Share

Lazio-Juve illuminates the eve of Easter, Rome and Atalanta are also on the pitch, Napoli smiles but the Milanese don't

Napoli returns to win, Milan and Inter not beyond the draw. Tonight's spotlight on the Olimpico for Lazio-Juve. Atalanta hosts Bologna, Roma goes to Turin

Lazio-Juve illuminates the eve of Easter, Rome and Atalanta are also on the pitch, Napoli smiles but the Milanese don't

Napoli find your smile again, Milan definitely not. Yesterday's advances gave new impetus to the Azzurri, who were victorious in Lecce after last Sunday's bad stop, while Milan and Inter confirm their fluctuating seasons (downwards, of course) by drawing with Empoli and Salernitana. The result is that now the Champions League fight, if possible, is even more open than before, because Rome and Atalanta, in case of successes with Turin and Bologna, they would be in full swing. Separate discussion for Lazio-Juventus, the big match on the pre-Easter Saturday: here in fact, being a direct match, really anything can happen, in one sense or another.

Lecce - Naples 1-2, Spalletti rejoices: "To restart, you needed character, it wasn't easy"

Let's start from the leaders Napoli, capable of sweeping away the post-Milan waste with a happened in Lecce very important, which is worth a nice +19 on Lazio second, albeit with one more game. A positive response from the Azzurri was expected and it arrived despite the absence of Osimhen and a pinch of turnover in view of the Champions League. Spalletti's team didn't have an easy life, indeed they managed to win thanks to an own goal by Gallo, unfortunate in deflecting a harmless ball into Falcone's goal (far from innocent), thus giving the 3 points to Napoli. Who had taken the lead first with By Lorenzo, however being reached at the beginning of the recovery by of Francesco, testifying to a mangy game, made even more complex by theabsence of Osimhen, one that is terribly missing from the blue maneuver.

In the end, however, the victory came and Spalletti can celebrate, both for the standings and for morale in view of the Champions League. “I found substance I'm dealing with players who know how to adapt to games that flow. This is a difficult field, they excel in their high quality and are well placed on the field. They've achieved results with many great teams, scoring points isn't easy here. We had some aches and pains, but it is a victory that gives us confidence for the continuation. The match against Milan was delicate from a mental point of view, we lost 4-0 and then we meet them in the Champions League. Everyone talks about that thing (the scudetto, ed) and for everyone it seems to be filling races, but that's not the case. It was essential to play like this, you needed character."

Milan - Empoli 0-0, Pioli exaggerates with the turnover: "Negative result, but good performance"

Net step back instead of Milan, who after Napoli's binge of goals failed to score even one against Empoli, ending up tie a game to win at all costs. A success, in fact, would have brought them closer the Champions goal, so instead the race gets complicated and forces the Devil to watch his back from many teams, including Juventus. A haunted match for the Rossoneri, played mostly in the Empoli trocar, without however finding the right paw. They end up under accusation Pioli's choices, author of a maxi turnover that was anything but profitable: in fact, leaving out Leao, Giroud and Diaz at the same time did not pay off, in light of the lackluster performances of Origi and Rebic, once again very disappointing. The coach could not help measuring his strength in view of the Champions League, all right, but this is too much, especially since the alternatives have never shown that they deserve the place.

Indeed, from the 70s onwards, the entrance of the owners he changed the face of the team, but it was too late and the match remained nailed to 0-0. “It's not the result we wanted, we have a bit of regret especially for the first half – the analysis of Pioli -. We played with great intensity without conceding anything, unfortunately the ball didn't want to go in. The result is negative, but not the performance: I see a healthy team, we created the chances, we had to fill the area better in the first half. When the victory doesn't come, it means that something has been missing, I'm sorry but we are returning to our levels".

Salernitana - Inter 1-1, Inzaghi: "We can't finish the games, but we'll go to the Champions League"

Bitter Friday also for Inter, made slightly sweeter only by the misstep of the Rossoneri cousins. It is not a matter of mere city rivalry, but of classification logics: a success by Milan would have removed another competitor for the Champions area, while in this way Inzaghi maintains a slightly less worrying distance. The fact remains that the Nerazzurri have still missed the appointment with the victory, absent since last 5 March: from that 2-0 win over Lecce came three defeats and, indeed, the Salerno draw, so mocking as to leave the same sour taste of the last few games. Inter took the lead after just 6' with Gosens, she could have closed the speech several times, but she failed to do so, partly due to the merits of Ochoa (extraordinary on Correa, Lukaku, Barella and, above all, De Vrij), much due to her own fault: the crossbar hit by Lukaku at inside the small area, in fact, it is sensational and confirms the bad moment of the Belgian, a really distant relative of the striker from Conte's times.

Salernitana thus remained alive and slowly gained courage, first hitting a crossbar with Dia, then finding the sensational draw in the 90th minute with Candreva, author of a "wrong" cross that mocked Onana.

“It's difficult to comment, clearly we all saw that the team had an important race – he sighed Inzaghi -. The big flaw was not having scored the second goal, we pay for that we don't close games, that's why we're in trouble. It's hard for me to explain a draw after everything we've done, it's a big disappointment. Lukaku? It's such a moment strikers sometimes fail to score, but I am absolutely convinced that we will be able to qualify for the next Champions League”.

Lazio – Juventus (20.45 pm, DAZN)

The results of the advances make today's matches even more important, starting with that of the Olimpico between Lazio and Juventus. A real one direct clash for the Champions League, regardless of what will happen next April 19, when the Coni Guarantee College will decide on the 15 penalty points. For a few days, however, the off-field events no longer concern only the black and whites: as everyone knows, in fact, the prosecutors of Rome and Tivoli have also opened an investigation into Rome, Lazio and Salernitana for false invoices, casting further shadows on the championship. In short, the standings are sub judice as never before, but today it is right to limit oneself to the pitch and talk about a very interesting match between two of the most in-form teams ever. Lazio is doing a top-level second round, which earned them a well-deserved and convincing second place, and even Juventus, although not shining from the point of view of the game, are grinding victory after victory, so much so that they are back in the Champions League despite minus 15.

Both, albeit with different styles, have forged their paths by conceding few goals (the biancocelesti even have the best defense of the tournament), which could give a closed and balanced challenge, waiting for the right episode. 

Allegri: “Important challenge for second place. The racism? Proud of the Juventus club”

“Lazio is doing an excellent championship, he scored 54 points against our 59, it's a direct match for second place – the thought of Allegri -. Sarri went back to the beginning, when he was famous for defending him and this year it was. It will be difficult for us, Maurizio is doing very well, the team has become much more solid. The facts of Juve-Inter? Bad things have happened to see for football, both on the pitch and in the stands. Coaches and managers should set a good example, the most important thing is that Juventus caught those who made racist insults within 24 hours and that it continues to fight all forms of discrimination, I am proud of this".

On the other hand, no declaration on the Lazio front, also and above all to avoid exposing himself too much on the subject of the investigation: only Lotito spoke of that ("Consob has already checked us, I seem to be on Jokes aside"), also responsible for what it concerns the Salernitana (the investigation, in fact, refers to the time in which he was the owner of both).

Lazio – Juventus, the formations: Sarri relaunches Immobile, Allegri focuses on Di Maria and Vlahovic

Better to think about the field, which will offer a challenge in the match between two of the most accredited strikers in the league, even if a little disappointed, albeit for different reasons. Property in fact he was mainly held back by injuries, while Vlahovic, net of a never completely defeated groin pain, he returned for a long time without being able to score continuously. Both will try tonight, hoping to decide a very important game from all points of view. Sarri will rely on the usual 4-3-3 with Provedel in goal, Marusic, Casale, Romagnoli and Hysaj in defense, Milinkovic-Savic, Vecino and Luis Alberto in midfield, Felipe Anderson, Immobile and Zaccagni in attack. Classic 3-5-2 also for Allegri, who will respond with Szczesny between the posts, Gatti, Bremer and Alex Sandro in the backlog, Cuadrado, Fagioli, Locatelli, Rabiot and Kostic in the midfield, Di Maria and Vlahovic as an offensive couple, with Milik and Chiesa ready to take over from the bench. 

Turin – Rome (18.30 pm, DAZN)

The crossroads between Rome and Turin will not be limited to Lazio-Juventus: in the late afternoon, in fact, the other city duel will also take place between Juric's grenade and Mourinho's Giallorossi. Sui judicial facts what has been said above applies, however it is clear that Roma (understood as a team) will have to be good at isolating themselves and thinking only of the pitch, moreover against a difficult and healthy opponent, determined to annoy the more valued Giallorossi. Europe could also weigh on the match, given that Mou is expected from the trip to Rotterdam against Feyenoord: a delicate commitment and not easy to manage both from a physical and mental point of view. Toro have a decidedly clearer head and will try to take advantage of it, but the Giallorossi are in full Champions tussle and cannot afford missteps: it is therefore reasonable to expect a very tough challenge, also considering the characteristics of the teams, used to fighting for every ball , sometimes even going over the top. 

Turin – Rome, the formations: Mou finds the starting defense again, ahead of Belotti

In terms of formations, both are doing well, even if Toro has some problems in the middle of the field, given that they will have to do without both Vieira and Ilic. Mourinho instead he recovers Ibanez, Mancini, Cristante and Kumbulla, all disqualified against Sampdoria, therefore he will return to the canon 3-4-2-1 with Rui Patricio in goal, Mancini, Smalling and Ibanez in defense, Zalewski, Matic, Wijnaldum and Spinazzola in midfield, Dybala and Pellegrini behind the lone striker Belotti, a far from trivial ex of the match. Same game system also for Juric, who will respond with Milinkovic-Savic in goal, Gravillon, Schuurs and Buongiorno in the back, Singo, Ricci, Linetty and Rodriguez in the midfield, Vlasic and Radonjic in the trocar, Sanabria in attack.

Atalanta – Bologna (16.30 pm, DAZN and Sky)

To complete the picture of the Champions race also Bologna-Atalanta, with the nerazzurri determined to continue the good form of the last few weeks. The victories with Empoli and Cremonese, combined with the results of the competitors, have allowed the Dea to re-enter the tussle for fourth place and now Gasperini believes it: after all, not many people have people like Hojlund, Lookman, Zapata and Muriel, moreover without the European cups to take energy away. But beware of the Bologna by Thiago Motta, opponent who is anything but soft and determined to gamble blow for blow: the Italian-Brazilian coach is also one of the most observed in the entire Serie A and is ready to give battle to Gasperini, his mentor at the time of Genoa.

comments