MILAN (AP) — Finland won the bronze medal in men’s hockey at the Olympics for a third consecutive time with NHL players participating, beating Slovakia 6-1 on Saturday night.
Erik Haula scored two goals and Joel Armia had a goal and two assists for Finland, which also got bronze in Sochi in 2014 and in Vancouver in 2010, and left Turin in 2006 with silver.
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Finland's Kaapo Kakko (84) celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during a men's ice hockey bronze medal game between Slovakia and Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Slovakia players are dejected at the end of a men's ice hockey bronze medal game between Slovakia and Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Finland's Kaapo Kakko (84) celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during a men's ice hockey bronze medal game between Slovakia and Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Finland's Kaapo Kakko celebrates after scoring a goal against Slovakia during the third period of the men's ice hockey bronze medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The Finland team celebrate their win in a men's ice hockey bronze medal game between Slovakia and Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
The Finns scored four times in the third period, bouncing back after blowing a two-goal lead in a 3-2 loss to high-powered Canada in the semifinals on Nathan MacKinnon's goal with 35.2 seconds left.
They again jumped ahead 2-0 and after Slovakia cut it to one, Roope Hintz and Kaapo Kakko scored 42 seconds apart in the third period as the Finns broke open the game. They finished off their four-goal outburst with two empty-net scores.
Even getting to this point was an impressive feat because they did so without top player Aleksander Barkov, who is recovering from surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right knee from an injury at Florida Panthers training camp in September.
Slovakia made an improbable underdog run through the tournament in Milan before losing to the U.S. in the semifinals, but was unable to secure back-to-back bronze medals four years after finishing third in Beijing.
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Finland's Kaapo Kakko (84) celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during a men's ice hockey bronze medal game between Slovakia and Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Slovakia players are dejected at the end of a men's ice hockey bronze medal game between Slovakia and Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Finland's Kaapo Kakko (84) celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during a men's ice hockey bronze medal game between Slovakia and Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Finland's Kaapo Kakko celebrates after scoring a goal against Slovakia during the third period of the men's ice hockey bronze medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The Finland team celebrate their win in a men's ice hockey bronze medal game between Slovakia and Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
LECCE, Italy (AP) — Substitutes Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Manuel Akanji scored late for Inter Milan to stretch its Serie A lead to 10 points with an unspectacular 2-0 win at Lecce on Saturday.
Both players were sent on for the last half hour. Mkhitaryan was left unmarked at the far post to score from Federico Dimarco’s corner in the 75th minute, and Akanji headed in from another corner in the 82nd.
“We knew they would drop off physically in the second half, and we did well to keep pushing,” Mkhitaryan said.
Dimarco thought he’d scored after the break but the goal was ruled out after a VAR check found Marcus Thuram was offside. Dimarco later had another effort to seal the win cleared off the line before he took the corner for Akanji's goal.
Inter was without star players Lautaro Martínez and Hakan Çalhanoğlu.
“Sometimes we produce our best in big matches, other times we don’t,” Akanji said. “But there aren’t two different versions of Inter. Yes, we lost to Bodø/Glimt last time out in the Champions League, but we’re still the same team capable of great things.”
Inter lost 3-1 to Bodø/Glimt in the first leg of their Champions League playoff. The Norwegian tournament upstart visits Milan for the second leg on Tuesday.
Inter’s seventh consecutive league win moved it 10 points clear of AC Milan before its city rival hosts Parma on Sunday.
Juventus’ damaging week continued with a 2-0 loss at home to Como that dents the Italian power’s hopes of Champions League qualification.
The defeat comes days after the Bianconeri’s 5-2 loss at Galatasaray in the first leg of the playoffs in this season’s Champions League. Juventus welcomes the Turkish team for the second leg on Wednesday.
Mërgim Vojvoda scored early for Como with a shot that Michele Di Gregorio should have saved after getting his arm to ball. The chance came about after Juventus’ Weston McKennie lost the ball in midfield.
There were whistles from frustrated Juve fans at the break, and it didn’t get any better for their team after the restart.
Lucas da Cunha broke through to set up Maxence Caqueret for Como’s second in the 61st.
It's Juventus' third straight defeat across all competitions and its fifth game in a row without a win.
“We made too many mistakes today. There were a number of moments where we created the problems for ourselves, and the pressure kicked in and affected us. The qualities we’ve shown haven’t disappeared, but now we can’t recognize them,” Juve coach Luciano Spalletti said. “We’re lacking a bit of cohesion, a bit of tenacity. We need to take the initiative.”
Spalletti's team remained fifth, a point behind Roma before the capital club hosts Cremonese on Sunday. Como stayed sixth, a point behind Juve. Only the top four qualify for Europe’s premier competition.
Cagliari drew 0-0 with mid-table rival Lazio in the late game. Cagliari defender Yerry Mina was sent off late with his second yellow card for a tactical foul just outside the penalty area.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Lecce's Walid Cheddira, right, and Inter's Alessandro Bastoni in action during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Lecce and Inter Milan in Lecce, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Giovanni Evangelista/LaPresse via AP)
Lecce's Tiago Gabriel, left, and Inter's Andy Diouf in action during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Lecce and Inter Milan in Lecce, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Giovanni Evangelista/LaPresse via AP)
Juventus' Teun Koopmeiners, left, fights for the ball with Como's Maxence Caqueret during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Como in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Marco Alpozzi/dpa via AP)
Juventus' Andrea Cambiaso, left, fights for the ball with Como's Mergim Voivode during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Como in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Marco Alpozzi/dpa via AP)
Juventus' Manuel Locatelli, right, fights for the ball with Como's Lucas Da Cunha during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Como in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)
Juventus' Kenan Yildiz, right, fights for the ball with Como's Lucas Da Cunha during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Como in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)
Juventus' Kenan Yildiz fights for the ball with Como's Jacobo Ramon, right, during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Como in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)
