Atalanta’s hopes of winning their first Serie A title took another big hit on Sunday with a 1-0 defeat at Fiorentina, ahead of fixtures for Scudetto rivals Inter Milan and Napoli.
Moise Kean continued his excellent season up front for Fiorentina with the only goal of the game on the stroke of half-time in Florence, pushing the hosts to within a point of the division’s European places.
Italy striker Kean, who scored twice for his country against Germany a week ago, confidently netted his 16th league goal of the season after robbing Atalanta defender Isak Hien on the halfway line.
Defeat means Atalanta stay six points behind league leaders and reigning champions Inter, who are expected to beat mid-table Udinese later on Sunday.
Napoli are three points ahead of Atalanta in second and could pull further away in the day’s late match, where Antonio Conte’s side host AC Milan.
Regardless, last year’s Europa League winners Atalanta, who looked like title candidates following an 11-match winning streak between October and December, have fallen away since the turn of the year.
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa inspired a 3-0 win against Preston that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years on Sunday.
Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four.
Revitalised since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that made him one of England’s brightest stars prior to his steep decline over the last two years.
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Amid concerns over his attitude and off-field behaviour, Rashford was deemed expendable by United manager Ruben Amorim, after also clashing with former Old Trafford boss Erik ten Hag.
The 27-year-old hadn’t scored since netting for United against Everton on December 1.
Aston Villa’s English striker #09 Marcus Rashford applauds as he celebrates at the end of the English FA Cup quarter-final football match between Preston North End and Aston Villa at Deepdale stadium in Preston, north-west England on March 30, 2025. Aston Villa wins 3 – 0 against Preston North End. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) / ,
Deployed in the central striker’s role that often seemed to dent his confidence at United, Rashford was too dynamic for second-tier Preston to handle in the latest sign that his career might not be destined to end in disappointment after all.
While struggling, United have been mired in turmoil, and Rashford has benefited from moving to an upwardly mobile Villa.
Emery’s side have enjoyed a memorable run to the Champions League quarter-finals, where they face Paris Saint-Germain in April.
They also have an outside chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Rashford could be part of a memorable climax to the campaign for Villa, who haven’t won the FA Cup since 1957, with their last final ending in defeat against Arsenal in 2015.
Aston Villa’s English striker #09 Marcus Rashford (rear R) celebrates with teammates after scoring his team second goal during the English FA Cup quarter-final football match between Preston North End and Aston Villa at Deepdale stadium in Preston, north-west England on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) / ,
Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace booked their places in the Wembley semi-finals on Saturday, with Manchester City travelling to Bournemouth for the last quarter-final later on Sunday.
Sitting 14th in the Championship, Preston were playing in the quarter-finals for the first time since 1966.
Paul Heckingbottom’s side were unbeaten in their previous 15 home games in all competitions, but the 1889 and 1938 FA Cup winners were no match for ruthless Villa.
Rashford’s free-kick forced Preston goalkeeper David Cornell into action before Ezri Konsa’s glancing header whistled just wide from Marco Asensio’s cross.
Stefan Thordarson wasted a golden opportunity to give Preston a shock lead when he poked wide.
Rashford was equally profligate after half-time, shooting straight at Cornell from inside the area.
But Villa broke the deadlock in the 58th minute as Rashford timed his run perfectly to meet Lucas Digne’s low cross with a clinical finish from 12 yards.
Morgan Rogers was denied by Cornell moments later as Villa went for the kill.
And it was Rogers who earned Villa’s penalty in the 63rd minute when the England midfielder was tripped by Andrew Hughes.
Rashford stepped up to send Cornell the wrong way with a nerveless spot-kick.
Pep Guardiola , hopes his Manchester City side can atone for one of their key defeats this season when they bid to make FA Cup history away to Bournemouth on Sunday.
Victory over the Cherries would mean City had reached the semi-finals of the knockout competition for a record-extending seventh consecutive season.
But their last visit to the south coast club saw City, fresh from a record run of four successive English top-flight titles, suffer their first Premier League defeat of the season when they lost 2-1 in November.
It was the start of a dramatic slump that saw City lose seven and win just one of their next 11 games, with Guardiola in no doubt about the impact of the defeat by Bournemouth.
“That was the first game where we were a little bit away from the standards required to be competitive”, he said. “I couldn’t turn around the symptoms that that game started, in terms of pressing and being aggressive and duels and these aspects.
” We have been magnificent in these terms but then it was a minimum we didn’t have. I’ve been trying for many months (since). We have the technology but sometimes it takes time. “
City are currently fifth in the Premier League table but a huge 22 points behind leaders Liverpool, while they were knocked out of this season’s Champions League by Real Madrid.
The FA Cup now represents their last chance of silverware this term, with City manager Guardiola having lifted the trophy twice during his time at the Etihad.
” We achieved the record last season — six times in a row in the semi-finals, and most of the time we were playing in bad condition after Champions League (games), “said Guardiola.
” It was difficult to deal with that, so arriving there shows how important this competition is. “
The Spaniard added:” With the season we have had, to come back to Wembley to play the semi-final and reach the final would be nice. “
City goalkeeper Ederson is back in contention after missing their last game against Brighton with an abdominal problem.
RB Leipzig have fired coach Marco Rose, days out from a German Cup semi-final clash at Stuttgart, the club said in a statement on Sunday.
Jurgen Klopp, Head of Soccer at parent company Red Bull, was not named in the statement and has said previously he would not step in as coach, whether on a permanent or interim basis.
Leipzig slipped to sixth in the table after Saturday’s 1-0 loss at Borussia Moenchengladbach, their sixth successive away match without a win.
The Saxony club are three points behind a place in the top four and Champions League qualification for next season.
They face a tight battle for the remaining two spots, with league leaders Bayern Munich and defending champions Bayer Leverkusen all but assured of a place in next season’s competition.
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Leipzig-born Rose took over in September 2022 and guided them to a German Cup triumph in his first season in charge, along with third place in the league.
The club also won the DFL Supercup, equivalent to England’s Charity Shield, with a 3-0 win over Bayern Munich at the start of the 2023-24 season.
Last season, Leipzig finished fourth, with Germany awarded five Champions League placings due to UEFA coefficient placings.
“We believed in Marco and his team for a very long time and tried everything until the very end to turn things around together”, sporting director Marcel Schaefer said in a statement.
“However, given the current situation and the lack of results, we are firmly convinced that we need a new impetus for the remaining games to achieve our goals this season”.
Leipzig thanked Rose for his time at the club but the coach was not quoted in the statement. The remainder of his team were also dismissed.
The 48-year-old, who previously coached Red Bull Salzburg, Borussia Moenchengladbach, and Borussia Dortmund, was under contract until June 2026.
Besides their stuttering league form, Leipzig lost seven of eight games in this season’s Champions League and failed to qualify for the knockout stages.
The two-time German Cup winners travel to Stuttgart to play in the semi-finals of the competition on Wednesday.
Leipzig, owned by Red Bull since 2009, have only missed out on the Champions League once since the 2016/17 campaign in the Bundesliga and made it to the semi-finals of the competition in 2020.
Leipzig said a successor to Rose would be named “shortly”.
Lionel Messi returned to action for Inter Miami after his injury layoff and scored just two minutes after entering as a second-half substitute in his team’s 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union on Saturday.
Messi had missed Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers in South America during the recent international window after picking up an adductor strain in Miami’s most recent Major League Soccer game, a 2-1 win at Atlanta on March 16.
Finnish winger Robert Taylor had put Miami ahead in the 23rd minute, slotting home a low pass from Benjamin Cremaschi after Jordi Alba had broken down the left flank.
Messi was brought on by coach Javier Mascherano in the 55th minute and within two minutes was on target. Messi’s former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez picked him out on the right and he jinked to make space and fired a low, right-foot effort into the far corner.
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Philadelphia pulled a goal back in the 80th minute when Quinn Sullivan whipped in a cross from the right and Hungarian midfielder Daniel Gazdag brought the ball down before firing home a crisp shot.
Unbeaten Miami are top of the Eastern Conference with four wins from their opening five games of the season.
Inter face a busy spell with a trip to Los Angeles to play LAFC in a CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-final, first leg on Wednesday. They have a home game against Toronto the following Sunday with the return against LAFC three days later.
Mascherano said it had been a cautious move to start with Messi on the bench.
“We didn’t want to risk him from the start because we thought he might be at risk playing the whole game, but we did want him to get some minutes”, said the Argentine coach.
“The plan is that he can recover and travel to Los Angeles. He played today because he was fine. Maybe he wasn’t ready for the full 90 minutes but it was good for him to play 45 minutes. If nothing unusual happens the plan is for him to travel”, he added.
Seven goal thriller
In a seven goal thriller, Atlanta United trailed 3-1 at home to New York City FC after Wolff scored twice for the visitors before an own goal from Keaton Parks brought them back into the game.
But then a header from Miguel Almiron, who returned to the club from Newcastle United during the pre-season transfer window brought Atlanta level with 15 minutes remaining.
Another recent arrival, Ivorian forward Emmanuel Latte Lath, a club record $22 million signing from Middlesbrough, took advantage of hesitant defending to sneak in and grab the 84th minute winner to make it 4-3.
Uruguayan striker Diego Rossi scored twice for the Columbus Crew in their 2-1 win at DC United and Canada striker Tani Oluwaseyi grabbed a brace for Minnesota United in their 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake.
Spanish midfielder Carles Gil scored the winner from the penalty spot in the seventh minute of stoppage time as the New England Revolution beat the New York Red Bulls 2-1.
Gil had opened the scoring for New England with a superb free-kick before ex-Bayern Munich forward Eric Choupo-Moting levelled for the Red Bulls.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka won the Miami Open on Saturday, beating American Jessica Pegula 7-5 6-2 in the WTA 1000 final at Hard Rock Stadium.
The title was the Belarusian’s first at Miami and her second of the season following her January triumph in Brisbane.
Having lost the final at Indian Wells to Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva earlier this month, Sabalenka was determined not to fall at the last hurdle again.
“Winning this trophy is super special”, said Sabalenka, who paid tribute to Pegula’s performance.
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Jessica Pegula (L) of the United States and Aryna Sabalenka embrace following the women’s final on Day 12 of the Miami Open Presented by Itau 2025 at Hard Rock Stadium on March 29, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Al Bello/Getty Images/AFP
Both players struggled to hold their serve in the first set, with Pegula causing Sabalenka some trouble when she brought her up to the net.
But the momentum shifted when Pegula was serving to stay in the set at 6-5 down and Sabalenka produced a delicate forehand drop and then a superb down the line winner to take the set.
Once she recovered from being broken on her first service game of the second set, it was easier going for Sabalenka, whose bid for a third straight Australian Open title was thwarted in the Melbourne final by Madison Keys earlier this year.
Aryna Sabalenka poses with the Butch Buchholz Trophy following her victory against Jessica Pegula of the United States in the women’s final on Day 12 of the Miami Open Presented by Itau 2025 at Hard Rock Stadium on March 29, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP
Sabalenka broke twice to go 3-1 up and never looked in danger from that point on as she wrapped up the win in one hour 27 minutes.
It was the third time that Pegula has faced Sabalenka in a final and she has lost on all three occasions.
The men’s final on Sunday will feature Novak Djokovic up against Czech 19-year-old Jakub Mensik with the Serb looking for his 100th professional title.
