The furrow widens. Juventus also wins against Udinese and, thanks to Roma's success over Napoli, further extends its gap with the second in the standings. Which is now Spalletti's team, 5 points away from the Lady compared to 7 that separate Sarri's, testifying that this scudetto, although far from being awarded, really seems like a black and white affair. An important but not obvious success for Juve: Udinese, evidently regenerated by the Delneri cure, played an excellent game and risked at least breaking a draw several times. However, the Italian champions can rejoice all right, if only considering the large number of starters left to rest by Massimiliano Allegri. In fact, between injuries and turnover, Chiellini, Bonucci, Pjanic, Khedira, Dani Alves and Higuain were missing from the starting eleven: despite this, a victory arrived, the seventh in 8 days. “It was a complicated match also because of us, we could have finished it sooner – thought Massimiliano Allegri. – Having said that, the boys were good, it wasn't easy to play with all the absences we had. Then Udinese had prepared well for the match, then we did well in the second half to change something and remove points of reference. We are first at +5 on Roma but woe to talk about a breakaway, we have to keep thinking day after day ". The match at the Stadium was far from simple, also because it was Udinese who unlocked it. After half an hour of substantially low pace, the Friulians found the sensational goal of 0-1 with Jankto, even if the net, more than the Czech's shot, weighed down by the errors of Hernanes and Buffon, the first having a distraction in losing the ball limit of the area, the second far from blameless in the attempt to rebound (34'). But then Paulo Dybala took the chair and the game returned to wink in the direction of Juve. The Argentine, already on the ball from the very first minutes (unlike his team-mate Mandzukic), first found the equalizer with a splendid free-kick from the edge (43'), then signed the pass by converting the penalty obtained by Alex Sandro ( 51'). Hierarchies re-established at the start of the second half, yet Udinese certainly didn't stand by. The Friulians risked conceding the 3-1 several times (above all with the opportunity of Alex Sandro) but also of finding the 2-2 (Buffon's save from Adnan's header was fundamental). In the end, with a pinch more suffering than expected, the Italian champions archived yet another victory of the season, the one which, as previously mentioned, authorizes to all intents and purposes to speak of escape.
Roma contributed to Juve's Saturday celebrations, capable of beating San Paolo in the best game of their season. The 3-1 with which the giallorossi have regulated Napoli is a sign of strength beautiful and good, although it only increases the doubts about who can really play for the Scudetto until the end (assuming that there is someone capable of doing it) . The big winner is certainly Spalletti, capable of bridling his colleague Sarri with an intelligent and well-prepared match, based on closing the spaces and surgical restarts, as well as making perfect use of dead balls. “We had a good performance and obtained a victory against a great team – the exultation of the Giallorossi coach. – I am really happy for the boys and for Dzeko, one who can still improve despite him scoring two goals ”. On the other hand, a lot of disappointment on the Naples front, where we have to deal with the second consecutive defeat after that of Bergamo. The Azzurri remain an excellent team, God forbid, but they struggle when they find closed and competitively ready opponents. And if they are the first to lose, they hardly manage to get back up, indeed the difficulties become even greater. “In the first half we made a mistake and found ourselves underneath, at which point they were able to take advantage of our spaces – Sarri's analysis, in his first home defeat (in the league) of his management. – I have not seen a dull team, I think the episodes have punished us above all. Now we have to work head-on to solve the problems that have arisen in recent times”. The great protagonists on the field, on the other hand, are certainly Dzeko, Salah and Florenzi, the first two for having left their mark on the scoresheet, the third for a game of great depth, moreover enhanced by an assist. The game-changing goal came at the end of a balanced first half: Koulibaly's mistake, Salah's cross with a kiss and Dzeko's winning tap-in (43'). The Bosnian did it again at the beginning of the second half by heading a free-kick from Florenzi (54'): with yesterday's two there are already 7 goals in the league, not bad for those who, a season ago, scored just 8 and who today, instead, he looks at everyone from the top of the top scorer. Koulibaly thought of restoring hope to Napoli (header in the 58th minute), before Salah counterattacked to put the definitive stamp on Roma's success (85'). In short, the hierarchies behind Juve have changed. To climb the last step, however, much more will be needed.
