Forbidden to make mistakes. Juventus and Milan they are preparing to face the away matches in Ferrara (18 pm) and Florence (20.45 pm) with the obligation to win, or risk sinking into a sea of controversy. This is especially true for Sarri's bianconeri, who are expected to have a real spin with Spal last in the standings: a misstep, therefore any result other than 3 points, would be almost unforgivable and would cause a real earthquake just a few days before the eagerly awaited challenges with Lyon and Inter. There are all the premises to avoid it, also because the Lady has already demonstrated last Sunday against Brescia that she has reset herself in the right mood, but the recent away sickness (the last victory dates back to January 12 in Rome, since then two defeats with Naples and Verona plus the suffered equal in the Italian Cup in Milan) leads at least to keep the antennas straight.
“Right now I'm not interested in the next commitments, let's think only of Spal – the words of Sarri. – My feeling is that we are growing after a difficult period, now an important period awaits us and we know it. But I repeat that we need to attack game after game, because the really decisive ones will come later…”. True, but it is precisely these intermediate stages that determine the championships and Juve, in its recent "cheerful" past, has experienced it better than all the others. A success would also secure first place at least until next weekend, forcing Lazio and Inter into a Sunday of passion and pressure. Sarri knows the importance of this challenge, which is why he will limit the turnover to a few players, with the exception of the injured Higuain and Pjanic and the suspended Bonucci.
His 4-3-3 will see Szczesny in goal, Danilo, De Ligt, Rugani (but watch out for captain Chiellini), Alex Sandro in defence, Ramsey, Bentancur and Rabiot in midfield, Bernardeschi (favorite over Cuadrado), Dybala and Ronaldo in attack. Di Biagio, back from the disappointing debut in Lecce, will attempt the feat with a specular game system with Berisha between the posts, Cionek, Bonifazi, Zukanovic and Reca in the back, Missiroli, Valdifiori and Castro in the midfield, Di Francesco, Petagna and Streffezza in the offensive trident. If Juve can't afford missteps, the same can be said for Milan, called to give continuity to the success against Turin to continue the race for Europe. However, the trip to Florence, at least on paper, has a higher coefficient of difficulty, especially after seeing Iachini's Viola conquer Marassi with a resounding 5-1.
In short, a complex examination of those who can direct a season and beyond: for Pioli, in fact, the stakes are decidedly higher. The Rossoneri coach, after the disastrous first months, is certainly increasing his chances of confirmation but it is undeniable that there is a split in the club in this sense too. Maldini and Boban are pushing for him, Gazidis (therefore Elliot) instead would like Ralf Rangnick, the whimsical manager-coach of the Red Bull group: in short, the results, starting from tonight, will have a very important weight in unraveling the skein. “The present determines our future, it's the only way – Pioli glossed over. - We can't decide on anything else, I don't have the time or energy to get distracted. We must continue to go as fast as possible, we need continuity in performance and the match in Florence is very important, in a difficult environment. You have to aim for perfection, now is the time to push".
To do this, the Rossoneri coach will rely on the 4-2-3-1 of the last few games, a system that is giving some satisfaction both in terms of play and results. Donnarumma will be in goal, with Conti, Gabbia (debut from the start for him), Romagnoli and Hernandez in defense, Kessié and Bennacer in midfield, Castillejo, Calhanoglu and Rebic in the trocar behind the untouchable Ibrahimovic. Iachini, fresh from the great test against Sampdoria, will respond with the usual 3-5-2 with Dragowski in goal, Milenkovic, Pezzella and Caceres in the back, Lirola, Duncan, Pulgar, Castrovilli and Dalbert in the midfield, Vlahovic and Chiesa in attack.
