We are almost there. Still few days and Serie A will resume the path interrupted in mid-November for the World Cup, this time to never stop. Since November 13, the day of the 15th and last round played, many things have changed to date, however how many we will only know from Wednesday, when we will return to the field for the first time in 2023. It will be a day of fire and not only for the wait: the calendar restarts immediately with a big match like Inter-NapoliFurthermore, the 10 matches will all be played on the same day, for a real local football binge.
Inter-Naples: high altitude big match at San Siro
However, the eyes will be focused primarily on San Siro, where Inter will try to stop leaders Napoli. It is clear that, for reasons of standings, many will be rooting for the Nerazzurri, but Inzaghi will have to try to win mainly for himself: the 11 points of departure in fact, there are so many from Spalletti and a defeat would almost completely close the doors to a comeback, although the road is still very long. This is Inter's point of view, while it is clear that Napoli see it from a completely different perspective, aware that winning in Milan too would send a very strong message to the entire tournament, admitted and not granted that the others manage to stay in line . It must be said that the unknown factor applies to all of them, leaders included: the heavy defeats in the friendlies with Villarreal (2-3) and Lilla (1-4) showed some cracks, against an Inter that instead made almost clear, beating Gzira (6-1), Salzburg (4-0), Reggina (2-0) and Sassuolo (1-0), and stopping only against Betis (1-1). We'll see what happens, but it's clear that the San Siro match will have decidedly bright spotlights on it.
Milan in Salerno without many owners and with low morale
Also for Milan it will be a start to the year to take with a grain of salt, because the trip to Salerno presents various pitfalls. First of all as a matter of men, given that Pioli he will certainly have to do without Maignan, Origi, Messias and Krunic, as well as having to deal with the form of the French Giroud and Theo Hernandez (just returned from World Cup efforts) and Leao, also fresh from his return. The spell of friendlies also didn't do well at the moral of the group, rather low after the beatings with Arsenal (1-2), Liverpool (1-4) and Psv (0-3), even if it must be said that the club's choice to face such high-sounding opponents obviously put the results in the background. In any case, Milan's 2023 will start uphill, given that after Salernitana there will be, among others, Rome, the Super Cup derby and the away match against Lazio. It will be necessary to start strong, otherwise the risk is of losing further ground from Napoli, currently 8 points away, but also of being sucked in by the pursuers, much closer than the leaders.
The "new" Juve starts from Cremona, but Vlahovic and Pogba are still in the pits
Allegri's Juve deserves a separate chapter, having passed through the tornado ofPrisma investigation which cost her the entire board of directors, including president Agnelli. A revolution that has filled the pages of newspapers and television broadcasts, but now, waiting for justice (ordinary and sporting) to take its course, it's time to go back to thinking about the field. We had stopped with a recovering team, returning from 6 consecutive victories who had restored some dignity to a bad start, elimination from the Champions League in primis. The restart will have to follow the same script, starting with the away match in Cremona, to be won at all costs in order to better prepare for the matches against Udinese and, above all, Naples. Allegri's problem is that, just like before the break, he will be missing several key men, starting with Vlahovic (groin pain, difficult to draw up a certain recovery schedule) and Pogba, still struggling with the post-operative period, despite his holidays on the snow which infuriated the fans. Who also turn up their noses in front of the fresh world champions Di Maria and Paredes, who will return to Continassa only on 2 January, lagging behind their colleagues from other teams (Lautaro and Dybala for example, but also the French who have already started playing again play like Mbappé). In short, the climate is far from idyllic and Allegri, once again, will have to bite the bullet and make results: only those, in fact, will help keep up a boat that has been swaying dangerously for months.
Sarri restarts from Lecce, Mourinho hosts Bologna, but above all Immobile and Dybala return
The return of the Romans, at least on paper, does not seem particularly prohibitive, but woe to underestimating Lecce and Bologna too much, to be beaten at all costs to continue dreaming of a place in the Champions League. The championship finale had not been positive either for Sarri, severely defeated by Juve, nor for Mourinho, with no victories from the match in Verona (after the knockouts in the derby and the draws with Sassuolo and Turin), therefore the restart will have to be much more convincing. Immobile and will take care of giving a big hand Dybala, able again and drafted after long injuries. Ciro worked calmly in Formello, thus rediscovering his best form, Paulo instead took part in the triumphal expedition of his Argentina to Qatar, even if with an almost non-existent playing time: both are fundamental for Lazio and Rome, aware that their destinies, in in one sense or another, they depend above all on them.
The rest of the day: Spezia-Atalanta, Fiorentina-Monza, Turin-Verona, Sassuolo-Sampdoria and Udinese-Empoli
To complete the picture there will be the Ligurian transfer of theAtalanta, expected from Gotti's Spezia: the internal controversies between Gasperini and Zapata, which exploded for a penalty kicked (and wrong) by the Colombian during the friendly against Az Alkmaar, spice things up, but do not cancel the obligation of the Goddess to score 3 points. Very interesting race also at the Franchi between Fiorentina and Monza, decided to treat themselves to a 2023 as protagonists, while Turin-Verona, Sassuolo-Sampdoria and Udinese-Empoli appear more unbalanced, at least remaining on what was seen until November. But now a new championship begins, in which it will be good to reset all memories (but not the standings) to avoid nasty surprises.
