Juve knows how to do it. Such is the habit at the top that there is no need to look back, except to check that the pursuer is not getting too close. On the contrary: with Roma stopped on a par in Palermo, the bianconeri can fly to +5 and give life to the first, real escape in the standings. Allegri said it and reiterated it on the eve of the match against Verona, a remake of last Thursday's Coppa Italia match which finished with a tennis 6-1: "It will be a different match from the Coppa Italia – said the coach in the conference – after a such a defeat Verona will play another match, with more attention, trying to give us little. We'd be out of our minds to think it's all going to be easy. In this second part of the season we have to make as few mistakes as possible, because there's less time to recover. What has been done so far is not enough to win the championship”.
Without Vidal (discharged from hospital late Saturday morning after being under observation for fever and tonsillitis), space for Pirlo, Pogba and Marchisio in midfield with Pereyra playmaker behind Tevez and Llorente. Even in defense there shouldn't be any surprises, with Lichtsteiner and Evra outside, Bonucci and Chiellini central. Speaking of Chiellini, Allegri returned to the controversy sparked in recent days by the Inter player Juan Jesus, who had described the Juventus defender as "a terrible example of sportsmanship" after the decision by the Federal Court of Appeal not to reduce the three-match ban for the elbow given to Chiellini himself during Juventus-Inter: “I don't think Chiellini is an unsportsmanlike player – Allegri harshly replied -. Juan Jesus was lucky not to have been seen by the referee, otherwise he would have been sent off for us. It was better if he didn't return to the subject ”.
While almost all the teams are looking around on the transfer market, from the top of their first place in Vinovo they don't have the same need, knowing full well how the Juventus battleship is sufficiently covered in all departments: "I prefer not to talk about the market - he cut short Allegri -, I'll only talk about it in case of new arrivals. If we take someone, it means that we will have deemed them worthy”. How to blame him, also because after all it is the others who have to chase.
Milan are aiming for quite other goals, which see their personal Scudetto in the third place finish. Between ups and downs, the Rossoneri will close the first leg at San Siro against Atalanta, knowing full well that after the defeat against Sassuolo and the draw against Turin, the time has come to change gears: "We have to go back to scoring 14 points in first 7 days as we did in the first leg – said Inzaghi, who at the moment has only scored 4 points more than Allegri last year -. By recovering everyone, the team will improve. Tuesday's match leaves me confident."
But that was the Italian Cup, while in the league the Rossoneri have only picked up 12 points in their last 11 games, enough to make more than one fan turn up their noses. And Inzaghi is well aware that more is expected from him and from Milan: “I was a player, I know that constructive criticism makes you grow. I go on my way, I'm very sure of my ideas, my game and my work. You can't think of being the Milan coach without having responsibilities. The team follows me, I'm serene, I'm just asking for patience, the only medicines I know are work and seriousness. Like our president, I want to bring Milan back to the top, he called me after Turin to cheer me up ”.
The hot topic at Milanello is the possible return of Arrigo Sacchi to Milan. It is forbidden to speak of a "tutor" for Inzaghi, if anything, his position would be that of supervisor with an eye to the youth sector: "Comparing with the 'guru' of coaches is a great satisfaction - said Inzaghi commenting on Friday's meeting at Milanello-. I compare myself with everyone, but then the coach decides to head him. Arrigo is a Milan man, any role given to him by the club is a reason for satisfaction for us. Would he be a cumbersome figure? I've never asked myself these problems, I have a splendid relationship with him. It's all clear, we're not looking for witches!”.
Better to think about field issues, with doubts about the game system to adopt. The tested 4-3-3 (with El Shaarawy, Menez and Cerci) or the more offensive 4-2-3-1 with Pazzini (back in the group after two days of fever) as first striker? Inzaghi seems inclined towards the first hypothesis, with the doubt Bonaventura-Poli as third in midfield alongside De Jong and Montolivo: "I've tried many times to play with the 4-2-3-1, it's a formation we can do when everyone I'm 100%. Now we have players returning from injuries, Cerci has never played like this. In my head there will be a Milan with as many forwards as possible. But with the game underway, like with Sassuolo, it can be done".
