Juventus and Roma take off. The championship started just three days ago but the hierarchies on the eve, which saw the two favorites for the Scudetto, already seem to be respected. After the success of the black and whites in the anticipation of San Siro, the yellow and reds were called to answer against Zeman's Cagliari, ex always applauded despite the not exactly flattering results. This time, however, no tricks from the past but a tough and convinced Rome, on the spot from the first minutes. Who, in less than a quarter of an hour, had already put the match on the right track, effectively closing it.
First Destro, glacial in the tap-in on an assist from Florenzi, then the yellow and red winger himself, good at pushing Gervinho's delicious pass into the net. His exultation (unbridled rush to the authority stand to hug his grandmother) deserves a separate mention as does Peruzzo's coldness, "forced" by the regulation to a just and insensitive admonition at the same time. The rest was just a long afternoon of celebration which projects Roma to the top of the standings together with Juve: a duopoly which will most likely last until 5 October, the day of the eagerly awaited direct clash.
Step back instead for Inter, at least if the term of comparison was the 7-0 trimmed to Sassuolo. That the Barbera game would have been more difficult was imaginable but perhaps not even the most pessimistic of the Nerazzurri would have thought of such a start. In the 3rd minute Vidic, indicated by all as the leading man of the defence, had the ball stolen in an absurd way by Vazquez for the easiest of goals. Forced to chase, Mazzarri's men take a while to react but still manage to equalize in the 42nd minute through Kovacic, the happiest note of this start of the season. The Croatian, dry for a championship and a half, seems to want to make up for lost time as demonstrated by the four goals scored in six seasonal games.
Having found the draw, the Nerazzurri lived their best moment, even scoring twice: a pity that both were cancelled. Right decision on that of Vidic (active offside by Osvaldo), much more questionable that of Icardi (D'Ambrosio seems to start in an irregular position). The game is open and both risk winning it. Vazquez nearly scored twice with a right footed shot on the crossbar, Osvaldo aimed for the top corner with a precision header but had to bow to Sorrentino's miracle. In the final Iachini was sent off for protests following the cancellation of a goal by Belotti: the images, however, demonstrate that the decision is right, given that the attacker pushes (albeit slightly) Nagatomo. The 1-1 final didn't reject Inter, but it didn't promote it either. The four points in the standings confirm that third place is a possible goal, the Scudetto is not.
On the other hand, it is difficult to imagine dreams of glory for Napoli. After the victory over Sparta Prague, many were waiting for the away match in Udine to understand the state of health of the Azzurri. The answer is the most feared: the crisis is not over, indeed it seems to be in full swing. The great suspect of the second consecutive defeat in the league, needless to say, is Benitez. Difficult to understand even before the match, then incomprehensible in the light of the same. The Rafarevolution, as it has already been nicknamed, affects Inler, Mertens, Callejon and Hamsik, all on the bench for an unprecedented Napoli with Gargano and Lopez in midfield, Zuniga top right, Michu attacking midfielder and Insigne on the left.
However, all of this produces only one post (Gargano in the 36th minute) and a double Higuain-Callejon chance in the second half. Too little to win the match and in fact Udinese, at the first real opportunity created, pass. Koulibaly and Britos bungle, Danilo chills Rafael with a plate as simple as it is lethal (71'). The ending is a nervous breakdown: Higuain curses the world, Benitez leaves the field dejected and rather heavy words seem to have flown in the locker room. A sort of free-for-all for a group that now seems to be on the verge of the abyss.
