CAPTAIN SHOWS WAY TO VICTORY
Icardi snatches stoppage time winner for Inter in Milan derby
CAPTAIN Mauro Icardi struck a dramatic injury-time winner as Inter Milan stunned AC Milan 1-0 in the derby at the San Siro to retake third place in Serie A on Sunday.
The Argentinian pounced on a mistake by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to nod home in the second minute of added time after an otherwise forgettable match, leaving Gennaro Gattuso’s Milan without a win in the last five league derbies.
But Inter continued their recent resurgence under Luciano Spalletti after finishing fourth last term to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2011-12, moving to within six points of leaders Juventus, after their 1-1 home draw with Genoa on Saturday.
“I came here to win, not to just sit on a bench for a season and try to bring home a salary,” former Roma coach Spalletti told Sky Sport Italia.
“I came here to organise the future of Inter and the players must do the same.
“I liked that after the final whistle, Icardi said we must find consistency and keep pushing. Inter chose us to bring this side back to the level that the fans deserve.”
There was an injury blow for Inter ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League clash against Barcelona, though, with Radja Nainggolan substituted midway through the first half after tangling with AC midfielder Lucas Biglia.
“Nainggolan has been chopped down,” added Spalletti. “We have to take him to the hospital and see. He won’t be with us for a while.”
AC Milan remain down in 12th after seeing their eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions ended.
“We lost the game together, not because of Donnarumma,” insisted Milan boss Gattuso. “We lost because we didn’t play with the right courage, we were distracted and conceded a naive goal.”
Earlier on Sunday, late goals from Ciro Immobile and Joaquin Correa gave Lazio a 2-0 win at Parma.
Promoted in each of the three seasons since their bankruptcy, Parma have impressed this season but their late capitulation saw the visiting Roman outfit into the top four.
Ex-Italy boss Gian Piero Ventura returned to coaching but failed to guide tailenders Chievo to their first win of the season.
Relegation rivals Atalanta ripped Chievo apart in a 5-1 home mauling for Ventura in his first game since being sacked last November after Italy failed to reach the World Cup finals for the first time since 1958.
• MADRID: Espanyol continued their rampant run of form by beating basement club Huesca 20 on Sunday, recording a third win in four games to climb up to second in the La Liga standings behind city rivals Barcelona.
Espanyol, coached by Rubi who led Huesca to promotion to the top flight for the first time last season, are the only team in La Liga to have won every home game this season but had not tasted victory away this campaign until visiting Huesca.
If Espanyol win at Real Valladolid on Friday, they will provisionally go top of the standings.
“Just imagine how exciting it is for us to see us up there at the top of the league one point behind Barcelona, but we want more, we won’t settle for this,” said Espanyol defender David Lopez.
“We’re not thinking about putting limits on ourselves. Noone wins the league in week 10 but the fact we are up there means we are doing things the right way.”
Rubi’s side are second in the standings on 17 points, one behind Barca, while stuttering European champions Real Madrid slipped down to seventh place after Real Valladolid sprang a surprise 1-0 win at Real Betis and climbed into sixth.
Alaves, also on 17 points, are third, with Sevilla in fourth and Atletico Madrid in fifth.
Espanyol’s win also means two teams from Barcelona occupy the top two places in La Liga for the first time since December 2004.
• PARIS: Patrick Vieira’s Nice slumped to a fourth defeat in five home league games this season as Morgan Sanson’s first-half strike fired Marseille to a 1-0 win in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
It was a laboured performance from Nice, who sit 14th in the table and only two points above the relegation playoff spot, eight points adrift of fourth-placed Marseille.
Vieira may need a good run of results if he is to keep his job long enough to take on former Arsenal and France teammate Thierry Henry when his side visit Monaco on Dec 8.
“Unfortunately, tonight’s match reflects our other home games,” said Vieira. “(Forwards) Allan (Saint-Maximin), Mario (Balotelli) and Myziane (Maolida) have not been successful. In the last 30 metres there has been a lack of quality, we haven’t always made the right choices.”
For Marseille, all eyes will now be on next Sunday’s clash with arch rivals and runaway league leaders Paris Saint-Germain at the Velodrome. Montpellier moved into third as goals from Gaetan Laborde and Andy Delort sealed a 2-0 win over Bordeaux, while Saint-Etienne drew 1-1 against Rennes.
• BERLIN: Jonas Hofmann hit the first hat-trick of his career on Sunday as Borussia Moenchengladbach went second in the Bundesliga with a 4-0 thrashing of his former club Mainz.
After their stunning 3-0 win at defending champions Bayern Munich three weeks ago, this was another big statement from Dieter Hecking and his side, who moved up into second place behind Borussia Dortmund.
Gladbach’s victory leaves Bayern fourth in the table despite Munich’s 3-1 win at Wolfsburg on Saturday with ten men after Arjen Robben was sent off for a second yellow card.
“It’s a bit unrealistic for us at the moment, but the fans are allowed to dream,” said Hofmann when asked if Gladbach are realistic title challengers — 31 years after last winning the Bundesliga.
“If things keep going this well, then we’ll all be pretty happy here.”Agencies