SERIE A – Page 40 – Football Flame

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Cristiano Ronaldo scores his first free-kick for Juventus

Juventus' Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (L) celebrates with teammates at the end of the Italian Serie A football match Juventus vs Torino played behind closed doors on July 4, 2020 at the Juventus stadium in Turin, as the country eases its lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 infection, caused by the novel coronavirus. Cristiano Ronaldo finally scored a free-kick for Juventus - from his 43rd attempt - as he became the first player to score 25 Serie A goals in a season for the club since 1961. The derby win over Torino was also notable for Gianluigi Buffon's record-breaking 648th Serie A appearance. Paulo Dybala put Juve ahead and Ronaldo set up a Juan Cuadrado goal. Andrea Belotti pulled one back before Ronaldo struck, with the final goal a Torino own goal. ...
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Atalanta thrash Napoli 2-0 in Serie A to stay in hunt for third place

Mario Pasalic of Atalanta BC celebrates with his team-mates after scoring the opening goal during the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and SSC Napoli at Gewiss Stadium on July 2, 2020 in Bergamo, Italy. Atalanta thrash Napoli 2-0 in Serie on Thursday to keep up the pressure on Inter Milan in the fight for third place. Mario Pasalic and Robin Gosens scored in the second half to extend Atalanta’s club record tally to 82 league goals this season, in 29 matches. It was Atalanta’s seventh successive Serie A win and saw Gian Piero Gasperini’s team move back to within four points of Inter, which beat Brescia 6-0 on Wednesday. It halted a run of five straight league wins for Napoli, which also won the Italian Cup last month. Napoli remained sixth, three points below Roma which was pl...
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De Vrij and Bastoni nets as Inter Milan grab late win over Parma

Stefan De Vrij of FC Internazionale celebrates his goal with his team-mate Alessandro Bastoni during the Serie A match between Parma Calcio and FC Internazionale at Stadio Ennio Tardini on June 28, 2020 in Parma, Italy. Third-placed Inter Milan scored twice in the last six minutes through Stefan De Vrij and Alessandro Bastoni to grab a 2-1 win at Parma in Serie A on Sunday despite a subdued display. The scarcely-deserved win left Inter eight points behind leaders Juventus and four adrift of second-placed Lazio with 10 games each to play. Gervinho put Parma ahead with a solo goal in the 15th minute and a lacklustre Inter rarely looked like forcing their way back into the match until the closing minutes. De Vrij headed an equaliser from a corner in the 84th and substitute Bastoni n...
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Lazio stay in title race with comeback win over Fiorentina

Franck Ribery of ACF Fiorentina compete for the ball with Ciro Immobile of SS Lazio during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and ACF Fiorentina at Stadio Olimpico on June 27, 2020 in Rome, Italy. Lazio fought back from a goal down to beat Fiorentina 2-1 in Serie A on Saturday and keep its fading title hopes alive. Luis Alberto struck seven minutes from time to cut the gap to league leader Juventus back to four points. Ciro Immobile converted a penalty to cancel out Franck Ribery’s opener for Fiorentina. Lazio’s hopes of claiming a first league title since 2000 took a hit midweek when its 21-match unbeaten run ended with a defeat at Atalanta in its first match back following the hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. And it seemed as if it was going to slide further when Ribe...
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Juventus beats Lecce 4-0 to go seven points clear

Juventus's Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with team mates after scoring from the penalty mark to give the side a 2-0 lead during the Serie A match between Juventus and US Lecce at Allianz Stadium on June 26, 2020 in Turin, Italy. Juventus moved seven points clear at the top of Serie A on Friday after hammering struggling Lecce 4-0 in Turin and piling the pressure on title rivals Lazio. A superb Paulo Dybala strike and Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty just after the hour mark made sure of the result at the Allianz Stadium before two late strikes from Gonzalo Higuain and Matthijs de Ligt completed the rout against a Lecce team who had to play for an hour with 10 men. The away side meanwhile stay third-from-bottom, level on 25 points with Genoa a place above them and a poin...
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Inter Milan draws 3-3 at home against Sassuolo

Romelu Lukaku of FC Internazionale competes for the ball with Gian Marco Ferrari of US Sassuolo during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and US Sassuolo at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on June 24, 2020 in Milan, Italy. Inter Milan's title hopes diminished further as it again dropped points from a leading position to draw 3-3 against Sassuolo in Serie A on Wednesday. Inter had fought back from a goal down to lead 2-1 at halftime and also led 3-2 with four minutes remaining before Giangiacomo Magnani leveled again for Sassuolo. The Nerazzurri have now lost 15 points this season from leading positions. Inter remained third but is now eight points behind Serie A leader Juventus and four behind Lazio. Francesco Caputo gave Sassuolo an early lead at San Siro but Inter turned the...
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Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty and Paulo Dybala strike sealed Juventus win over Bologna

Bologna player Riccardo Orsolini competes for the ball with Juventus player Cristiano Ronaldo during the Serie A match between Bologna FC and Juventus at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara on June 22, 2020 in Bologna, Italy. Cristiano Ronaldo converted a first-half penalty as Serie A leaders Juventus resumed their campaign with a 2-0 win at Bologna on Monday, lifting some of the pressure off coach Maurizio Sarri. After missing a spot kick in a Coppa Italia match against AC Milan 10 days ago, Ronaldo made no mistake in the 23rd minute and Paulo Dybala curled in a brilliant second before halftime to give the Turin side a comfortable win. Juventus, with 66 points from 27 games and chasing a ninth successive title, extended their lead to four points over Lazio, who visit Atalanta on Wednesday. Bolo...
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Romelu Lukaku nets as Inter Milan returns to winning way against Sampdoria

Romelu Lukaku of FC Internazionale celebrates with team mates after scoring the opening goal during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and UC Sampdoria at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on June 21, 2020 in Milan, Italy. Romelu Lukaku scored his 18th league goal of the season as Inter Milan marked their return to Serie A action with a 2-1 win against Sampdoria. Former Manchester United striker Lukaku struck from 10 yards and celebrated by taking a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Lautaro Martinez made it 2-0 from Lukaku's cross but Morten Thorsby pulled one back from close range. The win means Inter are third with 57 points, six behind leaders Juventus. Serie A returned this week after being suspended since 9 March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Torino held to a 1-1 draw by Parma

Parma Calcio's Ivorian striker Gervinho shoots gowlards past Torino FC's Cameroonian defender Nicolas Nkoulou and Italian defender Armando Izzo during the Serie A match between Torino FC and Parma Calcio at Stadio Olimpico di Torino on June 20, 2020 in Turin, Italy. Andrea Belotti saw a penalty saved as Torino were held to a 1-1 draw by Parma on Serie A's return, missing the chance to gain breathing room in the fight against relegation. The match at Olimpico Grande marked the first in the Italian top flight since March, when the season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. It looked like being a winning return for Torino, who took the lead in the 15th minute when Nicolas Nkoulou met Alex Berenguer's corner with a thumping header. However, Juraj Kucka curled home an equal...
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Gianluigi Donnarumma in talks with AC Milan over new contract

Gianluigi Donnarumma of AC Milan shouts during the Serie A football match between AC Milan and Torino FC. AC Milan won 1-0 over Torino FC. Gianluigi Donnarumma wants to remain with AC Milan and sign a new contract, but the deal could include a release clause of around £53million. The Italy international has long been seen as one of the world's most promising young goalkeepers at 21-years-old and has been a target for Chelsea in the past. The goalkeeper has also had the likes of Juventus, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United but the uncertainty brought on by the coronavirus means there are no offers on the table this summer.   Donnarumma, who broke into the first team at the age of just 16, wants to show faith in the club who's academy he came through a...
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Mario Balotelli set to resume training with Brescia

ALLIANZ STADIUM, TORINO, ITALY - 2020/02/16: Mario Balotelli of Brescia Calcio greet the fans at the end of the Serie A match between Juventus Fc and Brescia Calcio. Juventus Fc wins 2-0 over Brescia Calcio. Mario Balotelli is set to resume training on Thursday following medical tests amid a legal battle with Brescia, according to football-italia.net The former Liverpool, Manchester City and Milan striker had a note from his personal doctor stating he had gastroenteritis and would not be available for training until Wednesday. He then turned up to the training ground on Tuesday as he felt he had recovered but he was turned away at the gate because his medical certificate wasn't valid. It followed reports in Italy that Balotelli had been fired by the club following a bust-up wit...
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Report: Brescia to terminate Balotelli Contract

Brescia's Italian striker Mario Balotelli pictured in the wamr up before the Serie A match between Brescia Calcio and SSC Napoli at Stadio Mario Rigamonti on February 21, 2020 in Brescia, Italy.  Brescia are set to terminate Mario Balotelli's contract after the Italy striker failed to return to training ahead of Serie A's restart this month, Italian media reported on Saturday. Balotelli, 29, signed a three-year contract with his hometown club last year after they earned promotion to the top flight for the first time since 2011. Balotelli has earned a reputation as a troublemaker during a career in which he has played for Inter Milan, Manchester City, AC Milan, Liverpool, Nice and Olympique de Marseille, and won 36 international caps. Sky Sports reported Balotelli was involv...
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Serie A Confirms June 20 Restart Date

The logo of the Serie A before the Serie A match between AS Roma and US Lecce at Stadio Olimpico on February 23, 2020 in Rome, Italy. Top-flight football has been given the go ahead to resume in Italy from June 20. Italy's Minister for Sport, Vincenzo Spadafora, said that Serie A would be allowed to restart following a conference call involving the league, the players' association and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). The league has been shut down since March 9 and there are four matches outstanding from week 25 of the competition. The Coppa Italia semi-finals are set to be played on June 13, if the Government grants permission with sporting events currently banned until June 14, with the hope that the competition can be completed before the league resumes a week later. ...
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Chelsea FC reportedly make transfer decision on Sassuolo winger Jeremie Boga

Jeremie Boga of Sassuolo celebrates after scoring his team's fourth goal during the Serie A match between US Sassuolo and AS Roma at Mapei Stadium - Città del Tricolore on February 01, 2020 in Reggio nell'Emilia, Italy. Chelsea FC have decided not to use their buyback clause to re-sign Sassuolo winger Jeremie Boga in the summer transfer window, according to a report in England. The Guardian is reporting that Chelsea FC made the decision to pass over the chance to sign the 23-year-old in upcoming transfer window despite his impressive performances in Serie A this term. The same article states that the Blues had the option to re-sign Boga in a £13m deal after he came through the youth system at Stamford Bridge before he moved to Sassuolo in 2018. According to the same story, Chel...
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AC Milan striker Ibrahimovic suffers calf injury

AC Milan's Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic takes part in a training session of Swedish league team Hammarby IF at Tele 2 Arena on April 17, 2020 in Stockholm. Zlatan Ibrahimovic injured his calf while training for the anticipated restart of Serie A with AC Milan on Monday. The forward will undergo medical exams on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury, the club said. Serie A has been suspended since March 9 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The league is hoping to restart on June 13 if the government approves. The 38-year-old Ibrahimovic rejoined Milan in December on a six-month contract with an option for next season. During the virus lockdown in Italy, Ibrahimovic trained with Swedish club Hammarby, of which he is part owner. Ibrahimovic scored three goals in ...
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Napoli and AC Milan competing for signing of Freiburg star Robin Koch

Robin Koch from Freiburg looks at the ball. AC Milan and Napoli have both set their sights on Freiburg defender Robin Koch, with the Partenopei ready to make an offer to land their target. The Rossoneri are expected to bring in Ralf Rangnick at the conclusion of the season, and as a result several Bundesliga names are being linked with a move to the San Siro. Sport Mediaset reports one name being considered is Koch of Freiburg, who has openly said he is looking to take the next step in his career. The 23-year-old’s contract expires at the end of 2021, and as a result Freiburg are expected to cash in on him this summer. One obstacle standing in Milan’s way is Napoli, who have also made their interest in the German known. It’s believed the Partenopei are preparing a bid of ...
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Serie A sets new date for completion of Italian season

In this photo illustration a Serie A logo seen displayed on a smartphone. A Federal Council meeting between Italian Football Federation (FIGC) chief Gabriele Gravina, Lega Serie A president Paolo Dal Pino and major stakeholders from Serie A, Serie B and Serie C was held on Wednesday to discuss a revised calendar for the suspended seasons. The Italian top flight, suspended since March because of the coronavirus pandemic, had hoped to resume on June 13, but the season will remain on hiatus until at least June 14 after a decision made in line with a recent government decree. It was agreed by the council that the current season in the top three divisions should be completed no later than August 20 to allow for the Coppa Italia tournament to conclude at the end of the month. A new f...
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Arsenal Loanee Henrikh Mkhitaryan wants Roma move permanent

Henrikh Mkhitaryan of AS Roma during the UEFA Europa League round of 32 second leg match between KAA Gent v AS Roma at Ghelamco Arena on February 27, 2020 in Gent, Belgium. Henrikh Mkhitaryan is hoping to bring down the curtain on his nightmare spell at Arsenal by making his loan move at Roma a permanent one this summer. The Armenian forward has struggled to find his feet in the Premier League ever since he completed a £26million move to Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund in 2016. The 31-year-old was then used in a swap deal with Alexis Sanchez, that saw him move to the Emirates two years later. Since then, the winger has failed to impress, having scored just nine goals in 59 appearances for the Gunners which saw him shipped out on loan last summer. The move to Roma ha...
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Cristiano Ronaldo prepare for Juventus training return on Tuesday after two-week quarantine

The number seven Juventus shirt of Cristiano Ronaldo displayed on May 6, 2020 in Manchester, England. Cristiano Ronaldo will be allowed to return to Juventus training on Tuesday after completing his coronavirus quarantine. The Portugal international has been unable to meet up with team-mates after being in two-week isolation after flying back from Madeira, where he had spent most of the lockdown. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star left Italy shortly after Serie A was suspended at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. But after teams were given the green light to resume training at the start of the month, Ronaldo flew back to Turin, along with his family. However, he was obliged to spend 14 days in quarantine in order to comply with national security measures de...
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Higuain returns to Italy as Serie A prepare to resume play

Gonzalo Higuain of Juventus sits on the bench during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between Olympique Lyon and Juventus at Parc Olympique on February 26, 2020 in Lyon, France. Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain became the final Juventus player to return to Italy on Friday as Serie A prepares to return to action on June 13. Higuain arrived in Turin by private jet on Friday afternoon after a stopover in Las Palmas and was driven away by a waiting car. The former Real Madrid, Chelsea and Napoli player will now spend two weeks in quarantine, according to media reports. The 32-year-old international left Italy on March 19 to be with his sick mother in Argentina after a test confirmed he was negative for coronavirus despite three of his teammates testing positiv...
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