Let the tour de force begin! Today begins the first hot month of the season, the one in which the championship and various cups will come alive with a margin of error, consequently, increasingly reduced. It is like this for all of them and the concept, ça va sans dire, already applies from this Saturday full, indeed very rich, of great football. It starts immediately with Fiorentina-Juventus (15 pm) and then continues with Napoli-Sampdoria (18 pm) and concludes with Inter-Udinese (20.45 pm): in a nutshell, the best of our league on the pitch, just to get back into good habits immediately. The Franchi match is undoubtedly the highlight of the day and not only for the great rivalry that has always divided the Viola and the Bianconeri.
On the table is the confrontation between Ribery and Ronaldo, the two most glamorous number 7s in the league, but also Sarri's "real" debut on the Juve bench (the other two, due to pneumonia, he had seen from his home) and , above all, 3 points that are beginning to weigh heavily. “It wasn't easy to stay out but the medical staff made me understand that it was better to take a step back sooner rather than take it longer afterwards – the Juventus coach began at the press conference. – I don't consider this a debut, because I have experienced the other matches as a participant, even if the delegation towards the staff has been extensive. Of course, however, that starting over on the bench 15' from my house makes me extremely happy, even if my mother, a Viola fan like most of the family, didn't take my new position very well..".
Joke that serves to defuse a difficult period (for him), but also to break the ice in view of a very delicate month, in which it will be understood whether the marriage can work or not. “Now I'm only thinking about the championship, our attention must be directed to Fiorentina. We are in a phase where rotations are difficult, because we are finding our identity and our set-up, but I have never seen any team work so well during a break. In recent months I've realized that Juve's strength is in their organization, in their thinking, in their mentality and in projecting themselves towards the next match, but after all, I've always said that they're the strongest team and not just on the pitch”.
It starts from Franchi and an opponent as ambitious as Viola di Commisso, albeit still anchored in last place in the standings at 0. stories – Montella's speech. – We have to field any form of energy to start our own, I am stimulated and confident. This is where our championship begins in terms of points and performances, it's the match that gives you the most motivation." Both want to win and will try with the best formations, net of post-national slags and still unresolved market cases (Mandzukic, not called up, is in talks with a Qatari club).
Problems that concern almost only Sarri, who has decided to rely on a 4-3-3 with Szczesny in goal, Danilo, Bonucci, De Ligt and Alex Sandro in defense, Khedira, Pjanic and Rabiot in midfield, Douglas Costa, Higuain and Ronaldo in attack . The same game system also for Montella, who will respond with Dragowski in goal, Lirola, Milenkovic, Pezzella and Dalbert in the back, Pulgar, Badelj and Castrovilli in the midfield, Chiesa, Boateng and Ribery in the offensive trident. Immediately after the Franchi match it will be the turn of Napoli, engaged at the San Paolo against Sampdoria. There is great curiosity about the conditions of the changing rooms, the subject of a fierce controversy between the club and the municipality, but above all for those of the team, called to cancel the defeat in Turin to give new breath to the Scudetto ambitions.
“It annoys me to have conceded so many goals, for me the defensive phase is very important – commented Ancelotti. – But I'm happy that we're effective in attack, now it's a question of finding balance starting today. I'm not fighting for second place, I want to win and the players are ready to fight”. Here too, as for Juve, the imminent European commitment (moreover against reigning champions Liverpool) should not condition the training choices, except for those who, like Milik and Insigne, return from an injury or those who, like Llorente, he just arrived. Ancelotti's 4-4-2 will therefore see Meret in goal, Di Lorenzo, Manolas, Koulibaly and Ghoulam in defense, Callejon, Allan, Fabian Ruiz and Zielinski in midfield, Mertens and Lozano in attack.
Di Francesco, author of a thrilling start to the championship, will try to recover with a 4-3-3 with Audero between the posts, Bereszynski, Murillo, Colley and Murru in the back, Linetty, Barreto and Ekdal in the midfield, Gabbiadini, Quagliarella and Caprari in the offensive trident. In the evening, however, the spotlights will move to San Siro, where Conte's Inter will receive Tudor's Udinese. Game, on paper, which sees the nerazzurri largely favored and therefore, at least in theory, launched to keep the top of the standings with full points. The journey up to now has been simply perfect but not yet sufficient to establish the real value of the team; in this sense the calendar, between now and the next break, will certainly give more precise indications given that Inter, after Udinese, will face Milan, Lazio, Sampdoria and Juve, as well as Slavia Prague and Barcelona in the Champions League.
“The race of life is this – Conte glossed over. – Udinese defends well, they have leg and physique, they are a tough nut to crack. But we want to take advantage of the enthusiasm we've created, also because we'll then have 7 games in 23 days, some of them very demanding. We'll think race after race, so let's start from this one”. In the last few days the coach has tried the 3-4-3 but the feeling is that today he will still rely on the 3-5-2, therefore Handanovic in goal, Godin, De Vrij and Skriniar in defense, Candreva, Barella, rozovic, Sensi and Asamoah in midfield, Lukaku and Politano (favorite over both Sanchez and Lautaro) in attack. Classic 3-5-1-1 also for Tudor, who will respond with Musso in goal, Becao, Nuytinck and Samir in the back, Stryger Larsen, Mandragora, Jajalo, Fofana and Sema in the midfield, De Paul behind the lone striker Lasagna.
