Atalanta and Roma kill the Champions League fight. The first by winning the direct match (if we could talk about it) with Napoli, the second by collapsing at home against Udinese. On Thursday of the championship he certified the fourth place of the Bergamonow, barring clamorous twists and turns, qualified for the top European competition for the second consecutive year. The advantage points over the Giallorossi rise to 12, those over the Azzurri even to 15: with both, however, there is also supremacy in direct clashes, demonstrating an excessive power that is not at all in question.
The match in Bergamo had already shown a clear supremacy, that of the Olimpico, if possible, even certified it: unthinkable, at this moment, to think of annoying Gasperini's team, especially for Napoli and Roma seen yesterday . Also because Atalanta is going too fast for their opponents, which is why Inter's third place is decidedly more in the balance than fourth.
In the first half in Bergamo Gattuso's team seemed to be more on the ball, both in the defensive and offensive phases, but then, at the beginning of the second half, almost as if it were a team order, here is the usual fury of the Gasperini's, capable before finding the advantage with Pasalic (47'), then the doubling with Gosens (55'), now a habitué of goals as if he were a striker. There was a reaction from Napoli, but a little due to inaccuracy (Fabian Ruiz above all), a lot due to the skill of the opponents, it led to nothing, so much so that the Nerazzurri coach even allowed himself the luxury of substituting the entire defence, a more unique than rare fact.
“Not only do we have a strong attack, but we also know how to defend – he declared proudly Gasperini – For maturity, quality and attention we made a remarkable performance. But now, before thinking about third place and the Champions League, let's lock down the position and rather try to beat our points record."
The climate in the Naples house is of a completely different tenor, where one has to deal with the end of a dream. “We scored the goals by ourselves, I'm very angry – she said bluntly Gattuso – The mistake on the first goal could be fine, but what I didn't like is the mentality, we wasted too much energy protesting with the referee and linesmen, we chatted too much. The truth is that Atalanta did little this time, it's a team that usually crushes their opponents, I don't remember one of their shots on goal. We threw away a game we had in hand."
Instead, no recriminations at home Roma, where all that remains is to deal with the second consecutive defeat, yet another this season. The 0-2 home draw against Udinese it hurts and not only for the standings: in fact, it was the lack of reaction afterwards that hurt just as much the defeat of Milan, already harshly criticized by the Capitoline media. Who will be on a war footing today, given that the Giallorossi have collapsed again, moreover without putting up any kind of noteworthy resistance.
If it is true, in fact, that Musso has saved his goal several times, it is also true that Udinese, without victories since January, came close to the knockout goal several times, leaving Roma alive more by sufficiency than anything else . Lasagna's initial goal (12') had put the match downhill, but Perotti's expulsion (29'), paradoxically, took away some malice from the Friulians, perhaps unconsciously convinced they had already brought it home.
In any case, Nestorovski took care of doing it completely, who in the 78th minute stamped the final 0-2: a blow that the Giallorossi, already in a state of confusion before, definitively accused, wintering until the final whistle. Under accusation, as it is inevitable that it is, Paulo Fonseca, author of choices (above all Dzeko on the bench) that have caused (and will continue to) discuss a lot.
"I would do it all again, we can't forget that we have many games, the players who played the last two weren't in condition to play this one - he retorted the Giallorossi coach – For me there are no excuses, we are responsible, whoever plays for Roma must be strong and understand that we must fight until the end: this is an ambitious square, we must be equally so. I must be the first to believe that we have to work to change the situation, I am responsible for today and also for tomorrow in telling players that we need to work. It's a difficult moment, but we still have some goals for this season: we have to keep fighting."
Now a day off, after which we will start again tomorrow with Juventus-Torino (17.15 pm) e Lazio v AC Milan (21.45): a Saturday of fire, just like this championship in the summer version we are experiencing.
