Inter Milan crush Cagliari 3-0 to top Serie A

Inter Milan made it three Serie A wins on the bounce, defeating Cagliari 3-0 at the Unipol Domus to claim top spot, overtaking Atalanta BC on goal difference.

Cagliari aimed to recover from their narrow loss to Venezia, but Inter’s arrival posed a daunting challenge, with the Scudetto contenders boasting an 11-match unbeaten league streak coming into the contest.

To their credit, the Isolani held firm early on, even as Lautaro Martínez squandered a golden chance from the edge of the six-yard box, misdirecting Nicolò Barella’s pinpoint cross with a header that grazed the top of the bar.

Despite Davide Nicola’s men testing the visitors’ resolve with swift counters at the other end, and Barella’s thunderous strike forcing a spectacular save from Simone Scuffet, neither side managed to break the deadlock before the interval.

As a result, Cagliari narrowly avoided trailing at half-time for a league-high 10th time, while Inter preserved their status as Serie A’s only team yet to be behind at the break this campaign.

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Inter Milan wasted little time after the restart, shattering Cagliari’s resistance when Alessandro Bastoni guided Barella’s cross into the far corner with a looping header beyond Scuffet’s reach.

Nicola introduced a pair of fresh legs around the hour mark, but it proved rather futile as Martínez found the net against his favourite Serie A opponents for the 10th time, effortlessly guiding Barella’s precise delivery from the right flank into the back of the net.

Mateusz Wieteska then handled the ball inside the area, allowing Hakan Çalhanoğlu to bury the ensuing penalty with aplomb into the left corner.

From there, Simone Inzaghi and his men coasted to full-time, wrapping up 2024 on a high note by claiming their 27th win this calendar year. The reigning champions are now unbeaten in 12 consecutive top-flight outings, having last fallen to rivals AC Milan back in September.

In stark contrast, Cagliari linger in the drop zone after suffering their 10th loss this campaign, with five of those now coming in succession – marking their worst losing streak since February.

Inter Milan crush Cagliari 3-0 to top Serie A

After six years, Nigeria qualify for CHAN, thrash Ghana 3-1

Nigeria’s Super Eagles B on Saturday night recorded an emphatic win over the Black Galaxies in the CHAN qualifier, beating their opponents 3-1.

The Super Eagles B have thus ended their CHAN misfortunes against Ghana, securing a resounding victory against the Black Galaxies in the match played at the Uyo Stadium, Akwa Ibom State.

This win marks Nigeria’s return to the African Nations Championship (CHAN) after a six-year absence, as they qualified for the tournament set to take place in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda from February 1-28, 2025.

The match, held on Saturday evening, witnessed a dominant performance by the Super Eagles B, who scored all three goals in a blistering first half display, with Remo Stars players the inspiration.

The opening goal came from Ismail Sodiq, assisted by Nduka Junior of Remo Stars, followed by a second from Nduka before Saviour of Rangers extended the lead at the break.

Despite Ghana pulling one back in the second half, Nigeria’s early lead proved insurmountable and too much for the Galaxies to overturn.

Historically, Ghana had been a formidable opponent for Nigeria in CHAN qualifiers, having thwarted their attempts to reach the finals in 2009 and 2023. Additionally, Ghana’s Black Stars denied Nigeria qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, further intensifying their rivalry.

But this time around, Nigeria sealed the victory and ensured that Ghana would miss both the upcoming AFCON and CHAN tournaments.

The victory not only ends a frustrating streak against Ghana but also provides a platform for showcasing local talent on an international stage.

Arsenal climb to second in EPL with 1-0 win over Ipswich

LONDON: Arsenal moved up to second place in the Premier League with a 1-0 home win against Ipswich on Friday.

Mikel Arteta’s side is six points behind leader Liverpool, which has a game in hand.

Second-bottom Ipswich had won two of its last three away games but was up against it from the start at the Emirates.

The visitors did not have one touch in the Gunners’ box during the first 45 minutes and, although Ipswich showed signs of life after the break, it was Arsenal which continued to dominate the game, marshaled by Declan Rice in midfield.

Kai Havertz got the only goal midway through the first half when he knocked in a cross from Leandro Trossard.

Havertz, Rice, Mikel Merino, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus all had chances but none of them could add to Arsenal’s tally.

“It’s so tough, every team is tough to break down,” Havertz said. “They fight for each other and at the end we’re very proud for the win.”

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Arsenal is a point above third-place Chelsea and two points clear of season surprise team Nottingham Forest in fourth.

Seagulls and Bees share the points on south coast

Brighton had most of the chances but could not find the net in a 0-0 draw with Brentford that extended the south coast club’s winless run to six league games.

It was a frustrating night for the home side and especially Julio Enciso. The Paraguay striker had a host of opportunities to score but couldn’t make them count.

Along with Southampton, Brentford has the worst away record in the league with seven losses and two draws and it was easy to see why in this toothless performance.

Brentford had an early goal from Yoane Wissa ruled out for offside and, although it came a bit more into the game in the second half, it failed to pressure Icelandic goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson, who made his Premier League debut eight minutes before halftime when Mark Flekken went off with a thigh injury.

One bright spot for the home side was the return of winger Solly March. He came on as a late substitute to make his first appearance for Brighton since injuring a knee against Manchester City 14 months ago.

The result leaves Brighton in 10th place with 26 points, one spot and two points ahead of the Bees.

Arsenal climb to second in EPL with 1-0 win over Ipswich