Inter wins at Udinese to fortify Serie A lead before facing Arsenal in Champions League

MILAN (AP) — Inter Milan will be full of confidence when the Champions League resumes after consolidating its lead in Serie A with a 1-0 win at Udinese on Saturday.

Lautaro Martínez scored in the first half and Inter moved six points clear of second-placed AC Milan and defending champion Napoli, which beat Sassuolo 1-0.

Milan hosts lowly Lecce on Sunday.

Inter welcomes Arsenal in the Champions League on Tuesday. Arsenal tops the table having won all six of its matches. Inter, which has lost its past two, sits sixth.

With that crucial match coming up, Cristian Chivu again rotated his squad on Saturday, with Pio Esposito partnering Lautaro.

Those two combined in the 20th minute for the opening goal.

Piotr Sebastian Zielinski played a through ball into the penalty area for Esposito to backheel it into the path of Lautaro, who muscled his way across before drilling into the bottom right corner.

Federico Dimarco thought he doubled Inter's lead in the 61st following another Esposito assist but it was ruled out for offside.

Napoli ended a run of three consecutive draws but it could have come at a cost.

Stanislav Lobotka scored his first goal in more than three years, volleying in a rebound in the seventh minute after Sassuolo goalkeeper Arijanet Muric could only parry a shot by Eljif Elmas.

Elmas and Napoli teammate Amir Rrahmani came off injured in the second half.

Rrahmani's will be more concerning as it appeared to be a muscle issue in his left thigh, while Elmas felt dizzy after taking a knock to the head.

Matteo Politano also appeared to have a muscular problem in stoppage time but stayed on — albeit with little movement — because Napoli used up all of its substitutions.

Napoli sits dangerously close to the elimination zone in the Champions League table and visits Copenhagen on Tuesday.

Fourth-placed Juventus surprisingly lost at relegation-threatened Cagliari 1-0.

Cagliari scored in the 65th minute with a well worked set play. Instead of lifting a free kick into the area, Gianluca Gaetano sent it in low for Luca Mazzitelli to volley into the bottom corner.

Mazzitelli almost gave away an early penalty for an apparent foul on Juventus midfielder Fabio Miretti but it was revoked on video review.

Cagliari moved eight points above the drop zone.

Juventus hosts Benfica in the Champions League on Wednesday.

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

Napoli's Rasmus Hojlund, centre left, and Sassuolo's Sebastian Walukiewicz challenge for the ball during the Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Sassuolo in Naples, Italy, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)

Napoli's Stanislav Lobotka celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Sassuolo in Naples, Italy, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)

Inter Milan's Francesco Pio Esposito, left, kicks the ball past Udinese's Oumar Solet during the Serie A soccer match between Udinese and Inter, in Udine, Italy, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Andrea Bressanutti/LaPresse via AP)

Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal, during the Serie A soccer match between Udinese and Inter, in Udine, Italy, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Andrea Bressanutti/LaPresse via AP)

Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal, during the Serie A soccer match between Udinese and Inter, in Udine, Italy, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Andrea Bressanutti/LaPresse via AP)

BURGAS, Bulgaria (AP) — Paul Magnier claimed the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia after the French rider won a sprint finish, while race favorite Jonas Vingegaard finished safely in the pack on Friday.

Magnier, who rides for Soudal Quick-Step, will wear the pink shirt for Stage 2 after his first win at a three-week Grand Tour.

The Giro’s opening three stages are being held in Bulgaria. The opening stage was a flat 147-kilometer (91-mile) course from Nessebar to Burgas on the Black Sea coast. Magnier finished the stage in 3 hours, 21 minutes, edging Tobias Lund Andresen at the finish line.

Several riders went down in a crash when a rider clipped a temporary barrier during the run-in over the final kilometer. It appears all the riders who fell managed to get up and finish the stage.

Vingegaard is aiming to complete the rare feat of winning all three Grand Tours. The Danish leader of Jumbo Visma team won the Tour de France in 2022 and 2023 and the Spanish Vuelta last year. This year, he won the Paris-Nice and Volta de Catalonia weeklong races in March.

Tadej Pogačar, cycling's top talent, is skipping the Giro to focus on adding to his four Tour titles in July.

Saturday's stage is a hilly 221-kilometer ride from Burgas to Tarnovo.

The Giro finishes in Rome on May 31.

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

The pack rides during Stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)

The pack rides during Stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)

The pack rides during Stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)

France's Paul Magnier celebrates winning stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)

Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard rides during Stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia cycling race, from Nessebar to Burgas, Bulgaria, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Gian Mattia D'Alberto/LaPresse via AP)