Inter regained the top spot in Serie A after a tense 2‑0 victory over bottom‑placed Venezia, while a hat‑trick from Samuel Mbangula helped Bologna to a 4‑2 win at the San Siro, handing AC Milan its first league defeat of the campaign. The results left Inter and Lazio level on 25 points, setting up a highly anticipated derby between the two clubs on Saturday.
The match against Venezia was a nervy affair for the Inter side. With the Nerazzurri looking to snap a losing streak that had seen them fall to a 1‑0 defeat at the hands of Lazio earlier in the season, the game was poised to be a crucial test. The hosts, who have collected only three points all season, appeared poised to make their breakthrough when they were undone by two late own goals. Matias Moreno and Redouane Halhal deflected dangerous deliveries into their own net in the space of two minutes, giving Inter a 2‑0 lead and sending the club back to the summit of the table. The result was a relief for Inter, who had been under pressure from the bottom‑placed side, and a disappointment for Venezia, who remained rooted at the foot of the standings.
At the San Siro, Milan’s first midweek game of the season was marred by a lengthy injury list that included Adrien Rabiot, Diego Moreira and Mario Gila. Coach Ruben Amorim was forced to leave Christian Pulisic and Luka Modric on the bench, and the squad’s options were limited. Bologna’s Samuel Mbangula, making his full debut, opened the scoring with a tap‑in inside eight minutes. Milan responded quickly when Arthur Theate’s error allowed Alphadjo Cisse to slot a simple finish. Cisse struck again in the 27th minute, volleying home a cross from Fikayo Tomori, but the game was turned on its head again in the second half. In the space of two minutes, Davide Bartesaghi turned a free‑kick into his own net, and Mbangula added a second goal with a composed finish in the box just after the hour mark. The 22‑year‑old completed a memorable night with a third goal four minutes from time, beating Mike Maignan with a smart finish after Bologna had won the ball in midfield. The win gave Bologna back‑to‑back victories for the first time this season and moved them into 11th place on 11 points.
Other league action saw Parma and Udinese draw 0‑0, with Adrian Bernabe’s penalty saved by Maduka Okoye. Juventus and Napoli were scheduled to travel to Genoa and Monza respectively later on Wednesday. In the German Cup, Stuttgart’s Deniz Undav scored a 90th‑minute winner to beat Paderborn 1‑0, while Freiburg secured a 3‑2 victory over Wolfsburg thanks to a late double from Keisuke Goto. Second‑division sides Dynamo Dresden and Hertha Berlin also won 2‑0 against Schalke and Jeddeloh respectively. Bayern Munich will host second‑tier Magdeburg on Wednesday, with Harry Kane resting.
In Spain, all 24 Copa del Rey matches scheduled for Wednesday evening were postponed in respect of a rail crash that claimed at least 68 lives in Toledo. The incident has led to the cancellation of fixtures for clubs such as Alavés, Celta Vigo, Levante, Real Betis and Valencia, with the cup’s remaining games to be rescheduled. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid have issued statements expressing sadness and condolences, though they are not yet involved in the competition.