Inter reclaimed the top spot in Serie A after beating Venezia two to one through late own goals, while Bologna handed AC Milan a four to two defeat.
Inter climbed back to the summit of the Serie A standings following a narrow 2-1 victory against bottom-placed Venezia, according to reporting from The Guardian and AP News. The defending champions needed late defensive errors from their opponents to secure the three points. Matías Moreno put the ball into his own net in the 80th minute, and teammate Redouane Halhal repeated the mistake two minutes later. The result left Venezia rooted to the bottom of the table with only three points collected all season, while Inter moved level on 25 points with Lazio at the top of the table.
Elsewhere in Italy, AC Milan suffered their first league defeat under coach Rúben Amorim after losing 4-2 at home to Bologna at the San Siro. Bologna forward Samuel Mbangula scored a hat-trick to seal the win, beginning with an opening goal inside the first eight minutes. Milan responded when Alphadjo Cissé scored twice, including a 27th-minute volley from a Fikayo Tomori cross, giving the hosts a lead at halftime. However, the match shifted dramatically in the second half when Davide Bartesaghi turned a free-kick into his own net before Mbangula added two more goals to complete his hat-trick.
In other football competitions, German Cup action saw Stuttgart edge Paderborn 1-0 thanks to Deniz Undav scoring in the 90th minute, while Freiburg defeated Wolfsburg 3-2 after two late goals from Keisuke Goto. Meanwhile, all 24 scheduled Copa del Rey matches in Spain were postponed following a tragic train accident in the province of Toledo that resulted in at least 68 fatalities.
What This Means
The latest round of matches highlights the tight margins at the top of Serie A as Inter prepares for a crucial upcoming derby meeting against AC Milan. With Inter drawing level with Lazio and Milan suffering a significant setback at home, the standings remain volatile. The outcome also underscores the defensive vulnerabilities and injury challenges facing several clubs during a demanding fixture schedule, setting up high stakes for the domestic encounters ahead.
Illustration: AI-generated image, not a photograph of the event.