Napoli tightened their grip on the Serie A title race with a hard-fought 1-0 victory away to Lecce. It was powered by a first-half free-kick from Giacomo Raspadori. The win marked Napoli’s fourth consecutive clean sheet and temporarily stretched their lead at the top to six points. Antonio Conte’s side entered the clash in formidable form and they nearly struck early. Romelu Lukaku smartly redirected a low shot from Matteo Politano into the net in the second minute. However, the goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR check. Lecce’s reprieve was short-lived. Just past the 20-minute mark, Raspadori earned a free-kick on the edge of the box and converted it himself with a thunderous finish. Lecce came close to an equalizer before halftime when Kialonga Gaspar met a corner with a powerful header that smacked against the crossbar. Despite a brief spell of pressure from the hosts, Napoli nearly doubled their advantage before the break, but Raspadori dragged his effort wide after being set up by Scott McTominay. The second half saw Lecce improve after a double substitution, with Porir Johann Helgason injecting some urgency into their attack. The Icelandic midfielder saw one shot deflect narrowly over and another clever free-kick effort hit the side-netting. But Napoli managed the game superbly in the final stages, frustrating their opponents and keeping control to secure a crucial away win. The result extends their unbeaten run and gives them breathing room as Milan continue to chase. Lecce’s struggles, however, continue. Now without a win in 12 Serie A outings and goalless in four consecutive meetings with Napoli. Now, they remain perilously close to the relegation zone, just one point clear with the season entering its decisive stretch.

Lucas Paqueta’s emotional struggles were on full display during West Ham United’s draw with Tottenham. On Sunday, the Brazilian midfielder appeared to break down in tears after receiving a second-half yellow card. Caught in the middle of an ongoing Football Association investigation over alleged betting rule breaches, Paqueta’s frustration came to a head after a foul on Spurs youngster Mikey Moore earned him a caution from referee Michael Oliver. The 27-year-old was visibly distressed, with TV cameras capturing him wiping tears from his face after protesting the booking. Referee Oliver was seen warning the midfielder over his reaction, while teammates stepped in to calm him down. Paqueta is currently under scrutiny for alleged spot-fixing related to four yellow cards received during Premier League matches. If found guilty, the Brazil international could face a lifetime ban from football. He has strongly denied all charges. “He’s a player doing his best under very difficult circumstances,” West Ham manager Graham Potter said post-match. “Lucas is an emotional guy, and you saw that. But he’s given everything for this team and he’s coping as best as he can.” The midfielder’s fate now lies in the hands of an independent panel. However, the outcome won’t be determined until at least June. The hearing, originally set to wrap up in March, was postponed due to the complex nature of the case. As Paqueta continues to perform under pressure, his passion and emotional response reflect the toll the uncertainty has taken. not just on his career, but also on his well-being.

Juventus and Bologna played out a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on Sunday evening. They earned their fifth straight head-to-head stalemate as both sides remained locked in a tense battle for Champions League qualification. The result also extended Juve’s remarkable unbeaten run in this fixture to 28 matches. Despite the turbulent season that saw manager Thiago Motta dismissed in March, Juventus are still very much in the hunt for a top-four finish. Andrea Cambiaso broke down the flank before squaring to Khéphren Thuram, before fired a low shot from distance that beat Łukasz Skorupski. Bologna looked to respond quickly, showing intent but struggling to truly test Juve keeper Michele Di Gregorio. Their best chance of the first half came when Riccardo Orsolini’s curling corner forced a smart save, and Sam Beukema later headed over from a set-piece. Juventus thought they had a second before the break when Nicolás González slotted home after breaking through on goal.Cambiaso also found the net early in the second half but again VAR intervened to rule it out for offside. Bologna made their moment count in the 54th minute. A cross to the back post from Nicolò Cambiaghi found Thijs Dallinga, who directed it to Remo Freuler. The midfielder fired home with the help of a deflection to draw the hosts level. González came close to restoring Juve’s lead shortly after, but Skorupski smothered his effort. The visitors continued to push late on, including a frantic scramble in the box where Alberto Costa saw his shot cleared off the line, but they couldn’t find a winner. The point sees Juventus climb back into the top four, nudging past Roma, while Bologna stay just one point behind. The result also preserves Bologna’s unbeaten home run which now stands at 10 league games.

Manchester United’s dismal Premier League form continued as they fell to a chaotic defeat to Brentford. The loss extended their winless streak to six matches. For the hosts, the dramatic win propelled them into the top half of the table. It also stretched their unbeaten run to five league games. Kevin Schade could have scored twice for Brentford in the opening few minutes. irst narrowly missing with Altay Bayındır  out of position, then sliding in at the back post only to see his effort drift just wide. Despite Brentford’s early dominance, it was United who struck first. The visitors then took the lead with what was their only shot of the first half. That lead didn’t last, however. Brentford’s growing pressure yielded results before half-time when Mikkel Damsgaard’s strike deflected in off the unfortunate Luke Shaw after Michael Kayode’s long throw caused chaos. The Bees’ momentum carried over into the second half. Brentford’s mounting pressure told when Schade headed in his second of the match. Manchester United attempted a late comeback in the closing stages. United managed to make things nervy late on as Garnacho brilliantly curled into the top corner from outside the box. before substitute Amad Diallo’s shot went through Mark Flekken’s legs. But it proved too little, too late as Brentford held firm to record only their second victory in 13 head-to-head meetings with United. The Red Devils, meanwhile, have now won just three of their last 22 trips to London.