AC Milan brush aside Bologna, Abraham snatches point on Dybala’s Juve return

AC Milan's Olivier Giroud scores their second goal during a Serie A football match with Bologna at the San Siro stadium in Milan on Aug. 27, 2022. (AP)
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Updated 28 August 2022
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AC Milan brush aside Bologna, Abraham snatches point on Dybala’s Juve return

  • Milan are one of four teams locked on seven points, with Roma, Lazio and Torino
  • Napoli will reclaim the summit should they win at Fiorentina on Sunday night

MILAN, Italy: AC Milan continued their unbeaten start to their Serie A title defense with a 2-0 win over Bologna on Saturday as Tammy Abraham earned Roma a 1-1 draw at Juventus on Juventus’s return to his old stomping ground.

Champions Milan eased to a routine win at the San Siro with goals either side of halftime from Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud to go top on goal difference.

Stefano Pioli’s side took full advantage of Inter Milan’s lose at Lazio on Friday night to move a point above their local rivals.

“We’re more concentrated and have more self-belief than in the past, we played with a real commitment to attacking and defending as a unit,” Pioli told Sky Sport Italia.

“I’s happy with our performance but I know we can still get better.”

Milan are one of four teams locked on seven points, with Roma, Lazio and Torino — 2-1 winners over promoted Cremonese.

Napoli will reclaim the summit should they win at Fiorentina on Sunday night, Luciano Spalletti’s flamboyant side on a perfect six points after two stunning displays in their opening fixtures.

Leao gave the hosts the lead in front of over 60,000 fans with his first goal of the season, the Portugal winger fortunate to see his duffed shot squirm past Lukasz Skorupski in the 21st minute after good play by debutant Charles De Ketelaere.

The 23-year-old Leao, who has been linked with Chelsea, should have added to Milan’s lead before the break, missing a one-on-one with Skorupski in first half stoppage time.

However, he set up Giroud’s opening strike of the campaign in the 58th minute with a perfectly clipped pass which the France international guided home with a beautifully-placed volleyed finish.

Nicola Sansone smashed the upright 10 minutes later for Bologna who are hovering above the drop zone with a single point.

Andrea Pinamonti scored his first goal for Sassuolo after moving from Inter, rolling home following a defensive mix-up to give his new team a 2-2 draw at Spezia.

Jose Mourinho said he was “ashamed” of his Roma players’ performances before they fought back to draw through Abraham’s first goal of the season.

England international Abraham headed home from Dybala’s knockdown in the 69th minute at the Allianz Stadium to maintain Roma’s unbeaten record.

Mourinho used the vulgar Italian expression “culo” to describe their good fortune at being only a goal down at the break after being given a lesson by Juve.

Roma escaped Turin with a point despite being second best for long periods. Dusan Vlahovic put Juve ahead with a stunning free-kick after barely a minute.

“I told my players at halftime that I was ashamed of them... We can’t come here and play like this,” he said.

“We did absolutely nothing, it was pure luck. It was a very different team in the second half.”

Massimiliano Allegri’s side stay unbeaten on five points but will be disappointed to not have taken all three on Saturday.

The good result at a place Roma have an awful record also masks a poor display from Dybala, who appeared overwhelmed on his first appearance at Juve since leaving as a free agent in the summer.

The Argentina forward won five Serie A titles and four Italian Cups in seven years with the Turin giants and was warmly applauded by home supporters before the match.

However, there were some boos and whistles from the stands when he was eventually substituted with 12 minutes remaining having helped deny his old team the win.


Bangladesh replaced by Scotland at T20 World Cup, reports say

Updated 24 January 2026
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Bangladesh replaced by Scotland at T20 World Cup, reports say

  • Bangladesh had asked the ICC to move their games to the tournament co-hosts Sri Lanka instead
  • Scotland, ‌the highest-ranked non-qualifier, are now set to ‌take ⁠Bangladesh’s place ‌in Group C

DUBAI: Bangladesh have been replaced by Scotland for next month’s Twenty20 World Cup after the South Asian side refused to travel to co-hosts India, media reports said on Saturday citing sources within the sport’s governing International Cricket Council.
The decision follows weeks of uncertainty, during which the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) repeatedly insisted it would not play its scheduled matches in India, citing safety concerns following soured political relations between the neighbors.
Bangladesh had asked the ICC to move their games to the tournament co-hosts Sri Lanka instead, but the governing body rejected the demand, dismissing any security threat ‌to the team.
Scotland, ‌the highest-ranked non-qualifier, are now set to ‌take ⁠Bangladesh’s place ‌in Group C, which features England, Italy, Nepal and West Indies, the BBC reported.
Reuters has contacted the ICC, BCB and Cricket Scotland for comment.

PROTESTS NEAR BANGLADESH HIGH COMMISSION
Last month, hundreds of people protested near Bangladesh’s High Commission in New Delhi after Hindu factory worker Dipu Chandra Das was beaten and set on fire in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district by a crowd ⁠that accused him of making derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad.
A total of 12 people ‌were arrested in connection with his death.
The ‍incident worsened relations between India and ‍its neighbor, with ties already strained after Bangladesh’s former Prime ‍Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to New Delhi following protests against her.
Political tensions have spilled into cricket.
Bangladesh bowler Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from this year’s Indian Premier League despite signing with its Kolkata franchise. Bangladesh responded by banning IPL broadcasts in the country and demanding to play World Cup matches in Sri Lanka.
The standoff mirrors previous tensions in South ⁠Asian cricket.
For the Champions Trophy last year, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) stuck to its policy of not touring Pakistan because of the strained political ties between the bitter neighbors, who play each other only in ICC events.
Like for the 2023 Asia Cup in Pakistan, a ‘hybrid model’ was agreed on under which India were allowed to play their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai to salvage the tournament.
Under the agreement running until 2027, Pakistan will play in a neutral venue for any ICC event, including the T20 World Cup where they are scheduled ‌to play their matches in Sri Lanka.
The 20-team World Cup is set to begin on February 7.