Miserable runs continue for Juventus and injury-hit Milan in 0-0 draw in Serie A

MILAN (AP) — AC Milan and Juventus prolonged mediocre runs as they played out a 0-0 draw in Serie A on Saturday.

The result in Turin could leave the Bianconeri nervously looking over their shoulders at the end of the weekend. Juventus remained third but 11 points above seventh-placed Atalanta, which has two games in hand.

Injury-hit Milan was five points above Juventus.

The top five in Serie A qualify for next season’s Champions League. Lazio moved into sixth and within three points of fifth-placed Roma — which plays Napoli on Sunday — with a 1-0 win over relegation-threatened Hellas Verona.

Juventus, coming off draws against Torino and Cagliari, has won just two of its past 13 Serie A matches.

Milan has lost three of its past five in all competitions and endured the humiliation of losing to Inter Milan on Monday and confirming the Nerazzurri as Serie A champions.

Théo Hernandez and Davide Calabria were both sent off in that match so they were suspended along with fellow Milan defender Fikayo Tomori. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan pulled out in the warmup, adding to the Rossoneri’s injury problems.

Behind the decimated defense, stand-in Marco Sportiello was definitely the busier of the goalkeepers and did well to fingertip Dušan Vlahović’s free kick round his left post on the stroke of halftime.

Sportiello did even better after the restart with a fantastic double save to parry, first, a Filip Kostić attempt and prevent Danilo from tapping in the rebound.

Sportiello also kept out Weston McKennie’s header minutes from the end and Milan defender Malick Thiaw cleared Adrien Rabiot’s follow-up off the line.

EX'S GOAL

Lazio and former Verona midfielder Mattia Zaccagni again scored against his old club, just as he did in their first matchup this season.

Zaccagni started and finished the move in the 72nd minute. He won the ball on the halfway line and raced forward and rolled across to Luis Alberto, who threaded the ball back for him to fire in at the near post.

Lazio winger Pedro, who was guilty earlier of a glaring miss, hit the post with a late free kick.

Verona remained three points above the drop zone.

STOPPAGE-TIME DRAMA

Lecce took another small step towards safety after drawing at home to Monza 1-1 with both goals in stoppage time.

Nikola Krstović thought he secured for Lecce a third straight win when he scored in the second minute of stoppage time. But Matteo Pessina levelled from the spot after Lecce defender Lorenzo Venuti handled the ball.

Lecce moved eight points above the drop zone.

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Lazio's Pedro, right, misses a scoring chance during the Italian Series A soccer match between Lazio and Hellas Verona in Rome, Saturday, April 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Juventus' Timothy Weah, center, prepares to shoot during a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Milan at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

AC Milan's Rafa Leao looks on during a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Milan at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

Juventus' players are dejected at the end of a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Milan at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, Saturday, April 27, 2024. The match ended 0-0. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

Juventus' coach Massimiliano Allegri encourages his players during a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Milan at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic reacts during a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Milan at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

AC Milan's goalkeeper Marco Sportiello, left, punches away the ball as Juventus' Federico Gatti, center, and AC Milan's Yunus Musah vie for the ball during a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Milan at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

BERLIN (AP) — Damion Downs scored in injury time to keep alive Cologne’s Bundesliga survival hopes Saturday with a 3-2 home win over Union Berlin, which dropped into the relegation zone with one round remaining.

Cologne had to win to have any hope of escaping the drop, and the team came from two goals down to defer its fate until next weekend.

It was the first time Union ever lost a Bundesliga game after enjoying a two-goal lead. And it came despite the club firing Nenad Bjelica as coach on Monday and reappointing Marco Grote as interim coach.

“The path hasn't changed. It's clear that it hasn't gotten any easier because we lost,” Grote said.

Mainz capitalized on Union's defeat by beating Borussia Dortmund 3-0 in the late game to leave the relegation playoff spot.

Dortmund started with 10 changes to the team that defeated Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League semifinal on Tuesday, and few were able to make their case to play in the final against Real Madrid on June 1.

Mainz raced into a three-goal lead and could have scored more. Dortmund coach Edin Terzić made three changes at the break.

In contrast to Mainz, Union was unable to build on its early dominance.

Steffen Tigges equalized in the 87th minute for Cologne, then Downs headed the winner in the third minute of stoppage time.

“The three points are super important, and now we have a final on the last day,” said Cologne's Timo Hübers, whose team faces promoted Heidenheim away next weekend.

Union was just three points above Cologne, in the relegation-promotion playoff spot, while Mainz moved two points clear after its eighth straight game without defeat. Union hasn't won any of its last seven.

“We have to look ahead. It only works together,” Union captain Christopher Trimmel said.

Also, Freiburg drew with Heidenheim 1-1 in Christian Streich’s last home game in charge after more than 12 years as the Freiburg coach.

“Congratulations to Heidenheim for the draw,” Streich said. “If again we can't win a game at home, my favorite for it to happen against is Heidenheim.”

Streich is the Bundesliga’s longest-serving coach but he said in March he will step down at the end of the season. His final game is at Union Berlin next weekend.

Leipzig drew with Werder Bremen 1-1, as did Borussia Mönchengladbach and Eintracht Frankfurt.

Holstein Kiel could secure its first ever promotion to the Bundesliga later Saturday by avoiding defeat at home to Fortuna Düsseldorf, which is assured of finishing at least third in the second division for the promotion playoff.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Freiburg's head coach Christian Streich says goodbye to the fans after the German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg and 1. FC Heidenheim in Freiburg, Germany, Saturday, May 11, 2024. Freiburg drew with Heidenheim 1-1 in Christian Streich’s last home game in charge after more than 12 years as the Freiburg coach. Streich was the Bundesliga’s longest-serving coach but he said in March he would step down at the end of the season. His final game will be at Union Berlin next weekend. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)

Freiburg's head coach Christian Streich says goodbye to the fans after the German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg and 1. FC Heidenheim in Freiburg, Germany, Saturday, May 11, 2024. Freiburg drew with Heidenheim 1-1 in Christian Streich’s last home game in charge after more than 12 years as the Freiburg coach. Streich was the Bundesliga’s longest-serving coach but he said in March he would step down at the end of the season. His final game will be at Union Berlin next weekend. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)

Freiburg's head coach Christian Streich points during German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg and 1. FC Heidenheim in Freiburg, Germany, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)

Freiburg's head coach Christian Streich applauds during German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg and 1. FC Heidenheim in Freiburg, Germany, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)

Cologne's Damion Downs celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Cologne and 1. FC Union Berlin in Cologne, Germany, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Federico Gambarini/dpa via AP)