Now no more joking. Atalanta-Juventus e Como-Milan, recoveries of the 19th day, risk having a rather strong impact on the standings, awaiting Inter-Bologna tomorrow. There are very important points at stake both for the fight for the Scudetto and for Europe, even more so after Fiorentina's defeat in Monza in yesterday's postponed match (2-1). Juventus and Milan, in short, can no longer make mistakes, but Atalanta also has an absolute need to win, otherwise they risk saying goodbye to the tricolor dream.
Atalanta – Juventus (20pm, Dazn and Sky)
The highlight match is certainly the one at the Gewiss Stadium, where the student Thiago Motta will try to beat maestro Gasperini. Needless to say, both teams are at stake, even if their roles are reversed compared to the predictions at the start of the season, when it was thought that Juve would win the Scudetto and Atalanta would win the Champions League. The Bianconeri are under the greatest pressure, still struggling with a “drawitis” that is putting the Motta project at risk: failing to enter the next major Europe, in fact, would make future coexistence almost impossible. His Juve, also stopped by Torino in Saturday's derby, just can't seem to take shape, as demonstrated by the only two wins obtained in the last eight championship games. A negative and far from random roll, for a team that struggles to score and produce play, as well as to manage the advantages obtained. Atalanta is certainly not going through its best moment and the results have only a limited impact.
The Goddess began to creak already in mid-December and now, thanks to Retegui's injury, he is having big problems in the goal area: against Lazio and Udinese he would have deserved to lose, had it not been for a great Carnesecchi. Gasperini never wanted to say the word scudetto, but he certainly had a thought, otherwise the turnover in the Super Cup would have made even less sense. Between today (Juventus) and Saturday (Napoli) a large part of the tricolor dream passes, as well as the Thiago Motta project, increasingly in the crosshairs of the press and fans. His path, so far, has been decidedly negative, so much so that to find a Lady with fewer points after 19 games you have to go back 15 years, when Delneri was on the bench (31 points against the current 33). That Juve finished the championship in seventh place, an eventuality that Continassa don't even want to consider, even more so now that the first aid from the market (Alberto Costa, right back taken from Vitoria Guimaraes for 12 million, will land in Turin between today and tomorrow, then allowing the termination of Danilo's contract).
Thiago Motta: “We are the first to be angry because we don’t win”
"The group is recovering from the derby, because it is important to recharge well both physically and mentally – Thiago Motta's thoughts -. We are angry because we didn't win, but focused on the important match against Atalanta: they are a team that is doing well, we will go to face them giving our best. We are the first to be angry because we can't win, but even on Saturday we played better than the opponent and created a lot to be able to take the lead again, but we weren't good. It takes work, work and work. Not being happy is right, but at the same time we have to be positive and have the belief that we are doing the right things. We have to improve a lot to get to the victory, which is why we prepare during the week or days before the race. We want to be in the Champions League zone to raise our level, but it is useless to project ourselves further ahead, we have to think game by game, starting with this one against Atalanta. The team is united, let's stay focused".
Atalanta – Juventus, the probable lineups
Atalanta (3-4-1-2): Carnesecchi; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, De Roon, Ederson, Ruggeri; Pasalic; Lookman, De Ketelaere
On the bench: Rui Patricio, Rossi, Toloi, Scalvini, Palestra, Zappacosta, Sulemana, Brescianini, Samardzic, Zaniolo, Retegui
Trainer: Gasperini
Unavailable: Scamacca, Cuadrado, Kossounou
Disqualified: Nobody
Juventus (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Savona, Gatti, Kalulu, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; Yildiz, Koopmeiners, Weah; Nico Gonzalez
On the bench: Perin, Pinsoglio, Rouhi, Fagioli, McKennie, Douglas Luiz, Mbangula, Adzic
Trainer: Thiago Motta
Unavailable: Milik, Bremer, Cabal, Danilo, Conceiçao, Vlahovic
Disqualified: Nobody
Como – Milan (18:30 pm, Dazn and Sky)
Tension is also high in Como, where Milan will play one of the two remaining matches. The 3 points are almost mandatory, even more so after the disappointing draw with Cagliari that somewhat watered down the Conceiçao effect, as well as further complicating the pursuit of the Champions League. The Rossoneri are 8 points behind fourth-placed Lazio and their credibility depends largely on the recoveries with Como and Bologna. Failing them, starting with today's, would significantly undermine the path, because if it is true that the championship is still very long, it is also true that an excessive distance would make everything extremely complicated, perhaps even impossible. In via Aldo Rossi they know this well, which is why they are making market valuations: the coach would like a reinforcement in attack and the name of Rashford satisfies everyone, even if the salary remains a significant obstacle. In parallel, there is also talk of Walker, but the current laws prevent the purchase of two English players in the same season, which is why one would necessarily exclude the other. The feeling is that the attack is the department most in need of interventions, as demonstrated by the 27 goals scored in 18 games, less than Inter, Atalanta, Lazio, Napoli, Juventus and Fiorentina. We'll see, but in the meantime Conceiçao has the obligation to return to victory and put the first piece of a long-envoked streak (also by Fonseca), yet never really put into practice. The Portuguese hopes that the turning point can begin today, with the awareness that the margin is increasingly thinning.
Como – Milan, probable formations
Como (4-2-3-1): Butez; Van der Brempt, Dossena, Kempf, Goldaniga; Engelhardt, Da Cunha; Strefezza, Diao, Fadera; Cutrone
On the bench: Audero, Reina, Dossena, Iovine, Jack, Andrealli, Kone, Braunoder, Mazzitelli, Verdi, Gabrielloni, Belotti, Chinetti, Caqueret, Nico Paz
Trainer: Fabregas
Unavailable: Sergio Roberto, Moreno
Disqualified: Nobody
AC Milan (4-3-3): Maignan; Emerson Royal, Tomori, Thiaw, Hernandez; Bennacer, Fofana, Reijnders; Pulisic, Morata, Leao
On the bench: Sportiello, Torriani, Calabria, Pavlovic, Tomori, Bartesaghi, Terracciano, Jimenez, Liberals, Musah, Zeroli, Abraham, Camarda
Trainer: Fonseca
Unavailable: Florenzi, Chukwueze, Loftus-Cheek, Okafor, Jovic
Disqualified: Nobody