BOLOGNA BEATS UDINESE, NOW SHARING LEAD WITH SERIE A ELITE
Bologna moved level with Inter and Roma at the Serie A summit with a 3-0 win at Udinese. Tommaso Pobega scored twice despite a rare penalty miss from top scorer Riccardo Orsolini.
Following their 3-0 victory over Udinese on Saturday, Bologna equalled the 24 points of Inter Milan and Roma at the top of Serie A, even though Riccardo Orsolini uncharacteristically missed a penalty.
The league's top scorer, Orsolini, made up for his penalty miss by assisting Tommaso Pobega's first of two goals.
Roma is scheduled to play Cremonese on Sunday, not long before Inter faces Milan in the city's highly anticipated derby match.
Milan is just two points behind the top three teams, equaling Napoli's score; Napoli played Atalanta later on Saturday.
After a 1-1 draw against Fiorentina, the bottom-ranked team, Juventus held 20 points.
Bologna found it hard to get past Udinese's defence but was presented with an excellent opportunity just before halftime when Kingsley Ehizibue, a defender for Udinese, used his elbow to block Pobega's shot.
Nevertheless, Maduka Okoye stopped Orsolini's penalty kick, despite Orsolini having converted 15 of his previous 16 attempts.
Orsolini believed he had atoned for his miss a few minutes later, but his potential goal was disallowed due to an offside.
Bologna broke the scoreless tie in the 54th minute. Orsolini controlled a pass across the field and cut inside before passing it to Pobega, who shot it into the bottom left corner.
Udinese's situation worsened six minutes later when Pobega intercepted a poor pass from Okoye and scored his second goal.
Udinese failed to learn from their mistake and got into another problematic situation while attempting to play the ball out from the back during stoppage time, enabling Federico Bernardeschi to easily score into an unguarded net.
Juventus was held to its third consecutive draw, having difficulties against Fiorentina and an energised Moise Kean.
Kean, 25, who began his professional career at Juventus, was returning from a leg injury; he was Fiorentina's most dangerous player in the first half, even hitting the crossbar.
With a strong 25-yard shot from Filip Kostic, Juventus took the lead in the sixth minute of added time.
The significant amount of added time resulted from a stoppage in play because of racist chants directed at Dusan Vlahovic, the former Fiorentina forward from Serbia; there was also an extensive video review that reversed a penalty initially given to Juventus.
Fiorentina evened the score almost immediately after halftime when two former Juventus players combined, with Kean assisting Rolando Mandragora, who scored with a long-range shot into the upper far corner.
Elsewhere, Genoa, led by Daniele De Rossi, drew 3-3 with Cagliari in a match between teams trying to avoid relegation. Genoa now has the same number of points as Parma, which is in 17th place, and is three points behind Cagliari.
PULISIC HITS BACK: MILAN STAR SHUTS DOWN 2026 GOAL DROUGHT CONCERNS
"I haven't stopped dreaming." Christian Pulisic addresses his goal drought and the frustration of missing out on the Gold Cup squad.
Christian Pulisic isn’t holding back. When critics started questioning his recent form and worried about his 2026 goal drought, he shut them down, calling those concerns “bad questions". The AC Milan forward, fresh off his Time magazine cover, still trusts his ability to step up for the USMNT as they gear up to co-host the World Cup.
All eyes are on him.
The U.S. is set to share the stage for the 2026 World Cup, and Pulisic is set to become the go-to guy for the national team. Landing on the cover of Time isn’t something soccer stars from America get every day, and it just shows how big a deal he’s become, especially after proving himself in Europe. But right as people are finally giving him mainstream recognition, he’s under the microscope for not putting up his usual numbers in front of the goal.
He’s not fazed by the dip.
When Time asked about his goal drought and how he’s handling not scoring for club or country this year, Pulisic didn’t mince words; he’s not sweating it. “I plan on scoring goals. Such bad questions. I’m not concerned about it, man.” You can hear the confidence in his voice.
Dealing with the noise
Pulisic admits this stretch feels extra tough. Missing out on last June’s Gold Cup squad hurt him, mostly because he’s used to shutting people up with his play. “Normally, I just go out there and score, and that quiets everybody. Right now, I’m in my offseason, so everyone’s talking, and I can’t do anything about it. That’s what’s frustrating.”
For Pulisic, attacking is everything. “Going at the goal, creating attacks, that’s what I live for. Sure, you have to do all the other stuff: defend, run, whatever. That’s fine. But what really gives me joy is finding ways to score and actually scoring.”
Chasing the dream
The U.S. opens their World Cup run against Paraguay at the SoFi Stadium on June 12, and Pulisic will lead the team right here at home. He doesn’t like making big public predictions, but at 27, he keeps that childhood dream alive. “That’s just not how I work. But I’ll lie in bed and imagine myself holding the World Cup trophy. I did that when I was a kid, and I haven’t stopped. You need to believe. Why not?”
WHY DID LAUTARO MARTINEZ REJECT A CAREER-DEFINING MOVE TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE?
"I love Milan." Read why 28-year-old Lautaro Martinez rejected Manchester United and Arsenal to stay at the San Siro in 2026.
Inter captain Lautaro Martinez has clearly put an end to any speculation about leaving San Siro, making it known that he has no plans to entertain offers from Europe’s top clubs. Even with regular links to teams like Barcelona, Manchester United, and Arsenal, the Argentine forward is fully committed to what’s happening in Milan.
Martinez has been quite vocal about his dedication to Inter amid constant rumours about his future. Despite frequent connections to some of the biggest clubs on the continent, he insists there’s no reason for him to move on from the current Serie A champions.
Media reports have often tied him to Barcelona, PSG, Arsenal, and Manchester United. But through various transfer windows, Martinez has consistently pushed back on the idea of leaving Inter. At 28, he remains a key figure in the team’s current setup and has stepped up as the club’s captain and on-field leader.
In an interview with Cronache di Spogliatoio, Martinez expressed his loyalty to Inter’s project. He made it clear that he isn’t interested in changing clubs despite the speculation.
He said, “No, because I am faithful to the Inter project, I feel at home here. My family is happy, we have a restaurant in the city, and we love Milan. From the first day, everyone treated me in a way I didn’t think possible. I achieved so many personal and team goals here.”
Success on the pitch seems to deepen his connection to the club. Inter recently secured another league title and continues to chase trophies, including the Coppa Italia. On an individual level, Martinez is eyeing the Capocannoniere prize as Serie A’s top scorer. His steady performances underline why he’s considered one of the most reliable forwards in European football.
Since his move from Racing Club in 2018, Martinez has become the defining presence in Inter’s modern lineup. With 173 goals over 372 competitive games, it’s clear how vital he is to the team.
Looking ahead, the club sees Martinez as a central piece in their long-term plans. His leadership and scoring ability make him hard to replace. Settled both on and off the field in Milan, he seems set on continuing his story at the Giuseppe Meazza, despite ongoing interest from Europe’s elite clubs.
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