Il the collapse continues. The Milan also loses against Lazio (1-2) and sinks to ninth place in the standings, overtaken even by Rome (2-1 against Como) and now very far from the top zone, so much so as to put at risk any participation in the next Europe. Lazio, for its part, takes three fundamental points e returns to fourth place, at least until tonight when the Juve, fresh from the embarrassing performance against Empoli, will receive Verona in a rather hostile Stadium (20.45pm), even if with the prospect of making the standings rather interesting.
Milan – Lazio 1-2: Baroni conquers San Siro in the 98th minute, Conceiçao sinks
Whistles at San Siro. This Milan just doesn't know how to get back up, so much so that they suffered their third consecutive defeat in the space of a week, after those against Torino and Bologna. This time it was Lazio's turn to feast on the remains of the Devil, at the end of yet another crazy game, decided by a Pedro's penalty in the 98th minute. A draw, perhaps, would have been the fairest result, but all things considered the Biancocelesti did not steal anything, indeed they had the merit of believing until the end, also helped by the numerical superiority. Yes, because for the seventh time this season (!) the the Rossoneri are down to ten men for the 'Pavlovic expulsion, a testimony of a team that was not very lucid, now demotivated by the general disaster. The match had started without the contribution of the Curva Sud, empty for the first quarter of an hour as a sign of protest, and Lazio had immediately tried to take advantage of it with Dia (twice) and Nuno Tavares. Then, just when Milan seemed to have settled down, here comes the Zaccagni's goal, predatory in pounced on a Marusic shot parried by Maignan (28'). Conceiçao, forced into yet another comeback attempt, didn't even wait until half-time for his first substitution, taking off the irritating Musah for the more offensive Joao Felix. The move seemed to pay off, but the Portuguese, after a promising start (a shot just over the bar at the start of the second half), ended up fading and adapting to the general confusion.
La Lazio came close to doubling their lead again with Zaccagni, Milan responded with Reijnders; then, in the most balanced moment of the match, here comes the expulsion of Pavlovic (68', bad foul on Isaksen) to mix up the cards again. There, however, the biancocelesti suffered the so-called "arm", also because Conceiçao, now with nothing to lose, actually raised the center of gravity, throwing Chukwueze and Jovic also in the mix, along with Gimenez, Leao, Joao Felix and Reijnders. The move of desperation seemed pay per minute 85, when Chukwueze found the equaliser with a nice header on an assist from Leao. San Siro was dreaming of a sensational comeback, but in the 94th minute came the cold shower, yet another of the season: Maignan fouls Isaksen and penalty converted by Pedro, to certify both the Lazio apotheosis and the Rossoneri's collapse.
Conceiçao: “The moment is not easy, but we can only get out of it with work”
“Il it's not an easy moment at all, we know – he sighed Conceiçao -. The players feel what is around the club: the only way is work with pride, defending the colors we represent. We have to work every day, then surely there are episodes during the match that are negative for us and positive for the opponents... We always talk about the same things. We had little time to prepare for the match, and also it was felt a strange environment. The players sense it: when it's like this, the boots are hot and it's not easy. The opponent arrives, scores a goal and you find yourself behind. The team, however, showed it has character and, even when numerically inferior, first equalized and then created situations that would have led us to victory. Then the penalty sealed the match. The boys, however, work day after day and not only on a tactical and physical level, but decisive matches are played every three days, it's not easy".
Baroni: “Great victory, we played with personality”
“I've always said that we are a good team, with a good game, and that we have to work – the thought of Baroni -. There these games are needed, we needed a personality match, like us. We made 20 shots, only 5 fouls, but we have to grow in awareness, in belief. I am happy with the performance and for the deserved victory, even if we had a numerical superiority we should have done better: when I speak of growth, I am referring precisely to the management of the matches. In the first half we should have scored more than one goal because we had so many chances, but the team must not think conservatively, but proactively: when it does, the results come. I am happy because we needed a victory like this, it was important. The Pedro's penalty? It was right that he kicked it, he is amazing when he plays, when he trains, even when he doesn't play. He should have taken that penalty and I was confident because he never misses in training, even if he always tells me that penalties should be taken in important stadiums, in front of the crowd".
Roma – Como 2-1: Saelemaekers and Dovbyk overturn Fabregas, Ranieri sees Europe
Roma is serious, arrived ateleventh consecutive useful result in the championship. The victory over Como, fourth in a row after those against Monza, Parma and Venezia, is worth a minus 2 from the cup area, almost a miracle considering the starting point of the Ranieri era, as well as a good viaticum in view of the challenge with Athletic Bilbao next Thursday. TheEuropa League remains the primary objective for the Giallorossi, but also Serie A, in light of the latest developments, is taking on increasingly interesting contours. Beating Fabregas' Lariani was not easy, especially after a complicated first half, closed down by a goal (da Cunha in the 44th minute) and without ever managing to become truly dangerous. In the second half, after having tried to revive his team with theEl Shaarawy and Dovbyk enter in place of the evanescent Pellegrini and Shomurodov, Ranieri made the winning move by inserting Saelemaekers, initially rested in view of Thursday. The Belgian took just 2 minutes to make your mark, finding the equalizing goal on an assist from Celik, albeit with a deflection that fooled Butez (61'). Classic sliding door of the match, because from then on everything has changed: Kempf, already cautioned, received the second yellow, leaving the How in ten and forcing Fabregas to review his playing principles. at 76' here is the decisive play on the Cristante-Rensch axis (other changes guessed by Ranieri) with the Dovbyk's finishing, who scored on his return after the injury of the last few weeks. There was still room for a Como post (Vojvoda) and a great opportunity for El Shaarawy, but the result did not change, allowing Roma to put another notch in their "comeback plan".
Ranieri: “It was a difficult match, Como will become a top club”
" the match was difficult, I told the boys because Como is healthy and plays well – the analysis of Ranieri -. We weren't there to lose, we reacted and played a great game. At the Vojvoda post I had already told the boys to slow down the pace, because if you keep looking for the goal of serenity you increase the opponents' desire to score: it's fine to look for the net, but with reason. I told Fabregas that for me he will reach important levels, he is young and plays with quality. He is intended for top clubs, even if Como will become a big team like Parma in the 1990s. dovbyk? He has to understand Italian football a bit, how to position himself because sometimes he can't be between the ball and the opponent, these are things he didn't do in Spain and he's adapting. I didn't start him because he wasn't well, but I knew the team would play like this in the second half. Now we can think about the Europa League, with Athletic it will be very difficult but beautiful, because we want to go through to the next round. We will play it with an open face”.
Juventus – Verona (20.45pm, Dazn and Sky)
It is forbidden to make mistakes. Juventus returns to the Stadium after the disaster against Empoli, chasing three very important points that would open up scenarios that were unthinkable until recently, as well as paradoxical given the far from positive moment. Winning would mean return to fourth place at the expense of Lazio, but also to take just 6 points behind league leaders Inter. Beating Verona, however, would be fundamental regardless of the standings: theelimination from the Italian Cup, in fact, has definitively uncovered the Pandora's box in black and white, releasing all those bad moods (in some cases real arguments) that are marking the management of Thiago Motta. "I just can't stand him, and I'm not the only one" revealed a player (anonymous, for now) to Corriere della Sera, confirming a changing room in turmoil, little inclined to the methods (and character) of his coach. Giuntoli tried to quell the controversy with some public statements, but the confirmation seemed too lukewarm to calm the waters. Many also still remember the same sentences referring to Allegri, which were then resoundingly denied by the facts: this is why Thiago Motta is no longer so solid, regardless of the possible conquest of fourth place. The coach has understood that he is now in the crosshairs of his own director, which is why he will have to roll up his sleeves and produce a convincing end to the season, in terms of results and play, otherwise his project will be destined to end in June. coach-toto, after all, he has already left, with the names of Gasperini, Mancini, Tudor and, ça va sans dire, Conte occupying the pages of the newspapers. We will see what happens, in the meantime however it is legitimate to expect a good response already against Verona, in this Monday Night that must not be missed for any reason, otherwise the climate would become truly incandescent.
Thiago Motta: “Not easy days, but I feel the confidence of the team and the club”
"These have not been easy days, but it is our duty to think about the next match and be ready to face our opponents at our best – he admitted Thiago Motta -. Facing Verona will be complicated, but at the same time we have great energy and a great desire to transform this anger of ours and demonstrate, on the pitch, that we are superior and get three points. disappointment that the fans feel we feel it too, the same anger. This must be transformed into something positive so as not to repeat what happened in the Italian Cup. I expect a tough match, they all are in the league: if there is a hostile environment, we will have to fight even more. There are still 12 days left, our ambition is to add points from three to three and win victories to reach our goal with commitment, sacrifice and ambition. With Hellas we will have to do a great race, both technical and physical to take it where we want and take the victory".
Juventus – Verona, probable formations
Juventus (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Weah, Gatti, Kelly, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; Nico Gonzalez, McKennie, Yildiz; Kolo Muani
On the bench: Perin, Pinsoglio, Costa, Kalulu, Rouhi, Koopmeiners, Mbangula, Vlahovic
Trainer: Thiago Motta
Unavailable: Milik, Bremer, Cabal, Veiga, Savona, Douglas Luiz, Conceiçao
Disqualified: Nobody
Verona (3-4-1-2): Montipò; Dawidowicz, Coppola, Valentini; Tchatchoua, Niasse, Duda, Bradaric; Suslov, Livramento; Sarr
On the bench: Perilli, Berardi, Ghilardi, Okou, Faraoni, Bernede, Oyegoke, Lazovic, Cisse, Kastanos, Mosquera, Lambourde, Ajayi
Trainer: Zanetti (suspended, Bertolini on the bench)
Unavailable: Harroui, Serdar, Slotsager, Tengstedt, Frese
Disqualified: Nobody
