GENOA, Italy (AP) — Rasmus Højlund scored a last-gasp penalty as 10-man Napoli won 3-2 at Genoa in Serie A on Saturday, keeping pressure on the top two clubs from Milan.
Højlund was fortunate Genoa goalkeeper Justin Bijlow was unable to keep out his low shot, despite getting his arm to the ball in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
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Genoa's Ruslan Malinovskyi celebrates after scoring a goal during the Serie A soccer match between Genoa and Napoli, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, Genoa, Italy. (Tano Pecoraro/LaPresse via AP)
Napoli's goalkeeper Alex Meret catches the ball during the Serie A soccer match between Genoa and Napoli, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, Genoa, Italy. (Tano Pecoraro/LaPresse via AP)
Napoli's Scott McTominay celebrates after scoring a goal during the Serie A soccer match between Genoa and Napoli, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, Genoa, Italy. (Tano Pecoraro/LaPresse via AP)
Genoa's Lorenzo Colombo celebrates after scoring a goal during the Serie A soccer match between Genoa and Napoli, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in Genoa, Italy. (Tano Pecoraro/LaPresse via AP)
Genoa's Vitinha fights for the ball with Napoli's Amir Rrahmani, right, during the Serie A soccer match between Genoa and Napoli, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in Genoa, Italy. (Tano Pecoraro/LaPresse via AP)
The spot kick was awarded after Maxwel Cornet – who had just gone on as a substitute – was adjudged after a VAR check to have kicked Antonio Vergara’s foot after the Napoli midfielder dropped dramatically to the floor.
Højlund’s second goal of the game moved Napoli one point behind AC Milan and six behind Inter Milan. They both have a game in hand.
“We showed that we’re a team that never gives up, even in difficult situations, in emergencies, and despite being outnumbered, we had the determination to win. I’m proud of my players’ attitude, and I thank them and congratulate them because the victory was deserved,” Napoli coach Antonio Conte said.
His team got off to a bad start with goalkeeper Alex Meret bringing down Vitinha after a botched back pass from Alessandro Buongiorno just seconds into the game. A VAR check confirmed the penalty and Ruslan Malinovskyi duly scored from the spot in the second minute.
Scott McTominay was involved in both goals as Napoli replied with a quickfire double. Bijlow saved his first effort in the 20th but Højlund tucked away the rebound, and McTominay let fly from around 20 meters to make it 2-1 a minute later.
However, McTominay had to go off at the break with what looked like a muscular injury, and another mistake from Buongiorno allowed Lorenzo Colombo to score in the 57th for Genoa.
“Scott has a gluteal problem that he’s had since the season started. It gets inflamed sometimes," Conte said of McTominay. "He would have liked to continue, but I preferred not for him to take any risks because he’s a key player for us.”
Napoli center back Juan Jesus was sent off in the 76th after receiving a second yellow card for pulling back Genoa substitute Caleb Ekuban.
Genoa pushed for a winner but it was the visitors who celebrated after a dramatic finale.
"The penalty wasn’t perfect. I was also lucky, but what matters is that we won,” Højlund said.
Fiorentina was on course to escape the relegation zone until Torino defender Guillermo Maripán scored deep in stoppage time for a 2-2 draw in the late game.
Fiorentina had come from behind after Cesare Casadei’s early goal for the visitors, with Manor Solomon and Moise Kean both scoring early in the second half.
A 2-1 win would have lifted Fiorentina out of the relegation zone, but Maripán equalized in the 94th minute with a header inside the far post after a free kick for what seemed like a defeat for the home team.
Fiorentina had lost its previous three games, including to Como in the Italian Cup.
Earlier, Juventus announced star player Kenan Yildiz's contract extension through June 2030.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Genoa's Ruslan Malinovskyi celebrates after scoring a goal during the Serie A soccer match between Genoa and Napoli, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, Genoa, Italy. (Tano Pecoraro/LaPresse via AP)
Napoli's goalkeeper Alex Meret catches the ball during the Serie A soccer match between Genoa and Napoli, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, Genoa, Italy. (Tano Pecoraro/LaPresse via AP)
Napoli's Scott McTominay celebrates after scoring a goal during the Serie A soccer match between Genoa and Napoli, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, Genoa, Italy. (Tano Pecoraro/LaPresse via AP)
Genoa's Lorenzo Colombo celebrates after scoring a goal during the Serie A soccer match between Genoa and Napoli, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in Genoa, Italy. (Tano Pecoraro/LaPresse via AP)
Genoa's Vitinha fights for the ball with Napoli's Amir Rrahmani, right, during the Serie A soccer match between Genoa and Napoli, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in Genoa, Italy. (Tano Pecoraro/LaPresse via AP)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — More than 24 hours before the first shot flew at a Final Four that really feels like a five-team affair, Arizona already had a win.
The Wildcats kept their coach from bolting to that fifth team — North Carolina.
Tommy Lloyd dropped the news of the contract extension that will keep him in Tucson through 2031 at Friday's news conference in advance of a titanic matchup against Michigan.
The meandering coaching search at one of the country's most storied programs has shared headlines with Saturday night's much-anticipated national semifinal that happens to feature two of Carolina's reported coaching targets.
"We’ve been able to get some things done the past couple days," Lloyd said.
Like Lloyd, Michigan coach Dusty May has spent most of this tournament batting down speculation that he might be the replacement for Hubert Davis, who was fired after the Tar Heels blew a 19-point lead in a loss to VCU in the first round of the tournament last month.
Not surprisingly, May was asked about it again the day before the big game.
“Yeah, I love it at Michigan, but you’ll never hear me comment on any other job unless Michigan lets me go and then I’ll comment on every job,” he said.
It's no big surprise that these two coaches are among the hottest commodities in hoops. Just look at the teams they brought to Indy.
There are no fewer than nine potential NBA stars sprinkled across the two rosters, which is why the winner of this, the second of Saturday night's semifinals, will almost certainly be a favorite against the UConn-Illinois winner in the undercard.
“It's the Final Four for a reason. It's the best teams, the best four," Arizona freshman Brayden Burries said. "UConn, Illinois, they're great teams. If we do win Saturday, we know we have a great shot at it. But no, we're not thinking about that now.”
Depending on which mock draft you check, Arizona's top NBA pick will either be Koa Peat (14 points, 5.5 rebounds) or Burries, a 16-point-a-game, McDonalds All-American who is shooting 68% from 3 over the tournament.
It's a striking stat for a team that attempted the third-lowest percentage of 3s in the country, if only because of all the tall, lanky talent it has across the court.
“We're doubling down on what we're good at, and we're believing in Coach Lloyd," said Arizona guard Jaden Bradley, a senior who has spent three years in Tucson after transferring from Alabama. “I like to get in the paint and get fouled. And when teams take that away, we're capable from 3 and we can knock those down, as well.”
Michigan is a 1 1/2-point favorite, according to the BetMGM Sportsbook, in a matchup of the top two teams in the KenPom rankings.
Michigan's best — but hardly its only — NBA prospect is Yaxel Lendeborg, who has scored 25, 23 and 27 in three straight blowout wins in the tournament.
Lendeborg came to Michigan last offseason from UAB. He was part of a quick rebuild, the likes of which are made possible in the era of the rapid-fire transfer portal. The architect is May, who himself arrived in Ann Arbor two seasons ago, just a year removed from a Final Four appearance with Florida A&M.
Michigan's four top scorers — Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr., Aday Mara and Elliot Cadeau — played at different colleges last season.
May conceded to feeling some relief now that the transfer portal is considered a legit way to build a roster. Gone are the days of spending hundreds of hours recruiting high schoolers, only to learn that they've chosen someplace else.
“When I say we’re saving time, we don’t waste time with all the other things,” May said. “We still have to do our research. We still have the intel. We still have to spend an inordinate amount of time. We just don’t have to spend it the way we used to.”
As this Final Four is showing, it's not just the players whose every move is under a microscope.
“I didn’t want to make this entire Final Four about that because I’m just a small part of something much bigger,” Lloyd said of his contract extension. “But on that same note, I’d also like to let you know that North Carolina is an amazing place. I mean, it’s a one of one. It’s an honor to even be considered for that job.”
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
Arizona guard Brayden Burries smiles after a win over Purdue in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Kelley L Cox)
Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg passes during practice ahead of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game against Arizona at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Michigan head coach Dusty May watches during practice ahead of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game against Arizona at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd watches during practice ahead of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game against against Michigan at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
