An evening to forget. For Inter, defeated 3-2 by Real and for Atalanta, humiliated with a clear 5-0 by a Liverpool stellar version. However, it is clear that, beyond the size, the defeat that hurts the most is that of Madrid: now the qualification for the round of 5, in light of the overwhelming victory of Borussia Moenchengladbach on the Shakhtar field, has become really tough. The standings see the Germans in first place with 4 points, the Spanish and Ukrainians immediately behind with 2, the Nerazzurri last with 25, which is why the return match, scheduled at San Siro on November XNUMXth, really becomes a last resort .
Under accusation, once again, the defensive phase and therefore Antonio Conte, responsible for the team's tactical structure: going from the best defense in the league to conceding 15 goals in 9 seasonal games is not eligible, especially for someone like him. "Certainly the final result leaves a bad taste in the mouth, but there is one aspect that shouldn't be underestimated: these matches show that there is growth, I don't know how many teams go under two goals in Madrid and then recover it - he retorted the coach – There are still three games and nine points, we will do everything to go through. We knew from the beginning that this was the most difficult group…”.
The attempt to look at the full side of the glass is fine, but the disappointment is great because with this Real Madrid we could have won, or at least not lost. Instead, Inter once again showed all the limits that are conditioning the start of the season, starting with the soft, distracted, wrong approach. Hakimi's mistake who paved the way for Benzema's goal is forbidden to minors, a little less serious, but still lethal, the amnesia that allowed Sergio Ramos to soar alone and find the 2-0. And so the Nerazzurri, in the 33rd minute, found themselves two goals down, in a game they should have bitten right from the start.
However, between the inevitable generational change and some important defections, this Real is anything but hermetic and Inter, after making Courtois tremble on a couple of occasions, found the web of hope with Lautaro, good at taking advantage of an amazing back-heel assist from Barella and punching a hole in the white door (35'). From then on, the game went through a phase of equilibrium, until the 68th minute: header by Martinez to unmark Perisic, left foot of the Croatian and 2-2 Inter. Soon after the victory ball, wrong for centimeters by Lautaro himself, and when Perisic again came close to making it 3-2, many thought that the coup was possible. Nothing more wrong, because in the 80' Rodrygo, guiltily left alone by the Nerazzurri defence, found the overtaking goal, certifying Madrid's success and yet another European disappointment for Conte.
Evening also for Atalanta, defeated without appeal by a great Liverpool, capable of scoring as many as five goals without conceding any. A real red show, signed above all by one amazing Diogo Jota (hat-trick), but also from the usual ones Salah e Moon. At the Goddess, unlucky on some occasions with Zapata, the knockout hurts both in terms of size and consequences: in fact, Ajax, by winning 2-1 in Denmark, grabbed them in second placecalling everything into question.
"The gap was really heavy, we faced Liverpool with the confidence that we could hold up and be dangerous, instead they were too superior and were going too much faster than us - the disconsolate analysis of Gasperini – We are no longer able to be an intense team and we have to study changes, we have also seen it in the league”.
The hope is that Juventus e Lazio can raise the mood of Italian football as early as this evening, on the fields of Ferencvaros and Zenit St. Petersburg (21 pm). The bianconeri absolutely must win, both for rankings (the knockout against Barcelona called everything into question) and for image: the technical and economic difference with the Hungarians, in fact, does not allow for any missteps of any kind. Pirlo then, after the success against Spezia, would need another one to shore up his self-esteem a bit, especially as there will be the insidious match against Lazio on Sunday.
“Points are fundamental, but above all we want to carry on with our idea of the game – commented the Juventus coach – The attitude will remain the same, but the interpreters will change: Dybala for example, after playing three consecutive matches, needs to recover”. So the Argentine's bad moment continues, who after the replacement in Cesena is ready to take a seat on the bench by virtue of what will probably be the starting duo for the season. The hierarchies, absent aside, are being defined and tonight in Hungary we will see the 3-5-2 again with Szczesny in goal, Danilo, Bonucci and Chiellini in defence, Cuadrado, Arthur, Rabiot, McKennie and Kulusevski in midfield, Morata and Ronaldo, making his seasonal debut in the Champions League, in attack. Rebrov, after the draw with Dinamo Kiev, will try the feat with a 4-2-3-1 that will see Dibusz between the posts, Lovrencsics, Blazic, Kovacevic and Heister in the back, Somalia and Kharatin in the midfield, Zubkov, Siger and Nguen supporting lone striker Isael.
More insidious transfer, at least on paper, for the Lazio, called to face the Zenit last in the standings and therefore hungry for points. But Inzaghi's problems, as well as from the Russians, come mainly from Uefa and Figc: the first has again stopped Immobile, Lucas Leiva and Strakosha after the anti-Covid swabs, the second, accordingly, officially opened an investigation. Because the three in question, already blocked a week ago before the away match in Bruges, had instead returned regularly for the match in Turin, so much so that two of them even played (Immobile even scored a goal). Is it possible that there is this discrepancy between international and local buffers? We'll see, but in the meantime Inzaghi will have to do without them again.
"Like in Bruges, we have some unavailable: Strakosha, Leiva and Immobile were unable to leave today, plus a series of absences that we already had - explained the Biancoceleste coach - We didn't expect it, but the team is ready and will play an excellent game . We play against Zenit who are strong: they have zero points and will want to do well”. In short, an almost obligatory formation, therefore a 3-5-2 with Reina in goal, Luiz Felipe, Hoedt and Acerbi in defense, Patric, Milinkovic-Savic, Akpa Akpro, Parolo and Fares in midfield, Correa and Muriqi in attack. The usual 4-3-3 instead for Semak, who will respond with Kerzhakov in goal, Karavaev, Lovren, Rakitsky and Santos in the back, Wendel, Barrios and Erokhin in the midfield, Kuzyayev, Dzyuba and Zhirkov in the offensive trident.
