since signing for the club almost two years ago.
Playing at the round-of-16 stage of Saudi Arabia’s premier knockout competition, Al-Taawoun took the lead on Waleed Al-Ahmad’s header with 20 minutes remaining. Al-Ahmad was then whistled for a foul in the area in the 95th minute.
Ronaldo had converted all 18 of his previous penalties for Al-Nassr but this time shot over the bar to the shock of the home crowd of 14,519.
The defeat is the first for Stefano Pioli since the Italian succeeded Luis Castro as head coach in September.
Ronaldo and Al-Nassr still have two chances at silverware this season but are already six points behind leader Al-Hilal after eight games of the Saudi Pro League and have seven points from three games in the group stage of the Asian Champions League.
“Technically we performed well but we couldn’t win the game,” Pioli said. “We feel disappointed to be out of the cup. But we still have two trophies to go for and we will give our best in them.”
Brentford and Southampton advance to English League Cup quarterfinals
- James Bree scored an 88th-minute winner as Southampton beat Stoke 3-2
LONDON: Premier League teams Brentford and Southampton both squeezed past second-tier opponents to reach the quarterfinals of the English League Cup on Tuesday.
Brentford needed a penalty shootout to get past Sheffield Wednesday after a 1-1 draw.
Goalkeeper Mark Flekken saved from Liam Palmer off the last spot kick of a high-quality shootout that Brentford won 5-4.
James Bree scored an 88th-minute winner as Southampton beat Stoke 3-2.
A cup run is proving some respite for Southampton, which is in last place in the Premier League.
The rest of the last-16 matches are played on Wednesday, with all of the competition favorites in action.
Defending champion Liverpool visits Brighton, Premier League leader Manchester City is away to Tottenham and there are three other all-Premier League matchups: Newcastle vs. Chelsea, Manchester United vs. Leicester and Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace. Arsenal visits second-tier Preston.
New Pakistan white-ball skipper hopes Australia tour settles side
- Mohammad Rizwan was appointed captain of limited over formats on Sunday, replacing Babar Azam
- Three one-day international matches will kick off in Melbourne on November 4, followed by three T20Is
KARACHI: Pakistan’s new white-ball skipper Mohammad Rizwan said Tuesday he hopes a new-look squad will settle into form on their Australia tour, after a saga of upheaval for the side.
Rizwan was appointed captain of limited over formats on Sunday, replacing Babar Azam who had two turns in the post but wasn’t able to allay a run of disastrous tournament performances.
Pakistan suffered further tumult on Monday when white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten resigned over differences on selection just days before the Australia tour. Test coach Jason Gillespie will stand in as a replacement.
Three one-day international matches will kick off in Melbourne on November 4, followed by the same number of T20Is in a test of the team ahead of next year’s Champion Trophy.
Openers Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq were dropped on fitness and disciplinary issues.
“We will miss them, but ahead of a major event like the Champions Trophy we want to test various combinations and hope they will settle before the event,” Rizwan told reporters.
Pakistan recalled Azam and pace spearheads Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah for the series after dropping them for the last two Tests of the England series they won 2-1 last week.
The ODI squad also includes Aamer Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Saim Ayub who have yet to play the format.
Jahandad Khan and Salman Ali Agha are previously untested players included in the T20I squad.
“Whoever is the coach we need to combine well and bring good results on a tough tour,” said Rizwan.
Pakistan have won only two of their last 16 ODIs in Australia and lost three of the four T20Is.
Saudi Arabia unveils world-class venue as WTA Finals head to Riyadh
- Garbine Muguruza, serving as tournament director for the first time, shared her enthusiasm with Arab News about the distinctiveness of the facilities
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Saud University Indoor Arena, newly prepared to host the upcoming WTA Finals from Nov. 2-9, is set to welcome the world’s top women tennis players in a historic first for the Kingdom.
At its heart is a meticulously crafted center court, completed in just five days, with a wooden base layered in acrylic to provide an optimal playing surface. Unique to this year’s setup are three full-size practice courts — an uncommon feature in WTA Finals venues — allowing players the flexibility to train whenever they need.
Garbine Muguruza, serving as tournament director for the first time, shared her enthusiasm with Arab News about the distinctiveness of the facilities.
“With these three practice courts, players can train whenever they want, a flexibility that adds a new dimension to their preparation,” she said, noting the positive response from athletes who have already arrived.
“The players are excited to experience not only the courts but also the warmth and hospitality of the Kingdom, which has set a welcoming tone for the event.”
Supporting the main facilities, the arena includes individual locker rooms, a dedicated players’ lounge, and a dining hall, all designed to provide a seamless experience for athletes and teams.
Saudi Tennis Federation President Areej Mutabagani expressed her excitement for what this event means for Saudi youth, especially young women.
“To see top players like Aryna Sabalenka competing here can inspire young people to consider tennis as both a sport and a pathway to self-confidence and growth,” she explained, noting that the federation’s larger vision is to see sports become a powerful tool for development and empowerment across Saudi Arabia.
The WTA Finals will feature the top eight players in both singles and doubles, bringing a premier level of competition to Riyadh. Beyond the matches themselves, the event includes community outreach programs to engage Saudi youth, familiarize them with tennis, and create opportunities to meet their role models.
Muguruza highlighted the potential of these initiatives to drive a new generation of athletes: “Seeing these players up close can be life-changing, especially for young girls who might not have envisioned themselves in sports before.”
The WTA Finals mark the beginning of a three-year partnership between the Saudi Tennis Federation and the WTA, supporting the federation’s aim to attract 1 million Saudis to engage in tennis by 2030.
Local talents, including young players like Dania Alzuhair and Tala Ashoor, were among the first to try out the new courts, symbolizing the next generation of Saudi tennis.
“This isn’t just a tournament; it’s a pivotal step in building a sports culture that empowers and uplifts our youth,” Mutabagani noted, emphasizing how the WTA Finals are a key part of Vision 2030’s broader focus on youth development and sports inclusion.
As Saudi Arabia prepares to welcome fans and top athletes, the tournament is set to be not only a sporting event but a milestone that promises to shape the future of tennis in the Kingdom and inspire young Saudis to pursue their passions with confidence and ambition.
Members of Pakistan ODI squad arrive in Melbourne for Australia series
- Australia will play Pakistan in three one-day internationals starting Nov. 4
- ODIs to be immediately followed by three-match T20 series on Nov. 14
ISLAMABAD: The first batch of Pakistan’s national cricket team has arrived in Australia for the upcoming ODI and T20I series, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed on Tuesday, including some of the most prominent bowlers and batters.
The Pakistan team has delivered underwhelming performances in recent international tournaments and tours, with their outings at the Asia Cup and the ICC World Cup last year leaving fans disappointed due to inconsistent displays and significant defeats.
Despite these setbacks, Pakistan’s recent Test series victory against England at home has rekindled hope among fans as the team sets out for tours of Australia and Zimbabwe.
“Members of the Pakistan ODI squad for the Australia series arrive in Melbourne,” PCB announced in an Instagram post, sharing pictures of Haris Rauf, Babar Azam, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi at airport in Australia.
“The remaining ODI players will depart for Melbourne today,” it added.
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The first group includes seven key players, while the second batch has white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan and others.
Pakistan will kick off their tour with a series of white-ball matches in Australia, followed by fixtures in Zimbabwe later in November.
The team is set to play three ODIs and three T20Is in Australia before heading to Zimbabwe for another white-ball series.
