Gattuso's Napoli starts badly. Very bad indeed, because the home defeat against Parma risks costing very dearly in terms of the standings, given that, between today and tomorrow, the Champions League area can move away almost definitively. And then, beyond the result, it is clear how the problems of the Azzurri go far beyond the change of technical guide: here there are players to revitalize from all points of view, starting with self-esteem. In fact, the feeling is that some certainties of the past have turned into problems, to the point of making mistakes that were unthinkable until some time ago and which today, however, cost very heavy points. D'Aversa's Parma was very good at taking advantage of it and taking 3 points which are worth a sensational seventh place in the standings, precisely at the expense of Napoli.
It is symptomatic then that the key episodes took place at the antipodes of the match, one at the beginning and one at the end, to demonstrate all the primarily mental frailties of the Azzurri. The match, which began half an hour late due to some problems at the San Paolo (the storm the night before had created problems with the roof), got off to a bad start immediately for Gattuso, who found himself down by a goal already in the 4th minute: the fault of Koulibaly, who first lets Kulusevski escape and then leaves the field due to injury. Here he is the ideal example of a once perfect player who is now a shadow of himself. Napoli thus found themselves at a disadvantage and even risked collecting the 2-0 (Meret's save with the help of the post on Gervinho), before waking up from the blow and starting to push properly. Parma gladly surrendered, aware that they had the most lethal weapon available on the counter-attack, but in the meantime they had to suffer because the Azzurri, even without charming them, managed several times to become dangerous.
We go to the interval with a shiver (penalty first given and then removed from Napoli for a contact outside the area), after which it starts again with the Neapolitans attacking, stopped by the always excellent Sepe. In the 62nd minute Gattuso archives the 4-3-3 by virtue of an Ancelottian 4-2-4, with Mertens in place of Allan: the move works immediately because a minute later the Belgian draws Milik in the center of the area, for a shot butt that slips into the parmesan door. It seems the prelude to overtaking, however Napoli continues to make the last choice wrong and the match dragged on to a draw almost to the end. Almost precisely, because in the 93rd minute Zielinski (another certainty of the past that has become unrecognizable) slips, giving way to the counterattack of the award-winning Kulusevski-Gervinho company: the cold Ivorian Meret, San Paolo and, above all, Gattuso, forced to deal with a truly unforgettable debut.
“I don't believe in bad luck, this is a team that is not mentally well at the moment – the coach's analysis. - We weren't brilliant, unfortunately we paid for our fragility and suffering. However, I remain convinced that this is a great team with important players, we need to find that balance that we lack, as well as serenity, lucidity and enthusiasm. The ranking? Right now it makes more sense to think about match after match…”. So today Roma and Milan, who are also playing at home against Spal (18pm) and Sassuolo (15pm), can take advantage of it. It's a special day for the Rossoneri, given that today they will celebrate 120 years of their history. The parade of past coaches and champions (present, among many, Sacchi, Rivera, Baresi, Shevchenko, Savicevic, as well as, of course, Boban and Maldini) however, it will only make sense in case of victory, otherwise the risk of the boomerang effect is almost guaranteed.
Stefano Pioli knows this well, determined to give continuity to the successes of Parma and Bologna also against Sassuolo, thus closing the Emilian triptych in the best possible way, to then go and play for the remaining chances of Europe in Bergamo in the last match of the year. “This match is an opportunity, we'll have to do well – the coach reiterated in no uncertain terms. - We see the light but we haven't completely come out of the tunnel, if we want to shine we have to insist. The team is also growing from a technical point of view, I see clean plays and successful passes, my head is more positive. We must insist on our concepts: ideas, quality and intensity”. The feeling is that the Rossoneri have finally become a team, as can be seen from the training choices, the same for the third consecutive match.
Today's 4-3-3 will in fact be the same as Parma and Bologna, therefore Donnarumma in goal, Conti, Musacchio, Romagnoli and Hernandez in defense, Kessié, Bennacer and Bonaventura in midfield, Suso, Piatek and Calhanoglu in attack. Classic 4-2-3-1 very offensive also for De Zerbi, who will respond with Turati between the posts, Toljan, Romagna, Marlon and Kyriakopoulos in the back, Locatelli and Magnanelli in the midfield, Berardi, Djuricic and Boga behind Caputo. An opportunity to score points also for Roma, who want to beat last-placed Spal to hoist themselves in the Champions League area. obviously waiting for tomorrow's Cagliari-Lazio. The Giallorossi come from a rather tiring European evening, in which there was only the passage of the round to save, certainly not the performance. “This is another match, I expect the team to be able to play with the right attitude – confirmed Fonseca. – Spal is a good team and the boys understood it: we made a mistake on Thursday but this time it will be different”.
But the technician is once again grappling with the accident-disqualification emergency, especially in defense where both Mancini and Smalling will be missing, with the result of a central couple to be composed. The choices of the Giallorossi 4-2-3-1 are almost obligatory with Pau Lopez in goal, Spinazzola, Fazio, Juan Jesus and Kolarov in defense, Diawara and Veretout in midfield, Zaniolo, Pellegrini and Mkhitaryan in the trocar, Dzeko in attack. Semplici, at risk of exemption after last Sunday's defeat against Brescia, will respond with a 4-3-1-2 that will see Berisha in goal, Cionek, Vicari, Tomovic and Igor in the back, Murgia, Valdifiori and Missiroli in the midfield , Valoti behind the offensive duo made up of Jankovic and Petagna.
