Atalanta's hopes of silverware fading after more disappointment and Napoli held again

MILAN (AP) — Atalanta is losing hope of silverware match by match.

It followed up Wednesday’s disappointing — and controversial — defeat at Club Brugge in the Champions League with a goalless draw at home to relegation-threatened Cagliari in Serie A on Saturday.

However, third-placed Atalanta remained five points behind Napoli after the league leader was held to a third straight draw, this time 2-2 at fourth-placed Lazio.

That means Inter Milan can move to the top of Serie A with a win at bitter rival Juventus on Sunday.

Atalanta has won just one of its past six matches in all competitions and hosts Brugge on Tuesday in the return leg of the knockout playoff round.

Cagliari inched to five points above the relegation zone.

Atalanta had a number of players out with injuries and coach Gian Piero Gasperini opted to rest a host of other regulars between the Champions League matches.

Both Atalanta and Cagliari defended well in Bergamo and there was just one shot on target in the first half.

Atalanta thought it had broken the deadlock on the hour but Marco Brescianini’s effort was ruled out for a foul by Stefan Posch on Cagliari goalkeeper Elia Caprile.

Atalanta finished the match strongly and Caprile had to make a number of important saves.

Napoli was keen to get back to winning ways after draws against Roma and Udinese.

It looked like it turned the match around when it fought back to lead 2-1 in the 64th minute following a comical own goal.

Matteo Politano whipped in a cross from the right and Giacomo Raspadori’s shot went in off Lazio defender Mario Gila’s bottom and teammate Adam Marusic.

Lazio thought it levelled almost immediately — and in spectacular fashion — but Mattia Zaccagni’s acrobatic overhead kick was ruled out for offside.

The home side snatched a point three minutes from time when Boulaye Dia combined with Zaccagni on the right and cut inside to fire into the far bottom corner.

Gustav Isaksen gave Lazio the lead in the sixth minute with a powerful strike from 30 yards but it was cancelled out by Raspadori seven minutes later.

Isaksen hadn't scored since a late winner in the last league match against Napoli in December.

Santiago Giménez is proving well worth the 30 million euros ($31 million) AC Milan paid Feyenoord for him.

The Mexico forward netted his second goal in as many league matches — and his first at San Siro — to help Milan beat Hellas Verona 1-0.

Alex Jiménez started the move, sending Rafael Leão into the left of the area and he delicately lobbed it over a defender for Giménez to nod into an empty net in the 75th minute.

Milan was seventh, five points below fourth place. The Rossoneri host Feyenoord on Tuesday in the Champions League after losing the first leg 1-0.

Verona was three points off the drop zone.

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

AC Milan's Rafael Leao crosses the ball from which AC Milan's Santiago Gimenez scores the opening goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Hellas Verona, at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb.15, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

AC Milan's Santiago Gimenez celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the game during the Italian Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Hellas Verona, at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb.15, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Napoli's Giacomo Raspadori, fourth from right, is congratulated after scoring his side's first goal during a Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Napoli in Rome, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Napoli's goalkeeper Alex Meret fails to save the goal from Lazio's Gustav Isaksen during a Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Napoli in Rome, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Napoli's players celebrate after Lazio's Adam Marusic scored an own goal during a Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Napoli in Rome, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Lazio's Boulaye Dia, right, scores his side's 2nd goal during a Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Napoli in Rome, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Lazio's Boulaye Dia (19) celebrates scoring his side's 2nd goal during a Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Napoli in Rome, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Napoli's Stanislav Lobotka, front, applauds to fans at the end of a Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Napoli in Rome, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Cagliari's Tommaso Augello reaches for the ball during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Cagliari at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, North Italy - , Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)

Atalanta's Ibrahim Sulemana goes for a header during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Cagliari at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, North Italy - , Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)

Atalanta's Mateo Retegui eyes the ball during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Cagliari at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)

An extraordinary legal showdown took place last weekend over President Donald Trump’s invocation of an 18th-century wartime act to deport hundreds of immigrants, most of them Venezuelans, to a prison in El Salvador.

It involved a series of legal filings, White House announcements, court hearings, deportation flights and a mocking social media post from a Central American leader who proudly calls himself the " world’s coolest dictator."

Here is a timeline of events surrounding the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act. All times are Eastern.

__2:16 a.m.: Two legal advocacy groups — the ACLU and Democracy Forward — file suit on behalf of five Venezuelans held in immigration detention who fear they’ll be falsely labeled members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and deported under the Alien Enemies Act, which lawyers expect to be invoked soon.

__9:40 a.m.: Judge James E. Boasberg issues a temporary restraining order preventing the government from deporting the five plaintiffs. He schedules a 5 p.m. hearing on whether to expand it. The Trump administration swiftly appeals the order.

__Roughly 4 p.m.: The White House posts the order invoking the Alien Enemies Act.

__5 p.m.: Boasberg convenes a hearing and asks the government attorney, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign, if the government plans to deport anyone under Trump’s new proclamation “in the next 24 or 48 hours.” Ensign says he doesn't know and asks for time to find out, as the ACLU warns planes are apparently about to depart. Boasberg gives Ensign about 40 minutes to find out and recesses the hearing at 5:22 pm.

__5:26 p.m.: An airplane with the tail number N278GX, believed by activists to be carrying deportees, leaves Harlingen, Texas, near the border with Mexico, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.

__5:45 p.m.: Another airplane with the tail number N837VA, believed by activists to be carrying deportees, departs Harlingen.

__About 5:55 p.m.: Boasberg reconvenes the hearing. Ensign says he still has no specifics. The ACLU again warns that planes are leaving. Boasberg says he has to issue a new order to avoid anyone being immediately deported.

__Around 6:45 p.m.: Boasberg tells Ensign: “Inform your clients of this immediately, and that any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned to the United States.” He verbally issues his order, which stands for 14 days, and notes that immigrants protected by it will remain in U.S. custody.

__7:26 p.m.: Boasberg's written order is released.

__7:36 p.m.: The plane with the tail number N278GX lands in Honduras.

__7:37 p.m.: An airplane with the tail number N630VA, believed by activists to be carrying deportees, departs Harlingen. Government lawyers later say this plane held no one deported under the Alien Enemies Act.

__8:02 p.m. The plane with the tail number N837VA lands in El Salvador.

__9:46 p.m.: The plane with the tail number N630VA arrives in Honduras.

__10:41 p.m.: The plane with the tail number N278GX departs Honduras.

__12:05 a.m.: The plane with the tail number N278GX arrives in El Salvador.

__12:41 a.m.: The plane with the tail number N630VA leaves Honduras.

__1:03 a.m.: The plane with the tail number N630VA arrives in El Salvador.

__7:46 a.m.: El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, tweets a New York Post headline saying Boasberg had ordered planes turned around and adds “Oopsie … Too late” and a laughing/crying emoji.

__8:13 a.m.: Bukele tweets footage of the deportees arriving and being processed into his country’s showcase prison.

__8:39 a.m.: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio posts Bukele’s tweet.

__9:29 a.m.: White House Communications director recirculates Bukele’s laughing post

__5 p.m.: A hearing begins over what Boasberg has called the “possible defiance” of his court order. Trump administration lawyers tell Boasberg that his verbal directions did not count, only his written order needed to be followed, that it couldn’t apply to flights outside the U.S. and that they could not answer his questions about the trips due to national security issues. Boasberg calls the arguments "one heck of a stretch.” ACLU lawyer Lee Gelernt, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, warns that “I think we're getting very close” to a constitutional crisis.

__8:05 a.m.: Trump blasts Boasberg on his social media platform, Truth Social, for ruling against his deportation plans. "This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges’ I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!”

__11:56 a.m.: Chief Justice John Roberts issues a rare public statement rejecting calls to impeach judges. “For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,” he writes. “The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.”

Associated Press writer Tim Sullivan contributed.

FILE - Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks along the southern border with Mexico, on Aug. 22, 2024, in Sierra Vista, Ariz. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)