Back and forth. After Juve's victory over Napoli, here is that ofInter with Udinese, to re-establish the hierarchies at the top of the table. Thanks to the 4-0 at San Siro, Inzaghi's team back to command at 38 points, 2 more than Allegri's, adding a new chapter to the exciting championship duel. We are talking about this, because the others are now too far behind to be able to have their say: after Napoli, Milan also surrenders by losing in Bergamo, with the logical consequence of an increasingly lively Champions League fight, awaiting the evening postponement between Roma and Fiorentina (20.45pm).
Inter – Udinese 4-0, the Nerazzurri take the lead thanks to a poker game without history
The real theme of the match at San Siro was linked to Inter's approach, which could also have taken Cioffi's Udinese lightly. Paradoxically, however, Juve's victory meant that concentration remained very high, with the logical consequence of a game without history, decided already in the first half. The Nerazzurri entered the pitch hungry and determined to immediately respond to Allegri, but to celebrate they had to wait until the 37th minute, when Calhanoglu, glacial as usual, scored the penalty (foul by Perez on Lautaro) to make it 1-0. At that point Inzaghi's team exploded like a bottle of champagne, inebriating San Siro with a screaming final half, which also included Dimarco's 2-0 (42') and Thuram's 3-0 (44 '). The match, in fact, ended there, so much so that the second half continued at a very different pace, allowing Inzaghi to rotate his men a bit in view of the match against Real Sociedad (yesterday victorious 3-0 on the Villarreal pitch ), decisive for first place in the Champions League group. However, a 'heavy' name was missing from the appeal Lautaro, who couldn't miss the opportunity to move up in the top scorer rankings. The right moment, after the post hit in the first half, came in the 84th minute with a splendid personal move concluded with a surgical right-footed shot past Silvestri. Big celebration at San Siro, both for the response to Juve and for the defeat of Milan: a Saturday like this, although it still doesn't mean anything concrete, is yet another sign of strength from the 'Inzaghi gang'.
Inzaghi: “We gave a great response to Juve, but we have to think only of ourselves”
“The boys were very good because I was very scared of this match – the Nerazzurri coach's enthusiastic comment -. Udinese are at the bottom of the table, but have superior values and we knew we had to keep the ball well to avoid counterattacks. Match played well from the first to the last minute, we also scored some very nice goals. The pressure from Juventus? We gave an excellent response on the pitch, we need to focus only on ourselves, we should be less interested in what happens to other teams. Compliments are nice, but in football things change quickly. We have two objectives achieved for the moment, the eighth of the Champions League , qualification for the Club World Cup".
Atalanta – Milan 3-2, a jewel from Muriel condemns the Devil in full recovery
Bad defeat for Milan, which sinks to within 8 of Inter and is back in the sights of criticism. Furthermore, the defeat in Bergamo risks having serious implications also in terms of the Champions League, both as regards the present one (morale in view of Newcastle could be affected) and, above all, the future one: now a match between Roma and Fiorentina could get closer and even Napoli, despite the latest results, remains quite close. Pioli you will do well to take note of the limits of his team, for which talking about the scudetto makes very little sense. The continuity is not even remotely comparable to that of Inter and Juve, not to mention the defensive phase; better to focus on defending a Champions League placement, perhaps making the right moves on the January transfer market. The match in Bergamo was hard-fought and entertaining from the start, with both teams close to scoring already in the first part: the Devil with Giroud (tap-in blocked by Djimsiti, the Goddess with De Ketelaere (incredible mistake a few steps from Maignan In the 38th minute, Lookman's goal broke the deadlock, equalized a few seconds before half-time by a header from Giroud, which however originated from a very dubious intervention by Musah on the same attacker. The Nigerian was also the absolute protagonist of the second half, first with the 2-1 (55') and then with the opportunity for the third goal, saved by a great Maignan. Milan in great difficulty, but capable of equalizing with Jovic, who recently came in in place of Loftus -Cheek and rapacious in turning Pulisic's cross into the goal (80'). Is it all over? Not by chance. In the 93rd minute Calabria got sent off for a second yellow card and shortly after Muriel invented a splendid back-heel for the 3rd -2 final, which blew up the Gewiss Stadium and sent Pioli to the ground.
Pioli: “Heavy defeat, now let's think about Europe”
“We need to be more clear-headed even in defensive choices, because they are mistakes that cost us a lot – the disconsolate comment of the Rossoneri coach -. When you concede three goals that means not having worked well as a team in the defensive phase, we were not astute in taking the insertions. We resumed the match with intensity and quality, we should have brought home a positive result and instead we left with a heavy defeat. We wanted to try for a string of victories, but if you don't succeed you also have to look over your shoulder: let's think about winning a lot of games, then about the league table. Now we have a very important race in Europe, we want to stay there and we only have one result available. Head to the Champions League and then to the championship with even more attention."
Verona – Lazio 1-1, Sarri: “Match dominated, unfortunately we couldn't score”
A misstep also for Sarri's Lazio, held to a draw by Verona. A bitter 1-1 for the Biancocelesti, who throw away a wonderful opportunity to get closer to the European zone: the risk now is of being separated from Rome or Fiorentina, but also of being overtaken by Juric's Turin. That much-invoked continuity continues to not be seen, furthermore once again the team allowed themselves to be caught due to naivety, thus jeopardizing a victory that now seemed within reach. Zaccagni's splendid backheel (23') seemed to have opened the way for Lazio, but in the second half Provedel's naivety allowed Henry to score the second consecutive goal after the one in Udine, but above all the precious equalizer for Hellas, now up to 11 points together with Empoli. “It was a controlled match from start to finish and we regret not having closed it because we had the opportunities – Sarri's analysis -. We didn't allow a single shot against Verona in goal, unfortunately we don't have the ease of scoring that we had in previous years, in which we probably would have won 3-1 in a match like this even with unlucky episodes."
Rome – Fiorentina (20.45pm, Dazn)
Mourinho's Roma will conclude the football Sunday, awaiting the Champions League clash with the Italian's Fiorentina. Very interesting challenge at the Olimpico, both for the tradition (the yellow and reds and purples, historically, always give emotions when they meet) and for the ranking, even more so after the results of the competitors. On a technical level, then, they will find themselves facing two of the most different coaches in Serie A: on the one hand the 'scorer' Mourinho, back to grinding out points like in the good old days and in the good graces of Friedkin (he has always been in those of the fans), on the other the Italian 'player', always looking for the extra goal and, precisely for this reason, sometimes criticized. Both know that tonight is a great opportunity, not to be wasted, so they will do everything they can to exploit it, obviously with their respective weapons.
Mourinho between the pitch and the prosecutor's office: “Never offended the referee, I expect justice”
But Fiorentina is not the Special One's only concern. The pre-Sassuolo statements against the referee Marcenario, in fact, risk costing him a disqualification, even if he, fresh from the hearing with the federal prosecutor, hopes that this is not the case. “I expect justice from sports justice, talking to him wasn't a problem for me, I showed up spontaneously and also happy – he explained in the conference -. Chinè gave me the opportunity to say everything I could, which is exactly the truth, I have never offended the referee or questioned his quality. I just used an expression that is normal for me, but I wasn't understood. The referee played a good game and I said it at the end of the match, for me there is no problem, so I expect justice."
Roma – Fiorentina, the lineups: Mou relaunches Pellegrini, Italian finds Nico Gonzalez (on the bench)
Returning to the field, Mourinho has only one doubt in midfield (Pellegrini or Bove), while the Italian, after the efforts of Coppa Italia, must manage the squad as best as possible, even if he can smile about the recovery of a fundamental element like Nico Gonzalez, albeit only on the bench. The Giallorossi will take the field with the usual 3-5-2 with Rui Patricio in goal, Mancini, Llorente and Ndicka in defense, Kristensen, Cristante, Paredes, Pellegrini and Spinazzola in midfield, Dybala and Lukaku in attack. Classic 4-2-3-1 also for Fiorentina, who will respond with Terracciano between the posts, Kayode, Milenkovic, Martinez Quarta and Biraghi in the defensive department, Arthur and Duncan in the midfield, Ikoné, Bonaventura and Brekalo behind the lone striker Beltran.
