Signals of Juve. The bianconeri start strong, indeed very strong, destroying the away game of Udine in just a while and showing that pre-season progress was anything but random. The 3-0 win at the Dacia Arena confirms a very precise and decidedly different technical-tactical identity compared to last season, which combined with the usual skill in defending could really take you far. Naples and Inter they are warned, while we will only see Milan tonight: in the meantime Rome and Lazio they have already braked and Allegri can look to the future with optimism.
Udinese - Juventus 0-3, Allegri does not change his mind: "The goal is to return to the Champions League"
Juventus' first half was of great quality, both tactically and mentally. Sure, Sottil's disastrous Udinese did some good for him, but it's clear that the merits of the Bianconeri (from Turin, of course) were decisive for the result. Not even two minutes and Chiesa, thanks to a defensive blunder by Zarraga, unlocked the match with a left footed shot from the edge, after which it was the turn of Vlahovic, albeit from the penalty spot, doubled on 20'. Race addressed in less than half the time, even closed when Rabiot, at the end of the recovery, punished the bad Silvestri with a header tap-in with an unguarded goal (45+3'). The recovery slipped away without particular emotions, at least in terms of results: Udinese limited the damage, but never managed to reopen the dispute. "We need to improve the management of the ball, it has to be done in the opponent's half of the field, when you can't keep it there you risk, because if you concede goals everything becomes more complicated - the analysis of Allegri -. Being out of the Champions League is an important lack, we will miss him and I won't deny it. The goal is to go back, last year in a difficult season we finished third and we had the right to play it, but this must also be an opportunity to be able to work better during the week. Church? Someone like him has to score 14-16 goals per season, seeing him only as a winger is an understatement."
Rome – Salernitana 2-2, Belotti is not enough: Candreva stops Mourinho
Instead, the season begins with a misstep Roma, even if the 2-2 final, given how the game went, is better than nothing. There Salernitana in fact, dragged by a very large Candreva (two splendid goals, one in the 36th minute, the other in the 49th minute), she took the lead and held on until the 82nd minute, cherishing the dream of breaking the Olimpico. But then he rose to the chair Belotti, also author of a brace, which he saved Mourinho from the first defeat of the season and re-launched his candidacy for the Giallorossi attack: in a summer in which there was talk (and still talks) of hunting for strikers, the Rooster finally broke free with two goals (plus one disallowed for a few centimeters offside) as a true center forward. “I really missed being myself, last year it was a difficult season with no preparation and with some injuries, this year I started right away, I haven't had a hitch and I'm 100%, so I can help – the words of Belotti -. I tried to give my contribution, but we didn't win and I regret it: when you draw at home it's never a good result, there's a lot to work on, we conceded two goals and we could have scored more up front, at the Olimpico you have to win."
Lecce - Lazio 2-1, Sarri curries his team: "Only they played in the second half, an unacceptable attitude"
The flop on Sunday, however, concerns the Lazio, sensationally beaten by the Lecce in two minutes of madness. In the 84th minute the Biancocelesti won 1-0 thanks to a goal by Property (26') and they seemed to be able to handle the Apulian comeback attempts, however rather dull given the absence of a role striker. One hundred and twenty seconds later, however, everything changed, with the Giallorossi able to score two goals with Almqvist (85') and Di Francesco (87') and the team of Sarri knocked down, practically without understanding why. A bad defeat, if only for the way it arrived: once again Lazio broke up at the climax, confirming that repeating last year's championship will be very difficult. “Last year we played the same match in this stadium, it's a bad sign because it means that we never grow – snapped Sarri -. In particular, we had a bad second half, only they played. We always make the same mistakes, the defenders got into trouble because only 4 of them made the defensive phase, the other 6 didn't. It is an unacceptable attitude, we need to talk about it”.
Bologna – Milan (20.45 pm, Dazn)
The appeal is still missing a big one, namely the Milan di Pioli, perhaps the one that arouses the most curiosity of all. Indeed, the summer revolution has literally overturned the Devil, both on the pitch (eight signings which today, with the arrival of defender Pellegrino from Platense, will become nine) and off the field (the farewells of Maldini and Massara, but also the promotions of Furlani and Moncada), therefore it is legitimate to wonder what the real size of the team is, given the almost uniqueness of this "algorithmic" policy. Bologna it's the first testing ground and the Rossoneri don't want to fail it: after all, a new project needs trust and that, in football, is only given by positive results. All eyes will be on the new signings, but it is Pioli who has the greatest load of pressure on him. Cardinal promoted him to Coach, which in American jargon means manager with a role superior to that of the "simple" coach, as he himself admitted at the press conference.
Pioli is charged: "The club has followed all my advice, we are ambitious and competitive"
"The club and the directors have listened to my advice on what we need to strengthen the team," he explained. I am satisfied with what has been done, however the club is ready to evaluate new opportunities. But now my concentration is directed only to the match against Bologna, we are excited and curious for this first official match. I ask those who are left to do their utmost to help new players and new signings to give everything to fit in quickly. A new season is starting and the results will tell us what level we are, but we are ambitious and want to be competitive”.
Bologna – Milan, the formations: Pioli launches the new Pu-Gi-Le trident
The first Milan of the season will be that of the last friendlies; therefore, space for those who arrived earlier and participated in the American tour. The 4-3-3 chosen by Pioli will see Maignan in goal, Calabria, Thiaw, Tomori and Hernandez in defence, Loftus-Cheek, Krunic and Reijnders in midfield, Pulisic, Giroud and Leao in attack, with Chukwueze and Okafor ready to take over recovery. Thiago Motta, struggling against a still incomplete Bologna team, will respond with a 4-3-3 formation with Skorupski in goal, Posch, Lukumi, Beukema and Lykogiannis in the back, Ferguson, Dominguez and Aebischer in the midfield, Moro, Zirkzee and Ndoye in the offensive trident.
