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Odisha and NorthEast United came into Tuesday's 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) fixture needed three points. 

Both teams had to treat the fixture as a must-win contest but to varying degrees. NorthEast had a decent start to the season and were sitting fourth on the table but had suffered a defeat in the previous game. Gerard Nus needed three points to return to winning ways and climb up the table. But it didn't happen. 

Stuart Baxter, on the other hand, was chasing his first win of the season. They were without a win in their first six matches so there was no real excuse to turn up and get off to a slow start as they had done in their previous games. 

Odisha had scored only three goals from six matches and all of them had come in the second half. Moreover, seven out of the nine goals they conceded were in the first half. This meant that the first half against NorthEast United had to be a good one for the Juggernauts. 

The match was evenly contested for most parts and both teams lacked a cutting edge that would have helped them to put the game to bed. Diego Mauricio. whose consistency in front of goal has been questioned, produced a powerful low strike to break the deadlock in the first half - a goal that broke the first-half voodoo for Odisha. 

That was the start Odisha wanted badly but they could not capitalise on it. As has happened multiple times this season, they relinquished the lead very easily. Credit must also go to NorthEast here showing intent to equalise. And as they have shown plenty of times this season, they clawed their way back into the game with a deserved equaliser. 

And it was no surprise that Ashutosh Mehta's cross produced the equaliser. The right-back has been one of the better performers for the team and he had a standout game on Tuesday. 

The even fight continued into the second half. NorthEast edged the possession stats but they couldn't convert that into clear-cut chances. But they were rewarded for their push when Kwesi Appiah was brought down inside the box by the keeper after the hour-mark, allowing the striker to score his third goal of the season. 

The NorthEast defence switched off soon after they took the lead and a neat passing move at the edge of their box helped Odisha equalise. Cole Alexander received the ball at the end of the move and curled a beautiful effort into the bottom right corner of the net from the left side of the box to make it 2-2. 

After witnessing two goals in as many minutes, the game then went into a slumber and neither team wanted to lose the game from that point. As a result, the spoils had to be shared. 

One could say that Odisha were let down by their defence which struggled to contain and deal with the balls into the box. Before Lambot’s goal, there was a period of sustained pressure from NorthEast United where they bombarded the Odisha rearguard with several crosses.
 
Apart from the experienced Steven Taylor, none of the Odisha defenders could deal with the aerial balls. The fact that Baxter hasn’t changed his personnel in defence despite repeated mistakes only goes to show the lack of depth in the squad or rather, the absence of quality players.

NorthEast United, on the other hand, while possessing plenty of spirit, must start converting results or their good start to the season will be useless. 
 

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti has admitted he rejected the chance to manage Manchester United because he was about to take the head coach role at Real Madrid.

Ahead of the Wednesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final against the Red Devils at Goodison Park, the Toffees manager revealed he was offered the job at Old Trafford by Sir Alex Ferguson prior to the Scottish legend's retirement.

But Ancelotti was on the verge of accepting the lead role with Los Blancos and was forced to decline the offer, with no other chance to join the Red Devils eventuating since.

“You want to know from me [about coaching at Man Utd]?!“ Ancelotti said.

"I can say that I still keep a fantastic relationship with Sir Alex, and we met when he decided to stop (retire).

"But I was close to Real Madrid, and so I appreciate the fact that at that time he talked to me. And that’s it, no other opportunity [to manage United]."

Everton are flying high in the Premier League so far with this season, with the Merseyside club sitting in fourth position after 14 matches played.

The Toffees have met Man Utd once this season - in the league in November - with Ancelott's team going 1-0 ahead in the opening stages before the Red Devils struck back twice through Bruno Fernandes to eventually win 3-1.

Ancelotti explained the regard he holds for the Red Devils institution, indicating he placed them alongside some of the biggest clubs in world football.

"Yes of course Manchester United is a fantastic club, a fantastic team I battled against them a lot of times when Sir Alex was there, when I was at Chelsea," he said.

"I have a lot of respect for this team, for this club, it is a historical club in the world of football like Milan, like Real Madrid, a lot of respect."

Everton face a busy Christmas-New Year period of fixtures that starts with a clash on the road against strugglers Sheffield United on Boxing Day.

The Toffees will then return to Goodison Park for matches against Manchester City and West Ham on either side of the turn of the year.

Ronald Koeman believes Lionel Messi is happy at Barcelona after another record-breaking performance by the six-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Messi scored the third goal in a 3-0 La Liga win over Real Valladolid on Tuesday – the superstar captain's 644th strike for Barca as he surpassed Pele for the all-time record amount of goals for a single club .

First-half goals from Clement Lenglet and Martin Braithwaite gave Barca a cushion at Estadio Jose Zorrilla before Messi overtook the record set by Pele during 18 years at Brazilian club Santos.

Although Messi expressed his desire to leave La Liga giants Barca after 19 years during the off-season, Koeman believes his talisman is now happy.

"I've said it a lot," Barca head coach Koeman said. "I see Leo happy here.

"He's very important for us with his creativity.

"You can see that when there are good players alongside him."

Koeman switched to a three-man back line for the trip to Valladolid after Barca's defence were left exposed in the 2-2 draw against Valencia on Saturday.

Barca kept the hosts subdued until goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen made a double save in the 71st minute when the Catalans were holding a comfortable three-goal lead.

"We changed to improve the defence and the wings," Dutchman Koeman added.

"We've seen a very serious performance with good concentration and good chances created."

Pedri provided the delivery for Lenglet's opener and claimed his second assist with return pass to Messi, as Koeman reserved praise for both the 18-year-old and his midfield partner Miralem Pjanic.

"Pedri is a very good player when he plays in the middle," said Koeman. "Pjanic had to wait for his chance but he played a great game. He was good with the ball, but also defensively."

Fifth-placed Barca are eight points adrift of La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid, with Koeman's side scheduled to host struggling Eibar on December 29.

The Catalans will begin the New Year on the road versus Huesca on January 3, before staying away from home to take on Athletic Club (Jan 6) and Granada (Jan 9).

Andrea Pirlo refused to blame Juan Cuadrado's dismissal for Juventus' heavy home loss to Fiorentina and instead questioned the attitude of his players heading into the match.

Juve suffered their first Serie A defeat under Pirlo in his 13th league match in charge, going down 3-0 in what was also their heaviest loss since moving to the Allianz Stadium in 2011.

Cuadrado caught Gaetano Castrovilli on the shin and was issued a red card on his 200th appearance for the Turin giants – upgraded from a yellow following a VAR check – with only 18 minutes on the clock.

Dusan Vlahovic had given Fiorentina an early lead by that point and Juve could not respond, conceding again through Alex Sandro's own goal and Martin Caceres' tap-in.

Juve had a couple of penalty appeals turned down in Tuesday's match, their last of 2020, but Pirlo conceded his team simply failed to turn up.

"What happened with the red card cannot be used as an alibi," he told Sky Sport Italia. "The result was not down to Fiorentina's attitude but the lack of ours.

"When this is the case you face bad situations like this. In games before Christmas it can happen then you have your mind on the holidays. We were unfocused and could not recover.

"The images for the sending off seem clear to me. There could have been some decisions in our favour, but that's not something I want to comment on – you can see for yourself.

Juve had more possession than Fiorentina (54 per cent) and more shots (13 to 10) yet ultimately saw a 13-game unbeaten run come to a shuddering halt. 

Leonardo Bonucci in particular struggled – the experienced defender arguably at fault for all three of the opposition goals.

He lost possession six times in all and won only half of his 10 duels, but Pirlo stood by his skipper at full-time.

"Bad evenings like these happen to everyone," he said. "Up until this point he has made some great performances.

"It happens to everyone. He is our captain and we still have great faith in him."

Juve suffered a double title blow of sorts on Tuesday, the defeat to Fiorentina coming hours after Napoli won their appeal against October's abandoned fixture between the sides.

The Bianconeri had been awarded a 3-0 forfeit win after Napoli failed to turn up due to a travel ban put in place by local authorities after Piotr Zielinski, Eljif Elmas and a member of staff had tested positive for Covid-19.

But the Italian National Olympic Committee's Collegio di Garanzia dello Sport – the highest sports authority in the country – ruled in Napoli's favour, meaning the game must be replayed in early 2021.

Juve are therefore three points worse off, now seven adrift of leaders Milan, and Pirlo questioned the fairness of the decision.

"We don't mind playing the game again. I'm more disappointed for the other teams that have travelled and played without far more players who had Covid," he said. "They showed great fairness by playing anyway.

"I won't say if the ruling was correct or not, but it didn't seem fair to the other teams who carried on and played in more difficult situations."

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola insists Arsenal will be making a "big mistake" if they sack his former assistant coach Mikel Arteta.

Pressure is growing on Arsenal head coach Arteta after Guardiola's City thumped the Gunners 4-1 in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.

Arsenal are languishing in 15th place in the Premier League table after 14 matches, with seven defeats in their last 10 league games.

Despite the Gunners horror run of form, Guardiola says the club should stick with Arteta and they would be making a mistake to part ways with the Spanish tactician.

"They will do a huge, big mistake if they [sack Arteta]. I’m pretty sure they are going to trust him," Guardiola told BBC Radio 5 Live after Tuesday's game.

"I understand that the analysts analyse the results. But I was with him many years and I know his incredible quality as a human being and especially as a manager, how he is involved in everything. It’s just a question of time and he will do well.

"I’m not on the board. For me they will do a big mistake if they are thinking [to sack him].

"They give him the confidence, they won two titles when for a long time ago it didn’t happen at this club. In this pandemic situation, with injury problems they have and the games they played they always played good.

"But unfortunately these games are our job and it depends on the results. But football changes in one week so quick.

"I can speak about my experience alongside him, one of the most incredible successful teams in English history we had and he was part of this success and it would not be possible without him, and to create something like this you need time like I had in my first season."

The fixture list doesn't get any easier for Arsenal, with the Londoners to host Chelsea in the Premier League on Boxing Day before back-to-back away trips to Brighton and West Brom either side of the New Year.

Manchester City welcome Newcastle United to the Etihad on December 26 before they also hit the road twice for matches against Everton and Chelsea.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted his side are in "big trouble" if they don't turn things around quickly, after their dismal run continued with a loss to Manchester City 

The Gunners went into half-time of Tuesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final level at one goal apiece, but City scored three in the second half to cruise to a comfortable 4-1 victory. 

Defeat to City continues a miserable run for the Gunners, who have been particularly woeful in the league, where they sit in 15th place.

With 14 points from 14 games this season, Arsenal have their worst record at this stage of a league season since the 1974-75 campaign.

The Gunners' downturn in form has seen Arteta's job status questioned, despite only recently reaching his one-year anniversary in charge of the club. 

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Arteta admitted that things could go from bad to worse if his side can't get out of the rut they are in.

"It’s a hard one to take considering how the game went," Arteta said of the match. "This level of opponent, when you give the goals away it makes the game impossible. A lot of strange things are happening in every game and that makes things really difficult.

"We have to turn it around – there is no question. If we don't we're in big trouble. This is the moment that's going to decide our season.

"On the basis of what we have shown tonight against difficult opponents, I have fighters in my team. Yes, I have fighters."

Arsenal's evening took a turn for the worse nine minutes after half-time, when Riyad Mahrez's free-kick went straight through Runar Alex Runarsson's hands for City's go-ahead goal.

Arteta jumped to the defence of his goalkeeper, while also defending his own decision to start the Iceland international despite starting Bernd Leno in the last round of the Carabao Cup against Liverpool.

"He hasn't played a lot of games for us, he's just adapting to the league and that's it," Arteta said of Runarsson. "We all make mistakes and we have to support him.

"We know Bernd has played a lot of minutes and he needed some rest as well, and we want to give opportunities to other players. Alex has done well in other games and these things happen in football."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has reiterated he is not concerned by Paul Pogba's attitude, although he accepts the "ambitious" Manchester United midfielder wants to play for a team that wins trophies.

Since returning to Old Trafford from Juventus in a then world-record transfer in 2016, Pogba has been repeatedly linked with a second move away from United .

Juve and Real Madrid have often been mooted as potential landing spots, while the World Cup winner has struggled to consistently perform at his best level.

Pogba's most productive Premier League campaign saw 13 goals and nine assists in 35 matches in 2018-19, yet he scored only once last term and created three more across 16 appearances.

A single strike in 10 games this season – of which seven have been starts – represents another underwhelming return as transfer speculation has persisted.

Although agent Mino Raiola has declared Pogba's time at the club is coming to an end , Solskjaer has opted against criticising the player, who has failed to add to the Carabao Cup and Europa League titles won in his first year back in Manchester.

Asked again about the France superstar on Tuesday, the manager suggested it was up to United to deliver silverware in order to keep their key men happy and maintain a talented squad.

"It's always a demand here at Manchester United to win trophies," Solskjaer told ESPN.

"And the more we win trophies, the more players will want to play for us - then the higher standard you've got to set yourself.

"It's a demand for the players, a challenge for the players that we want them to improve and get better and better.

"Paul has been here now for a while and, of course, he wants to win more trophies. He's got a very, very good attitude to training and playing football.

"He loves football, he's ambitious, he wants to have success - like most of the others that are in the squad. We're not all the same.

"I would say that this squad has impressed me with their attitude and spirit lately and the way that they go about their work.

"Of course, it's down to us to win trophies and then we'll see who will be part of the team going forward."

United's next opportunity to secure silverware comes in the Carabao Cup, with the Red Devils in quarter-final action against Everton, who they beat in the Premier League in November, on Wednesday.

"We were disappointed that we didn't get to a final or lift a trophy [last season], but that's the next step for these players now," Solskjaer added.

"I think everyone felt how close we were and the mood, the spirit and the culture has improved since then. And the belief. Definitely the belief has grown."

Lionel Messi surpassed Pele's one-club goals record as he helped Barcelona end their winless streak on the road in LaLiga with a convincing 3-0 victory over struggling Real Valladolid.

After drawing level with Pele's haul of 643 goals for Santos with a header in a 2-2 draw with Valencia on Saturday, Messi made it 644 in Barca colours across all competitions on Tuesday.

Having created Clement Lenglet's opener before playing a key part in Martin Braithwaite making it 2-0 before the interval, Messi swept home from Pedri's clever flick in the 65th minute.

It rounded off a fine performance from Ronald Koeman's side, who ended their winless run in LaLiga away games at the fifth time of asking.

Messi was inches from opening the scoring in the seventh minute, bending an effort just wide of the left-hand upright from 25 yards out.

Barca's captain went closer when he forced Jordi Masip into a fine save in the 21st minute, but he crafted the opener a moment later.

Lenglet latched onto Messi's inch-perfect cross to head home into the top corner – the former Sevilla defender paying tribute to Barca youngster Moussa Wague, who is facing a lengthy lay off after sustaining a serious knee injury while in action for PAOK, where he is out on loan, last week.

Messi was integral to Barca's second 14 minutes later, threading a superb pass into Sergino Dest, who squared for Braithwaite to finish.

Having missed two presentable chances towards the end of the first half, Messi was agonisingly close to getting on the end of Miralem Pjanic's fantastic pass shortly after the restart.

Pablo Hervias' free-kick from a tight angle nearly found the top-right corner as Valladolid looked to haul themselves back into the contest, though Masip had to deny Messi at the other end.

But Messi had his record-surpassing goal soon after, the 33-year-old capping off the win with a typically composed finish after combining brilliantly with Pedri.
 
As Barca cruised into fifth place, Messi almost added further gloss in stoppage time, but his close-range shot was kept out by the post, with the woodwork also denying Philippe Coutinho.

What does it mean? Rijkaard record remains intact

Barca had last gone five away league games without a win in a single LaLiga season in 2008, when they drew two and lost four under Frank Rijkaard.

Fortunately for Koeman, he has avoided the same fate as his compatriot, and Barca are now just one point shy of the Champions League places, though they are eight adrift of pacesetters Atletico Madrid, having played a game more.

Mercurial Messi clinches another record

After failing to score and assist in his five LaLiga appearances in October, Messi has scored six times in his last eight league games, while he has also registered eight direct goal involvements in his last four top-flight meetings with Valladolid (four goals and four assists).

His record-setting goal saw him surpass Brazil great Pele, who had netted 643 times for Santos between 1956 and 1974, for goals at one club, while only Real Betis veteran Joaquin Sanchez (17) has provided at least one assist in more LaLiga seasons than Messi (16).

Barca's defence never under threat

Marc-Andre ter Stegen did ultimately end up having to work, with the German making five saves and Valladolid mustering 12 total attempts.

However, they were almost all from distance, with the hosts managing just 12 touches inside Barca's area in total and the majority coming in the closing stages.

What's next?

Both teams have a week off over Christmas, with Barca's final game of 2020 seeing them host Eibar, while Valladolid travel to Cadiz. Both games take place on December 29.

Riyad Mahrez was on the scoresheet as Manchester City defeated Arsenal 4-1 in Tuesday’s League Cup tie.

The Algeria international was handed his 18th appearance across all competitions this season and seized the opportunity to add to his tally.

The 29-year-old started the encounter playing directly behind the Citizens’ frontman Gabriel Jesus along with Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva.

Jesus opened the glut of goals as early as the third minute of the encounter after he was set up by Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The Gunners attempted to fight back when Alexandre Lacazette levelled proceedings moments after the half-hour mark.

Mahrez then gave his side the lead in the 55th minute, curling home a free-kick which beat goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson.

Foden increased the lead of Manchester City four minutes later after receiving a timely assist from Fernandinho before Aymeric Laporte sealed the victory.

The result sealed City’s place in the semi-finals of the competition as Egypt international Mohamed Elneny, Ivory Coast’s Nicolas Pepe and Nigerian wonderkid Folarin Balogun’s efforts for the Gunners were not enough to see them through to the next round of the tournament.

Mahrez has now scored five goals and provided one assist across all competitions this season for Manchester City.

The winger has been with City since the summer of 2018 when he teamed up with the side from Leicester City, where he made a name for himself with his impressive performances.

Mahrez has made more than 170 appearances for the Citizens since joining the side, helping them to win a number of accolades.

The forward was part of the side that secured the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Community Shield titles in the 2018-19 season.

The fleet-footed star will be expected to continue his fine displays when Manchester City take on Newcastle United in a Premier League outing on Boxing Day.

Mahrez is currently the captain of the Algeria national team and has 61 caps for the North African country.

The forward played a key role as the Desert Foxes clinched their second Africa Cup of Nations title in Egypt.

Lionel Messi has broken Pele's all-time record for goals scored with a single club by netting his 644th career goal for Barcelona. 

The Brazilian icon netted 643 times for Santos in his career, a mark that seemed to be nearly unbreakable - but Messi has now set the record by scoring in the 65th minute of Barca's La Liga match against Valladolid on Tuesday. 

With Barca already up by two goals, Pedri sent Messi in behind the defence with a backheel pass and the 33-year-old slotted home past Jordi Masip to make it 3-0 on the night.

Messi had tied Pele's record at the weekend when he scored in Barcelona's 2-2 draw against Valencia.

After Tuesday's game, which ended 3-0, Messi took to Instagram to express his gratitude to those who helped him reach Pele's record. 

"When I started playing football I never thought I'd break any record, especially not the one I achieved today that Pele held," Messi wrote. 

"I can only give my thanks to everyone who helped me during these years, my team-mates, my family, my friends, and everyone who supports me every day."

It is yet another record for Messi, who has established himself as one of the greatest footballers of all-time since he joined Barcelona at age 13 and made his competitive debut at 17 in 2004.

Messi has gone on to win La Liga on 10 occasions with the Blaugrana, as well as six Copa del Rey titles and four Champions League trophies. 

On an individual level, Messi has won the Ballon d'Or six times, most recently in 2019, the most any player has ever won the award. 

Recently, though, Messi's time at Barcelona has soured as he attempted to engineer a move away from the club earlier this year. 

In an interview with Goal in September, Messi revealed that he would not attempt to activate his release clause in order to avoid any legal dispute with Barca, but with his contract set to expire at the end of the current season, there is a very real possibility that Messi could be entering his final months at Camp Nou.

Though there have been rumours of interest from the likes of Manchester City and PSG, Goal has reported that the Argentine superstar has yet to be contacted by any other club.

Messi will be free to speak with interested parties from outside of Spain in January.

Wednesday's opponents Jamshedpur and FC Goa have a contrasting recent form ahead of their 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) encounter at the Tilak Maidan in Vasco, Goa.

TV CHANNELS & LIVE STREAM

The Star Sports Network have the exclusive broadcasting rights of the ISL in India.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

TEAM NEWS

Jamshedpur FC Possible XI:   

Injured - Joyner Lourenco, Narender Gahlot, David Grande, William Lalnunfela, Nick Fitzgerald 
Doubtful - None
Suspended - None

Key Players - Nerijus Valskis, Jackichand Singh

FC Goa Possible XI: 

Injured - None  
Doubtful - None    
Suspended - None  

Key Players - Igor Angulo, Jorge Ortiz      

Manchester City booked an EFL Cup semi-final spot and piled more pressure on Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta with a resounding 4-1 win at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. 

Arteta, who was Pep Guardiola's assistant at City before taking charge of the Gunners a year ago, has faced questions over his future after a dismal start to the season has left his side languishing in 15th in the Premier League. 

He did not find any respite against his former club, with City – who have won the competition in each of the last three seasons – easing through to the last four after second-half goals from Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden and Aymeric Laporte. 

Alexandre Lacazette had earlier given the hosts hope of ending a run of three straight home defeats to City when he cancelled out Gabriel Jesus' early opener, but that proved to be a rare moment of joy in yet another turgid defeat for the beleaguered north London club.

The visitors started in ruthless fashion, taking the lead after just 125 seconds when Jesus headed Oleksandr Zinchenko's left-wing cross past Runar Alex Runarsson inside the six-yard box, ending a goal drought of 609 minutes for the Brazilian.

Laporte headed wide from a corner before the Gunners pulled level with their first effort on target in the 31st minute, Lacazette heading home Gabriel Martinelli's cross from six yards out.

City should have restored their lead before the interval, but Runarsson raced off his line to deny Jesus after a smart move on the edge of the penalty area involving Foden.

The Arsenal goalkeeper was entirely at fault for City's second nine minutes after the interval, though, allowing Mahrez's free-kick from the edge of the area to squirm through his tepid grasp.

City added a third five minutes later when Foden latched onto Fernandinho's pass and lofted a delightful finish over Runarsson, although the goal would have been disallowed if VAR had been in use with replays clearly showing the midfielder was offside. 

The holders added gloss to an 18th straight victory in the competition in the 73rd minute, Laporte stealing in at the back post to head home Foden's inviting cross. 

What does it mean? Arsenal's fighters missing in action

Arteta said this week he wanted the "fighters" in his Arsenal squad to come to the fore as they bid to turnaround a dreadful start to the campaign. His rallying cry fell on deaf ears, though, as City swatted aside the accommodating hosts with the minimum of fuss.

Lacazette's goal was one of only two shots on target as Arsenal conceded four times at home in an EFL Cup game for the first time since November 1998, when they lost 5-0 to Chelsea.

Foden sparkles for City

Foden was in dazzling form, scoring a fine third goal and then creating Laporte's strike with a superb cross. The England international completed 28 of his 32 passes and won all three of his duels in a wonderful all-round display.

Maitland-Niles the worst of a bad bunch

No Arsenal player covered themselves in glory, but Ainsley Maitland-Niles was particularly poor. He lost possession 20 times – more than any other player on the pitch – won just two of his nine duels and failed to play a single key pass.

Key Opta facts

- Arsenal (14) have been eliminated at the quarter-final stage of this competition more times than any other side.
- City are the first team to win four consecutive away games against Arsenal in all competitions since Chelsea between 1960 and 1965 (six in a row).
- Foden has had a hand in nine goals in his last 12 EFL Cup appearances (four goals, five assists).
- As many as 72 per cent of Lacazette's goals in all competitions for Arsenal have been scored at home (38 of 53).

What's next?

Arsenal will be looking to end a seven-game winless streak in the Premier League when they host Chelsea on Saturday, while City entertain Newcastle United on the same day.

Ten-man Juventus' unbeaten start to the Serie A season was ended by Fiorentina as they suffered a humbling 3-0 loss at the Allianz Stadium.

The champions had gone 12 games without a loss in the top flight under Andrea Pirlo prior to Tuesday's setback, coming on the day they discovered their 3-0 forfeit win over Napoli in October has been revoked following their opponents' successful appeal.

Dusan Vlahovic scored early on for Fiorentina and Juve then lost Juan Cuadrado with 18 minutes played, the referee upgrading the yellow card he initially showed to a red following a VAR check.

Juve were unable to hit back and conceded twice more in the final 14 minutes, with Alex Sandro putting into his net and their former player Martin Caceres tapping in to inflict a further Scudetto blow on Pirlo's men.
 

Fiorentina failed to score in their previous four away league matches but were ahead inside 148 seconds in Turin - Vlahovic dinking the ball over an onrushing Wojciech Szczesny after being played in by Franck Ribery's throughball.

Juve had plenty of time to respond but their task was made all the more difficult when Cuadrado was sent off for catching Gaetano Castrovilli on the shin with a studs-up challenge

A poor pass from Leonardo Bonucci eight minutes later had the visitors in again, only for Szczesny to bail out his captain by making a fine save down to his right to deny Castrovilli a second.

The relatively quiet Cristiano Ronaldo had a shot repelled by Bartlomiej Dragowski at the end of the first half and was further frustrated with just under an hour played as his diving header was rightly chalked off for offside.

But Juve, who had previously found the net in a record 34 successive home Serie A matches against Fiorentina, were unable to hit back and were caught out at the back as they piled bodies forward.

Cristiano Biraghi whipped in a cross from the left and the ball deflected in off Alex Sandro, the defender unable to properly adjust his body in front of goal.

Caceres then added a third for Fiorentina in the 81st minute after Ribery had stolen the ball from Bonucci.

The Fiorentina defender converted a simple finish having been played in by Biraghi, rounding off a day to forget for Juve skipper Bonucci and his side.
 

What does it mean? Juve suffer double title blow

Juve started the day four points behind leaders Milan in third and end it seven points adrift of top spot down in fourth, without the pacesetters even kicking a ball.

That is down to Napoli's successful appeal, with that fixture having to be replayed in early 2021, but of more concern to Pirlo will be the manner of this defeat to Fiorentina.

The visitors were previously winless in eight league games yet they inflicted a first ever three-goal defeat on Juve at the Allianz Stadium, doing so with only 46 per cent of the ball.

Ribery torments Bonucci

Bonucci would not have had many worse games in football than this, as the experienced Juventus defender was arguably at fault for all three Fiorentina goals.

That is largely down to the incredible display of Ribery, who claimed an assist for the first goal and played a big part in the third. Not only that, his six tackles were the most of any player on the pitch, two more than next-highest Federico Chiesa.

Juve's disciplinary problems

The referee had little choice but to reach into his back pocket following Cuadrado's tackle on Castrovilli - the fifth red card Juve have been issued in Serie A this season, which is the joint-most of any side in Europe's top five leagues.

Juve have won only one of those five games and will now have to make do without Cuadrado, one of their key attacking talents down the right-hand side, for a period early in the new year.

Key Opta Stats:

- This is only the second away win for Fiorentina against Juventus in Serie A for 30 years (the other was in March 2008 under Cesare Prandelli).
- It was also the second highest away win for Fiorentina in Serie A history against Juventus (after a 4-0 victory in 1955).
- With Cuadrado sent off in his 200th Juve match, his side received their first red card in the opening 20 minutes in Serie A since February 2011, when Gianluigi Buffon got his marching orders against Lecce.
- Prior to Vlahovic, the last player to score in three consecutive Serie A appearances with Fiorentina before turning 22 was Giampaolo Pazzini in April 2005.
- Alex Sandro's was the first league own goal scored by Juventus since Emre Can in January 2019 against Lazio.

What's next?

Juventus will have the festive period to reflect on this defeat before they host Udinese on their return to Serie A action on January 3, the same day that Fiorentina welcome Bologna to Artemio Franchi Stadium.

Sofiane Feghouli scored his first goal of the season in Galatasaray’s 3-1 victory over Goztepe in Tuesday’s Turkish Super Lig game.

The forward was handed his 10th league start of the season and made a key contribution for his side to ensure they bounced back to winning ways, following last week’s defeat to Fatih Karagumruk.

The 30-year-old starred in the midfield for the Yellow and Reds along with Morocco international Younes Belhanda, Emre Kılınc and Arda Turan.

Kilinc opened the scoring for Galatasaray in the fourth minute before Turan doubled the lead in the 12th minute after he was set up by Ryan Donk.

Soner Aydogdu reduced the deficit for Goztepe before Feghouli sealed the victory after benefitting from Taylan Antalyali’s assist.

Besides his goal, Feghouli has also provided three assists in 14 appearances across all competitions for Galatasaray.

The forward featured for 83 minutes before he was replaced by Omer Bayram, while Belhanda made way for Bartug Elmaz in the 90th minute.

Senegal international Mbaye Diagne played for 67 minutes before he was brought out for Ogulcan Caglayan while Nigeria midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo was not listed for the encounter.

With the victory, Galatasaray moved to the second spot on the Super Lig table after gathering 26 points from 13 games.

Feghouli has been with the Turk Telekom Stadium outfit since 2017 when he joined the side from West Ham United.

The forward has featured in more than 90 games across all competitions for Galatasaray since his arrival and has helped them to win a number of accolades.

Feghouli was part of the Yellow and Reds’ team that clinched the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 league titles as well as Cup diadem.

The Algeria international will hope to continue his performances when Galatasaray take on Trabzonspor in their next league game on Boxing Day.

Arsenal striker Gabriel Martinelli was removed from Tuesday's Carabao Cup match against Manchester City with an ankle problem, a bitter blow for a player who only just returned from a long-term knee injury. 

The 19-year-old assisted Alexandre Lacazette's equaliser in the first half but just before the break, he was involved in a collision with City goalkeeper Zack Steffen that left him writhing in pain on the ground. 

Joe Willock picked out Martinelli with a through ball but Steffen came far off his line to make a sliding clearance, catching the Brazilian's ankle in the process.

Martinelli eventually returned to the match but was clearly in some pain as the half-time whistle sounded. 

The striker started the second half but was quickly back on the ground, signalling he was unable to continue and was replaced by Nicolas Pepe. 

The Gunners will now face a nervous wait on Martinelli, who was making his first start for the club since March after only just returning from a knee injury.

Martinelli made his mark in 2019-20, his debut campaign with Arsenal, scoring 10 goals in all competitions after joining the Gunners from Ituano in his native Brazil.

The teenager's debut season came to an end in March, though, after he suffered a serious knee injury in training.

Martinelli was still rewarded in the summer when he signed a new long-term contract at the Emirates Stadium, which will reportedly keep him at the club until 2024.

After making his return for the club's youth team, Martinelli made his season debut for Arsenal at the weekend when he played 19 minutes off the bench in his side's 2-1 defeat at Everton.

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta admitted that his struggling side have missed Martinelli this season.

“Gabi is pure enthusiasm, energy, belief, charisma and goals. And this is him," Arteta said ahead of Arsenal's match against Everton.

“He's around the training ground and he's around our training sessions and the energy is different because he goes 100 miles per hour.

“He's got this passion in his way of playing and he is a threat. He's a player that we've been missing because he brings something special to the team."

Serie B side Chievo have claimed that Joel Obi was racially abused at the hands of a Pisa player, who allegedly made an offensive "slave" comment to the ex-Inter man. 

The Verona side drew 2-2 in Tuesday's league clash, a result that leaves them in ninth place in the second-tier standings. 

But the game was overshadowed when, after full-time, Chievo accused Michele Marconi of directing abuse at Obi while on the pitch. 

"Following the racist phrase 'the slave revolt' said by the Pisa player Michele Marconi to the midfielder Joel Obi during the first half of the Pisa - Chievo Verona match, the club expresses the utmost solidarity towards its player, the subject of a slanderous and bleak phrase, which has nothing to do with the most elementary and basic values ​​of sport, ethics and respect," the club wrote on its official website following the match. 

"AC Chievo Verona strongly condemns and stigmatizes the racist behavior suffered by Joel Obi, and regrets that a phrase heard by most on the field was not followed by any disciplinary measures: neither by the referee, nor by the assistant and fourth official, nor the federal prosecutor. 

"AC Chievo Verona, always a staunch supporter of the values ​​of ethics, respect and fair play - will continue to remain at the forefront of the fight against any form of racism or violence, on and off any playing field."

No action was taken on the field against Marconi, who played 77 minutes of the clash before being withdrawn for Alessandro De Vitis. 

As of yet neither Pisa nor Marconi have commented on the incident. 

Racism, both from opposing players and in fans' chants, has been a recurring problem for Italian football, with stars like Kalidou Koulibaly, Mario Balotelli and Romelu Lukaku singled out in recent years. 

In January 2019, the FIGC announced new measures to counter the issue in Serie B, albeit primarily focused on abuse from the stands rather than from fellow professionals. 

Under the guidelines, only two rather than three alleged instances of racism would suffice to bring the game to a halt. 

After the first, players and officials have been instructed to gather in the centre-circle and stop play, while a second instance is grounds to return to the dressing room.

Zenatha Coleman was in superb form for Sevilla as she contributed an assist in her side's 2-1 win over Tenerife in a Spanish Primera Iberdrola encounter on Tuesday.

The Namibia international made her 13th appearance of the season in the encounter and her ninth start of the campaign, and she had an impactful role in Sevilla's win over their visitors at Estadio Jesus Navas.

The hosts went into the contest on the heels of a fourth defeat of the season in 6-0 loss at Barcelona, as Tenerife eyed a return to winning ways following a 1-1 draw with Sporting Huelva last week. 

On Tuesday, Coleman helped Cristian Toro's team to a bright start as she aided Claudia Pina to break the deadlock after just 10 minutes in the game.

Having ended the first half one goal down, Tenerife resumed the tie on a high and were rewarded with a breakthrough as Pisco's pass gave Natalia Ramos the chance to level in the 67th minute.

The hosts, however, mounted pressure to claim three points in the 71st minute when Pina set up Ana Franco to net the matchwinner.

Coleman featured for 76th minute in Sevilla's win and has now scored two goals and provided one assist in 13 appearances, while Nigerian-born striker Toni Payne played for 87 minutes of the tie.

On the other hand, Cote'd Ivoire's Ange N'Guessan was involved for 61 minutes but could not rescue her side from defeat, while Cameroon's Raissa Feudjio was an unused substitute. 

The result lifts Sevilla to eighth position on the log with 19 points from 13 games, while Tenerife dropped to fourth with 27 points.