Inter Rises to the Top as Late Drama Strikes Venezia and Milan Falls to Bologna

In a dramatic Serie A clash, Inter Milan edged past struggling Venezia with a nervy 2-0 win, thanks to two late own goals that sent them back to the top of the table. Meanwhile, Bologna's Samuel Mbangula made headlines with a hat-trick that handed AC Milan their first defeat of the season in a thrilling 4-2 encounter at San Siro. Inter’s victory puts them level on points with Lazio at the summit, setting the stage for an exciting Milan derby this Saturday. Ruben Amorim’s Milan, however, will head into that showdown reeling from their unexpected defeat, having lost their unbeaten streak despite a promising start. Venezia, sitting at the bottom of the table with only three points this season, showed resilience and even threatened to take the lead. Last season’s Serie B champions had stunned Napoli in their previous match, but fate dealt them a cruel hand as they fell apart late in the game. With just two minutes to go, Matias Moreno and Redouane Halhal both turned dangerous crosses into their own net, sealing Inter’s return to the top while leaving Venezia firmly stuck at the bottom. At the San Siro, Bologna's manager faced a selection headache due to injuries to key players like Adrien Rabiot and Mario Gila. Despite that, Mbangula made an immediate impact, scoring within the first eight minutes of his full debut. Milan quickly leveled through a mistake from Bologna’s Arthur Theate, who allowed Alphadjo Cisse to find the net. Cisse struck again shortly after, volleying in a cross from Fikayo Tomori, putting Milan in the driving seat. However, the match took a dramatic twist in the second half. Davide Bartesaghi inadvertently turned a free-kick into his own goal, leveling things up. Just moments later, Mbangula showcased his composure with a well-timed finish in the box to put Bologna ahead. The 22-year-old wasn’t done yet. He sealed his hat-trick with a clever finish in the dying minutes, leaving the San Siro crowd in shock as Bologna celebrated back-to-back wins, now sitting in 11th place with 11 points. In another fixture, Parma and Udinese played to a dull 0-0 draw, with Adrian Bernabe missing a penalty after a save from Maduka Okoye. Meanwhile, Juventus and Napoli were set to face Genoa and Monza later that day. Shifting focus to the German Cup, Stuttgart edged past Paderborn 1-0 thanks to Deniz Undav’s late strike, while Freiburg pulled off a comeback against Wolfsburg, winning 3-2 with two late goals from Japan's Keisuke Goto. In the Copa del Rey, all Wednesday matches were postponed following a tragic train incident in Spain that resulted in many fatalities. La Liga clubs were set to begin their cup campaigns, but respect for the victims has led to rescheduling all fixtures for the day.