Inter takes off. On the field, where she is the unfortunate one Salernitana of Liverani "gets by" with 4 goals against and in the standings, given that the poker of San Siro is worth a +10 on the Juventus. Let's be clear, the match was almost a given and very few thought that the Nerazzurri wouldn't win it, but this team's hunger and quality of play still make an impression. To Allegri the task of responding to Verona (18pm) to get back to minus 7 and keep the championship open, at least on a mathematical level, even if to date there really don't seem to be the conditions for a championship fight. The rest of Saturday will live on the thread of Champions League and salvation, with Napoli-Genoa (15pm) and Atalanta-Sassuolo (20.45pm) very interesting on both fronts.
Inter – Salernitana 4-0, Inzaghi escapes to +10 on Juve: “We have a very high pace, but it's not over”
That Inter beat the Salernitana it was definitely probable that he could do it with this competitive malice, a few days before the European duel with Atletico Madrid, a little less. After all Juventus e Milan, the first pursuers in the standings, had struggled a lot against the Campania team, one winning only in full injury time after having been behind for a long time, the other stopping at a draw. In short, yesterday evening there was yet another demonstration that the Nerazzurri have an edge over the others, both on a technical and mental level. The balance, if you can call it that, lasted only 17 minutes, then Thuram's goal arrived and the match exploded like a shaken bottle. Two minutes later Lautaro doubled the lead (20 goals in the league and it's only February...) and just before the break, in the 40th minute to be precise, Dumfries made it 3-0. The match ended without even breaking a sweat, also because Liverani's Salernitana, despite the enormous technical difference, didn't even try to put it on the competitive side, giving the sensation of now being resigned to Serie B. The second half was pure academy and Inzaghi s 'we have the luxury of letting Lautaro, Thuram, Mkhitaryan, Calhanoglu and Bastoni leave for the less used Arnautovic, Sanchez, Klaassen, Asllani and Buchanan, making their debut with the new shirt. In the 90th minute the Austrian former Bologna striker scored the final 4-0, gaining the satisfaction of scoring the first goal at San Siro. “It was important to approach the match well, the boys were good because Salernitana had recently created problems for teams of our level – explained Inzaghi -. We are maintaining a great pace, but Juventus and Milan are doing equally well: we will have to keep our concentration high, because now the difficulties will increase with so many games in a short time. We are playing very well, but the summaries must be made at the end of the season. Now we will think about Atletico, they are a strong and experienced team, with an excellent coach who I will challenge in a very difficult round of XNUMX."
Verona – Juventus (18pm, Dazn)
The result at San Siro puts even more pressure on Juventus, forced to win to get back to within 7 of the leaders, but also (if not above all) to avoid the possible overtaking of Milan, on stage tomorrow evening in Monza. It seems incredible when you think back to the performance of the Bianconeri up until a few weeks ago, yet the results against Empoli, Inter and Udinese have turned the scenarios upside down: today talking about the Scudetto makes very little sense, so much so that even second place is at risk. Allegri's team must meet again as soon as possible, so as not to tarnish the good achieved so far and avoid a complicated end to the season. It must be said that the coach has always indicated fourth place as the objective, but not even he could think of getting a point in three games, two of which were theoretically "simple". Something is stuck and the trip to Verona, more complicated than it seems, will tell us whether it is a matter of confusion or a real crisis: failing to win for the fourth time in a row would, in fact, officially open the team trial and trainer. Baroni's Hellas, at the helm of the Juventus Primavera in the two-year period 2011-13, hopes to take advantage of this and continue their pursuit of salvation, so the Bianconeri will not find red carpets, but rather a rather aggressive Bentegodi.
Allegri: “It's not a good moment, we have to improve. My future? I have a one-year contract"
“We are certainly not in a good moment – confirmed Allegri in the press conference -. Having scored a point in three games is not good, especially in the two at home against Empoli and Udinese. The Verona match is always complicated, it's a difficult pitch and they're not doing badly, in fact Baroni is doing an excellent job in the difficult conditions he's in. The performances against Udinese, Empoli and Inter were in line with the rest of the season, but we paid for the details that made the difference, we need to pay more attention to the details: you can't concede goals on an inactive ball like against 'Udinese, as well as the goal conceded in Milan. My future? I already said that I still have one year left on my contract, we are working well...".
Verona – Juventus, the lineups: Vlahovic returns to the starting lineup, Yildiz favorite over Chiesa
The Juventus coach has to give up the suspended Bremer, but compared to the match against Udinese he finds Vlahovic again, fit and active again. The latest results have not affected the tactical creed, so in Verona too it will be 3-5-2 with Szczesny in goal, Gatti, Rugani and Danilo in defence, Cambiaso, McKennie, Locatelli, Rabiot and Kostic in midfield, Vlahovic and one of Yildiz and Chiesa in attack, with the Turkish favorite. Baroni will attempt the coup with a 4-2-3-1 that will see Montipò between the posts, Tchatchoua, Magnani, Dawidowicz and Cabal in the defensive department, Serdar and Duda in the midfield, Folorunsho, Suslov and Lazovic behind the lone striker Noslin.
Naples – Genoa (15pm, Dazn)
Opening the championship on Saturday will be Napoli, awaiting the very delicate home match against Genoa. The Azzurri can no longer make mistakes, otherwise qualifying for the next Champions League would become really complicated. Atalanta and Bologna, moreover, are traveling well and even Roma and Lazio, albeit at times, seem to be doing better: Mazzarri's team is still in the running, of course, but must necessarily change pace, also to better prepare for the match against Barcelona . From now until mid-March, in addition to the two Champions League matches, Napoli will face Genoa, Cagliari, Sassuolo, Juventus and Turin: there are many points at stake and the race for fourth place can take a more precise direction. The mission involves a victory already today, but it won't be easy: Gilardino's Genoa are an uncomfortable customer and even came close to a blow in the first leg. Furthermore, Mazzarri will not be able to count on Osimhen, who was left to rest ahead of Barcelona: a choice consequential to the efforts of the Africa Cup of Nations, but also to the vicissitudes of the return journey (the Nigerian, through no fault of his own, missed the flight and returned in Italy only Thursday).
Mazzarri: “Fourth place is within our reach. The rumors about me? They don't touch me"
“With 45 points still available I believe it is possible to recover 7 to finish fourth, we will do everything we can to try – reiterated Mazzarri -. This doesn't mean that we will necessarily succeed, but the boys must take on the responsibility of trying like I do, they must understand that all matches, from now on, will be finals. The rumors about me? In 23 years I've been through a lot and it doesn't really affect me, I'm only focused on winning games. Something gets to me, some things make me nervous while when the criticism is constructive I make it my own, otherwise I laugh. Osimhen? It's not to defend him, but making long trips after playing so many games is tough, he might not be in condition."
Napoli – Genoa, the lineups: Mazzarri returns to 4-3-3, Osimhen not called up
The Nigerian, therefore, will be rested before returning to a permanent position from Wednesday. Mazzarri, after the 3-5-2 at San Siro, will return to a more attacking 4-3-3 in an attempt to put Genoa on the ropes, with Meret in goal, Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Natan and Mario Rui in defense, Anguissa , Lobotka and Traoré in midfield, Politano, Simeone and Kvaratskhelia in attack. Classic 3-5-2 instead for Gilardino, who will respond with Martinez between the posts, De Winter, Bani and Vasquez in the defensive department, Sabelli, Malinovskyi, Badelj, Frendrup and Messias in the midfield, Retegui and Gudmundsson as an offensive pair.
