LAST UPDATE | 20 Apr

INTER MILAN ARE level with Napoli at the top of Serie A after Riccardo Orsolini fired Bologna to a last-gasp 1-0 win over the reigning champions on Sunday.

Orsolini flashed home a stunning scissor-kick in the fourth minute of stoppage time to bring the house down at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara and move Bologna into fourth.

Inter’s tight battle for the Scudetto with Napoli looks likely to go down to the wire after a tired-looking Inter were punished with a low-key display which came in stark contrast to their thrilling Champions League win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.

Simone Inzaghi’s team barely created a chance with nine of the 11 players who started against Bayern on Wednesday night on the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara pitch at kick-off.

Inter have only won one of their last six Serie A matches away from home and Sunday’s defeat has given Napoli a clear window of opportunity to claim their second league crown in two seasons.

Napoli’s final five matches are all against the division’s also-rans while next weekend Inter take on Roma, a match which comes after the second leg of their Italian Cup semi-final with AC Milan and before their trip to Barcelona in the last four of the Champions League.

Orsolini’s 14th goal of a superb season boosted Bologna’s hopes of returning to the Champions League with fifth-place Juventus a point behind ahead of their clash with Parma on Monday night.

Atalanta, in third, are a point ahead of Bologna and can continue their push for a spot in Europe’s elite club competition with a win at AC Milan later on Sunday.

Milan sit ninth and are six points away from the European spots following sixth-placed Roma’s 1-0 win over Verona on Saturday night.

Fede Valverde’s superb 93rd minute strike kept Real Madrid on Barcelona’s tail in the Spanish title race, earning the champions a 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

Madrid stayed four points behind Barca after Valverde smashed into the top corner with a sliced, swerving effort.

After Champions League elimination by Arsenal it looked like Madrid were set for another devastating result until the Uruguay international’s stoppage-time intervention.

Madrid played with intensity after their European elimination, trying to keep La Liga in their sights after Barcelona made a late comeback to beat Celta Vigo on Saturday.

Jude Bellingham appealed for a penalty after going down softly in the area and then fired over from close range in the final stages. It was the kind of chance the England international managed to turn into late match-winning goals last season as he inspired Madrid to La Liga and Champions League glory.

Instead it was Valverde who took up that role with his sublime blast which leftUnai Simon with no chance.

The victory offers Madrid hope of salvaging their season and a morale boost ahead of next weekend’s Copa del Rey final against Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen were held 1-1 at St Pauli on Sunday, leaving Bayern Munich needing just five points from their remaining four games to win the Bundesliga title.

Leverkusen took the lead when Alex Grimaldo floated in a free kick and Patrik Schick jumped high to score after 32 minutes.

The visitors shut up shop in the second half and Pauli laid siege to Leverkusen’s goal.

Morgan Guilavogui’s 74th-minute strike seemed to have levelled things up, but it was chalked off for handball. The hosts kept pushing and scored just three minutes later, Carlo Boukhalfa tapping in after Lukas Hradecky spilled a corner.

The result leaves Bayern eight clear of Leverkusen. Bayern can wrap things up as early as next week, if they win and Leverkusen lose.

– © AFP 2025