Two defeats that complicate life. All'Inter, now forced to play for qualification in the January matches against Sparta Prague and Monaco, but above all at Atalanta, whose chances of reaching the eighth finals are drastically reduced and they go through the coup at home to Barcelona.
Today it will be up to Juventus, Milan and Bologna, engaged against Manchester City, Red Star and Benfica (in Lisbon, all at 21pm): Thiago Motta welcomes Guardiola to attempt a final assault on direct qualification, Fonseca even tries to catch up with the top eight, Italiano goes on the hunt for a feat that would keep the play-off dream alive, at least mathematically.
Bayer Leverkusen – Inter 1-0: Mukiele punishes the ugly and passive Nerazzurri in the 90th minute
Let's start with Inter's defeat, punished by Bayer Leverkusen in injury time. Mukiele's goal came at the end of a match that seemed destined for a draw, condemning Inzaghi to his first European KO of the season, just when he was looking forward to his sixth consecutive clean sheet. Losing in the 90th minute hurts, but don't talk about bad luck: the Nerazzurri were under pressure from the Germans for the entire match, so much so that they failed to create even one chance. The numbers tell of an overwhelming superiority from all points of view, with Bayer superior in expected goals (1.32 to 0.26), ball possession (61% to 39), total shots (17 to 6) and shots on target (5 to 0). It's hard to complain after a match like this, even if it must be said that Sommer didn't have to make any particular interventions, also thanks to Leverkusen's objective difficulties in scoring, stunned by the absences of Boniface and Schick. Inzaghi tried to repeat the same pattern seen against Arsenal and Leipzig, but with one big (and decisive) difference: on those occasions, in fact, he dropped back after taking the lead, here instead he did it from the start, without ever trying to make himself dangerous in the offensive zone. Such an attitude, although partially justified by the standings (it is useless to deny that a draw would have been fine for him), clashes with the ambitions of the club, determined to reach the final in Munich. Yesterday's defeat does not affect anything, indeed Inter remains in the running for direct qualification, but the choice to focus on the match against Lazio next Monday (certified by the lineup choices, with Barella, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco and Lautaro on the bench), simply, did not pay off, ending up playing into the hands of Xabi Alonso, the big winner of the evening.
Inzaghi: “We lacked quality, but destiny is still in our hands”
“It wasn’t one of our best matches, also because we had an opponent of absolute value in front of us,” Inzaghi admitted. “In the first half, after Tella hit the crossbar, we controlled the game, maybe even too much: unfortunately we lacked quality in the last 25 meters. It’s a shame we lost our unbeaten run, but this doesn’t affect the path we’ve taken so far. It’s a shame about the goal we conceded in the 90th minute, fortunately for the round of XNUMX everything is in our hands: even after Wednesday’s games we should still be in the top eight. Always moving forward with our heads held high, we did too little without risking almost anything, excluding the initial crossbar. We had to put in more quality, we have it and it was evident in other matches.”
Atalanta – Real Madrid 2-3: the Goddess leaves with her head held high, but surrenders to the top players of the Blancos
The other defeat of the evening hurts more, because it risks costing them dearly in terms of qualification. In fact, Atalanta comes out diminished from the clash with the reigning champions Real Madrid, suffering their fourth defeat in as many matches, the second of the season after the one in August in the European Super Cup. Gasperini's men remain stuck at 11 points, with one game more than many other teams: the risk of sinking in the standings is real, even if the playoff zone does not seem to be at risk. The next two matches against Sturm Graz and Barcelona will determine the future of the Goddess, with the awareness of having to get at least 3 points to go to the play-offs (with 6, the discussion about the eighth-finals would also reopen, but beating the Catalans, on top of that at home, is complicated to say the least). The satisfaction for having put Real Madrid in great difficulty remains, as well as the regret for the blackout at the start of the second half, which cost the league leaders dearly. The start was also difficult, with the Spaniards immediately ahead with Mbappé, phenomenal in beating Carnesecchi after having joked with De Roon (10'). The Frenchman seemed to be having a great evening, but in the 36th minute he got injured and had to leave the field. A good move for Atalanta, who immediately took advantage of Madrid's slump, finding the equalizer on a penalty (foul by Tchouameni on Kolasinac) with the usual De Ketelaere (45+2'). Bergamo really believed in the feat, but at the start of the second half they were frozen by Real's terrible 3', first taking the lead with Vinicius (56'), then making it 3-1 with Bellingham (59'). A devastating one-two for everyone, except for Gasperini's men, who went back to playing as if nothing had happened. In the 65th minute Lookman revived the Gewiss Stadium with his usual shot to the near post, after which Courtois was besieged, which did not end with the 3-3 only due to the imprecision of the Nerazzurri forwards, Retegui above all (the wasted opportunity with an empty net in full recovery was sensational).
Gasperini: “I am satisfied, this match will be a great lesson for us”
“Both teams wanted to play, trying to win with their own strength – Gasperini's analysis -. For us there is a bit of disappointment, but we can learn from these games: we still lack something, but it is also a reason to improve and work. We come out defeated, even if perhaps not in numbers and this will help us take a small step forward. Compared to the Super Cup we were better and, once we equalized, we felt we had the possibility of winning. In the first half, despite doing very well, we could have been a bit more concrete. We held the game well, but we could have been more dangerous because we had the chances. A game that will be a great lesson, it's a shame for the defeat, but we will know how to get back up. We have come closer to a great club, before it was difficult to get a result, now we are starting to see the possibility of doing so”.
Ancelotti: “A victory that goes beyond 3 points, even if the eighth-finals remain complicated”
“This success allows us to look forward with greater positivity,” Ancelotti exulted. “Getting into the top eight is still complicated, but the team had the courage to always move forward and we are very happy: this victory goes beyond the three points. We offered our best version, knowing how to fight and suffer,” Ancelotti added. “We were good at moving with the attackers, playing intelligently even on long balls. Unfortunately, there are many absences, this does not allow us to perform at our best, even if Mbappé’s injury does not seem serious. Our mission is to get to Christmas alive, little by little we are recovering some players.”
Juventus – Manchester City (21pm, Prime Video)
After yesterday's big matches, it's time to think about today's, starting with Juventus-Manchester City. This is a very delicate challenge in Turin, both for the league table implications (the Bianconeri and Citizens have 8 points and are halfway between direct qualification and elimination) and morale, in light of a season that has been far from the expectations of both. It can be said, in fact, that the two teams are going through a moment of crisis and that this match can help them get out of it, or make things much worse. Juve is suffering from a form of acute drawitis that has put an end to Giuntoli and Thiago Motta's honeymoon, as was seen on Saturday against Bologna, when the Stadium loudly booed the team, and then loudly invited them to show their balls. It is difficult to say whether the bad moment is the result of the many injuries or mistakes by the aforementioned duo, whether in the transfer market or in technical-tactical choices: the truth is probably somewhere in between, but not even they thought they would have to deal with such a decline, in light of the good start that had made one think of a completely different season. A victory has not been achieved since the derby on November 9, and in the Champions League since the 3-2 in Leipzig on October 2: a turning point is urgently needed, however possible against a City that is limping like never before. The past glories are in fact a memory by virtue of what is happening: Guardiola's team has lost 6 of the last 9 games between the Premier League and various cups, slipping to minus 8 from Liverpool (with one game more) and also putting direct qualification for the Champions League at risk. Pep, just like Thiago, is struggling with a series of very serious injuries (above all that of Ballon d'Or winner Rodri) and absolutely needs to get points, which adds a lot of spice to an already intriguing challenge.
Thiago Motta: “I really admire City and Guardiola, but we prepared well”
“We will face a team with specific characteristics, we will have to be ready to defend well when they attack and play with great quality when we have the ball – explained Thiago Motta -. I cannot judge what is happening at City now, I can only admire what they have done in recent years. They have shown enormous value, they have won the Champions League, the Club World Cup, the Premier League four times in a row... Guardiola is very strong, the facts say it: he has won everything and he has done it with consistency, which is very difficult. Two great clubs are facing each other and we will have to give everything on the pitch to compete at our best. I have never looked for excuses related to injuries, every team goes through its moments: we have faced the situations in the right way, working and being a team, sometimes we have succeeded and other times we have not. We must continue like this and improve in every aspect, it is difficult to say one thing specifically, because we have the potential to improve in everything”.
Guardiola: “We have to win! We are in crisis? We will return to the same as always”
“We think game by game, we are in a situation where we have to play to win – confirmed Guardiola -. In some cases we have drawn or lost, we have had difficult games, now we have to try to qualify. Juve is Juve, it is the best team in Italy. They are used to playing under pressure and have quality, against Bologna they did an extraordinary job, I am sure they will be able to do well and I can't wait to meet them. We are fighting to return to being the team we were. After 8 years there may be a bad period, but we will return to being what we are, there is no doubt, I know well that we are judged. I do not speak about Juve, I am far away, I have seen the games in these days and it seems to me that they are on the right path. It is not easy to arrive in a place and introduce new things with the obligations that big teams have, being able to do that immediately is not easy, sometimes it takes time. In the first year in Manchester I did not win, then the story tells itself”.
Juventus – Manchester City, probable formations
Juventus (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Savona, Gatti, Kalulu, Cambiaso; Thuram, Locatelli; Conceicao, Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Vlahovic
On the bench: Perin, Pinsoglio, Rouhi, Danilo, McKennie, Fagioli, Douglas Luiz, Mbangula, Weah, Adzic
Coach: Thiago Motta
Unavailable: Milik, Bremer, Cabal, Nico Gonzalez
Disqualified: none
Manchester City (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Ruben Dias, Gvardiol; De Bruyne, Gundogan, Bernardo Silva; Doku, Haaland, Grealish
On the bench: Ortega, Carson, Lewis, Simpson-Pusey, O'Reilly, Wilson-Esbrand, Nunes, Savinho, Wright, McAtee
Coach: Guardiola
Unavailable: Bobb, Rodri, Kovacic, Stones, Aké
Disqualified: none
Milan – Red Star (21pm, Sky and Now)
Easier, at least on paper, is the task of Milan, who will host Red Star Belgrade at San Siro. A challenge that recalls the glory years, when both were among the European elite and competed in knockout rounds destined to go down in history. Memorable, in this sense, was the double crossover of the 1988/89 season, with Sacchi's Rossoneri qualifying after the long battle at the Marakana, made of fog (the match was postponed to the next day), phantom goals (Virdis), spine-chilling injuries (Donadoni even risked dying) and the lottery of penalties. Far from trivial, even if not at that level, was the preliminary round in the summer of 2006, when the Devils, in the midst of Calciopoli, found themselves having to play for access to the Champions League in a heart-stopping do-or-die: Inzaghi (twice) and Seedorf sealed the passage of the round and Ancelotti's Rossoneri placed the first piece of the seventh, and last, cup won. Today's match is not worth that much, but it is still very important for both: Milan even smells the round of 5 and must necessarily win, Red Star is further behind, but the 1-3 against Stuttgart has put them back in the running at least for the playoffs. Fonseca knows he cannot afford to make any missteps, given that at the moment the Champions League is the only lifeline they can cling to. The defeat in Bergamo has put an end, barring sensational (and frankly unthinkable) twists, to the dreams of the Scudetto, which makes qualification for the round of XNUMX even more important, for the club and for him. A victory would not guarantee it on a mathematical level, but it would certainly bring it significantly closer, leaving the final verdicts to the January matches against Girona and Dinamo Zagreb. In short, the Devils must win, regardless of Pulisic's absence (the tests have revealed a calf injury, return scheduled for the Super Cup on January XNUMX) and the environmental pressures, increasingly strong after the bad fall in Bergamo.
Fonseca: “I feel the support of the club. Pulisic's absence? Loftus-Cheek will play”
“We will face an opponent who won 5-1 against Stuttgart,” Fonseca stressed. “It will be an important match for us, we want to win and get the three points. Red Star is a physical team that also tries to play, but focuses above all on counterattacks with three very fast forwards who are good at hitting on the counterattack, we will have to be careful. We have improved a lot in the defensive phase recently, in Bratislava it was a particular match, but the team learned a lot. I am sure that we will do well in this sense, the team is much better. We are working, I continue to believe that we can improve and that we will arrive at the end of the championship in a different position. I am confident and positive, I understand the feelings of the fans, but we are working to improve, I also always feel the support of the club. The eighth finals? The goal is to win the next match, but I cannot say that we are not thinking about this possibility. Maybe by winning all the matches we still have to play… But first there is Red Star to face and beat, then we will focus on the rest. Pulisic's absence? Loftus-Cheek will play in his place, I trust he can do well in his position".
Milan – Red Star, probable formations
Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Gabbia, Thiaw, Hernandez; Fofana, Reijnders; Musah, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Morata
On the bench: Sportiello, Torriani, Emerson Royal, Pavlovic, Tomori, Terracciano, Chukwueze, Okafor, Camarda, Abraham
Coach: Fonseca
Unavailable: Florenzi, Bennacer, Pulisic, Jovic (not in the list), Jimenez (not in the list), Vos (not in the list)
Disqualified: none
Red Star (4-2-3-1): Gutesa; Mimovic, Spajic, Djiga, Seol; Elsnik, Krunic; Mvumpa, Maksimovic, Milson; Ndiaye
On the bench: M. Ilic, Kanga, Katai, Bruno Duarte, Gomes, Rodic, Lekovic, Drkusic, L. Ilic, Prutsev, Radonjic
Coach: Milojevic
Unavailable: Olayinka, Glazer
Disqualified: none
