Ronaldo saves Juve. A brace from the Portuguese, in fact, allows the bianconeri to avoid defeat against the Roma and, at least in part, a bad impression. Because that, to tell the truth, remains, especially when compared to what we saw last week with Sampdoria, when Pirlo's team had won and convinced. Yesterday, however, things went differently and the Lady, despite returning home with an unexpectedly earned point, decidedly less certainties than a few hours ago.
Of course, we knew that the exam at the Olimpico presented pitfalls, but it was legitimate to expect a better performance, especially in the presence of a Rome full of problems. Instead, for 93' it was the Giallorossi who raised their voices, forcing Juve into a very complicated game well before theexpulsion of Rabiot, which left her in 10 for about half an hour. Right there, paradoxically, Pirlo's team brought out the best of his game, while Roma lost the brilliance that had distinguished them up to that moment.
This time the black and white coach, after last Sunday's praise, ends up under the magnifying glass of critics: the choice to bet on an evanescent Morata from the start, with a move to the line of Kulusevski's midfielders (i.e. away from the goal) not only did not pay, but even proved to be harmful.
His team suffered against Roma right from the start and only a super Szczesny prevented Mkhitaryan from finding the 1-0 after just 12': the Polish goalkeeper was about to repeat himself on a penalty Veretout, but the ball mockingly ended up on the post and then into the net (31'). Juve's bad night, however, materialized after Ronaldo's equalizer (43', also from a penalty), when he conceded a 4v1 counterattack to the Giallorossi which Veretout, again, converted into gold (45'+1' ): positioning error too serious to be understood.
In the first 20' of the second half, the script didn't change, with Juve unable to build and defend themselves: in the 56th minute Dzeko had the knockout blow on his left, but he kicked the post incredibly from a great position. Shortly afterwards Rabiot, already booked, got his second yellow card, but there the Giallorossi, instead of sinking, were satisfied, allowing Pirlo's team to raise their heads. Bad idea because the aforementioned, even if not in the evening, always has a certain Ronaldo, capable of leaping into the sky and finding the decisive header in the middle of the opposing central defenders (69').
“We have certainly taken a step back from the match against Sampdoria – he admitted Pirlo – But we are a team under construction, which hasn't had much time to try out tactical solutions, not even having had pre-season friendlies, so these matches are all trials. And this, however, is a point earned”.
“I'm not satisfied with the result, this is a wasted opportunity – the bitter comment of Fonseca – We created situations and played to win the game, unfortunately we didn't succeed. Dzeko? I have always seen him serene, he was wrong exactly like many others ”.
Smiling, on this busy championship Sunday, they were like this Milan e Napolialbeit with a touch of bitterness. In fact, there are shadows of two important injuries over the Rossoneri's 2-0 win in Crotone and the Azzurri's 6-0 against Genoa, which will create many problems for Pioli and Gattuso. Rebic (elbow dislocation) e Insigne (suspected left thigh strain) they had to leave the field, but above all they won't be able to play it at least until returning from the break, thus leaving their respective teams in difficulty in what promises to be a hot week, with Milan already without Ibra and Napoli expected from the away match in Turin.
For the rest, however, the mood is decidedly good, as evidenced by a ranking that sees both teams with full points. The Rossoneri, tired by the European efforts and forced to play without their leader, they approached Crotone's challenge in the best possible way, even if the balance-breaking goal only came from a penalty, moreover at sunset in the first half. After 1-0 by Kessie (45'+2') Pioli's team had the merit of not being satisfied, doubling up at the start of the second half with Diaz (50') and stopping only after Rebic's injury (57'), even if Krunic still found a way to come close to making it 3-0 (the ball, however, chipped the crossbar).
From then on it was management, exactly the opposite of what has been done since Napoli. In fact, the Azzurri literally buried Genoa under a rain of goals, showing a truly enviable technical and mental quality. And to think that the first half ended only 1-0 (10' Lush), but then in the second half Gattuso's team spread, finding five goals in less than half an hour: Zielinski (46'), Mertens (57'), again Lush (65'), Elmas (69') and politan (72') drove the Neapolitan people crazy with joy, giving them a good dose of confidence in view of next Sunday's big match.
But first a Wednesday of passion awaits us with Benevento-Inter e Lazio-Atalanta, an equally vibrant Thursday with Rio Ave-Milan and, more generally, a transfer market week full of surprises. Because it's only September, it's true, but the time to joke is definitely over.
