Arnautovic bags a goal and an assist as Inter warms up for Bayern by beating Cagliari 3-1

MILAN (AP) — Marko Arnautovic scored one and set up another as Inter Milan prepared for its Champions League quarterfinal against Bayern Munich with a morale-boosting 3-1 win over Cagliari in Serie A on Sunday.

Lautaro Martínez and Yann Bisseck also scored for the Serie A leader to help it move six points clear of Napoli, which hosts relegation-threatened Empoli on Monday.

Cagliari was six points above the drop zone.

Inter coach Simone Inzaghi kept the squad rotation at a minimum despite Wednesday’s crucial match at San Siro, where the Nerazzurri will have a 2-1 lead from the first leg last week.

And Inter got off to the ideal start in the 13th minute. Carlos Augusto chested down Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s ball over the top towards Lautaro but instead Arnautovic pounced on it and smashed it into the roof of the net.

Lautaro did get his goal 13 minutes later when an intelligent pass from Arnautovic sent the Argentine World Cup winner racing clear through on goal and he dinked it over the onrushing Elia Caprile.

Inter gifted Cagliari a way back shortly after halftime as Roberto Piccoli was left completely unmarked to head in a goal for Cagliari.

But Bisseck headed in a corner seven minutes later.

Dusan Vlahovic provided two assists to help Juventus beat relegation-threatened Lecce 2-1 and strengthen its hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

Juventus moved into third place, a point ahead of Atalanta, which hosts Bologna on Sunday in a direct battle for the top four.

Bologna is only a point below Atalanta and two above Lazio ahead of the capital derby against seventh-placed Roma — also on Sunday.

In Turin, it took Juventus less than 100 seconds to open the scoring. Vlahovic controlled a through ball from Khéphren Thuram and weighed his pass perfectly to send Teun Koopmeiners into the left side of the area for an angled drive into the far bottom corner.

Lecce almost responded immediately but Nikola Krstovic’s effort came off the right post.

Instead it was Juventus which doubled its lead in the 33rd with a delightful team goal. Thuram played a one-two with Kenan Yıldız and then passed to Vlahovic who touched it on for Yıldız to fire into the bottom right corner.

Lecce captain Federico Baschirotto headed into the bottom left corner three minutes from time but it proved just a consolation for the visitors.

Venezia boosted its hopes of avoiding the drop with a crucial 1-0 win over bottom club Monza, which seems ever more likely to be relegated.

Daniel Fila netted his first goal for Venezia, since joining the Italian club from Slavia Prague in February.

Fila was also sent off in stoppage time following a second yellow card.

Venezia moved level with Empoli, two points from safety.

Monza remained 11 points below 17th-placed Lecce, with just six rounds remaining.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Juventus' Teun Koopmeiners celebrates scoring during the Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Lecce at the Juventus Stadium in Turin, Italy, Saturday April 12, 2025. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

Juventus' Kenan Yildiz, right, celebrates scoring during the Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Lecce at the Juventus Stadium in Turin, Italy, Saturday April 12, 2025. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

Venezia's Daniel Fila, centre, celebrates after scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Serie A soccer match between Venezia and Monza at the Pier Luigi Penzo Stadium in Venice, Italy, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (Paola Garbuio/LaPresse via AP)

Venezia's Daniel Fila celebrates after scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Serie A soccer match between Venezia and Monza at the Pier Luigi Penzo Stadium in Venice, Italy, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (Paola Garbuio/LaPresse via AP)

Inter Milan's Yann Bisseck, top right, attempts a head at goal to scores his side's third goal during the Serie A soccer match between Inter Milan and Cagliari at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Cagliari's Roberto Piccoli, left, fights for the ball with Inter Milan's Nicolo Barella during the Serie A soccer match between Inter Milan and Cagliari at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez scores their side's second goal of the game during the Serie A soccer match between Inter and Cagliari at San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy, Saturday, April 12, 2025 (Spada/LaPresse via AP)

Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Serie A soccer match between Inter Milan and Cagliari at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)

Inter Milan's Marko Arnautovic, left, scores his side's opening goal during the Serie A soccer match between Inter Milan and Cagliari at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Inter Milan's Marko Arnautovic, second left, celebrates with his teammates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Serie A soccer match between Inter Milan and Cagliari at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday inserted himself directly into trade talks with Japanese officials, a sign of the high stakes for the United States after its tariffs rattled the economy and caused the administration to assure the public that it would quickly reach deals.

The Republican president said in a post on his social media platform that he’ll attend the meeting alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, top economic advisers with a central role in his trade and tariff policies.

“Hopefully something can be worked out which is good (GREAT!) for Japan and the USA!” Trump wrote in the social media post.

The president's choice to get directly involved in negotiations points to his desire to quickly finalize a slew of trade agreements as China is pursuing its own set of agreements. It's an open test of Trump's reputation as a dealmaker as countries around the world seek to limit the potential damage unleashed by his import taxes.

The sweeping tariffs that Trump announced on April 2 triggered panic in the financial markets and generated recession fears, causing the U.S. president to quickly put a partial 90-day hold on the import taxes and increase his already steep tariffs against China to as much as 145%.

The pause temporarily spared Japan from 24% across-the-board tariffs, but there continues to be a 10% baseline tariff and a 25% tax on imported cars, auto parts, steel and aluminum exports.

With Japan charging an average tax rate of 1.9% on other countries' goods and having a longstanding alliance with the U.S., the talks on Wednesday are a crucial indicator of whether the Trump administration can achieve a meaningful deal that reassures the markets, American voters and foreign allies.

U.S. economic rival China, meanwhile, is trying to capitalize on the turmoil around Trump's announcements, with its leader, President Xi Jinping, touring nations of Southeast Asia and promoting his country as a more reliable trade partner.

Japan is among the first countries to start open negotiations with the U.S. Trump and other administration officials have said the phones have been “ringing off the hook” with dozens of countries calling, eager to strike deals with a president who views himself as a master negotiator to avoid tariffs when the 90-day pause ends. Israel and Vietnam have offered to zero out their tariff rates, but Trump has been noncommittal as to whether that would be sufficient.

Japan, like many other nations trying to minimize the possible economic fallout from Trump's tariffs, has been scrambling to respond. It has set up a special task force to assess the impact of the tariffs and offer loans to anxious companies.

Although Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has been working hard to coax exemptions out of Trump, the government has said little officially on what concessions it might offer during these talks.

Nor has the administration been transparent about its asks. The Trump administration is seeking to close the $68.5 billion trade deficit with Japan and seeking greater access for U.S. goods in foreign markets, yet the president has also insisted that tariff revenues can be used to pay down the federal budget deficit.

“Japan is coming in today to negotiate Tariffs, the cost of military support, and ‘TRADE FAIRNESS,’” Trump posted on Wednesday.

U.S. officials will be meeting in Washington with Japan’s chief trade negotiator, Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa.

“I am prepared for the talks,” Akazawa told reporters at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport before boarding his flight. “I will negotiate in order to firmly protect our national interest.”

He said that both Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are “known to be pro-Japan and professionally talented” and that he hopes to build a relationship of trust with them.

“I believe we can have good talks toward a win-win relationship that will serve national interest for both Japan and the United States,” he said.

Japan has contended that Trump's tariff measures are likely to violate bilateral trade agreements or World Trade Organization rules. While Ishiba has said he opposes retaliatory tariffs, he also has said he is in no rush to push for a settlement because he doesn't want concessions.

Xi, meanwhile, stopped in Malaysia on Wednesday and told its leader that China will be a collaborative partner and stand with its Southeast Asian neighbors after the global economic shocks.

Xi is touring Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia this week on a trip that likely was planned before the tariffs' uncertainty but that he's also using to promote Beijing as a source of stability in the region and shore up relationships in that part of the world as he looks for ways to mitigate the 145% tariffs that Trump is keeping on China.

“In the face of shocks to global order and economic globalization, China and Malaysia will stand with countries in the region to combat the undercurrents of geopolitical ... confrontation, as well as the counter-currents of unilateralism and protectionism,” Xi said in remarks at a dinner with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

“Together, we will safeguard the bright prospects of our Asian family,” he added.

Xi has promised Malaysia and Vietnam greater access to Chinese markets on his visits, although few details were shared.

In Washington, Trump has indicated that he also wants to discuss how much the Japanese contribute to the cost of U.S. troops stationed there, largely as a deterrent to China.

Trump’s demand for more defense spending concerns the Japanese.

Under its national security strategy, Japan aims to double annual defense spending to nearly $10 trillion, or 2% of GDP, in 2027, while there is a concern that Trump may ask for that to be increased to 3% of GDP. Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said Tuesday that the military budget for this year is about 1.8% of Japan’s GDP.

Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo.

Japan's chief trade negotiator and Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa, center, speaks to the reporters before this departure for the U.S., at Haneda airport in Tokyo, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (Kyodo News via AP)

FILE - Ryosei Akazawa, newly appointed Minister in charge of Economic Revitalization, arrives at the prime minister's office Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt walk to speak with reporters outside the West Wing of the White House, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump gestures to the crowd as he departs after welcoming the 2025 College Football National Champions, the Ohio State University football team, during an event on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, April 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Donald Trump gestures to the crowd as he departs after welcoming the 2025 College Football National Champions, the Ohio State University football team, during an event on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, April 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)