The Juventus people were waiting for nothing else and the big day has arrived. At 18 for the first time Cristiano Ronaldo will take the field at the Allianz Stadium with the Juventus shirt against Lazio. After the painful victory against Chievo a week ago, Allegri asks his team for a slightly more convincing performance, against an opponent who shouldn't be underestimated: "I expect great enthusiasm - said Allegri in the conference - there is Lazio, the last year they beat us after 41 games in a row at the stadium. An important and complicated match, it's a strong and well-led team”.
A Juventus that knows it is strong, but that must try to find resources and concentration in every match, also given the enthusiasm that has poured over the whole Juventus environment after the arrival of Ronaldo: "Files, tickets are not things that concern me. However, I see great enthusiasm in all circles, just seeing the fans outside the Continassa. Normalization must concern us, the Juventus environment. Because, as I say and I will never stop repeating it, you have to win games and Saturday was proof of that. A game in which after 20 minutes we could have been 3-0 and instead in the 10th minute of the second half we lost 2-1. Tomorrow when the referee blows his whistle, you have to be concentrated and bring home three points, because this year, Milan are more than last year and there will be six teams fighting for four places. Scudetto share? In my opinion this year 88 or 90 points”.
It goes without saying that once again all eyes will be on CR7, waiting for the first official goal with the new shirt: “He always questions himself. A great champion who built himself with work and sacrifice, an excellent example that raises the bar for everyone."
On the other hand, there will be a Lazio team that is a bit disturbed by the outburst between Lotito and Inzaghi that made the rounds on the net this week. The coach wanted to tone it down: “We talked about this and that, I think it was a dated phone call, but it must be constructive – said the Biancoceleste coach -. It happened because I demand a lot from myself, from the players and from the club. I have everything I want here, I ended the next call with a laugh. Let's think about Juve: it will be a wonderful game to play, the team is preparing for this match, which will be very difficult. These races are in our DNA. We have to hope not to find the bianconeri in a great day, but the boys were very concentrated, they worked with the right spirit".
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The other big match of the day is the one that will pit Napoli against Milan at 20.30 pm at the San Paolo. A race in which many memories will intertwine. From Ancelotti who finds his former team for the first time to Reina who will embrace his fans again, not to mention the umpteenth return of Higuain in front of an audience that will only give him boos.
But above all it will be Gattuso against Ancelotti, the pupil against the master: “You all know the relationship I had with him – said Gattuso -, he was more than a coach, who went beyond the player and the coach. You think that he and I are not alike in character. That changed when he became coach. When he played on the pitch he transformed, he was a feisty one who never gave up. He started doing this job and he mellowed. What has always surprised me is the simplicity, he behaved like Rocco. Since I quit, I've never heard a footballer speak ill of Carlo, even those who didn't play. He was able to talk to you with his heart in his hand, he didn't tell lies. Simplicity was his fortune. It's hard to copy him in managing the group, he was a master. He's the master, but tomorrow we'll go to Naples to get results and make a good impression."
He really wants to try, and he will do it with Higuain in the center of the attack and a team that is hungry to return to football that counts: “I think that only with Higuain we won't win anything. We need the team. He is a very high quality footballer, one of the ten strongest in the world. We have to be a team and put Gonzalo in a position to give him goals and the team must manage not to suffer from them and do a good job in all departments. We have worked well, we have a full engine and we can push. We still have a few problems, we concede avoidable goals like against Real Madrid. In Naples I would like to see a Milan with great personality, who can continue to do what we do with courage. I don't want to see a team that stoops at the first difficulty."
Reina, another ex, will start from the bench. Donnarumma will be the starter on his league debut, the first of a season that everyone hopes will be different from the last: “Donnarumma's consecration can come – explained the AC Milan manager-, he can become the strongest in the world. If he copies the way to set the role of Reina, how he moves and trains. It is no coincidence that he has changed in the last fifty days, he can become the strongest in the world. Now it's up to him, he just has to copy and paste ”.
Ancelotti will be equally excited, at the first in front of his new crowd, but also against the team he made great: “It will be a pleasure to meet everyone – he said -, Maldini, Leonardo, Gattuso. They have enthusiasm. Environmental pessimism? The market has been with the lights off, but I don't know where this skepticism comes from. There was no need to do anything. The qualities of this group have not yet been shown and for this reason we have worked to retain more than to buy. We will show our worth to everyone. The scudetto is close, I hope I can put it on myself”.
De Laurentiis also wishes it, who chose Ancelotti to win in Italy. Something that Sarri failed to do, to which the Napoli president launched yet another barb: “The pleasure of having played very well remains from last season, but then there is also the bitterness of not having won anything. We gave everything to Sarri, but we haven't won anything in the last three years."
