The appetizer before the big feast. The big locals return to the field after the break and do so with the Italian Cup, positioned over the weekend as per the English model. It will only be the prelude to a week which will then see the Super Cup final and the return of Serie A, but this does not mean that the Cup can be snubbed, on the contrary: the eight challenges will be staged on Saturday, Sunday it's Monday they are all from the inside out, which obviously means the total reduction of the margin of error. Lazio-Novara will open the round of 15 (XNUMX pm) but the highlight of Saturday will come with Sampdoria-Milan (18) and Bologna-Juventus (20.45). It is Marassi who hosts the most uncertain and fascinating challenge, with the Rossoneri called to start the calendar year in the best possible way and the Blucerchiati eager to play a good joke. It goes without saying that a knockout would be very heavy for Gattuso: the Italian Cup is considered a seasonal goal, especially after the bad elimination from the Europa League. However, the coach certainly did not experience an easy eve, either due to the corporate problems with UEFA (we'll see what the meeting with Gazidis led to), or due to the Higuain case, exploded after Leonardo's public criticism.
Pipita in Marassi will play from the first minute and this says a lot about how much the club, despite his willingness to go to Chelsea, is counting on him. A lot of curiosity about the Argentine's answers (on the field) as well as about the debut of Paquetà, ready to make his debut as a starter also due to the absence of the injured Suso. Opposite there will be a Sampdoria in excellent shape, determined to take advantage of the Marassi factor to reach the quarterfinals and start dreaming big. More obvious, at least on paper, the challenge of Dall'Ara, where defending champion Juventus will visit Inzaghi's Bologna. A sort of Dasaw against Goliath, so much so that Allegri, already without the injured Mandzukic, will spare key men like Chiellini, Alex Sandro, Pjanic, Matuidi and Dybala in view of Wednesday's Super Cup. On the pitch from the first minute instead Cristiano Ronaldo but this, you know, is not news at all. Turin and Fiorentina will open on Sunday (15 pm), in another very interesting and balanced match. In other words, the opposite of Inter-Benevento (18), decidedly more unbalanced. But beware of the home factor which, in the case of the Nerazzurri, will not be there: San Siro is closed due to the well-known events of 26 December and the match will therefore be played in a ghostly atmosphere, with all the consequences of the case.
São Paulo open regularly instead for the postponement of Sunday (20.45), where Ancelotti's Napoli will host De Zerbi's Sassuolo. On paper, obviously, the Azzurri are favourites, but watch out for the Emilians, who are always dangerous when they face the big teams, especially in a one-off match like this. The round of 15 of the Cup will then come to an end on Monday, when Cagliari-Atalanta (21 pm) and Roma-Entella (XNUMX) will complete the draw. The challenge of the Sardinia Arena, albeit with a preference for the players from Bergamo, is rather balanced, that of the Olimpico instead sees the Giallorossi as overwhelmed and therefore unable to fail. The Ligurians, for their part, have already worked a miracle by eliminating Genoa (in Marassi) nethe previous round and now they dream of another. Because the Coppa Italia, now more than ever, can become the right terrain for impossible missions.
