Without respite. With the emotions of the European nights still in circulation and just a few days away from the second leg matches, it's time again for Serie A, which restarted yesterday with the victories of Lazio e Cremonese su Spezia ed Empoli. The 3-0 of the biancocelesti in Liguria is the confirmation of second place, indeed it is right to underline how Sarri has extended on all his pursuers thanks to goals from Immobile, Felipe Anderson and Marcos Antonio, thus bringing a Champions League closer and closer that seems ever closer. The result makes today's matches, which they will see on the pitch, even more delicate Milan, Napoli e Inter against Bologna, Verona e Monza. Appointments inevitably conditioned by the cups, because if it is true that no one, apart from the Azzurri, can afford to give away points, it is also true that the next week will be an inside or outside week, therefore decisive.
Bologna – Milan (15 pm, DAZN)
To risk the most, at least on paper, is Pioli's Milan, engaged in the extremely insidious away match in Bologna. The efforts of the Champions League are still to be disposed of, but it is above all the return match that fills the Rossoneri's heads, ready to do anything to gain the pass for the semi-finals. In between, however, there is the trip to Emilia, very important for the purposes of a classification that is anything but simple: the Diavolo is fourth, but with only one point ahead of Inter. The current Champions League intoxicates hearts and minds, but the next one is decisive for the wallet, which is why it would be good to ring a string of victories also in the league, where Pioli is struggling instead. The dull draw with Empoli confirmed how the team struggles to sustain turnover, especially for some elements considered essential, but the exceptional nature of the moment leads the coach to repeat the experiment in Bologna as well, even increasing the number of players involved . Thiago Motta, so far the author of a great season (it is no coincidence that rumors flock that they would like him in the crosshairs of big clubs, Inter above all), hopes to take advantage of it and give the rossoblu people another illustrious notch after those of Inter and Atalanta.
Bologna – Milan, the formations: maxi-turnover for Pioli, who even changes 10!
Pioli he preferred to avoid the press conference on the eve, also because the pre-Champions conference will take place on Monday; therefore, there is no official version of what will happen today in terms of choices. The rumors, however, speak of a real maxi-turnover, with only Maignan confirmed with respect to Wednesday. The other ten, on the other hand, will be changed en bloc, in an attempt to save (at least for part of the match) the top players in view of Maradona. An undoubtedly risky decision, but the coach evidently made his calculations and believes he can conquer Dall'Ara even with an unprecedented 4-2-3-1 with Maignan in goal, Florenzi, Kalulu, Thiaw and Ballo-Touré in defence. Vranckx and Pobega in midfield, Saelemaekers, De Ketelaere and Rebic in the frontline, Origi in attack. Two important changes as well for Thiago Motta, albeit forced: Orsolini (suspended) and Soriano (knee injury) cannot be in the match. The Rossoblu coach will thus opt for a 4-2-3-1 with Skorupski between the posts, Posch, Soumaoro, Lucumì and Kyriakopoulos in the back, Schouten and Dominguez in the midfield, Aebischer, Ferguson and Barrow behind the lone striker Sansone.
Naples – Verona (18pm, DAZN)
No urgency for points instead for the Napoli, who however wants to get to Tuesday's game with morale at a thousand. The comeback in the Champions League also includes a victory today over Verona, even the speech is more linked to a mental issue: the Scudetto, in fact, is very solid in the hands of Spalletti. The blue coach, just like Pioli, will make a big turnover, leaving four very regular players like Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia, Zielinski and Lobotka to rest. Verona, reassured by the last minute victory over Sassuolo, hopes to find a "savings" Napoli, but only the pitch will tell if it will really be like this: the desire to reach the Scudetto there is a lot, even if the head is projected above all to the Champions League. There is also curiosity about Maradona's climate, decidedly hostile in the last match against Milan: that evening things didn't go badly only on the pitch, but also in the stands, with the protest against De Laurentiis and the absolute ban on cheering. Spalletti has already let it be known that he expects something completely different for Tuesday and today's one can be considered as a sort of general rehearsal.
Spalletti: “The challenge against Verona is worth double! Osimhen is fine, he will be on the bench”
"Mine was an invitation to remain united, compact and guided by love for Napoli, I won't go into the merits of the contrasts that exist, but it's incomprehensible right now to deprive these guys of the support they need after all the great matches that they did – he pointed out Spalletti -. The match against Verona is doubly important because if we win it then we only have three left for the title, that's why we have to think only of this, we don't need to think too much because we are facing one of the highest points in the history of this club . Osimhen? He's fine, we also had a meeting with the medical staff this morning and we decided to call him up, he'll be available and on the bench: the goal is to arrive as well as possible on Tuesday".
Naples - Verona, the formations: Osimhen on the bench, as well as Kvaratskhelia, Zielinski and Lobotka
The most important news, therefore, came from osimhen, trained in a group and therefore available again. Clearly Spalletti doesn't want to take unnecessary risks in view of Tuesday, when the Nigerian's presence will be absolutely fundamental, which is why he won't line him up from the start, unlike Kim e Anguissa, disqualified for the European return. The blue 4-3-3 will thus see Meret in goal, Di Lorenzo, Kim, Ostigard and Olivera in defense, Anguissa, Gaetano and Elmas in midfield, Politano, Raspadori and Zerbin in attack, with Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen ready to take over from the bench. Zaffaroni knows he is facing an Everest, but also that the opportunity to meet a "distracted" Napoli exists and must be exploited: his 3-4-2-1, net of the absences of Veloso, Magnani and Lazovic, will be made up of Montipò between the posts, Dawidowicz, Hien and Ceccherini in the back department, Faraoni, Tameze, Duda and Depaoli in the midfield, Ngonge and Lasagna behind the lone striker Djuric.
Inter – Monza (20.45 pm, DAZN and Sky)
Concluding on Saturday of championship will be theInter, which after the big night in Lisbon must repeat itself against the Monza. The victory over Benfica brought smiles back, but now we need to start racing in the league too, where the 3 points have been missing since 5 March. In fact, three defeats have come since that 2-0 win over Lecce (Spezia, Juventus e Fiorentina) and a draw (Salernitana), with consequent descent to fifth place: it is urgent to return to the top four as soon as possible and therefore beat Berlusconi's Monza (it seems that he will watch the match from the hospital) and Galliani. Unlike Milan and Naples, then, the Champions League could have a little less impact given the clear victory in Lisbon, even if the games are not completely over yet. The desire to find themselves in the championship too must act as a stimulus, because fifth place is not even contemplated in the parts of viale Liberazione, much less now that rumors have started circulating again about the economic difficulties of the Zhangs (Hong Kong creditors have allegedly targeted the Italian assets, therefore Inter, to recover 255 million dollars).
Inter - Monza, the formations: Acerbi and Darmian rest, space for Lukaku and Correa in attack
Inzaghi, in short, must give an answer as early as tonight, when a San Siro a fierce Monza will arrive and determined to do battle in what can be considered a small derby, if only for the past of Berlusconi and Galliani. The Nerazzurri coach will make some turnover ahead of Benfica, relying on a 3-5-2 with Onana in goal, D'Ambrosio, De Vrij and Bastoni in defence, Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Asllani and Gosens in midfield, Lukaku and Correa in attack, with Calhanoglu (recovered from the injury) ready to take over from the bench to make the "service" in view of Wednesday. Palladino, already able to stop Inter in the first leg, will try again with a 3-4-2-1 with Di Gregorio in goal, Izzo, Pablo Marì and Caldirola in the back, Ciurria, Pessina, Rovella and Carlos Augusto in the middle , Sensi and Caprari behind the lone striker Petagna.
