Juve and Napoli attack, Milan and Rome have the burden of responding. Sunday in the championship will turn the spotlight on the Rossoneri, Nerazzurri and Giallorossi and who knows if in the late evening we will already be able to get more precise information on their real potential. Impossible to choose one that intrigues more than the others: the new Chinese Milan, Spalletti's Inter, the first of Di Francesco's Roma, all irons on the fire that will make Sunday dinner really rich. The Giallorossi will be the first to kick off the dance, before 18 pm on the Atalanta field. A cartel match, if only thinking about what Gasperini's Nerazzurri did last season, still competitive despite the inevitable excellent transfers that characterized the summer.
However, the spotlights are more on Di Francesco's Roma, back from a not entirely convincing pre-season and still grappling with some gaps that only the market, perhaps, will be able to fill. “I want a great performance – the coach said – and I am convinced that we will enter the field with great conviction. Atalanta are a strong team, and it's as if they've never stopped playing together since the end of last season. They are determined, a difficult field, a very difficult match. But we want to do well." In Bergamo we will see if the 4-3-3 that he enjoyed so much in Sassuolo will be repeated, also thanks to players of much higher quality. In defense, in front of Alisson, a 4-man line with Bruno Peres, Manolas, Juan Jesus and Kolarov, in midfield Nainggolan, De Rossi and Strootman, in attack Defrel, Dzeko and Perotti. Gasperini, still grappling with the Spinazzola case (he wants Juve at all costs, for him only the bench), will respond with a 3-4-1-2 with Berisha between the posts, Toloi, Palomino and Masiello in the back department, Hateboer, Cristante, Masiello and Gosens in the midfield, Kurtic behind the Petagna-Gomez offensive duo. In the evening, however, it will be the turn of the Milanese, who will begin their "challenge within the challenge" in perfect contemporaneity.
The cartel match is that of San Siro between Inter and Fiorentina, which will see the debut of Spalletti on the Nerazzurri bench and that of Pioli on the Viola one, ironically against his former club. The hosts are still an open building site but Luciano, waiting for the market to take its course (Schick and Cancelo should arrive in the next few hours), doesn't want to misstep. “I'm excited for the start of the championship and it's a good sign – his comment at the press conference. – I'm calm because I have a strong team, the goal is always to win. I've read many names on the transfer market but the club hasn't promised me anything, I have everything I want, these players are a guarantee."
The first Inter under Spalletti will take the field with a 4-2-3-1 with Handanovic in goal, D'Ambrosio, Skriniar, Miranda and Dalbert in defence, Vecino and Gagliardini in midfield, Candreva, Borja Valero and Perisic in the frontline, Icardi in attack. "I'm not excited because I'll find Inter again but for the new beginning with Fiorentina, the past is behind us" Pioli glossed over, who however would really like to combine profit (points for his team) with pleasure (tripping who, a few months ago, I exonerated him). It won't be easy given that the Viola will go to San Siro without Chiesa (suspended), with the Kalinic case still to be closed (medical visits tomorrow with Milan) and with Badelj half injured. Pioli's 4-2-3-1 will thus see Sportiello between the posts, Gaspar, Vitor Hugo, Astori and Olivera in the back, Sanchez and Veretout in the midfield, Gyl Dias, Eysseric and Benassi behind the lone striker Babacar (Simeone is called up but will start from the bench). At the same time but many kilometers further south it will be the turn of Montella's Milan, who will make their league debut at Crotone.
The recent European goleada would lead to optimism but with all due respect to Shkendija, Nicola's men are quite another thing. That's why the Rossoneri, returning from a summer of great enthusiasm, will have to pay close attention to this Calabrian away match, otherwise they risk a bad slip right away. “It will be a difficult challenge, like the entire tournament – Montella's analysis. – We have to become a team, we need time to adapt but we can grow a lot. The club still wants to strengthen the team, we can improve and we want to fuel the enthusiasm of the fans through the results".
Waiting to understand if the intentions will turn into reality (Kalinic is done, now we'll see if the last days of the transfer market will give one last big blow), the first verdict on the real consistency of this Milan will be up to the field. At the Scida the Rossoneri, without Biglia and Bonaventura, will play with a 4-3-3 with Donnarumma in goal, Conti, Bonucci, Musacchio and Rodriguez in defense, Kessie, Montolivo and Cahlanoglu in midfield, Suso, Andrè Silva (favorite over Cutrone ) and Borini in attack. Nicola, remained by popular acclaim in Crotone after the miraculous salvation of last season, will try to trip Milan with his classic 4-4-2 with Cordaz between the posts, Faraoni, Ceccherini, Cabrera and Martella in the back department, Rohden, Barberis, Izco and Stoian in the midfield, Tonev and Budimir as an offensive duo. It's only the first day, so no verdict: but the first clues are often the ones that matter the most.
