Inter win derby | Barca beat Sevilla but Real slip up away at Mallorca

World Cup winner Lautaro Martinez continued his roaring start to the year as he set Inter Milan on the way to a 1-0 victory over AC Milan in the Derby della Madonnina

Martinez has been in fantastic form since helping Argentina win the World Cup in December and he netted his seventh goal in his last eight matches as Inter consolidated second spot in Serie A with a second win over its fierce rival in less than three weeks.

It was Martinez’s 12th league goal of the season, putting him four behind leading Serie A goalscorer Victor Osimhen, who scored another two on Sunday to help runaway leader Napoli win 3-0 at lowly Spezia.

Inter are 13 points behind Napoli and three points above third-placed Roma. Inter are five points above Lazio, Atalanta and Milan, who have slipped to sixth after a woeful start to the year. Milan’s winless run extended to seven matches.

Inter almost took the lead in the 10th minute but Martnez headed just wide of the right upright. Martinez did better in the 34th minute as he got away from Simon Kjaer at the near post to get his head to a corner and it took a deflection off the Milan defender on the way in.

Romelu Lukaku thought he had scored his first league goal since August, late on, but the whistle had already gone for a foul by him on Malick Thiaw. Martinez later had a goal ruled out for offside.

Barca thrash Sevilla to extend LaLiga lead

Barcelona extended their LaLiga lead to eight points thanks to second-half goals by Jordi Alba, Gavi and Raphinha that gave them a 3-0 home win against Sevilla.

The locals were in control from the beginning but managed to score only after the break when substitute Franck Kessie set up Alba inside the box to slot in a first-touch strike to the goalkeeper’s left.

Raphinha got down the right and delivered a perfect low cross to Gavi who tapped in to make it 2-0 a little over 10 minutes later.

Raphinha got the third goal in the 79th minute with a point-blank strike from an Alba cross.

Barca top the table on 53 points, eight ahead of second-placed Real and 14 above third-placed Real Sociedad. Sevilla, who have won only five of their 20 LaLiga games this season, are 16th on 21 points, two above the relegation zone.

Champions Real Madrid suffered a shock 1-0 loss at Mallorca earlier on Sunday after a bizarre own goal by defender Nacho early in the first half.

Nacho left his team-mates stunned as he tried to clear a cross in the 13th minute and headed the ball high over his own goalkeeper and into the net.

Real dominated the match but missed several chances and wasted a golden opportunity to equalise in the 59th minute when Mallorca goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic saved a poor penalty from Marco Asensio.

Bayern hold on despite Kimmich red card

Bayern Munich held on despite Joshua Kimmich’s sending off to beat Wolfsburg 4-2 and return to the top of the Bundesliga.

Kimmich was sent off with his second yellow card in the 54th minute but Wolfsburg were unable to make their dominance count as the visitors delivered a lesson in efficiency.

Kingsley Coman scored twice and Thomas Muller and Jamal Musiala added two more while Bayern also needed goalkeeper Yann Sommer at his best to secure the teams first Bundesliga win of the year.

“The result was important, the victory matters above all else,” Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann said.

“We were too careless after the third goal, not concentrated enough and we allowed a bit too much. But we can be positive looking ahead with these three points.”

Earlier on Sunday, second-half goals from Jens Stage and Marvin Ducksch earned Werder Bremen a 2-0 win at Stuttgart for the visitors’ second consecutive victory.

It lifted promoted Bremen to eighth while Stuttgart dropped back into the relegation zone. Stuttgart have not won a game since mid-November.

What’s behind captain Neuer’s public spat with Bayern Munich?

Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic says the club will be speaking to captain Manuel Neuer after he criticised the German champions over the decision to release goalkeeping coach Toni Tapalovic.

Neuer, who has been sidelined for the rest of the season after breaking his leg on a ski trip following Germany’s elimination from the World Cup, said it felt as though his “heart was being ripped out” after he was informed his close friend was being dismissed after more than a decade at the club.

The Bayern skipper rejected reports Tapalovic was leaking information from the coaching staff and said he told the club’s hierarchy that he did not agree with the reasons put forward for the 42-year-old’s dismissal.

“That blow hit me extremely hard,” Neuer told the Athletic. “I was told by the club officials. It came out of nowhere. For Toni too. I didn’t understand that at all. It really knocked me down.

Neuer
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Neuer and Tapalovic celebrate winning the Champions League

“Toni was always a team player with us, everyone saw it that way. He wasn’t working for me for eleven and a half years, but for the entire goalkeeper group, for the coaching staff and for the club. We were always able to separate work and private life. I understand that it might sound like I’m not being objective or not believable, but I can really tell the difference.

“For me, that was a blow – when I was already down on the ground. I felt like my heart was being ripped out. It was the most brutal thing I’ve experienced in my career. And I’ve experienced a lot.

“There was no reason that I could comprehend. Things were said that I don’t agree with. Nothing I heard would have ruled out the possibility of people talking to each other and sorting things out.

“This is about the human side of things, the way a valued employee was treated. At Bayern Munich, we want to be different – a family. And then something happens that I have never experienced before. It’s a sad thing for everyone: for the club, for Tapa, the staff and all of the goalkeepers, including me. Nevertheless, I want to say: I’m a human being on one hand, and I’m a professional on the other.”

Oliver Khan has hit back at Manuel Neuer after his comments about the club's actions
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Oliver Khan has hit back at Manuel Neuer after his comments about the club’s actions

Over the weekend Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn criticised Neuer for his comments and Salihamidzic said the 36-year-old had “put his personal interests here above the interests of the club”.

Salihamidzic told Bild: “I understand that Manuel is personally affected. But I would have expected a different behaviour from him, especially as a captain. [The] Tapalovic decision, which was also difficult for us personally, had nothing to do with Manuel in this matter, and we explained that to him.

“If there are any consequences, we will first talk to Manuel about it himself. The disappointment that he describes about Tapa’s release also prevails with us because Manuel has put his personal interests here above the interests of the club. But we will do it internally and discuss it reasonably with him.”

On January 23 Bayern released a statement saying Tapalovic had been dismissed “with immediate effect”.

Salihamidzic said in the statement: “As our goalkeeping coach, Toni was involved in the successes of recent years. We would like to thank him for that. Differences, particularly over the way we worked together, have now led to us going our separate ways. We wish Toni Tapalovic all the best for the future.”

Euro round-up: Cancelo shines on Bayern debut | Mbappe misses two pens

Joao Cancelo needed little time to make an impact for Bayern Munich as he helped his new team reach the quarter-finals of the German Cup with a 4-0 win at Mainz.

The Portugal full-back started on the right wing one day after joining on loan from Manchester City and set up Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to open the scoring in the 17th minute.

It was Bayern’s first win of 2023 after they restarted the Bundesliga with three draws, and the first time since 2020 the Bavarian powerhouse reached the German Cup last eight.

Cancelo made the most of some passive defending from Mainz as he lofted a cross to the far post for Choupo-Moting, then Thomas Muller set up Jamal Musiala to shoot in off the right post after half an hour.

It got worse for Mainz before the break when captain Silvan Widmer had to go off injured and Choupo-Moting set up Leroy Sane to score.

Mainz improved drastically for the second half, but Bayern withstood the pressure and Joshua Kimmich delivered a free-kick for Alphonso Davies to complete the scoring with a header in the 83rd minute.

Mainz coach Bo Svensson had been sent off just before Davies’ goal and defender Alexander Hack followed with his second yellow card in the 86th minute.

Also in the German Cup, defending champions RB Leipzig defeated Hoffenheim 3-1 to progress to the quarter-finals, while Union Berlin and Stuttgart booked their places on Tuesday. There are further third-round games next week.

Mbappe injured and misses penalty twice

PSG's Kylian Mbappe reacts after missing a chance during the French League One soccer match between Montpellier and Paris Saint-Germain at the State La Mosson stadium in Montpellier, France, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
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Kylian Mbappe missed a penalty twice before getting injured

Lionel Messi scored as Paris Saint-Germain stretched their Ligue 1 lead to five points with a 3-1 win at Montpellier – despite Kylian Mbappe limping off the pitch.

Mbappe, who also missed a penalty, held his left thigh as he was replaced after 20 minutes, but coach Christophe Galtier said the France forward had damaged his knee.

“It’s a knock on the knee and it hurts behind the thigh,” Galtier said. PSG play Bayern Munich in their Champions League last-16 first leg in two weeks’ time.

Mbappe had a night to forget, having had his spot-kick parried away by Benjamin Lecomte in the eighth minute. The France forward was handed a reprieve and allowed to take the penalty again, only for the Montpellier goalkeeper to deny him for a second time.

PSG, who had lost their two previous away games and were held to a last-gasp home draw by Reims on Sunday, were much improved and were rewarded in the 55th minute, when Fabian Ruiz volleyed home from Hugo Ekitike’s headed pass.

Fabian was the provider 17 minutes later, finding Messi with a laser-sharp pass for the Argentine forward to beat Lecomte with a low shot from close range.

Arnaud Nordin pulled one back for Montpellier, but 16-year-old midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery, who was born two years after Messi made his professional debut, put the result beyond doubt at the end of a counter-attack.

Elsewhere, Marseille claimed a 2-0 victory at Nantes to leapfrog Lens, who dropped their first points at home in a 1-0 defeat by Nice, into second place.

Azzedine Ounahi celebrated his first match for Marseille after joining from Angers with a cool finish following a spectacular dribble to add to Joao Victor’s own goal.

With 46 points, Marseille lead third-placed Lens by one point. Monaco stayed fourth, four points behind Lens, by beating Auxerre 3-2.

England U21 striker Folarin Balogun – on loan from Arsenal – bagged a hat-trick to help Reims beat Lorient 4-2 and move top of the Ligue 1 scorers’ charts.

Bottom club Angers were beaten 2-1 at home by Ajaccio to rack up a top-flight record 13 defeats in a row, beating the mark set by Dijon in the 2020-21 season and Cercle Athletique Paris (1933-34).

Barcelona go eight points clear of Real

Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski, left, celebrates with his teammate Pedri after scoring his side's second goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Betis and Barcelona at the Benito Villamarin stadium in Seville, Spain, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
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Robert Lewandowski scored his first LaLiga goal since October

Robert Lewandowski ended his scoring drought in LaLiga to help Barcelona defeat Real Betis 2-1 and increase their lead over Real Madrid.

Lewandowski – who was making his return after a three-game ban – sealed Barcelona’s sixth straight victory in all competitions with his first league goal since October and now leads LaLiga with 14 goals.

Raphinha opened the scoring for Barcelona – who now lead Real Madrid by eight points ahead of their rivals’ game against Valencia at the Bernabeu on Thursday – with a touch from close range after a low cross by Alejandro Balde in the 65th minute.

Lewandowski added to the lead with a shot from inside the area in the 80th minute, but Betis got on the board with an own goal by Jules Kounde five minutes later.

It was Betis’ sixth straight league loss at home against Barcelona, with Manuel Pellegrini’s side staying sixth in LaLiga – three points behind fourth-placed Atletico Madrid.

Mourinho’s Roma stunned by Cremonese

Roma's head coach Jose Mourinho sits prior to his team's friendly soccer match against Yokohama F. Marinos in Tokyo, Monday, Nov. 28, 2022.(AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
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Jose Mourinho’s Roma were beaten by a side without a Serie A win this season

Serie A strugglers Cremonese pulled off another shock in the Italian Cup by beating Roma 2-1 to reach the semi-finals for only the second time in their history.

Cremonese are bottom in Serie A having failed to win in the league, but followed up their cup victory at Napoli in the last round by eliminating Jose Mourinho’s side.

Cremonese will face Fiorentina in their first semi-final since 1987, while the other last-four contest pits holders Inter Milan against either Juventus or Lazio.

Roma defender Marash Kumbulla was partly to blame for Cremonese’s opener as he took too long on the ball, allowing Cyriel Dessers to steal it off him on the halfway line and sprint into the area, where he was brought down by goalkeeper Rui Patrcio.

Dessers dusted himself down and fired a precise penalty into the top-left corner to give the visitors a 28th-minute lead.

Mourinho rang the changes at half-time, but Cremonese doubled their advantage four minutes after the break when David Okereke raced down the right flank and rolled the ball across for Charles Pickel, who tried to flick it on to Frank Tsadjout, but it was deflected into his own net by Roma defender Zeki Celik to send the 200 traveling fans wild.

Andrea Belotti pulled one back for Roma in the fourth minute of stoppage time, but it was not enough for Mourinho’s side.

Elsewhere, Fiorentina avenged their Serie A loss to Torino by beating them 2-1 in the quarter-finals, thanks to goals from Luka Jovic and Jonathan Ikone.

Man Utd sign Sabitzer on loan from Bayern

Manchester United have signed Bayern Munich midfielder Marcel Sabitzer on loan until the end of the season in a late Deadline Day move.

There is no option to buy the Austria international.

United’s need for a midfielder intensified after Christian Eriksen was ruled out with an ankle injury until at least April, with Donny van de Beek unavailable for the rest of the season and Scott McTominay out for a few weeks.

The club were offered a host of midfielders including free agent Isco, Atletico Madrid’s Saul Ninguez and Yannick Carrasco and Lyon’s Houssem Aouar, but preferred Sabitzer.

Chelsea also enquired about a deal for Sabitzer but chose to pursue a move for Benfica’s Enzo Fernandez.

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Take a look at Sabitzer’s only goal for Bayern Munich this season

Sabitzer joined Bayern from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2021 but has started just seven games in the Bundesliga so far this season.

Predominantly a central midfielder, the 28-year-old has also played as a defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder, second striker and winger during his career.

Sabitzer: I knew this was right move for me

Man Utd’s Deadline Day loan signing Sabitzer said:

“Sometimes in life you have to make quick and important decisions. From the moment I heard about this opportunity I knew it was right for me.

“I am a competitive player; I want to win and help the club achieve its aims this season.

“I feel that I am at my peak as a player, and that I can contribute a lot of experience and energy to the squad.

“I’m excited to start with my new team-mates and manager and to show my qualities to Manchester United fans.”

What can Sabitzer offer Man Utd?

Marcel Sabitzer, Bayern Munich
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Sabitzer joined Bayern Munich from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2021

Sky Sports News senior reporter Melissa Reddy:

“Manchester United’s initial interest was in Marcel Sabitzer’s Bayern Munich team-mate Ryan Gravenberch, who was on Liverpool’s midfield shortlist ahead of his switch to the Bundesliga giants.

“The 20-year-old, coached by Ten Hag at Ajax, has been disillusioned by his lack of minutes at Bayern but the club had no intention of letting him leave this month and the player himself wants to fight for his place.

“On very short notice, in a horribly tight bind given Christian Eriksen’s injury situation, Sabitzer is a clever addition on loan. The Austria international offers versatility in the positions he can cover, having operated out wide but also in a free eight role similar to what Eriksen has had.

“Comfortable with both feet which will aid United’s balance in possession, Sabitzer has the ability to progress the ball quickly and is also adept at protecting space, cutting off passing lanes using his cover shadow.”

Read the feature in full

View from Germany: Sabitzer has potential, but can he replace Eriksen?

Sky Germany’s Uli Kohler at Bayern Munich’s training ground:

“He’s a player with potential. He is very important for the Austrian team. He was the most important player when he played at Leipzig, who were also in the Champions League a few times and Sabitzer was one of the key players.

“For sure, he can help. But to replace Eriksen, that waits to be seen.”

Merse: Sabitzer doesn’t get in the Bayern team – it’s panic!

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Paul Merson is not convinced Sabitzer is the right player for Manchester United

Sky Sports’ Paul Merson:

“Marcel Sabitzer doesn’t get in the Bayern Munich team. I know they’ve got a two cemented in midfield but if he was that good he’d be pushing. Again it goes back to panic. There was no interest in him on January 1… You’re buying second-rate Bayern Munich players.

“This lad wasn’t on the radar before. He doesn’t get in the Bayern team – nowhere near their first team. You’ve got to ask ‘is he going to make us better?’ I’m not sure.”

Ten Hag: We’ll miss Eriksen’s quality

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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag discusses who could replace Christian Eriksen in midfield after the Denmark international was ruled out of action until at least April due to injury

Eriksen left Old Trafford on crutches after being forced off in Saturday’s FA Cup win over Reading and now looks set to miss a significant amount of United’s run-in.

Speaking in a press conference ahead of United’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg with Nottingham Forest, Erik ten Hag explained he has options to cover Eriksen’s absence – but admitted it would be hard to replace the Dane’s quality in attacking areas.

“He’s disappointed and we’re disappointed, but it happens in top football. You have to deal with it,” the United boss said.

“We have players in midfield, good players, who can fill the gap. Every player has their own characteristics and identity. Eriksen brings top quality to our squad and some characteristics are hard to replace, for instance, his quality in the final third.”

Man City’s Cancelo makes Bayern loan move | ‘I want to play more, no Pep rift’

Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo has completed a Deadline Day loan move to Bayern Munich, insisting he wants to play more, rather than a rift with Pep Guardiola, that saw him leave.

The deal is an initial loan with an option to buy the full-back for more than £61m (€70m).

Cancelo posted a goodbye message on his Instagram page on Tuesday which read: “Once a Cityzen, always a Cityzen. Thank you.”

Ruben Dias, Ederson and former City player Oleksandr Zinchenko were among the first to post supportive messages in reply.

The Portuguese international has had limited game time since returning from the World Cup, with Pep Guardiola changing the shape of his side.

Cancelo started 36 times for City in the Premier League last season, but has had a restricted role at City this term.

During his time in Manchester, Cancelo won two league titles and was twice named in the Premier League Team of the Year.

Joao Cancelo tangles with Mathias Olivera
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Cancelo’s form has dropped since the World Cup

Cancelo later said at a press conference: “I’ve not had much game time in the past few weeks, which influenced my decision. There was speculation that my relationship with Pep was not the best, but fact is I wanted to play more.

“I really wanted to embark on this new adventure at such a club with such a big history. It’s a dream for me. I’m very happy to be here and to show my footballing qualities.

“I know that this club, this team, lives for titles and wins titles every year. I’m also driven by the hunger for success.”

Bayern have failed to win a game since the World Cup restart, starting the year with three consecutive 1-1 draws against Leipzig, Cologne and Eintracht Frankfurt. The team’s Bundesliga lead has since shrunk from four points to one. Union Berlin, Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund are all within three points.

“We’ve signed him on loan now and have the possibility of signing him permanently in the summer,” said Bayern’s sports director Hasan Salihamidzic.

Joao Cancelo graphic

“Joao is a player we’ve been thinking about for a while now because we very much appreciate his qualities. He’s the optimal fit in our system with his attacking style of play and dynamism, and his mentality and experience fit very well in our team.”

“FC Bayern is a great club, one of the best in the world, and it’s enormous motivation for me to now play alongside these extraordinary players in a team,” Cancelo said.

“I know that this club, this team lives for titles and wins titles every year. I’m also driven by the hunger for success. I’ll give my best for FC Bayern.”

‘Cancelo the right man at the right time for the right club’

Sky Germany’s Uli Koehler:

“It was a surprising deal – no one knew about it – but Bayern were keen on Joao Cancelo for a long time. They were always in contact for the last couple of years because they want to have him.

“That’s maybe the difference to Chelsea – Bayern knows the player that they want to sign.

“He was just at the press conference and he is very keen on it. Tomorrow there is a cup game so he has said he is ready to play. I don’t know if Julian Nagelsmann will do that, but it’s a big deal for Bayern.

“He’s a very experienced player, they had problems on the wing side on the right so it’s a perfect deal for Bayern Munich.

“Cancelo denied an argument with Pep Guardiola. But on the other hand, he was asked if he was talking with Pep about Bayern because he had a very successful time here at Munich [as manager]. He denied that, too.

“He said they were short of time, so I think something may have happened that he doesn’t want to explain, which I can understand because he is only on loan. Maybe he has to go back to England at the end of the season, so that’s why he has the doors open still.

“But Bayern need him. If he performs well, it’s a very good deal for them, especially because Benjamin Pavard is out of form. He didn’t play much at the World Cup and he wants to go to Barcelona. Nobody understands why when he’s not performing.

“Then Noussair Mazraoui, the player from Morocco, he played at the World Cup right after a Covid injury and he has heart problems now.

“So they need him desperately. Joao Cancelo is the right man at the right time and at the right club, I hope.”

Follow the January transfer window with Sky Sports

Who will be on the move this winter? The January transfer window closes at 11pm in England and midnight in Scotland on Tuesday January 31, 2023.

Keep up-to-date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.