Serie A still has no clear front-runner with Napoli and Roma level on top

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Serie A still has no clear front-runner with Napoli and Roma level on top

2025-10-30 19:00 Last Updated At：19:21

ROME (AP) — Nearly a quarter of the way through Serie A there’s still no clear front-runner.

Defending champion Napoli and Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma are level on top, three points ahead of the two Milan clubs.

Nobody is counting out Inter Milan, which has a deeper bench than any of the other contenders, or AC Milan, which isn’t competing in Europe and will be more rested as the season wears on.

The parity is nothing new.

Serie A has become the most unpredictable of Europe’s five biggest domestic soccer leagues with four different champions over the last six seasons, with last season marking the second time in four years that the title race went down to the last round.

Sunday’s meeting between Milan and Roma at the San Siro could add some clarity to the title race.

Napoli could be tested, too, with a visit by fifth-placed Como on Saturday.

With Luciano Spalletti expected to be hired to replace the fired Igor Tudor at Juventus, the former Napoli and Italy coach could make his debut with the Bianconeri at Cremonese this weekend.

Juventus ended an eight-match winless run by beating Udinese under interim coach Massimo Brambilla on Wednesday.

Facing Cremonese could be complicated. The promoted club is exceeding expectations in eighth place — with only one loss.

Meanwhile, Stefano Pioli at winless Fiorentina and Patrick Vieira at last-placed Genoa risk losing their jobs if their clubs can’t beat Lecce and Sassuolo, respectively.

The arrival of former Leicester striker Jamie Vardy attracted attention to Cremonese at the start of the season. But it’s been Federico Bonazzoli who has emerged as the club’s leading forward.

Bonazzoli scored twice in a 2-0 win at Genoa on Wednesday, his first coming with a bicycle kick, to raise his total to four goals this season.

Hakan Calhanoglu leads the league with five goals for Inter after his brace in a 2-0 win over Fiorentina.

Napoli midfielder Kevin De Bruyne could be out until March after undergoing surgery to repair his injured right thigh.

He joins Belgium teammate Romelu Lukaku on Napoli’s long-term injury list.

Lukaku injured his left thigh in a preseason game and could return in December.

Serie A is still waiting for the Asian Football Confederation to approve holding a game between Milan and Como in Perth, Australia, in February.

Both Milan and Como fans have voiced opposition to traveling so far for a game between clubs situated less than an hour apart.

Also recently, Serie A president Ezio Simonelli said he supports moving evening matches to 8 p.m. starts instead of the current 8:45 p.m. kickoff times.

“Let’s allow kids,” Simonelli said, “the chance to watch an entire game.”

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

Barcelona routs storied rival OL Lyonnes in Women's Champions League final

OSLO, Norway (AP) — Barcelona rose again to the peak of European soccer by routing its most storied rival OL Lyonnes 4-0 in an overwhelming second-half display in the Women’s Champions League final on Saturday.

A four-time European champion in just six seasons, Barcelona is a dynasty in women’s soccer replacing Lyon which dominated the previous decade and has a record eight titles.

Barcelona forward Ewa Pajor lost in her first five visits to the European title match but the former Wolfsburg star made her sixth attempt count with two goals.

Pajor struck with an arrowing low shot in the 55th minute and a close-range finish in the 69th when the Barcelona attack was queuing up to score past the stretched Lyon defense.

“This is amazing, the best day of my life,” the 29-year-old Pajor said. “I’ve played in six finals and finally, in Oslo, we did it.”

Salma Paralluelo turned the screw on Lyon by firing in a rising left-foot shot in the 90th and adding another slick finish in stoppage time.

The decisive first goal was created by a surging 40-yard run and assist by Patri Guijarro, often overlooked in a stellar midfield alongside Ballon d’Or winners Aitana Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas.

Barcelona has swept all four domestic and international trophies this season.

One year ago, Barcelona was denied another trophy sweep by a surprising 1-0 loss to Arsenal in the final.

In the dugout on Saturday it was a victory for a former assistant over his one-time boss.

Barcelona coach Pere Romeu was an assistant to Jonatan Giráldez, now with Lyon, when the Catalan giant won back-to-back Champions Leagues in 2023 and ’24.

It was a cruel end for Lyon which also was seeking a quadruple of trophies this season and impressed early. Lyon stifled Barcelona’s intent to control play with neat passing, and was typically strong with set-pieces.

Barcelona goalkeeper Cata Coll saved well in the first half from Wendie Renard’s header and a free kick by left back Selma Bacha that curled toward the top corner.

"It was a team win, Cata saved us early on, and then the whole team pitched in," Barcelona coach Romeu said.

Almost inevitably in modern soccer, a VAR intervention changed the flow of the game — though it was needed by Barcelona to spot an offside missed by the match officials.

When Renard’s header in the 14th was pushed out by Coll, Lyon midfielder Lindsey Heaps poked the loose ball into the goal from three yards. The United States captain advanced beyond Renard when the header was struck but the offside was only confirmed one minute later as Barcelona waited to kick off.

Heaps was consoled by Barcelona's stars after playing one of her last games for Lyon. She is returning home to join Denver Summit, an expansion team in the NWSL.

The Poland star flipped her own script after enduring a ragged first half. Pajor twice shot wide of goal when in clear space to shoot.

The first time was in the 18th with a 22-yard lob toward an unguarded goal after miscommunication between Renard and the advancing goalkeeper Christiane Endler. The ball bounced into the side netting on the wrong side of the post.

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