Torino-Inter e Verona-Napoli, answers are urgently needed from Milan and Juventus. Inzaghi and Spalletti must win, otherwise Pioli's Rossoneri would go on the run and Allegri's Bianconeri would make a worrying move, calling everything into question. The matches at the Olimpico and Bentegodi thus become even more important after Saturday's results, which saw the Diavolo beat Empoli 1-0 (goal by Kalulu) and the Signora conquer the Sampdoria's Marassi (1-3, own goal by Yoshida and two goals from Morata for the Bianconeri, a point from Sabiri for Sampdoria), with consequent jolts in the standings: now Pioli commands with a 5-point lead over Inter, Allegri remains in fourth place but the gap from Inzaghi and Spalletti remains ' is reduced to two and one length respectively.
Turin-Inter (20.45 pm on Dazn)
All eyes are focused above all on the Olimpico Grande Torino, where Inter will try to take 3 fundamental points in terms of the Scudetto. It won't be easy, although the grenades are going through a less than brilliant moment, as can be seen from the scores of the last two months (three draws and as many defeats, the last success is dated January 15 against Sampdoria), but Juric practices a very physical game and this could be a problem for those returning from the battle of Anfield. But the Nerazzurri will have to find a way to deal with it, otherwise Milan will no longer be within reach (not even with the recovery of Bologna) and Juve will be very close, with the prospect of a direct home match on 3 April .
Inzaghi he thought a lot about this challenge, perhaps even too much in the light of some missed changes in Liverpool (see Dzeko) which cost him some criticism from the press and fans, but this shows that he too considers it very important for the standings. The coach will have to do without De Vrij, who came out battered at Anfield, but finds Brozovic, whose instrumental tests have made the parts of Appiano breathe a big sigh of relief. The Nerazzurri 3-5-2 will thus see Handanovic in goal, D'Ambrosio, Skriniar and Bastoni in defense, Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu and Perisic in midfield, Dzeko and Lautaro in attack.
A few more problems for Juric, forced to deal with the flu that attacked the locker room, as well as the certified absences of Praet and Fares. The grenade coach will focus on a 3-4-2-1 with Berisha between the posts, Djidji, Bremer and Rodriguez in the back, Singo, Lukic, Mandragora and Vojvoda in the midfield, Pobega and Brekalo behind the lone striker Belotti.
Verona-Naples (15.00 pm on Dazn)
The other decisive match in the Scudetto area is that of Bentegodi, the scene of a match that is never trivial regardless, let alone now. The Azzurri arrive with a week free from commitments, but with their heads full of questions after the knockout with Milan: now, thanks to the results of the advances, Milan have escaped to +6 and Juventus have moved to just one point of distance.
"This match is worth a lot and we know it, the result will tell us where our thoughts are directed, a defeat would be fatal and everything is contained in what we want to do with our careers - he confirmed Spalletti without hiding -. We will have to show our quality, but in some moments be even less beautiful and dirtier, uglier, taking advantage of their pressure. There are different situations to use at best because they create constant pressure, but they leave some space, they are waiting for you, they fight in every area".
The feeling, even though there are still 10 games to go, is that this could be an almost decisive day for Napoli, because failing at Bentegodi would mean not being up to a goal as prestigious as the tricolor. In front, however, there will be a tonic and ferocious Hellas, back from the good draw in Florence and determined to stop the Azzurri just like last May 23, when the 1-1 draw by Maradona denied them qualification for the Champions League.
Spalletti knows that a lot will come from the race, which is why he is considering some changes to his usual 4-2-3-1, relying on Ospina in goal, Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Koulibaly and Mario Rui in defense, Anguissa and Lobotka in midfield, Politano, Zielinski and Elmas on the trocar, Osimhen in attack. Tudor, forced to give up on Lazovic, will respond with a 3-4-2-1 with Montipò in goal, Casale, Gunter and Ceccherini in the back, Faraoni, Tameze, Ilic and Depaoli in the midfield, Barak and Caprari behind the single point Simeone.
Atalanta-Genoa and Udinese-Rome (18.00 pm on Dazn)
In the late afternoon, however, the spotlights will be on Bergamo and Udine, where an interesting long-distance duel for Europe will take place. The standings, in the light of Juve's victory and waiting for tomorrow's Lazio-Venice, forces Gasperini and Mourinho to score points against Genoa and Udinese, in defiance of the European struggles and the imminent second leg matches with Leverkusen and Vitesse.
Atalanta must demonstrate that they have solved the problem of scoring in the league too, after the 3 scored against the Germans on Thursday: today's test, in this sense, is decidedly convincing, given that Blessin's rossoblu, despite the penultimate place in the standings, they have only conceded 2 in their last 6 games, managing to stop high-level opponents such as Inter and Roma.
Gasperini he will shuffle the cards as usual, even more so with Leverkusen's away match at the gates: certainly there won't be the suspended De Roon and the usual Zapata and Ilicic, for a 3-4-1-2 that will see Musso in goal, Toloi, Palomino and Djimsiti in defense, Maehle, Freuler, Koopmeiners and Pezzella in midfield, Pasalic in the frontline, Malinovskyi and Boga in attack.
Blessin knows that this is not the ideal game to look for salvation points, but also that the time to attempt the feat is less and less. The Rossoblu 4-2-3-1 will be made up of Sirigu in goal, Hefti, Maksimovic, Ostigard and Vasquez in the back, Badelj and Portanova in the midfield, Gudmundsson, Melegoni and Yeboah behind Destro's lone striker. Heavy points also up for grabs at the Dacia Arena, where Roma are chasing the eighth consecutive useful result in the league.
It is difficult to say whether there is still the margin to attempt an assault on fourth place, but they would certainly be completely eliminated in the event of today's lack of success, which is why it is legitimate to expect a convincing and effective test, with the same application seen last week with Atalanta.
Mourinho, back on the bench after the two-match ban just served, he will have to do without the suspended Mkhitaryan and Kumbulla, but otherwise he will be able to field the 3-4-1-2 type with Rui Patricio in goal, Mancini, Smalling and Ibanez in defense, Karsdorp, Cristante, Oliveira and Zalewski in midfield, Pellegrini behind the offensive duo made up of Zaniolo and Abraham. Classic 3-5-2 also for Cioffi, who will respond with Silvestri in goal, Becao, Pablo Mari and Perez in the back, Molina, Pereyra, Arslan, Makengo and Udogie in the midfield, Deulofeu and Beto in attack.
