Changing of the guard. The "Sunday of the big names" smiles above all to Inter, capable of performing a double overtaking Milan and Napoli at the top. Merit of victory over Genoa (1-2) and the missteps of Allegri and Conte: the first was stopped on the draw from Sassuolo (2-2), confirming the difficulties with the small ones, the second was even defeat in Udine (1-0), suffering the second consecutive defeat after the one in Lisbon.
Chivu took advantage of this and flew to the top of the table, with a one-point advantage over the Rossoneri and two over the Azzurri.Another big winner on Sunday was Spalletti's Juventus, exit from the direct clash of Bologna with a very precious success (0-1): the Bianconeri overtake the Rossoblù and move to within just one point of Gasperini's Roma, awaiting today's delicate postponed match against Como (20.45pm).
Genoa 1-2 Inter: The Nerazzurri conquer Marassi and climb to the top of the table.
The Inter reacts immediately and makes no mistakes at MarassiAfter the European disappointment against Liverpool, Chivu's team beat Genoa 2-1, surpasses Napoli and Milan and takes the top spot in the standings. A strong double signal: 33 points in the standings (+1 over Allegri's Rossoneri, +2 over Conte's Napoli) and closing in on the Italian Super Cup as league leaders. The start is more balanced than the final score suggests. Genoa have the first chance, but Colombo and Vitinha fail to capitalize on a good opportunity, and Inter strike immediately on the counterattack. At 6' Bisseck he enters the area and with a left-footed shot to the near post surprises Leali, finding the 1-0 that breaks the balance and directs the match. In the lead, the Nerazzurri slow down the tempo, control possession, and pass the ball in an orderly fashion, seeking space with a large number of players. Genoa stays low and compact, attempting to close down the lines and counterattack. Leali has to intervene on attempts by Lautaro and Pio Esposito, then in the 38th minute the doubling arrives: Taurus uses the physical against Marcandalli, he creates space and with a powerful left foot shot company il 2-0A goal that confirmed Inter's dominance in the first half and sent the teams into half-time with Inter in full control.
In the second half, however, the Nerazzurri started off more calmly, lowering their centre of gravity and trying to manage. Genoa take advantage of it and reopen the race With a great move from Vitinha, who skipped past Akanji and Bastoni and beat Sommer, changing the momentum of the match. Chivu hurried to cover the scoresheet, bringing on Thuram, Mkhitaryan, and Diouf to restore energy and depth. The Rossoblu believed in their chances: Gronbaek tested Sommer with a free kick, while at the other end Thuram came close, first with a header and then with a shot at the near post. Genoa poured forward in the closing stages, but Inter held firm without conceding any real chances and took home three crucial points. At Marassi, it only took a half to get back on top: the Nerazzurri put the Champions League title behind them and strongly relaunch their title bid.
Chivu: "An important victory, the boys got into the game right away."
“We knew that it wouldn't have been easy against a healthy team that we had to do better in terms of quality and character and in the end we were right, because we gave a good performance – the satisfied comment of Chivu -. When they were running out of energy, we conceded a goal, and on this pitch, it becomes difficult. We could have made it 3-1, we had to roll up our sleeves, and in the end, we got an important victory. The players immediately got into the game. A coach is good when things go well; when they don't, you get criticized. But even the substitutes showed character, maturity, and quality. Lautaro? He received a lot of balls between the lines but he also filled the area and scored goals. Esposito? We could have done better in attacking depth, but we'll take all the good that these guys do, because they want to and do the right things for the team."
Milan – Sassuolo 2-2: The Rossoneri make another mistake against a newly promoted team.
The Sassuolo taboo remains intact And Milan squandered a huge chance in the standings. Against Grosso's men ends 2-2, at the end of a chaotic and incident-filled match, which prevented Allegri from reaching the Super Cup as class winners and confirmed the Rossoneri's difficulties against the newly promoted teams. The match immediately became an uphill battle for Milan: in the 13th minute Pinamonti creates and Koné capitalizes with a touch under the exit of Maignan, signing the 1-0 neroverde. The rossoneri struggle to find rhythm, but grow over time and 34' they find the equalizer with Bartesaghi, who perfectly exploited a brilliant pass from Loftus-Cheek and beat Consigli. The goal restored balance in a match that had been difficult up to that point and took Milan to the break with a better feeling. The second half seemed to confirm the change of momentum: just two minutes passed and Bartesaghi strikes again, this time with a left-footed shot to the near post, also aided by the collaboration of Nkunku.
Milan completed the comeback and seemed to have the match under control, also because immediately after two goals were disallowed, first by Pulisic for a foul by Loftus-Cheek, then by Rabiot, caught offside. However, when the match seemed to be on track, the Sassuolo finds the strength to come back. At 70' Pinamonti once again made the difference with the assist for Laurenté, who with a precise right company il 2-2The Neroverdi even came close to pulling off a coup shortly after, with Laurienté himself striking the post with Maignan beaten. Allegri is left with a bitter taste in his mouth: two points dropped, Gabbia's injury to be assessed (the Super Cup is at risk), and a confirmation that weighs like a millstone.
Milan continues to suffer against the "small" teams and the “short-face” method, so effective in direct clashes, just doesn’t work.
Allegri: "It seems like two points were thrown away, but this draw will prove useful."
“We played a good game and attacked well against a well-organized defense, but we could have been a little smarter on the first goal and the same on the second – he sighed Allegri -. But let's say we played a good match, even if we risked losing in the end. Let's take this point and prepare for the Super Cup, we bring home a draw which today seem like two wasted points, but in the end it will prove useful. Our path is to arrive in the top four by May 25thWe know we have to keep working and start conceding fewer goals; we've conceded too many. However, I have absolutely nothing to reproach the lads for. A draw doesn't change the team's dynamics; we know we can't win every game, but we need to keep getting results."
Udinese 1-0 Napoli: Ekkelenkamp sends Conte to the mat, the Azzurri finish third.
The Udinese surprises Napoli and knocks him out: it ends at the Bluenergy Stadium 1-0 for the Friulians, which dealt a heavy blow to Antonio Conte's team. This misstep weighs heavily on the Azzurri's standings, having been overtaken by Inter and even overtaken by AC Milan, despite their draw with Sassuolo. The first half unfolded without much excitement: a slow tempo, a stagnant game, and maximum defensive focus on both sides. Udinese started better, but then Napoli grew and threatened: Bertola was decisive in denying Lang, while Okoye responded with a response from Hojlund. The Bianconeri, however, did not give up their attack, and on the half-hour mark, Milinkovic-Savic tested Ekkelenkamp with a shot that the Azzurri goalkeeper controlled.
In the second half, the script remained unchanged, but Udinese increased the pressure and their confidence. In the 52nd minute, Davis scored following a Bertola shot, but VAR ruled the striker offside. The Friulians pressed on: in the 59th minute, Piotrowski shook Napoli to the core, forcing Milinkovic-Savic to make a superb save. Then, in the 69th minute, another goal was ruled out, this time for Zaniolo, for a foul by Karlstrom on Lobotka, which was flagged by VAR. The lead, however, was only postponed, because In the 73rd minute, Ekkelenkamp found the decisive moveA precise and powerful right-footer from the left, Milinkovic-Savic's shot unstoppable, and Udinese wins 1-0. Napoli have two huge chances to make up for it in the closing stages: Hojlund wastes a tap-in from close range, then Lucca hits the outside of the post. It's not enough. Udinese celebrates a prestigious victoryNapoli loses, making the race for the top even more complicated. A missed opportunity that threatens to weigh heavily on the Azzurri's progress.
Conte: "It's been a difficult year, but we mustn't be discouraged."
“In the first half we didn't even concede a shot on target, we could have made better use of our opportunities – the analysis of Tale -. It's a shame that when the wind starts to turn against us, instead of taking it behind us and meeting it head on, we struggle to manage these situations. We have to be good at working on the mental aspectIn these situations, you have to use skill and cunning. The kids, especially the older ones, need to understand this and steer the stormy sea. We must keep working, not lose our enthusiasm and desire to fight; the kids are doing it. I find it hard to criticize, because I see how the kids work; they're doing everything they can despite the difficulties. I told the kids to keep going; they are commendable. This is a difficult year and we must not be discouraged., we have to defend the championship we won last year."
Bologna – Juventus 0-1: The Bianconeri advance with Cabal and leapfrog the Rossoblu into fifth place.
Juve roars back and does it in the heaviest way possible, beating Bologna 1-0 in the late game and leapfrogging them into fifth place, just outside the Champions League zone. A hard-fought victory, patiently built after a far from easy first half, and matured in the second half thanks to the decisive impact of the substitutions. In the first half, the hosts created the better chances, with Juve often forced to chase and relying on a highly alert Di Gregorio, who also saved from Zortea hitting the crossbar. The Bianconeri struggled to find rhythm and consistency, suffering from Bologna's intensity and going into halftime still 0-0, with more than one alarm bell ringing. In the second half, however, Spalletti's team raised their focus and changed pace. Cabal is the one who unlocks the race, who finds the right time to slip in and head the ball past the goalkeeper following a perfect assist from Yildiz. It's the goal that breaks the balance and the momentum of the match changed once and for all. Shortly after, Openda also stepped up, coming on for a disoriented David: the striker immediately took center stage, forcing Heggem into a red card for a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
There is also room for Bremer in the final, who returned to the field for about twenty minutes after meniscus surgery and helped Juve secure the result without further risk. Bologna attempted to respond with pride, but were unable to find the space they had in the first half. For Juventus it is a victory that weighs heavily and which reopens the race for the Champions League, for Bologna, however, it is the third consecutive match without a win: Italiano's team slows down again and now also risks overtaking Como, who are busy tonight in the late match against Roma.
Spalletti: "It's the best victory since I've been here."
"Is this the most beautiful and important victory since I've been coaching Juve? Certainly yes, we were facing an opponent who has value, strength and enthusiasm – he exulted Spalletti A well-organized and well-worked team, even with ten men they created difficult situations for us. Winning here is even more credit to my players; they were truly brilliant. If you don't get a result and don't improve, it becomes difficult, but I'd seen some good things in training. I found them energetic and responsive; they needed a performance that would give them peace of mind, and I hope it puts them in a position to repeat it. The team played the game, transcending the individual duels Bologna forces on you. The Cabal change? He needs to learn to control his emotions sometimes. He's got legs and strength, even someone who runs the 100 meters 20 times at full speed is talented, and he has that. In the games he's played so far, he's been too dirty for his quality, so I've been a bit annoying to him."
Rome – Como (20.45pm, Dazn and Sky)
At the roll call of the 15th day Rome-Como is still missingBoth teams are coming off two consecutive defeats and are determined to turn things around. Gasperini's Giallorossi remain fourth in the standings, but The missteps of Milan and Napoli require them to get back to scoring points Even in the league. The reaction shown in Glasgow against Celtic restored confidence, but now it needs to be confirmed to avoid complicating the Champions League race.
After the turnover in the Europa League, the Giallorossi coach is ready to field his best team, including Ndicka. With Celik suspended, Wesley will operate on the right flank, while Tsimikas will start on the left. Cristante and Koné will be in midfield, with Soulé and Pellegrini in the attacking midfield to support Ferguson, who is energized by his European double. Dybala will be on the bench again, his fourth consecutive appearance: the Argentine remains on the sidelines, between technical decisions and an increasingly uncertain contract, which expires in June and rumors linking him to Boca Juniors.
The Como Instead, he's trying to quickly put the bad night against Inter behind him. Fabregas doesn't change his identity and restarts from 4-2-3-1, relying on the quality of Atta, Nico Paz, and Rodriguez behind Douvikas. The goal is to regain consistency and gain points to ward off the aftermath of a difficult period. Previous meetings favor Roma: in 30 Serie A meetings, the Giallorossi have won 15 times to Como's six, with nine draws. An interesting fact concerns the most recent meetings: in the last eight league matches between the two teams, a draw has never been drawn, with Roma winning six and Como two. Como's last Serie A win at the Olimpico dates back to November 1984.
Gasperini: "It's an important match. We all have the right conditions to do well."
"Como is not a surprise but a reality for investment and quality of play – the thought of Gasperini They're one of the best clubs in the world; watching Como play is always a pleasure. Both teams will try to get the most out of their game without too much fuss. It's not a decisive match, but it's an important one, and it will determine the standings, which are now very tight. I came here hoping to do a good job and with the belief that this was the ideal environment. It was said that Roma was very difficult and that my arrival wasn't universally welcomed, but through hard work and performances, we've made great strides. We need to be ambitious and never presumptuous. All the ingredients are there; we just need to mix them well to bring them out. We have the fans, a wealthy club, the opportunity to build the stadium and develop the team... If there have been problems recently in achieving certain objectives, it means we need to do more; it's not bad luck. It is essential to make correct assessments, all the conditions and ingredients are there."
