Late Own Goals Lift Inter to Serie A Summit as Mbangula Hat-Trick Stuns Milan

Midweek football delivered chaos, heartbreak and a breakout star. Inter reclaimed top spot in Serie A thanks to two late own goals at Venezia, while Samuel Mbangula’s hat-trick shattered Milan’s unbeaten record at San Siro. Elsewhere, the German Cup produced late drama of its own.

Inter Escape Venezia as Late Calamities Decide It

Inter returned to the Serie A summit with a nervy 2-0 win at bottom side Venezia. The champions drew level with Lazio on 25 points, ahead of a hotly anticipated Milan derby on Saturday.

For long spells, though, this looked far from comfortable. Venezia had collected just three points all season but looked the likelier side to make a breakthrough.

Last season’s Serie B champions had already stunned Napoli on new coach Davide Nicola’s debut. Another shock seemed possible until the game turned in painful fashion.

Two Own Goals in Two Minutes

Matias Moreno and Redouane Halhal each diverted a dangerous delivery into their own net, just two minutes apart. The late double ensured Inter went top, while Venezia stayed rooted to the bottom.

It was a cruel finish for a side that had defended bravely. For Inter, the points mattered far more than the manner of the win.

Bologna Stun Milan at San Siro

If Inter’s night was nervy, Milan’s was painful. Bologna won 4-2 at San Siro to inflict Milan’s first league defeat of the season.

A lengthy injury list, including Adrien Rabiot, Diego Moreira and Mario Gila, limited Milan’s options in the first midweek round of the season. Christian Pulisic and Luka Modric began on the bench.

Mbangula Makes His Mark

Mbangula, making his full Bologna debut, swept home the opener inside eight minutes. Milan were level soon after, when an Arthur Theate error gifted Alphadjo Cisse a simple finish.

The Milan teenager struck again in the 27th minute, volleying in a Fikayo Tomori cross. At that point, Milan looked to be in control.

Then the game flipped in the space of two second-half minutes. Davide Bartesaghi turned a free-kick into his own net, and Mbangula struck again with a composed control and finish just after the hour.

The 22-year-old completed his hat-trick four minutes from time, beating Mike Maignan after Bologna won the ball in midfield. It was a memorable debut night, and Bologna’s first back-to-back wins of the season lifted them to 11th on 11 points.

Other Results: Parma Draw, Stuttgart Late Show

Adrian Bernabe had a penalty saved by Maduka Okoye as Parma and Udinese drew 0-0. Juventus and Napoli were due to travel to Genoa and Monza later on Wednesday.

German Cup Drama

Deniz Undav’s 90th-minute strike took Stuttgart to a 1-0 win at 10-man Paderborn in the last 32. Paderborn had been reduced to ten men by Laurin Curda’s 37th-minute red card, yet held firm until the final moments.

Undav twice set up Ermedin Demirovic, who blasted both chances against goalkeeper Markus Schubert. The former Brighton forward then turned in a Chris Fuehrich cross with extra time looming.

Freiburg also won late, beating Wolfsburg 3-2 after Keisuke Goto scored twice in the final 15 minutes to overturn a 2-1 deficit. Kento Shiogai also scored twice, and Igor Matanovic opened the scoring for Freiburg.

Results at a Glance

Copa del Rey Postponed After Rail Tragedy

All 24 Copa del Rey matches scheduled for Wednesday evening were postponed as a mark of respect after a devastating rail incident in Spain. A high-speed train crashed into the rear of another and derailed two cars in the province of Toledo, with at least 68 people killed.

Alaves, Celta Vigo, Levante, Real Betis and Valencia were due to begin their cup campaigns, and all fixtures will be played at later dates. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid do not enter until the last 32 in December, but all three issued statements expressing sadness and condolences.

What Comes Next

Inter now head into a huge weekend level at the top with Lazio, while Milan must regroup quickly after their first league loss. Bologna, meanwhile, have a new hero in Mbangula.