Milan-Genoa and Spezia-Inter, new chapter in the Scudetto race. This early championship weekend, son of the imminent Easter Sunday, sees a very interesting cross between Milan and Liguria, but this time beach holidays have nothing to do with it. Here there are very heavy points up for grabs in a tricolor key, even more so after Coni's decision to play Bologna-Inter (Wednesday 27 April), and it goes without saying that the margin of error is always lower. Pioli has already played his jokers extensively with Bologna and Turin, Inzaghi had to jump through hoops to get back on track and become master of his destiny again; therefore, he has no intention of throwing everything to the wind.
Spezia-Inter (19 pm, Dazn and Sky Sport)
Inzaghi makes turnover thinking about the Coppa Italia derby
The Nerazzurri will be the first to take the field, in Thiago Motta's insidious lair in La Spezia, until now a great ally of the Beneamata. Inter's past has little to do with it, but the victories against Milan and Napoli have been very heavy for the purposes of the standings: now Pioli and Spalletti expect the same treatment to be reserved for Inzaghi too, but it is true that the companies are such precisely because they rarely happen. Inter are aware of the importance of the match, but, despite this, they will not lose sight of Tuesday's derby in the Italian Cup, where they will necessarily have to win to go through.
The coach, yesterday in press silence, has in mind a so-called reasoned turnover, with De Vrij, Dumfries, Perisic and Dzeko kept at rest in view of Milan. The Nerazzurri 3-5-2 will thus see Handanovic in goal, D'Ambrosio, Skriniar and Bastoni in defence, Darmian, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu and Gosens in midfield, Correa and Lautaro in attack. Thiago Motta, fresh from the draw in Empoli, will respond with a 4-3-3 with Provedel in goal, Amian, Erlic, Nikolaou and Reca in the back, Maggiore, Kiwior and Bastoni in the midfield, Verde, Manaj and Gyasi in the offensive trident .
Milan-Genoa (at 21, Dazn)
Pioli teases his family: "It's time to take the last step"
In the evening, with the result of La Spezia already in the archive, it will be the turn of Milan, called to redeem themselves against Genoa after the missteps with Bologna and Turin. An eventual victory for Inter would put even more pressure on the Rossoneri, at which point they are forced to win in order not to lose the Scudetto definitively, but regardless of what happens at the Picco, this is a match not to be missed, worth giving up to a whole series of considerations on the real value of the Devil. “We play to win and when we fail we are disappointed, but this must be transformed into concentration and determination – Pioli thought -. We have to believe in it until the end because we are strong, we didn't get here by chance or luck: it is the confirmation that we are once again a competitive team, but now we are missing the last step to become winners".
The match is worrying, because Blessin's Genoa is exactly the type of opponent the Rossoneri have the most difficulty with, but this time the right key will have to be found to unhinge him. Pioli, unlike Inzaghi, will not already be thinking about the derby, even if the reason, in light of the injuries of Ibrahimovic, Romagnoli and Florenzi, is more obligatory than anything else. The Rossoneri 4-2-3-1 will see Maignan in goal, Calabria, Kalulu, Tomori and Hernandez in defense, Tonali and Bennacer in midfield, Saelemaekers, Kessié and Leao in the frontline, Giroud in attack. The same game system also for the rossoblu, who will respond with Sirigu in goal, Hefti, Ostigard, Maksimovic and Vasquez in the back, Galdames and Badelj in the midfield, Gudmundsson, Melegoni and Ekuban behind Destro's lone striker.
