A city up for grabs. The show of the second day continues today with the derby of the Capital, one of the quintessential appointments of our championship. At the Olimpico (18 pm) two very different football philosophies will face each other: on the one hand the concreteness of Inzaghi's Lazio, on the other the effrontery of Fonseca's Rome. So far, despite having only one game available, the first has gone much better, with the Biancocelesti able to win 3-0 at Samp against the Giallorossi stopped on a draw by Genoa.
Today therefore, despite being only at the dawn of the season, a rift could already be created in the championship: in fact, a victory for Lazio would send Roma to minus 5 in the standings, with all the consequences of the case. However, Inzaghi, perhaps due to that unwritten law of derbies which often sees the so-called underdogs prevail, really doesn't want to take on the role of favourite.
“In the pre-season no one spoke about Lazio – growled the coach at the press conference. – Now they say we are stronger, before we weren't even in the top five in the standings. The truth is that Roma have a well-prepared coach, capable of getting the players to follow him and creating a good atmosphere. But we have prepared it well and we are focused, we will have to have humility and a spirit of sacrifice but at the same time courage. We know our qualities and how we can hurt our opponents."
Who, of course, experience the derby in a very different climate, with the knowledge that they can't go wrong, on pain of saying goodbye to the summer "truce" created by Fonseca. The coach is the one who plays the most, starting from his credibility with critics and fans, but the club also knows how important this appointment is.
“Only what the field says counts, whoever is the favorite must prove it there – replied the Portuguese. – I have no doubts that Lazio are a very strong team with a coach who has been there for some time, but I believe in the identity of the game and in prevailing over the opponent, even if I don't have a closed vision of things at all".
In any case, the time for words is over and today only the green lawn of the Olimpico, packed with about 50 people, will speak. Inzaghi will choose a 3-5-2 with Strakosha in goal, Luiz Felipe, Acerbi and Radu in defense, Lazzari, Milinkovic-Savic, Lucas Leiva, Luis Alberto and Lulic in midfield, Correa and Immobile in attack. Classic 4-2-3-1 also for Fonseca, who will respond with Pau Lopez between the posts, Zappacosta, Fazio, Mancini and Kolarov in the back, Cristante and Pellegrini in the midfield, Under, Zaniolo and Florenzi behind the lone striker Dzeko .
But the derby in the capital is not the only prestigious event on this football Sunday: at 20.45 pm, in fact, the spotlights will move to Cagliari, Where Conte's Inter he will try to hook Juve at the top of the standings. An important match therefore, even if complicated by the usual noisy vigil. It was Mauro Icardi, for the umpteenth time, who took the stage and catalyzed all the attention: after all, a lawsuit for damages to one's own club is not often seen. The Argentine, through his lawyer Giuseppe Di Carlo, has presented a request for arbitration with the aim of obtaining reinstatement in the team, but also compensation for damages of 1,5 million, equal to 20% gross of the annual salary.
“It's not an economic question, what interests Icardi is being an integral part of the Inter project – specified the lawyer. – Do you think it possible that in two months of preparation he hasn't participated in a friendly match?”.
“Everything was done in the most correct way possible, for the rest we have been talking about this for eight months – replied Conte. – I don't want to go into it, I want to stay focused on the protagonists of this season and not on others ".
Also because, now more than ever, the story does not depend on him: the only way to resolve it peacefully would be a sale, a very complex scenario given that Mauro continues to refuse anything that is not called Juventus, coincidentally the only club to which the 'Inter would never loan him out. In any case, Marotta and Ausilio will think about this, but today it's time to play, moreover on a field that always hides pitfalls.
“I expect a tough game, Cagliari have strengthened a lot by raising the quality of the squad – Conte reiterated. – This away game is a step that we must face with the right mentality, after which we will have even clearer ideas about our true value".
The team that wins doesn't change, even more so if there's no news on Godin or De Vrij from the infirmary. The Nerazzurri coach will thus confirm the 3-5-2 of the 4-0 formation against Lecce, therefore Handanovic in goal, D'Ambrosio, Ranocchia and Skriniar in defence, Candreva, Vecino, Brozovic, Sensi and Asamoah in midfield, Lautaro Martinez and Lukaku in attack, with new signing Sanchez ready to take over from the bench.
Maran, badly hurt by the home defeat against Brescia and Pavoletti's bad injury (at least 5 months off), will attempt the coup with a 4-3-1-2 that will see Olsen in goal, Pinna, Klavan, Ceppitelli and Pellegrini in the back department, Rog, the former Nainggolan and Nandez in the midfield, Castro behind the offensive duo made up of Joao Pedro and the newcomer Simeone.
