Genoa and Naples reopen the championship! The former by stopping the leaders Juventus, the latter by winning in Udine: the final product is a shortened ranking, with Allegri's team still in the lead but with a much less reassuring advantage than before. Even because, beyond the points, the message coming from this Saturday in the championship is loud and clear: everyone must play at their best, including Juve, otherwise the slide is around the corner. And the speech, with the necessary adaptations, is valid for every race, even for the Champions League: Roma know something about it, forced to deal with a sensational home defeat against Spal which calls into question its value and objectives. But let's go in order (of standings) and let's start from the 1-1 draw in Turin between Juventus and Genoa, undoubtedly the most sensational result di this Saturday. Because if from Rome it is legitimate, unfortunately for her, to expect ups and downs, this is not the case with the Bianconeri, until yesterday practically perfect. On the eve Allegri had sounded an alarm bell ("all this positive energy lowers tension", his warning at the press conference) but few of him had taken it seriously.
Instead the draw of the Stadium (Juve ahead with Ronaldo in the 18th minute, equal to Genoa with Bessa in the 68th minute), son of a dull and subdued second half, did justice to his outburst, demonstrating that even the Lady has a human face like the others. “It's really a shame, this was a match to be won – growled the coach. – In the second half we were asleep, we probably had our heads in Manchester and these things shouldn't happen, it's games like these that decide the championships. In any case, I think this draw can do us some good, it will mean that we'll be back coi feet on the ground and we will understand that to win games you have to work hard". Allegri could not have known that, shortly thereafter, Napoli would shorten the standings but it is probable that he imagined it. Get one away chance of the genus in fact it would have been unforgivable and Ancelotti he didn't have it repeated twice. The Azzurri prevailed over Udinese with a clear 3-0 and if it's true that the result was perhaps too harsh, it is also that the 3 points were definitely deserved. Once again, Carletto's choices proved to be right: the turnover works and if luck is added to this, the result can only be positive. Take the game-breaking goal: Fabian scores it Ruiz, who entered the field 100 seconds earlier due to Verdi's injury, with a splendid right-footed shot (14'). And the 3-0 was signed by Rog (85'), who also took over for less than a minute: good luck, all right, but also strategy winning of a technician who is making turnover the real tactical novelty of Napoli.
Everyone is involved, without exception, and even those who have lost the standard fixed entitlement Mertens plays with grit and determination, well beyond the penalty that extinguished Udinese's ambitions for a comeback (82'). “We wanted to restart like before the stop and we offered one as youthful proof of maturity - Ancelotti's satisfied comment. – It was a painful but deserved victory, with good responses from everyone. Now we have a beautiful match against il psg, it will be almost decisive for the passage of the round but now we are at stake, so let's dance…”. Difficult commitment that the Azzurri, however, they will face with morale in full swing. The exact opposite of Roma, who will have a softer opponent like the CSKA Moscow but also a mood under the ground, son of the ko against Spal which risks calling everything into question. Yes, because the filotto pre-stop seemed to have put an end to the mid-September crisis, yesterday, however, all the puzzling drops in performance of a team as talented as it is unstable were reviewed.
“I'm angry, I want everyone to apply – thundered Di Francesco. – After the first time I was happy, we only needed the last step, in the second half instead we were too frantic, even when they were remained in 10. This team drives me crazy, I expect everyone to always be on track. Luckily there's already another match on Tuesday…”. The frustration of the Giallorossi coach is understandable, forced to deal with a 0-2 (Petagna from a penalty in the 38th minute and Bonifazi with a header in the 56th minute) who calls into question the whole comeback made so far, moreover on the weekend of a Milan derby which was supposed to be an opportunity and which instead could further extend the standings. Jokes of a crazy championship, underestimated by many but which, on balance, has nothing to take for granted.
