✅ Good morning, my friends! Here are the front pages from the Italian newspapers La Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere dello Sport, and Tutto Sport, Thursday 14 December 2023
La Gazzetta dello Sport, Front Page, Thursday 14 December 2023
Front Page, La Gazzetta dello Sport, Thursday 14 December 2023
👉Champions League: Milan win but the miracle remains half-finished
Too late
Pioli comeback in Newcastle (1-2), Gigio’s PSG draw eliminate them
“We will win the Europa League”
🏆👉MMilan’s elimination from the Champions League is official. The comeback victory against Newcastle is not enough. Yet, the victory still ensures access to the Europa League AC Milan won the UEFA Champions League Group Stage game against Newcastle United on Wednesday 13 December 2023 at St James Park in Newcastle, England.
After a first half dominated by Newcastle, who closed the first 45 minutes ahead thanks to Joelinton’s goal, Milan raised their heads in the second half. First, the equalizer goal from Christian Pulisic, well assisted by Olivier Giroud, and in the final the two new arrivals Okafor and Chukwueze scores the comeback goal which is put on the scoresheet by the former Villarreal player.
Paris Saint Germain and Milan had the same 8 points. PSG qualified to the Round of 16 for having a better goal difference than Milan.
It is not a good start for the Rossoneri. Newcastle United opened the score in the 33rd minute. Joelinton defeated AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan with a right-footed shot to the top left corner. The assist is by Lewis Miley.
AC Milan equalized in the 59th minute. Captain America Christian Pulisic defeated Newcastle United goalkeeper from very close range with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner. The assist is by Olivier Giroud.
👉Newcastle United 1 – 1 AC Milan, 59th minute, ⚽️ goal by Christian Pulisic for @acmilan from very close range with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner. The assist is by Olivier Giroud. https://t.co/GEeMMR711K
Stats before the game: The first leg on the first day of this Champions League (25 shots by the Rossoneri without any goals) is the only precedent between Newcastle and Milan in European competitions. Milan is the first Italian team to play at St James’ Park against Newcastle in Europe since Inter in November 2002 (4-1 for the Nerazzuri in the group stage of the Champions League). Milan have won only one of 21 away matches against English teams in major European competitions (D7, L13), 1-0 against Manchester United in 2005. The Rossoneri have not won any away matches with the other nine: Ipswich Town, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Manchester City, Leeds United, Arsenal, Portsmouth and Liverpool. Newcastle lost their last Champions League home match against Borussia Dortmund (1-0) and have never suffered two home defeats in a row in major European competitions. The only season in which the Magpies lost more than one match at St James’ Park was in 2002/03 (three). Milan have only finished bottom of the group on two previous occasions in the Champions League: in the first round of the group stage in 1999-00 and in 2021-22 again under Stefano Pioli.
Newcastle United 1 – 2 AC Milan
Wednesday 13 December 2023
St. James’ Park
Newcastle, England
21:00
Referee: Danny Makkelie NED
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra NED
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries NED
Fourth Official: Allard Lindhout NED
VAR: Rop Dieperink NED
AVAR: Clay Ruperti NED
Referee Observer: Andreas Schluchter SUI
⚽️ Goals: 33′ Joelinton (N), 59′ Christian Pulisic (M), 84′ Samuel Chukwueze (M)
🟨 Booked: 40′ Rafael Leão (M), 45+1′ Mike Maignan (M)
✅ Good morning, my friends! Here are the front pages from the Italian newspapers La Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere dello Sport, and Tutto Sport, Wednesday 13 December 2023.
La Gazzetta dello Sport, Front Page, Wednesday 13 December 2023
Front Page, La Gazzetta dello Sport, Wednesday 13 December 2023
👉Milan: Win in Newcastle and cheer on Dortmund
Be the Devil
👉Inzaghi second, he’ll have a big team in the last 16
Ouch Inter
Champions League
Too much squad rotation
Inter and Real Sociedad ended the UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Group D with a goalless draw on Tuesday 12 December 2023 at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in Milan, Italy. Inter finished in second place in the group. Inter will now have to wait for tomorrow night’s matches and the draw for the round of 16, but so far the top-placed teams are very difficult teams. Already certain of first place, in fact, are Arsenal, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, with Barcelona having a good chance of joining the previous ones.
Inter continue to win in the Serie A league, maintaining first place in the standings. In the last ten days, they conquered the Maradona Stadium in Naples with a clear 3-0, then within the friendly walls of San Siro, Inzaghi’s team won 4-0 against Udinese.
✅ Stats before the game: Inter will host Real Sociedad in a European competition match for the first time since the 3-0 victory in the home UEFA Cup match played in September 1979. Real Sociedad won only one of the nine matches played against Italian teams in European competitions (D4, L4), beating Inter 2-0 in the home match played in the UEFA Cup in October 1979; furthermore, the Basque team has never achieved success in the four matches of this type played in Italy (1N, 3L). Inter have won six of their last seven home games in the Champions League group stage (1P), including the two home games played this season. The last time the Nerazzurri won all three home matches played at this stage in a single edition of the tournament was in 2010/11 when they were reigning champions. Real Sociedad won both of the two away matches played in this Champions League, as many successes as those collected in the previous 12 away matches between the European Cup and Champions League combined (2W, 1D, 9L). Inter have lost just one of their last 12 Champions League matches (W7, D4), with the only defeat coming against Manchester City in last year’s final (0-1). The Nerazzurri have remained unbeaten in their last seven home games in the competition, winning six (1N).
Inter 0 – 0 Real Sociedad
Tuesday 12 December 2023
Giuseppe Meazza Stadium
Milan, Italy
21:00
Referee: Sandro Schärer SUI
Assistant Referee 1: Bekim Zogaj SUI
Assistant Referee 2: Jonas Erni SUI
Fourth Official: Lionel Tschudi SUI
VAR: Fedayi San SUI
AVAR: Benoît Millot FRA
Referee Observer: Murat Ilgaz TUR
Napoli won the UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Group D game on Tuesday 12 December 2023 at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples, Italy. Napoli won 2-0 and got through to the Round of 16, finishing second behind Real Madrid. Serdar’s own goal and Victor Osimhen’s goal allow the Neapolitans to take home the three points, with Braga finishing third and going to the Europa League play-offs.
Napoli got a helping hand in the 9th minute with the own goal by Serdar Saatçi.
👉Napoli 1 – 0 Braga, 9th minute, ⚽️ own goal by Serdar Saatçi gave the lead to Napoli. https://t.co/aAEjuNexu9
Napoli increased the lead in the 33rd minute. Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen defeated Braga goalkeeper Mattheus with a left-footed shot to the bottom left corner. The assist is by Natan.
👉Napoli 2 – 0 Braga, 33rd minute, ⚽️ goal by Victor Osimhen for @en_sscnapoli with a left footed shot to the bottom left corner. The assist is by Natan. https://t.co/WYHMKbmH52
✅ Stats before the game: The only precedent between Napoli and Braga dates back to the first round of this edition of the Champions League and ended with the Azzurri winning 2-1 on Portuguese soil. Sporting Braga have lost their last six European matches against Italian teams considering the UEFA Cup, Europa League, Conference League and Champions League. The Portuguese’s last success against these opponents dates back to February 2007, a 1-0 away to Parma in the UEFA Cup. Napoli have not won any of their last three Champions League home matches (D2, L1) and never before have the Neapolitans gone without success in four home matches in the main European competitions.
Sporting Braga have won only one of their last nine matches in the Champions League (1N, 7L): the only success came away against Union Berlin on the second day of this season. Overall, three of the Portuguese team’s five successes in the competition have come away, including the last two. Napoli have lost their last group stage match in three of the last four editions of the Champions League (2017-18 against Feyenoord, 2018-19 and 2022-23 both against Liverpool); the Neapolitans, however, finished by winning their group in both previous games in which they finished it at home, defeating Arsenal 2-0 in 2013-14 and Genk 4-0 in 2019-20.
🏆👉 Lineup Napoli (4-3-3) – Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Juan Jesus, Natan; Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski: Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia.
🏆👉 Lineup Sporting Braga – Matheus; Victor Gomez, Serdar Saatci, José Fonte, Borja; Joao Moutinho, Zalazar, Horta; Bruma, Banza, Pizzi.
By Anna Italia
