RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Defending Serie A champion Inter Milan extended its recent dominance over current leader Atalanta with a 2-0 victory in the Italian Super Cup semifinals on Thursday.
Denzel Dumfries scored two second-half goals for the Nerazzurri, which have now won seven straight against Atalanta.
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Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Italian Super Cup semifinal soccer match between Inter Milan and Atlanta at Al Awwal Park stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries celebrates after scoring his second goal during the Italian Super Cup semifinal soccer match between Inter Milan and Atlanta at Al Awwal Park stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Inter Milan players celebrate after scoring the opening goal during the Italian Super Cup semifinal soccer match between Inter Milan and Atlanta at Al Awwal Park stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Italian Super Cup semifinal soccer match between Inter Milan and Atlanta at Al Awwal Park stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries scores the opening goal during the Italian Super Cup semifinal soccer match between Inter Milan and Atlanta at Al Awwal Park stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Juventus will face AC Milan on Friday in the other semifinal match, with Sergio Conceicao making his debut as Milan coach after Paulo Fonseca was fired.
The final of the four-team tournament in Saudi Arabia is scheduled for Monday.
Inter is aiming to win the Super Cup for the fourth straight year.
Dumfries scored first with an acrobatic overhead kick from close range then finished off a counterattack with a long-range strike.
Inter also threatened several times in the first half but was consistently denied by difficult saves from Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi.
Atalanta surprisingly kept Ademola Lookman, Charles De Ketelaere and Ederson on the bench at the start. The three players came on near the hour mark and Ederson had a potential goal waved off for offside after a VAR check.
Inter beat Atalanta 4-0 twice in Serie A last year, in February and August.
This season, Atalanta and Napoli currently hold a one-point lead over Inter, which has a game in hand.
The only negative note for Inter was that Marcus Thuram exited with an apparent left thigh issue at halftime.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Italian Super Cup semifinal soccer match between Inter Milan and Atlanta at Al Awwal Park stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries celebrates after scoring his second goal during the Italian Super Cup semifinal soccer match between Inter Milan and Atlanta at Al Awwal Park stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Inter Milan players celebrate after scoring the opening goal during the Italian Super Cup semifinal soccer match between Inter Milan and Atlanta at Al Awwal Park stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Italian Super Cup semifinal soccer match between Inter Milan and Atlanta at Al Awwal Park stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries scores the opening goal during the Italian Super Cup semifinal soccer match between Inter Milan and Atlanta at Al Awwal Park stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
DENVER (AP) — Kirby Dach and Cole Caufield scored in the shootout, Jakub Dobes had 22 saves in regulation, and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Saturday night.
Caufield had the regulation goal for Montreal, which wrapped up its road trip with a 4-2 mark.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 23 saves but could only stop one of three Canadiens in the shootout. Colorado had its season-high six-game winning streak snapped.
Mikko Rantanen scored his 23rd of the season at 9:01 of the first. Montreal got the equalizer from Caufield with 6:35 remaining on an odd-man rush with Nick Suzuki.
Both teams had breakaway chances in the overtime. Blackwood stopped Kaiden Guhle’s shot in the first minute and Dobes denied Artturi Lehkonen in the final minutes.
Canadiens: Montreal had a happy flight home after their season-long road trip despite playing the second game of a back to back. They are in the midst of playing 11 of 15 games away from home.
Avalanche: Blackwood is expected to carry a heavy load while Scott Wedgewood is out with an injury to his right leg. Trent Miner will play occasionally but Blackwood is expected to get the bulk of starts.
The Canadiens got an odd-man rush midway through the third period and Emil Heineman passed the puck through the slot to Jake Evans skating down the left side. Blackwood slid over in time to stop the wrister and keep Montreal off the board.
Rantanen extended his points streak to 13 games and has 57 points, which has him in the top three in scoring in the NHL.
The Canadiens return to Montreal for a game against Vancouver on Monday night. The Avalanche wrap up a four-game homestand against Florida on Monday night.
AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, right, collects the puck as Colorado Avalanche right wing Oskar Olausson pursues in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes, back, deflects a shot by Colorado Avalanche center Parker Kelly in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Montreal Canadiens right wing Cole Caufield, front, puts a shot on Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews, left, checks Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Jonathan Drouin, left, has his shot deflected by Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson, center, as goaltender Jakub Dobes protects the net in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Keaton Middleton, left, and Montreal Canadiens center Alex Newhook pursue the puck as it flies past in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
From left, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexandre Carrier, center Christian Dvorak and defenseman Mike Matheson confer in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche center Juuso Parssinen, back, looks to pass the puck as Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson defends in the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj, right, checks Colorado Avalanche center Juuso Parssinen as they pursue the puck in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes, right, makes a glove save of a shot as defenseman Lane Hutson battles for position with Colorado Avalanche center Parker Kelly in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche left wing Jonathan Drouin, front, puts a shot on Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
