Championship with Champions view. After the break for the national teams, Serie A is back and this time it's serious. Yes, because with the cups just around the corner it is no longer possible to concentrate forces on a single match but you have to deal with calendars and turnover. And so today's advances (Empoli-Roma at 18 pm and Juventus-Udinese at 20.45 pm) end up containing many more traps than expected precisely by virtue of the Champions League, arriving this week albeit with matches, at least on paper, quite soft (Malmoe for the black and whites, Cska Moscow for the yellow and reds).
“There won't be a Roma one and a Roma two – however Garcia pointed out, the first to take the field on this Saturday in the championship. – I will make choices based on training and physical condition, I will never plan formations. There is too much talk about the Champions League and this is a danger, the team must think about Empoli, a difficult opponent because they will play their first game at home after returning to Serie A in a climate of great enthusiasm. We have everything to lose, a league game is never won from the start, we'll have to have desire and concentration. I'm projected only on this challenge, I don't even remember who we'll play against on Wednesday."
In reality, the French coach knows his Roma's calendar very well and also knows that, to have a chance of qualifying in an iron group (in addition to the Russians, there are Bayern Munich and Manchester City), the home match against CSKA cannot be absolutely wrong . That's why, despite the anti-turnover intentions, he will try to better manage the large squad available. In particular, attention goes to Francesco Totti, who has been rested in view of the Champions League as confirmed, albeit between the lines, in the press conference. "When you have to play six games in 17 days there are no problems" he glossed over, suggesting that he had already devised a plan to dose the captain.
The same discourse should also affect Maicon, who returned to Trigoria during the week after the foul deeds that took place in Brazil (expelled from Dunga for one night, not really as a professional). Torosidis in place of the Brazilian and Destro for Totti, here are Garcia's first difficult choices. For the rest, however, the canvas does not change: the Giallorossi will take to Castellani's pitch with the usual 4-3-3 with De Sanctis in goal, Torosidis, Manolas, Astori and Cole in defence, Nainggolan, De Rossi and Pjanic in midfield, Iturbe , Destro and Gervinho (ballot with Florenzi) in attack.
Turnover by choice to Empoli, forced to Turin. In fact, Juventus have many more problems than their rivals, due to injuries and suspensions that greatly complicate Massimiliano Allegri's life. Vidal, Pirlo, Marrone and Chiellini, here is the list of Juventus unavailable and if we add to this the conditions at least to be verified by Tevez, Barzagli and Morata (in any case all called up) the picture is far from idyllic. A comparison with the three-year Conte, almost completely free of injuries, would be easy but also ungenerous.
“A castle has been built that makes no sense – confirmed Allegri -. Barzagli and Vidal have been having problems for two or three months, Chiellini is disqualified. Morata is almost ready, Pirlo will try to kick next week and the Tevez alarm has already returned: in short, the only real injured person in my management is Marrone". Regardless of this, training problems remain, because if it is true that Udinese are also missing several players (Gabriel Silva, Pasquale, Scuffet and Domizzi) it is equally true that the Friulians are always insidious, especially as now on their bench sits a certainly Stramaccioni, the first to violate the Stadium in 2012.
“It will be a particular match for me too, my first at home and this excites me a lot – the thought of the Juventus coach. – We have to start this cycle between the championship and the Champions League well”. Allegri, unlike Garcia, often mentions the cup with big ears, a real obsession around Vinovo. It is no coincidence that the Juventus coach, compatibly with injuries, will keep a close eye on the match against Malmoe, scheduled for Tuesday in Turin. “I'll talk to Tevez, he's fine and wants to play but I'll evaluate the risks and then decide whether to send him on the pitch or not – he confirmed at the press conference. – I have to think about starting well in the Champions League as well”.
A clear and repeated concept, just to remind everyone of the priorities of Corso Galileo Ferraris. At the moment this is the biggest difference compared to the Conte era, decidedly more buttoned up on the European theme. From a tactical point of view, however, no revolution, at least for now. “It makes no sense to overturn a game system that has done well – Allegri confirmed. – Sure, we can improve but if Chiellini and Barzagli are missing I can't play the back four…”. And then space for the ordinance 3-5-2 with Buffon in goal, Caceres, Bonucci and Ogbonna in defense, Lichtsteiner, Pogba, Marchisio, Pereyra and Evra in midfield, Llorente and Tevez (still favorite over Coman and Giovinco) in attack . The same form also for Stramaccioni, chasing the encore feat that would officially bring him to the podium of Juventus nightmares, who will entrust himself to the formidable duo Di Natale-Muriel.
