There are only 90 minutes to go until the end of the first leg, but Juventus already have the certainty of being winter champions. In fact, even if they finish on equal points with Roma, the Bianconeri would be ahead for the win in the direct match. It matters little to Garcia, whose real goal is to finish in front when he really counts, i.e. at the end of May. A goal which, despite the three points disadvantage against Juventus, the Giallorossi coach is convinced more than ever to achieve: “Scudetto? I am of the same opinion as two months ago, I have not changed my opinion ”. A certainty that will have to deal with a calendar on paper more favorable to the black and whites than to the yellow and reds, with Juve awaiting two consecutive home matches against Verona and Chievo, and with Roma having to face two very difficult away games, first in Palermo and then in Florence: “Sometimes it seems difficult for one and easy for the other – said Garcia – but this year has shown that we have lost points when, for example, the calendar seemed more favorable for us. Only the field counts, no race is won before. We know that we have to recover the points lost at home away from home, we will go to Palermo for this”.
No comment on the poisonous words uttered by Lotito after the derby ("I don't waste time talking about these things. I have nothing to say about this thing, my managers have already done so. I can only say that we don't give up an inch to reach this goal at the end of the year”), it is better to think about the away game in Palermo and some training problems, with De Rossi and Nainggolan disqualified and Totti recovered in extremis after the blow to the rib suffered in the derby. The captain, however, could start from the bench, with Destro, who Garcia removed from the transfer market, as owner: “Destro is one of our forwards and he is very important for Roma. I will count on him throughout the second half of the season. Mattia is at 100% when he trains. I am calm and so is he. In my team it's not just the eleven who start but the fourteen who finish. The matches are also won in progress ”.
But in Rome the real news of the day is another: starting from next week, in fact, Castan (brain surgery for a cavernoma last December 3) will return to training. After so much fear, the Brazilian defender can finally put everything behind him and go back to being a footballer.
In today's other advance (18 pm) Inter will face off against Empoli. It would have been Mazzarri's game (who lives in Empoli), it will instead be that of Mancini and an Inter galvanized by the success against Genoa who believe in third place: "Every comeback is different and particular – explained the coach in the conference - , we have to be concentrated and as we are in the back group we are not allowed to puncture. It is important to keep up with the others and in the end we will see. Day after day the team believes more and more in his qualities and now he's going stronger than before. I believe in the possibility of reconnecting with those fighting for third place and then it will be up to us to stay there and fight until the end".
Mancini should re-propose the 4-2-3-1, with Icardi as an offensive terminal. Behind the Argentine, the confirmation of Podolski and the presence of Kovacic are certain ("Mateo has given little so far for what his quality is. He will give much more and can be decisive in every match. He makes improvements every day because he is young and he will grow a lot”, Mancini said of him), while Palacio and Hernanes are in the ballot for the third shirt. Palacio was visited in Amsterdam during the week and the consultation ruled out the hypothesis of an immediate ankle operation (Mancini confirmed that he is fully available), while Hernanes has yet to find the ideal form, as confirmed by the Inter manager himself: "He's not at 100% and he hasn't found the best condition yet, but when he's at the top he can also be a halfback." The same goes for Shaqiri, who as against Genoa will start from the bench.
At the Nerazzurri, the transfer market continues to hold sway, with Osvaldo now leaving. Among the latest rumors there is also that of Juventus, a solution which Mancini would not oppose: “I have nothing against it, but I've never talked about it. I hope there is the best solution for him. What's the problem? It's a family thing and I don't think it's right to talk about it outside”.
Better to think about the field and the away match at Empoli, but above all a calendar that could make Inter climb many positions: after the Tuscan away match, the Nerazzurri will face Turin, Sassuolo, Palermo, Atalanta and Cagliari. Six games to fill up on points and confidence, six games to understand if third place is really possible.
