THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF NICLAS FULLKRUG’S FIRST GOAL SINCE APRIL DESPITE HIS RECENT TRAGEDIES
Niclas Fullkrug overcomes injury and a €500k robbery to score Milan’s winner. Plus, Paulo Dybala inspires Roma to a crucial win.
Germany’s Fullkrug, on loan from West Ham, finally broke his long goal drought—his first since last April—giving Milan a much-needed win over a stubborn Lecce. With that goal, he kept Milan right on Inter’s heels, just three points behind.
Fullkrug—big guy, 32—nodded in Alexis Saelemaekers’s clever cross in the 76th minute. The San Siro erupted. Relief, mostly, after watching Milan struggle to break Lecce down.
“I got an incredible assist from Ale. Honestly, this is what every striker dreams of—a ball like that,” Fullkrug told DAZN. “I’m just grateful to be here, wearing this shirt, getting the trust a striker needs. The group’s great; the atmosphere’s even better. I’m totally happy.”
Wladimiro Falcone tried his best to keep Lecce alive, pulling off two ridiculous saves against Samuel Ricci and Christian Pulisic. But when Fullkrug got his chance, Falcone couldn’t do a thing—especially considering what Fullkrug’s been through since moving to Milan.
He broke a toe not long after arriving, and then, as if that wasn’t enough, local news says thieves stole half a million euros’ worth of watches and jewellery from his hotel room while Milan played at Como.
But Fullkrug made sure Milan didn’t slip up again against a struggling side. Lecce ended up dropping into the relegation zone, right behind Fiorentina, who had beaten Bologna 2-0 earlier that day.
When DAZN asked if his goal made up for all the recent bad luck, Fullkrug just grinned. “Yeah, it’s enough.”
Up next for Milan? Roma, who just handled Torino 2-0, thanks to Paulo Dybala’s standout game. He set up Donyell Malen for a slick close-range finish in the first half, then put the match away himself in the 72nd minute.
Dybala’s been struggling this season—injuries, a new coach in Gian Piero Gasperini, and the feeling that Matias Soule’s rise could spell the end for him in Rome. But against Torino, Dybala looked sharp. He scored his first goal in almost three months, finishing off Devyne Rensch’s cross with style. That win put Roma at 42 points, still four behind Milan but three clear of Juventus in the Champions League race.
“Dybala was really good today. Our first goal? Just fantastic,” Gasperini said. “You can see he and Malen are really starting to click.”
Roma have seen some European success lately—Conference League winners, Europa League finalists—but haven’t played in the Champions League since 2018/19, when Porto knocked them out in the last 16.
Fiorentina’s win in Bologna meant a lot, especially after the news that American media tycoon Rocco Commisso passed away at 76. The club honoured him with a minute’s silence before the match.
Commisso, born in Italy, built Mediacom into one of the biggest cable TV companies in America. He loved football—owned the New York Cosmos before buying Fiorentina in 2019. He hired Vincenzo Italiano, now Bologna’s coach, who led Fiorentina to three finals: two Conference League and one Italian Cup.
Italiano, who lifted a cup with Bologna last season, has found this winter tough. After a strong start, his team managed just five points in nine matches since December.
THE 2028 VISION: UNEARTHING THE LONG-TERM BLUEPRINT TO KEEP LUCIANO SPALLETTI IN TURIN
Juventus are going all-in on Luciano Spalletti: Read about the 2028 contract offer, the Galatasaray fallout, and Serie A top-four hopes.
Juventus isn’t wasting any time. Even after crashing out of the Champions League against Galatasaray, they’re pushing hard to lock Luciano Spalletti into a long-term deal. The board just wrapped up a few important contract renewals, and now they want to keep Spalletti around until 2028. The goal? Give the club some real direction and stability while they turn their focus fully to domestic trophies and building for the future.
They’re not just thinking about Spalletti, either. Juventus has already nailed down new contracts for Kenan Yildiz, Carlo Pinsoglio, and Weston McKennie. Talks are rolling with captain Manuel Locatelli and Dusan Vlahovic, too. The message from the top is loud and clear: Spalletti, who only arrived at the end of October, is at the centre of everything now. His short-term deal is up in June, but the club wants him to lead the rebuild.
It’s not just talk. The board is pushing for a two-year extension – no more flirting; this is a full-court press. Spalletti has managed 27 games so far, picked up 14 wins, and drawn seven. The recent Champions League exit stings, but it hasn’t changed the club’s mind. They want him to sign on for two more years, aiming for a handshake by mid-March and then the paperwork soon after. Champions League qualification didn’t factor into their decision at all. Meetings could even happen this week if things move fast.
For Spalletti, it’s not just about the money. He wants to build something real in Turin, especially after that wild 7-5 defeat to Galatasaray. Even with a 3-2 win in the second leg after leading 3-0, only to have everything fall apart after Lloyd Kelly’s red card, the ending was brutal. Extra-time goals from Victor Osimhen and Baris Yilmaz finished the job, and Juventus’s European hopes went up in smoke.
Now, both Spalletti and the club want to settle things quickly. He wants a clear plan for the future and some new signings, and he’s expected to earn between €4 million and €5 million a year. For him, the project on the pitch comes first.
With 11 games left in Serie A and the top four still up for grabs, Juventus needs a lift after their European letdown. Right now, they’re 6th with 47 points, just behind Como, Roma, and Napoli. It’s tight, but the club sees Spalletti as the right man for the job.
The big conversations ahead will focus on squad building and investments. By tying down both the coach and several core players before summer, Juventus is trying to set up a united front ahead of the transfer window. They’re betting that experience and a clear plan can get them back where they want to be.
THE MCTOMINAY VOID: WHY NAPOLI STATISTICALLY STRUGGLE WHENEVER THEIR SCOTTISH STAR IS SIDELINED
With Scott McTominay sidelined by tendon inflammation, Napoli relied on a late Lukaku strike to keep their top-four hopes alive.
Napoli finally got a win without Scott McTominay, thanks to a wild stoppage-time goal against bottom-of-the-table Hellas Verona on Saturday. It’s the first time all season they’ve managed a victory without him.
McTominay missed his fourth straight game for Gli Azzurri. He’s been out since aggravating an injury in that 3-2 win over Genoa back on February 7. Right now, Napoli aren’t taking any risks with their star midfielder. He’s still dealing with tendon inflammation between his hamstring and groin, which has kept him from really training at full speed.
There’s talk in Italy that McTominay could be back for the Torino match on Friday. Scotland manager Steve Clarke has his fingers crossed, hoping his 29-year-old midfielder will be fit in time for friendlies against Japan and the Ivory Coast later this month. That’s when Scotland’s World Cup prep really kicks off.
Napoli have looked lost without McTominay. They hadn’t won any of the four games he missed, including a 1-0 loss to Torino back in October when he was out with an ankle strain.
But they finally broke that bad run in Verona. Romelu Lukaku came off the bench and buried a huge winner in the 95th minute, after Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro had cancelled out Rasmus Hojlund’s early goal for Napoli.
The win keeps Napoli third in Serie A. They’re 14 points behind Inter Milan, so the title is probably out of reach, but they’re still fighting for a Champions League spot.
McTominay wasn’t the only Scot involved. There were actually two Scotland internationals on the pitch at the Marcantonio Bentegodi Stadium. Kieron Bowie played the whole game for Verona and nearly put his team ahead just minutes before Lukaku’s winner. The former Hibs man, who netted his old club a £7 million transfer fee in January, got on the end of a deep cross. Napoli’s keeper Alex Meret missed it, but Bowie, stretching at a tight angle, couldn’t steer the ball home. It rolled right across the empty goal.
Things went from bad to worse for Bowie. Moments later, he was marking Lukaku in the Verona box. The Belgian shrugged him off and slotted in the winning goal. Another tough blow for Verona, who are now bottom of the table, nine points from safety with 11 games left, and they’ve played a game more than everyone they’re chasing.
Billy Gilmour also got a run for Napoli, coming on with Lukaku in the 73rd minute. He earned praise from the Italian media for giving Napoli a late boost. This was only his second appearance off the bench since coming back from nearly four months out with a groin injury. He also played in the 2-2 draw against Roma on February 15.
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