Goduria Juve, Inter disaster. The first round of the Coppa Italia semi-final between the Bianconeri and the Nerazzurri ended with a clear 3-0, a sort of early ruling even before the second leg. In fact, only a miracle would allow Mancini to overturn such a result, especially as the superiority of Juventus, already certified in the league, appeared to be overwhelming.
If the Bianconeri, despite the absence of 5 top players (Buffon, Barzagli, Khedira, Lichtsteiner and Dybala), managed to walk the Nerazzurri (who only needed Icardi), what could ever happen in full ranks? The question is legitimate as well as the doubt that this Inter is dissolving in a worrying way: the roster at the beginning of 2016 (2 draws, 2 defeats and 2 victories, one of which in the Cup in Naples) is much more than a simple bell of alarm.
Immediate reinforcements are urgently needed and Eder alone, taken with the formula of an onerous loan (1,5 million) with an obligation to buy (10,5), may not be enough for those who, once again, have shown limitations especially in the construction phase of game. And to think that, at least initially, the Nerazzurri had started quite well. For over half an hour they had been managing the match, with a Juve that seemed packed and with their heads elsewhere.
But then, after having denied a sensational one for the arm in Medel's area, Tagliavento whistled a penalty for a foul by Murillo on Cuadrado and the bianconeri released it with Morata, who scored again after almost 4 months of abstinence (36'). This was the episode that split the match in two, because from that moment only Juve could be seen. In the 63rd minute the Spaniard, evidently galvanized by the goal in the first half, doubled his lead with a right footed shot also thanks to the complicity of Melo, author, despite him, of an "auto-assist" bordering on the comical.
Mancini tried to take cover by inserting Brozovic (just in place of the Brazilian) but in the 70th minute Cuadrado played him another bad joke: dry dribbling on Murillo, a foul and an inevitable second yellow card. Inter down by two goals, with 10 men and still with 20' to play. A rather gloomy scenario and in fact the storm was arriving: Morata devoured the 3-0 face to face with Handanovic, Dybala (who came on in place of Mandzukic) found him with a left from the edge of the area (82 ').
Inter? All in a header by Murillo (well saved by Neto) and in a dirty shot by Jovetic (blocked by Caceres). Too little to scratch the Juventus defense (still unbeaten in the Italian Cup) and so the match at the Stadium ended with a thunderous 3-0. “The boys played a good match but we are not in the final yet – commented Allegri. – We're doing very well but don't relax, the road to winning is long and we have to think race after race. I am especially happy for Morata, I also liked him with Roma but he needed to get back to scoring ”.
Mancini was in a decidedly opposite mood, forced to deal with a heavy defeat both from a practical point of view (the Italian Cup, barring miracles, ends here) and from a morale point of view. “They deserved to win but I think the 3-0 is exaggerated – he explained at the press conference. – Up until the penalty, the match had been balanced, we made a mistake on the second goal and then, once there were only 10 players left, it was all more difficult. The result is very complicated to reassemble, I'll try to invent something".
But Mancio's most urgent problem is the championship, another competition in which his Inter have lost ground. There will be the derby on Sunday and a negative result would unleash a real storm on the whole environment. Juventus, the only Italian team left in the running on three fronts, doesn't have these problems. The season is still long and it's too early to know if it will turn out to be successful, but it is certain that with these premises all dreams are more than authorized.
