Rabiot double lifts Milan to victory
AC Milan came from behind to earn a 3-1 victory at Como on Thursday, with Adrien Rabiot scoring twice to keep the away side in the Serie A title race.
Milan are second in the standings on 43 points, three behind rivals Inter Milan and three clear of Napoli in third, while Como are sixth with 34 points.
Como made the brighter start and took the lead after 10 minutes when Marc-Oliver Kempf rose to head home a corner.
Despite the hosts controlling much of the first half, Milan struck in stoppage time as Christopher Nkunku calmly converted from the penalty spot after Kempf was penalised for pushing Rabiot.
Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan produced a series of strong saves to keep Como at bay after the break before Milan took the lead in the 55th minute when Rabiot knocked the ball in from close range.
Como were denied an equaliser as Nico Paz saw his effort from outside the box crash against the crossbar. Milan then sealed the win two minutes from time when Rabiot caught the Como defence off guard with a low strike from distance that crept into the bottom corner.
“This was a team victory, we showed our mentality,” Rabiot told DAZN after being named Man of the Match.
"We suffered a lot in the first half, but we talked during the break, came out with a different mentality, we all came out fighting for the three points.
"We gave something extra and I am very happy to score two goals, obviously, but above all I’m pleased with the mentality of the team."
While Rabiot provided the goals, another Frenchman, goalkeeper Maignan, made his mark with a string of crucial saves.
"We knew that playing here would be difficult, we were well-prepared. We started a little sluggish and they scored, but we managed to keep the game open, and then all together started to play as a team," Maignan said.
"We know these are great nights for Milan with an atmosphere like this. We suffered, we used up a lot of energy and left it all on the field."
Barcelona reach quarter-finals of Copa del Rey
Second-half goals from Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal gave Barcelona a hard-fought 2-0 victory over second-tier leaders Racing Santander in the Copa del Rey on Thursday, sending them into the quarter-finals.
In a tightly contested match, the breakthrough came in the 66th minute when Torres timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap and latched onto a through ball before rounding goalkeeper Jokin Ezkieta and finishing into an empty net.
Deep in stoppage time, after Racing's Manex Lozano missed a sitter from close range, Barcelona didn't waste the chance to put the game to bed with Yamal finishing a quick counter attack.
Barcelona join Athletic Bilbao, Alaves, Albacete, Atletico Madrid, Real Betis, Real Sociedad and Valencia in the last eight. The Spanish FA will conduct the quarter-final draw on Monday, with ties scheduled for February 3-5.
Determined to avoid a similar fate to Real Madrid, who were stunned by lower-league Albacete on Wednesday, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick fielded a near full-strength team at El Sardinero Stadium.
The visitors dominated possession early on but found Racing to be resolute opponents. Dani Olmo wasted a golden chance, while Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia reacted smartly to deny Racing's Camara Suleiman in a lively opening half.
After Torres scored the opener in the 66th minute, Ezkieta made successive superb saves late on, denying Fermin Lopez and substitute Robert Lewandowski from close range in the 80th minute, keeping Racing's hopes alive.
The hosts thought they had equalised twice in the dying moments, only for both goals to be ruled out for offside.
Racing substitute Lozano had a golden chance to equalise, sprinting forward on a counter-attack. However, he opted to shoot from close range rather than pass to an unmarked teammate, allowing Garcia to make a save.
Barcelona punished the missed opportunity in the very next play. Raphinha's low cross found Yamal, who slotted home to seal the win and Barcelona's progression into the final eight.
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