NEW HERO: KENAN YILDIZ DOUBLE SEALS WIN AMID VLAHOVIC INJURY SCARE
Kenan Yildiz scored twice to lead Juventus to a 2-1 comeback win against Cagliari. The crucial victory was overshadowed by a first-half muscle injury to star striker Dusan Vlahovic.
Kenan Yildiz led Juventus to a 2-1 win against Cagliari with two goals, but Dusan Vlahovic had to leave the game due to a muscle injury.
Juventus got back on track after three straight draws by defeating Bodo/Glimt 3-2 in the Champions League earlier this week. Vlahovic and Yildiz were back in the starting lineup. Federico Gatti and Michele Di Gregorio weren't in top shape, and Daniele Rugani, Gleison Bremer, Arek Milik, and Carlo Pinsoglio were also injured. Cagliari hadn't won since September 19 but had drawn away games against Udinese and Como after an exciting 3-3 game against Genoa. Yerry Mina, Luca Mazzitelli, Marko Rog, Ze Pedro, and Andrea Belotti didn't travel with the team.
Early on, Marco Palestra tried to foul Filip Kostic in the box but was called for pulling his shirt. Later, his counterattack was deflected by Teun Koopmeiners.
Palestra was a constant worry for Juventus. He set up the first goal by stealing the ball from Kostic and passing it back from the byline. Sebastiano Esposito and Manuel Locatelli both went for the ball near the goal.
Right after the game restarted, Juventus tied the score. Khephren Thuram won the ball in midfield and passed it to Yildiz, who scored from about 14 yards out.
Vlahovic then took a shot that tested Elia Caprile, but he injured his muscle during the play and was replaced by Jonathan David.
Francisco Conceicao's header went straight to Caprile, and Weston McKennie missed a half-volley. But near the end of the first half, Juventus took the lead.
McKennie flicked the ball to Pierre Kalulu, who passed it to Yildiz. Yildiz got past two defenders and scored in the corner of the net.
In the second half, Conceicao missed a chance after a pass from David. Koopmeiners' shot went just wide after a pass from Conceicao.
Riyad Idrissi then forced a save from Mattia Perin after a great pass from Esposito.
Conceicao later shot over the bar and then hit another shot right at the goalkeeper.
Near the end of the game, Cagliari wanted a handball penalty when Fabio Miretti blocked Gennaro Borrelli's header, but it looked like the ball hit the Cagliari player’s hand.
TRANSFER TWIST: ANTONIO CONTE ENTERS THE RACE TO STEAL RADU DRAGUSIN FROM ROMA
Radu Dragusin is heading back to Italy! Read how Antonio Conte’s Napoli plans to hijack Roma’s €15m move for the Tottenham star.
Radu Dragusin’s future just got a lot more interesting. A journalist now says Napoli manager Antonio Conte wants to bring the Tottenham defender to Italy, even though Dragusin already has an agreement in place with AS Roma.
Dragusin is back to full fitness after tearing his ACL in January 2025, but his time at Tottenham looks like it’s almost up. Roma are pushing hard to sign him when the transfer window opens. They tried a loan deal with an option to buy, but Spurs turned that down. Still, Roma aren’t giving up.
Il Corriere dello Sport reported Tuesday morning that Dragusin is “pushing for Roma.” He’s apparently been talking with Roma for days and has already agreed on contract terms.
Tottenham are open to selling the 23-year-old this month, but they want €20 million. Roma don’t want to go higher than €15 million and would rather take him on loan first, with an option to buy. They’re just not ready to gamble big on a player who only recently came back from a major knee injury.
Then came a twist. On Tuesday afternoon, Italian journalist Mirko Di Natale posted on X that Napoli have asked about Dragusin. Conte, who managed Tottenham not that long ago and just won Serie A with Napoli, is now trying to strengthen his squad for another title run.
Di Natale said Roma are still leading the race, but talks with Tottenham have stalled. They can’t agree on the deal structure, especially the loan with an option to buy. Meanwhile, RB Leipzig is lurking in the background, offering Tottenham a straight purchase.
Tottenham only signed Dragusin from Genoa in January 2024 for £26.7 million. He’s under contract in north London until 2030.
Other Tottenham transfer headlines: Mathys Tel wants out in January, and Dean Jones has the inside scoop on why Conor Gallagher is picking Spurs over Aston Villa, with the midfielder set for a medical soon. And, just to stir the pot, a former Tottenham manager has weighed in on whether Thomas Frank should be sacked.
THE GIALLOROSSI CROSSROADS: WHY EVAN FERGUSON’S ROMA FUTURE IS SUDDENLY UNDER THREAT
Evan Ferguson faces fresh competition at Roma! With Robinio Vaz and Donyell Malen arriving, find out what's next for the Irish star.
Evan Ferguson has been playing well for Roma recently, but there are still questions about what will happen to him at the club soon.
The Irish player joined the Serie A team on loan for a season, with a €40 million option to make the move permanent this summer. At first, he had trouble in Italy because of injuries and not playing much. The manager even questioned him about it publicly a few times.
But Ferguson seemed to have turned things around lately. He has started the team's last four league games, even though he had to leave the game early in the win over Sassuolo last weekend because of what people think is a small back injury.
Now, Roma is bringing in more players, which makes his place on the team uncertain.
Evan Ferguson's Future is Unclear Because Roma is Making Two Big Moves
Roma has been connected to different forward players in recent weeks. The club are now close to adding to their options up front.
Fabrizio Romano says that the club has agreed to sign Marseille striker Robinio Vaz in a deal that could be worth up to €25 million.
That's not the only new player coming.
Many sources say that Roma has agreed to a deal to sign Donyell Malen from Aston Villa. The Dutch player is set to join on loan with an option to buy this summer.
Both of these players would give Gian Piero Gasperini more choices up front. But it looks like the club missed out on their main target for January, as Atletico Madrid's Giacomo Raspadori reportedly turned down Roma to move to Atalanta.
Evan Ferguson won't play in Tuesday's Coppa Italia game against Torino because of that small back injury. But he is expected to be back soon. When he does return, it seems like he will have a lot more competition to get a spot on the team.