Docking operation. Inter want to respond to Juventus, victorious on Wednesday against Sampdoria, and take back the top of the standings, albeit shared. The match against Genoa (at 18 pm) becomes so fundamental for many reasons, also because it will be the last before the Christmas break: passing it with 3 points would make everything sweeter, vice versa there is the risk of even ruining the holidays. Up front then there is an opponent in great difficulty, not at all regenerated by Thiago Motta, whose only victory dates back to October 26 against Brescia: since then three draws and four defeats in seven games, the last in the derby on Saturday last. Putting it like this it would seem like a walk, except that Inter arrive at this commitment more patched up than ever.
For at least two months we have been talking about a team in an emergency, but now the injuries of Barella, Sensi, Sanchez, Gagliardini and Asamoah the disqualifications of Brozovic and Lautaro were added, forcing Conte to even draw from the Primavera. “We have an even shorter deck than usual but I'm confident because we know how to give our best in these conditions – the coach glossed over. – We're playing the most important match of the year against Genoa, we're building something big and closing 2019 at the top coupled with Juve would be of considerable value. Our journey has just begun, amid many difficulties: we don't have to win necessarily, we have to build a project to be able to last, be credible and win". In fact, after racing a lot, it would be a shame to end the year badly, especially as the break coincides with the opening of the market.
The club is working to give Conte the requested reinforcements (Kulusevski or De Paul for the attack, Vidal in midfield and Marcos Alonso on the wing, plus possibly a defender if Godin were to leave), but the rest is up to him, with the awareness that staying at the top of the league can entice owners to invest. And then down with Genoa, which the coach will face an emergency 3-5-2 with Handanovic in goal, Godin, De Vrij and Skriniar in defense, D'Ambrosio, Vecino, Borja Valero, Agoumé and Lazaro in midfield, Lukaku and Esposito in attack. Similar game system also for Thiago Motta, in need of points to improve a ranking that sadly sees him in penultimate place. This at San Siro is certainly not the easiest opportunity but the coach will try with Radu between the posts, Biraschi, Romero and Criscito in the back, Ghiglione, Radovanovic, Schone, Cassata and Ankersen in the midfield, behind the composed offensive duo from Agudelo and Pinamonti.
In the meantime, Roma continues to win, so much so that they forcefully insinuate themselves in the top part of the standings. The clear success of Florence means holidays in fourth place, but also, if not above all, a nice mortgage on the Champions League area, as well as a loud and clear message to the top players in the class: on 12 January, after the break and Turin, there will be Roma-Juventus at the Olimpico, and who knows what the scudetto cannot find one more suitor. The results of the Giallorossi (7 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat in the last 9) authorize speeches of this type, moreover just like for the Lazio cousins, also because they confirm an absolutely positive trend, the result of a solid defensive phase and an offensive equally effective.
“I don't know if it's simplistic to talk only about fourth place, for me what matters is the next game – winked Fonseca. – I must say that I am very satisfied, we prepared the match well by fielding everything we had studied. It wasn't easy against Fiorentina, they had done well against the greats like Inter, Juventus and Atalanta. We had a great match, there are some aspects to improve but I have to say that the team's evolution is good, the players are confident and convinced of the idea, this makes me happy”. Effectively the feeling is of a compact Rome with its coach, now convinced that excellent results can be achieved through his football. The fact is that everyone is benefiting from this atypical 4-2-3-1, in which Dzeko, in addition to scoring, plays the role of a real offensive playmaker, as demonstrated by yesterday's two assists.
The Bosnian was the great protagonist of the Franchi match, first of all unlocking it in the 19th minute on a great play by the Pellegrini-Zaniolo axis, then propitiating the third and fourth goals of his team, first opening for Lorenzo (73') and then for Nicolò (88'). In between, a great free-kick from Kolarov (21') and a strike from Badelj (34') which seemed to be able to reopen the game, before Fiorentina was forced to surrender to the superiority of their opponents. The other side of the medal of the evening are precisely the Viola, forced to deal with yet another defeat and a classification that is starting to scare: now the relegation zone, moreover with one more game, is only 4 points away. And as was in the air, the exemption has arrived for Vincenzo Montella.
