Free-scoring AC Milan, 4-0 winners over Arsenal in the Champions League last week, kept the goals flowing with a 3-1 win at bottom club Cesena on Sunday that ensured they finished the weekend top of Serie A.
Serie A champions Juventus continued their rebuilding when they signed forward Simone Zaza from Sassuolo for 18 million euros ($19.72 million), the Turin club said on their website (www.juventus.com) on Tuesday.
Juventus missed the chance to return to the top of Serie A when they were held to a 0-0 draw at mid-table Parma on Wednesday.
Italy's football authorities have ordered AC Milan to play its next game behind closed doors and fined the club 50,000 euros ($67,900) following abusive chants by supporters against southern club Napoli.
AC Milan produced a storming comeback with goals by Maxi Lopez and Stephan El Shaarawy to win 2-1 at title rivals Udinese on Saturday and move top of Serie A as their strikers made light of Zlatan Ibrahimovic's absence.
Not even 100 metres world record holder Usain Bolt could have caught AC Milan's Alexandre Pato when he streaked through to score against Barcelona after 24 seconds on Tuesday, Barca coach Pep Guardiola said.
Thierry Henry, Arsenal's all-time leading scorer, will return to New York Red Bulls next week as his loan spell cannot be extended past the agreed date, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.
Thiago Silva powered home a header in the second minute of stoppage time to steal a 2-2 draw for AC Milan at holders Barcelona in the heavyweight pair's Champions League Group H opener on Tuesday.
Porto and debutants Malaga became the first teams to reach the last 16 of the Champions League when they guaranteed their progress from the group stage with two games to spare on Tuesday.
After picking fifth Ballon d'Or, Ronaldo's reignites eternal debate
Zlatan Ibrahimovic curled home a stunning freekick and then turned provider as AC Milan moved to within one point of Juventus at the top of Serie A with a 3-0 home win over Cagliari on Sunday.
Images from the Serie A and La Liga matches played on Saturday.
Holders Barcelona will begin their defence of the Champions League with a home match against AC Milan after the two old rivals were drawn in the same group on Thursday.
European champions Inter Milan will rewrite the record books and claim a place among the greats if they retain the Champions League trophy this season.
AC Milan earned the early bragging rights by beating city rivals Inter Milan 2-1 in the Italian Super Cup played in Beijing Sunday.
Gennaro Gattuso faces the prospect of disciplinary action for his headbutt on Tottenham Hotspur assistant coach Joe Jordan after UEFA said on Wednesday it was opening a case against the AC Milan captain.
AC Milan went a point clear in Serie A on Saturday after Antonio Nocerino and a Zlatan Ibrahimovic penalty gave the champions a hard-earned 2-0 win over lowly Siena at the San Siro.
Inter Milan were confirmed as 2006 Serie A champions on Monday after Italy's football federation (FIGC) said it did not have the authority to revoke the decision which stripped Juventus of the title.
Modest Udinese, whose coach Francesco Guidolin's target this season is to avoid relegation, went top of Serie A on Sunday with a 2-1 win over Chievo while AC Milan were held 2-2 at Bologna.
Juventus, with 66 points from 27 games and chasing a ninth successive title, extended their lead to four points over Lazio, who visit Atalanta on Wednesday. Bologna are 10th.
AC Milan shrugged off an unbelievable Robinho miss, and an interruption caused when teargas was thrown outside the ground, to record a 2-0 win at Genoa that took them to the top of Serie A on Friday.
AC Milan are still interested in Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez but only want to sign players on loan in the January transfer window, chief executive Adriano Galliani said on Monday.
AC Milan have signed midfielder Stephan El Shaarawy from Genoa and sent German Alexander Merkel in the opposite direction, the Italian champions said in a statement on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola believes he contributes little to Barcelona despite winning three Spanish league, one Spanish Cup, one club World Championship and two Champions League titles in three seasons as coach.
Xavi scored a typical Barcelona goal to give the European champions a 3-2 win over AC Milan in a Champions League match which was enthralling but of little importance on Wednesday.
The 36-year-old midfielder though he said he could not see himself playing against his beloved Manchester United.
Brazil winger Ronaldinho has become the central figure in the latest embarrassment to befall Blackburn Rovers' Indian owners, Venky's, following a Twitter post suggesting that they had offered the AC Milan ace a six million a year deal.
Last season's AC Milan coach Leonardo was named manager of city rivals Inter Milan on Friday in a move which has stunned the soccer world despite the Italian game's celebrated eccentricities.
Barcelona and AC Milan qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League as expected with room to spare on Tuesday and surprise package APOEL Nicosia are poised to join them after continuing to punch above their weight.
Barcelona and Manchester United clash in the Champions League final at Wembley on Saturday (1845 GMT) to decide who are the undisputed kings of Europe.
Marco Materazzi shook Zinedine Zidane's hand last month for the first time since the Frenchman's infamous headbutt on him in the 2006 World Cup final, the Italian said on Thursday.
Former France World Cup winner Marcel Desailly is among the candidates to become new Ghana coach, the Black Stars said on their website (www.ghanafa.org) on Monday.
Coaches finally put World Cup hopefuls out of their misery on Tuesday when they named their final squads for the tournament, shattering some dreams while also handing out the opportunity of a lifetime.
Morata to stay on loan at Juventus for another season
Former Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti wants to manage again in England and has hinted he would be interested in the Tottenham Hotpur job if Harry Redknapp takes over England when Fabio Cepello retires after Euro 2012.
Holders Barcelona barely broke a sweat in a ruthless 5-0 hammering of BATE Borisov while former champions AC Milan made harder work of finding the net before overcoming new boys Viktoria Plzen 2-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Striker Edinson Cavani scored a superb hat-trick to give Napoli a 3-1 home win over defending Serie A champions AC Milan on Sunday.
A hat-trick by Lionel Messi inspired Barcelona to an 8-0 rout of Osasuna in La Liga on Saturday as the champions responded with a devastating performance after a poor week by their high standards.
AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi plans to bid for Real Madrid's former world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo if his side win the Serie A title, the Italian prime minister has said.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's much-anticipated return to Barcelona was scuppered on Monday when the AC Milan striker was injured in training and ruled out of Tuesday's Champions League Group H opener at the Nou Camp.
