Ready Set Go! The championship restarts after a summer of great sporting successes, football and otherwise, but also in the middle of a market with little money, yet full of movements from all sides. And so, like every year after all, Serie A begins with a sign of work in progress, with the teams forced to take the field with incomplete squads, without however the possibility of being able to make mistakes. As usual, the start will be given by the reigning champions, i.e. Simone Inzaghi's Inter, awaited by thehome match against Genoa (18.30 pm). A very delicate match at San Siro, populated again after a year and a half behind closed doors, not so much for the value of the opponent (in any case insidious), but for the climate surrounding the Nerazzurri, protagonists of a decidedly complicated summer. That there would have been a downsizing was already understood from Conte's farewell, but the sales of Hakimi and Lukaku, in addition to the unfortunate story of Eriksen, have dismantled the winning toy: the company has put a patch on it with Dzeko, Calhanoglu and Dumfries , but it is clear that at least one shot is still needed to remain competitive.
"We all know that this year the club had problems, there have been due transfers such as Hakimi's, Eriksen's important problem and Lukaku's unexpected departure, but very strong substitutes have been taken and another one will arrive soon - confirmed Simone Inzaghi -. Our goals remain ambitious, I don't like proclamations but the motivations will make the difference and the guys have shown me that they have plenty to spare. Now let's think about Genoa, it will be a complicated match against a valuable team, coached by a very well-prepared coach". So, waiting for Marotta and Ausilio to complete the squad (Marcus Thuram, Lilian's son, seems to have surpassed Correa and Zapata), it's time to take care of the pitch, also because Inter, regardless of the market, will have to face an emergency debut. In fact, Inzaghi has problems especially in attack, in light of the disqualification of Lautaro and the injury of Sanchez, which is why he will be forced to give up the classic 3-5-2 by virtue of a 3-5-1-1 with Handanovic in goal , Skriniar, De Vrij and Bastoni in defense, Darmian, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu and Perisic in midfield, Sensi behind Dzeko.
Lots of curiosity also for Ballardini's new Genoa, who will respond with a 3-5-2 formation that will see Sirigu between the posts, Vanheusden, Biraschi and Criscito in the back, Sabelli, Sturaro, Badelj, Hernani and Cambiaso in the midfield, Pandev and Bianchi offensive couple. In the evening, immediately after the San Siro match (and that of Verona between Hellas and Sassuolo), it will be the turn of Lazio and Atalanta, expected from the away matches in Empoli and Turin respectively (20.45 pm). There are many curiosities here too, given that three of the four teams in question have changed coaches and those who have not done so, i.e. Gasperini's Goddess, are still expected at the gate to understand if a further leap in quality will arrive. “If you want to raise the bar, do it yourself, I'm very happy with what we've done, moreover it's not so obvious to repeat ourselves – glossed over the Nerazzurri coach -. Zapata? I think he will stay, but this is a very strange market…”. The media pressure from those who are even starting to talk about the Scudetto is evidently a bit annoying, also because Gasp knows well how in football, especially in the Italian one, gratitude often ends up forgotten.
The coach will also be forced to make his debut in full emergency, in light of the injuries of Zapata and Hateboer and the disqualifications of Toloi, De Roon and Freuler. His 3-4-3 will therefore be very different from the typical one, with Musso in goal, Djimsiti, Demiral and Palomino in defense, Maehle, Pasalic, Pessina and Gosens in midfield, Ilicic, Muriel and Malinovskyi in attack. Juric's big doubt, on the other hand, is called Belotti, crushed after the Italian Cup: yesterday he worked in a group and therefore should start as owner, with the coach who will rely on a 3-4-2-1 with Milinkovic-Savic between the posts, Bremer, Djidji and Rodriguez in the back department, Singo, Lukic, Mandragora and Aina in the midfield, Linetty and Pjaca behind del Gallo. Debut evening also for Sarri, at the first on the Lazio bench. The coach starts from Empoli, the square that launched him definitively into big football, but he won't be able to get carried away by sentimentality: the 3 points are almost mandatory, otherwise the new adventure will start badly.
“I consider myself a specialist, that is, someone who wants things to go perfectly, but at the moment this is not possible and we are probably facing a year of construction – pointed out Sarri -. The market is a subject that I find heavy, but I'm happy with the arrival of Pedro. Correa? He is not in the ideal mental conditions, there is a stand-by situation that has been dragging on for some time”. In short, the climate is not the best but Lazio have everything to conquer Empoli, although Andreazzoli's team, albeit with Dionisi on the bench, has already shown in Serie B that they play very interesting football. Sarri, net of the aforementioned market problems, will immediately focus on a 4-3-3 with Reina in goal, Lazzari, Luiz Felipe, Acerbi and Hysaj in defense, Milinkovic-Savic, Leiva and Akpa-Akpro (favorite over the bruised Luis Alberto) in midfield, Felipe Anderson, Immobile and Moro (Spanish added to the Primavera) in attack. Classic 4-3-1-2 also for Empoli, who will respond with Vicario between the posts, Stojanovic, Ismajli, Romagnoli and Marchizza in the back, Ricci, Stulac and Bandinelli in the midfield, Bajrami behind the offensive duo made up of Mancuso and Cutrone.
