High voltage at the Stadium. We're only on matchday four, but Juventus-Milan (20.45 pm) already has the air of being a rather important match, which can direct the season for both, in one direction or another. Ranking in hand it is the bianconeri who have the obligation to win, otherwise the top of the standings would move away in a very dangerous, perhaps even irremediable way. however, the Rossoneri also play a lot: establishing oneself in Turin, in fact, would be worth an official candidacy for the Scudetto. “The race is more important for them than for us, the first assessments will then be made at the November break and I think at that point we'll be in a different position – thought Allegri -. The championship is very balanced, I think there isn't a team capable of crushing him, it's easy to lose points, but also to recover them. Let's think about recovering the lost ground at the beginning, for sure we'll play a good match”.
“I'm pleased to find Max again, a great coach and an intelligent person – replied Pioli -. It was difficult to expect Juve in this situation but we are not favourites, they have great players and tradition. It will be a balanced match, very important for both." Both coaches, as often happens in the press conferences on the eve, refuse the role of favourites, but this time it is difficult to blame them. It's true that Milan certainly looks better, but the trip to Liverpool certainly left more aftermath than that of MalmoeFurthermore, the Rossoneri will miss both Ibrahimovic (Achilles tendon problem) and Giroud (lumbago), which greatly reduces their offensive potential. On the other hand, however, Allegri's stance makes one smile at least: the table in hand, in fact, it is evident that it is his Juve that must try to win at all costs, or at least not lose: the points behind the top are already 8 and this evening, in case of failure, could be even more.
In short, a very delicate game, that the bianconeri will face off with a 4-4-2 which will see Szczesny in goal, Danilo, De Ligt, Chiellini and Alex Sandro in defense, Cuadrado, Bentancur, Locatelli and Rabiot in midfield, Dybala and Morata in attack, with Chiesa and Kean ready to take over from the bench. Obligatory choices instead for Pioli, who in addition to the aforementioned Ibra and Giroud must also give up Calabria and Bakayoko, both injured: his 4-2-3-1 will be made up of Maignan in goal, Florenzi, Tomori, Romagnoli and Hernandez in the back department, Tonali and Kessié in the midfield, Saelemaekers, Diaz and Leao behind the lone striker Rebic.
Interested spectators of the match, among others, are the two Romans, in particular Mourinho's Roma, who while waiting for Napoli (tomorrow in Udine) aims to take the solo top of the standings. The away match in Verona (18 pm), in the light of what we have seen so far, would not seem particularly prohibitive, were it not for the fact that the Verona side have just swapped Di Francesco for Tudor and that the Giallorossi, in addition to playing Thursday in the Conference, are at taken with the ailments of Mkhitaryan (however summoned) and Vina (remained in the capital).
"This match has one more difficulty: in addition to the quality of the opponents, there is a new coach for whom we have no references for the type of game he will propose – Mourinho confirmed -. We changed a lot on Thursday because I trust the whole squad, but it's not true that we were perfect: we can improve a lot, not in the result, but in the way of defending and attacking”. The goal of winning the seventh consecutive game out of 7 is ambitious, yet the Special One knows that it can be done, especially if his players continue to follow him blindly as at the start of the season. At the Bentegodi it will be 4-2-3-1 with Rui Patricio in goal, Karsdorp, Mancini, Ibanez and Calafiori in defense, Cristante and Veretout in midfield, Zaniolo, Pellegrini and Mkhitaryan behind the lone striker Abraham. Tudor, in his first time on the Hellas bench, will respond with a 3-5-2 formation with Montipò in goal, Dawidowicz, Gunter and Magnani in the back, Faraoni, Hongla, Ilic, Barak and Lazovic in the midfield, Lasagna and Simeone in attack. Delicate match also for Sarri's Lazio, called to return to victory (18 pm) after the defeats against Milan and Galatasaray, which dampened the pre-break enthusiasm.
Here too, just like for Roma, we will have to deal with a new coach, given that Cagliari has decided to sack Semplici and rely on Mazzarri. “Against Cagliari I expect a difficult match, they are a superior team in terms of value compared to the results obtained so far and with the change of coach they could have an emotional reaction – the thought of Sarri, disqualified after the San Siro turmoil -. I don't feel in trouble, I don't need support right now. I have seen gigantic steps forward on a tactical level, slowly we have to adapt to a new way of thinking". However, Lotito expects to return to victory today, against a team that is certainly inferior both in terms of technique and ambitions: the Lazio coach will try to satisfy him with the usual 4-3-3 composed by Reina in goal, Lazzari, Patric, Acerbi and Hysaj in defense, Milinkovic-Savic, Lucas Leiva and Luis Alberto in midfield, Pedro, Immobile and Felipe Anderson in attack. An orderly 3-5-2 also for Mazzarri, making his debut on the Cagliari bench, who will respond with Cragno in goal, Caceres, Ceppitelli and Carboni in the back, Nandez, Marin, Deiola, Grassi and Dalbert in the midfield, Joao Pedro and Keita offensive duo.
