A heart-stopping Sunday. The menu is richer than ever and involves all the key areas of the ranking. Atalanta-Inter (20.45pm), obviously, is the main course, but also Venice-Naples (12.30) can weigh heavily both in terms of the championship and salvation. And then there is the race for European positions, starting with Fiorentina-Juventus (18) and Bologna-Lazio (15), real direct clashes with a view to the Champions League, without forgetting Roma-Cagliari (16, postponement due to the City Marathon). Spectator interested in the Milan of Conceiçao, back in the running after the victory over As an (2-1) in one of yesterday's four early matches (the others saw Torino and Verona win against Empoli and Udinese, as well as the draw between Monza and Parma).
Milan – Como 2-1: the Devils come back against Fabregas with Pulisic and Reijnders
Important and hard-fought victory for Milan, who are looking at the standings again with a bit of renewed interest, at least until tonight. The results in Florence and Bologna, in fact, could relaunch the team's European ambitions, even if the game continues to show several limitations, perhaps too many to hope for a comeback of this kind. The start of the Rossoneri had given hope, but after the gol devoured sensationally from musah, Fabregas' team took the stage, dominating the field even without creating any great chances, at least until the half hour mark. At 32' Nico Paz He forced maignan to a great exit, but the Frenchman could do nothing a minute later on da Cunha: great shot from distance and Como in the lead (33'). Milan risked again in the 44th minute, when Alex Valle, face to face with Maignan, has mistaken the doubling network.
The Rossoneri returned to the locker room amid boos, looking for a solution to turn the game around. Conceiçao decided to leave the game in the locker room Bondo e Theo Hernandez to make room for Fofana e Jimenez, but Como continued to take the initiative and in the 51st minute found the way to the doubling with Da Cunha, stopped only by an offside of a few centimetres. It was the sliding door of the match, because in the 55th minute Milan equalised with Pulisic, very good at exploiting the assist of Reinders and to beat stumble for the 1-1. In the 68th minute the American tried to return the favor to the Dutchman, but his shot hit the top of the crossbar. Dress rehearsal for the 2-1, which came in the 76th minute: great ball by Abraham, who came in shortly before to replace a dead one Gimenez, and surgical right of Reinders, for the Rossoneri's advantage. The Dutchman then missed the 3-1 on the counterattack, but Como made the Devils suffer a lot, despite playing with a numerical inferiority at the end of the match for theDele Alli expulsion. Milan, on the other hand, did not enchant, but they won for the second time in a row, and also in a comeback: for now, that can be enough, in the hope that the others continue to slow down, allowing them to get back into the race for Europe.
Conceiçao: “Deserved victory, it wasn’t easy. Reijnders and Pulisic play well everywhere”
“My celebration? It was that of a coach who saw the team miss a couple of goals after 15 minutes, then who had difficulties against a Como in the match – the analysis of Conceiçao -. During the break we talked and tried to start doing the things we had prepared again. It wasn't a great match, but we deserved to win. It wasn't easy because we were losing 1-0 and we had a well-trained team in front of us that knows what they're doing, we started to put into practice what we had prepared, but we could have scored more than two goals. Gimenez? He's working hard, I see him focused in everything we do. It's not easy in Italy against well-organized and defensively strong teams. You need a normal period to adapt, but it will be very important for the rest of the season, I'm sure of it. Where does Reijnders do best? He plays well everywhere, just like Pulisic”.
Atalanta – Inter (20.45pm, Dazn)
Face to face with a view of the championship. Atalanta-Inter It's not just a big match, but a fundamental turning point in the championship, with Napoli a very interested spectator. Gasperini he has the opportunity of a lifetime before him, an opportunity that could be unrepeatable, at least in Bergamo. Inzaghi, on the other hand, has a lot to lose, perhaps everything: if it is true that few, if any, would criticize Gasp if he fails to win the tricolor, it is equally true that many, if not all, would talk about failure if he were not to win it. Putting further pressure on Inter is Napoli, playing in Venice at lunchtime: in case of victory, the Azzurri would climb to the top of the standings, forcing the Nerazzurri to respond with the same coin. The match at the Gewiss will not be decisive in an absolute sense (there will still be nine more days, with 27 points up for grabs), but it will have a significant weight. A victory for the Goddess would allow them to catch up with Inter in the standings, while a victory for the Nerazzurri would push Atalanta to -6, practically excluding them from the fight for the scudetto. Furthermore, the calendar should not be underestimated, considering that the one in Bergamo will be the last direct clash between the top three. So far, Inter are undefeated, having won the first leg against Gasperini (4-0) and drawn twice against Conte. The schedule of the remaining 9 days seems to be favorable to Napoli.
The last major obstacle for Conte will be the Bologna on matchday 31, after which the could find itself on a fairly free slope. Italiano's team will play a fundamental role in the Scudetto sprint: after meeting the Azzurri, they will face Atalanta and Inter in the series, the latter on Easter Sunday. Another important factor to consider is that Atalanta e Napoli are outside from all competitions europee and can concentrate entirely on the championship, while Inter will have to divide themselves between the quarter-finals Champions against Bayern and the two derbies of Coppa Italia in the semifinals. In short, every point could prove decisive, starting from tonight.
Inzaghi: “The stakes are high, the approach will be fundamental”
“Two teams with enthusiasm and who are doing well are facing each other, we know Atalanta, they have had a great run both in Italy and in Europe – he explained Inzaghi -. It will be a match to be approached in the best way with running, aggression and determination because we know the value of the opponent we will be facing. We will have to maintain a very high concentration and try to always be very clear-headed on the pitch, because there will be many duels and decisions to make during the 90 minutes. We are very offensive teams with the best attacks in Serie A, therefore, we will have to be good and ready to read every situation: whether it is a play or a set piece, we will have to keep our attention level very high. The 4-0 in the first leg? That was one of the first games of the season, the transfer market was still open, Atalanta was in an emergency, now it will be a completely different match, to be approached in the best way because the stakes are high”.
Atalanta – Inter, probable formations
Atalanta (3-4-3): Carnesecchi; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac; Bellanova, Ederson, De Roon, Zappacosta; De Ketelaere, Retegui, Lookman
In bench: Rui Patricio, Rossi, Toloi, Ruggeri, Samardzic, Brescianini, Palestra, Pasalic, Maldini, Vlahovic
Coach: Gasperini
Unavailable: Kossonou, Scalvini, Scamacca, Posch, Cuadrado, Sulemana
Disqualified: Nobody
Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Carlos Augusto; Thuram, Lautaro
In bench: Martinez, Di Gennaro, Bisseck, Frattesi, Asllani, Taremi, Correa, Arnautovic
Coach: Inzaghi
Unavailable: Darmian, Zalewski, Dimarco, De Vrij, Zielinski
Disqualified: Nobody
Fiorentina – Juventus (18pm, Dazn and Sky)
The first news is that the game is being played. Fiorentina-Juventus, long at risk due to the bad weather emergency that has hit Tuscany, will be played regularly, thanks to the improvement in the weather in the last few hours. But if the sky of Florence, fortunately, has decided to give a bit of a break, it does not mean that the climate around Thiago Motta is serene. The Juventus coach, under observation for some time, has finally ended up in the dock after the 0-4 with Atalanta last Sunday. For many Juventus fans, to tell the truth, the trial has already ended with his guilt: the sentence? Dismissal at the end of the season, perhaps even earlier if things were to worsen. Certain decisions, obviously, are not up to the people, but even Giuntoli, until some time ago very close to Motta, is faltering. Nobody had asked the Italian-Brazilian to win, but it is clear that too many things have not worked in the right way. First of all the early eliminations from the cups, damaging both from a sporting and economic point of view (the missed pass to the Champions League round of 16 cost about twenty million), not to mention the devaluation of some players, above all koopmeiners, Nico Gonzalez, Douglas Luiz e Vlahovic. The three big flops of the summer market and the highest paid player in the squad (10,5 million that will become 12 if he were to stay in black and white) risk being worth much less than the over 200 million spent to buy them. The fault lies in the up and down season, but also in the adaptation to a complex game, in which there are no fixed positions and internal hierarchies, while for Vlahovic a separate discussion is needed, largely linked to the contractual situation. The fact is that today, against a Fiorentina encouraged by the victory over Panathinaikos, the real big player seems to be precisely that Kean kicked out without any appeal and instead became the championship's vice-top scorer. The mental aspect should not be underestimated, given that the match will be played after Bologna-Lazio: if one of the two were to win, the Old Lady would take the field in fifth place in the standings, forced to win to regain the Champions League zone, a conditio sine qua non for Motta's permanence, at least until June.
Thiago Motta: “I feel everyone’s trust, but my future is not the priority”
“We have a tough match ahead of us against a team that is coming off a victory in Europe – the thought of Thiago Motta -. We prepared well to be ready, we come from a match where the result was difficult to digest. We played well for 40 minutes against Atalanta, then they played on our mistakes and we allowed the opponent to have a lot of counterattacks. After that match we were angry and disappointed, but now we start again and we have to react. The boys immediately got involved in training and we prepared well for the match against Fiorentina. The rumours about my future? At a time like this you have to stay calm and be clear-headed to objectively analyse the situation and give the right priorities. My communication with the club is continuous and constant and this week I was very pleased with the closeness of the ownership. It is right to question yourself, but now we have to stay focused only on the match and get to the victory”.
Fiorentina – Juventus, probable formations
Fiorentina (3-5-2): De Gea; Pongracic, Pablo Mari, Ranieri; Dodo, Mandragora, Cataldi, Fagioli, Gosens; Gudmundsson, Kean
In bench: Terracciano, Martinelli, Moreno, Comuzzo, Parisi, Richardson, Folorunsho, Ndour, Beltran, Caprini, Adli, Zaniolo
Coach: Palladino
Unavailable: Ox, Colpani
Disqualified: Nobody
Juventus (4-3-3): Di Gregorio; Weah, Veiga, Kelly, Kalulu; Koopmeiners, Locatelli, Thuram; McKennie, Kolo Muani, Nico Gonzalez
In bench: Perin, Pinsoglio, Gatti, Costa, Rouhi, Cambiaso, Savona, Adzic, Conceicao, Mbangula, Yildiz, Vlahovic
Coach: Thiago Motta
Unavailable: Milik, Bremer, Cabal, Douglas Luiz
Disqualified: Nobody
Venice – Naples (12.30pm, Dazn)
Maturity exam. The Napoli introduces himself to Venice with theobligation to win, both for themselves and to make the most of this evening's Atalanta-Inter. Conquering the Penzo would guarantee a mathematical gain in points over the competition, otherwise there would only be regrets, in addition to Conte's screams. Last Sunday, the Azzurri returned to home victory after 53 days of abstinence and now they want to break the taboo of three points away from home, which has been missing since the 3-2 against Atalanta on January 18: since then, there have been two draws (Lazio and Roma) and one defeat (Como). Napoli are aiming to overtake before the break, but Conte doesn't want distractions and asks to think only about the away match in Venice, which is far from a given. Di Francesco's team stopped Lazio, Atalanta and Juventus, showing that they are still present in the race for salvation, at least on a mental level. In terms of motivation, however, the Azzurri certainly can't be missing and not only for the over a thousand fans following them. The challenge at Penzo will be crucial for the fight for the Scudetto and must be faced with maximum intensity, avoiding Como-style slip-ups. This is also why Conte will insist on the 3-5-2 of recent weeks, confirming the formation that beat Fiorentina, therefore Lukaku e Breakers in attack e Spinazzola on the left wing. Mazzocchi will be summoned, while the conditions of Neres e Anguissa they are still being evaluated: the midfielder, although not yet available, has been called up by Cameroon for the World Cup qualifiers, but Napoli wants him ready above all for the match against Milan on March 30.
Conte: “In Venice like a World Cup final. Me at Juve? Rumours created on purpose”
“All the matches in Serie A hide pitfalls, just look at Inter's match against Monza – the warning from Tale -. Nothing is ever a given, we are facing a healthy team that will want to play its cards to save itself. I expect a great match, this season the possibility of training with great continuity during the week has helped us, otherwise it would have been very tough. Now there are ten games left and we arrive with a well-stocked tactical baggage. Everything will count, but I am only looking at Venice, for us it must be the world final. We have studied the difficulties that other teams have had on this pitch, but everything depends on us, on how we face them. What I always say and I will never tire of repeating is that matches can also be lost, but the others must demonstrate that they were stronger tactically and qualitatively. We cannot be defeated on the desire and will to win, never second to anyone. The rumors about my future at Juve? I do not have to answer to anyone, they are media games, it is art in Italy, I take note of it”.
Venice – Naples, probable formations
Venice (3-5-2): Radu; Schingtienne, Idzes, Candé; Zerbin, Duncan, Nicolussi Caviglia, Kike Perez, Zampano; Maric, Oristanio
In bench: Joronen, Grandi, Haps, Ellertsson, Marcandalli, Carboni, Busio, Condé, Bjarkson, Doumbia, Gytkjaer, Fila, El Haddad
Coach: By Francesco
Unavailable: Stankovic, Svoboda, Sagrado, Sverko
Disqualified: Yeboah
Napoli (3-5-2): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno; Politano, Gilmour, Lobotka, McTominay, Spinazzola; Lukaku, Raspadori
In bench: Scuffet, Contini, Juan Jesus, Marin, Olivera, Mazzocchi, Anguissa, Billing, Hasa, Okafor, Simeone, Ngonge
Coach: With you
Unavailable: Blacks
Disqualified: Nobody
Bologna – Lazio (15pm, Dazn)
THEEurope who loves, Bologna e Lazio have to respond. This afternoon's fixture represents much more than just a game, as both teams find themselves at a crucial crossroads in the season, with the opportunity to grab fourth place and remain in contention for a top-seeded finish. Champions LeagueThe standings are extremely close: Juventus are fourth with 52 points, Lazio follows with 51 and Bologna is just behind with 50. A total balance that makes every challenge fundamental, especially in a direct clash with ten days to go. Baroni, fresh from the efforts in the Cup against Viktoria Plzen, will be able to count on the return of Tavares e Castilians, recovered respectively from a muscle strain and a medium-grade injury. Despite the month of stoppage, the Argentine striker has already played as a starter in Europe and will do so at the Dall'Ara, resuming his place in attack. The Portuguese full-back, on the other hand, will play in the four-man defense, with Marusic on the right and the central pair composed of Crazy e Romagnoli, coming off an extraordinary week, crowned by three goals. Bologna comes into the match with morale sky-high. The comeback victory against Verona has strengthened the group's awareness, giving Italiano's team an additional boost. Furthermore, the rossoblù team can count on the Dall'Ara effect: with only one defeat this season, their home performance is among the best in Serie A. But that's not all: the wingers, protagonists in the last few games, are a fundamental resource. Ursu, Change, ndoye e Dominguez They have dragged Bologna into the most important comebacks and Italiano will rely on them again, with the aim of taking another step towards Europe.
Bologna – Lazio, probable formations
Bologna (4-2-3-1): Skorupski; Calabria, Beukema, Lucumì, Lykogiannis; Freuler, Ferguson; Orsolini, Odgaard, Ndoye; Castro
In bench: Bagnolini, Ravaglia, Holm, Erlic, De Silvestri, Casale, Miranda, Moro, Pobega, Fabbian, Aebischer, El Azzouzi, Dominguez, Dallinga, Cambiaghi, Pedrola
CoachItalian
Unavailable: Nobody
Disqualified: Nobody
Lazio (4-2-3-1): Provedel; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Tavares; Guendouzi, Rovella; Isaksen, Dia, Zaccagni; Castellanos
In bench: Mandas, Furlanetto, Patric, Gigot, Provstgaard, Lazzari, Basic, Vecino, Dele-Bashiru, Tchaouna, Belahyane, Pedro, Ibrahimovic, Noslin
Coach: Barons
Unavailable: Hysaj
Disqualified: Nobody
Rome – Cagliari (16pm, Dazn)
All about the championship. Out of the Europa League and Coppa Italia, the Rome can now focus exclusively on qualifying for the European Cups through the next ten matchdays. An objective that in November, when Ranieri took over the Giallorossi bench, it seemed like an almost impossible feat and instead became reality thanks to the splendid path of the last four months. Since Ranieri's arrival on matchday 13, the team's path has been Champions League-like: 33 points in 16 games, like Atalanta (33), behind only Napoli (34) and the league leaders Inter (36). Excluding the top three in the standings, in fact, Roma has closed the gap with all the others: Juventus, fourth, was 11 points away, while now the gap has been reduced to just 6, with the next direct clash scheduled for April 6 at the Olimpico. Ranieri has also recovered ground on Lazio, fifth: from -12 they have gone to -5, and here too there is still a direct clash to play, moreover in the week in which the Biancocelesti will play the quarter-finals of the Europa League. There are 10 games left to chase a Champions League spot, starting with today's one against the Cagliari, exceptionally at 16pm to avoid the clash with the Marathon. For Ranieri, evidently, it is a special match against his past, but the coach cannot be influenced by feelings: Roma needs to win to forget the Bilbao disappointment and, above all, to make the most of a championship round that includes direct clashes between Fiorentina e Juventus e tra Bologna e Lazio.
Ranieri: “I saw Hummels' expulsion again, it was exaggerated. Now focus on the championship”
“The focus must be on the 10 games, for the fans and the club – he pointed out Ranieri -. Five games at home and as many away, let's play them to the death and collect the points that we know we deserve. There certainly won't be the same rotation as before, but different formations as well as substitutions, then it depends on what the game and the week tell me. Now we can work every day and everyone will be under the magnifying glass. Dovbyk? I told him: 'You think about the goal and I'll think about the performance. If you give me a good performance and don't score I'll let it go. But if you don't give me the performance and not even the goal, then I'll start thinking'. He has to fight like everyone else fights, he hasn't given up or rather, I don't want to believe it, but if he were to do so I have 25 others who want to play. Then I'd like to add something about Hummels' expulsion in Bilbao: I saw the image on a cell phone, but not the entire dynamics of the action. I think there could also be a red card, but it's a bit forced, all 4 parameters aren't there to define it as a clear goal opportunity. He was severe, it could have happened but it also couldn’t have…”.
Roma – Cagliari, probable formations
Rome (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Rensch, Mancini, Ndicka; Saelemaekers, Koné, Cristante, Salah-Eddine; Soulé, Pellegrini; Shomurodov
In bench: Gollini, De Marzi, Hummels, Abdulhamid, Angelino, Nelsson, Baldanzi, Dovbyk, El Shaarawy, Dybala, Pisilli, Paredes, Sangaré, Gourna-Douath
Coach: Ranieri
Unavailable: Celik
Disqualified: Nobody
Cagliari (5-3-2): Caprile; Zortea, Palomino, Luperto, Mina, Obert; Makoumbou, Prati, Deiola; Viola, Piccoli
In bench: Sherri, Ciocci, Adopo, Augello, Pavoletti, Felici, Gaetano, Jankto, Kingstone, Coman, Marin
Coach: Nicholas
Unavailable: Luvumbo, Zappa
Disqualified: Nobody
