The escape continues, without a hitch. Napoli also clears Empoli and further shores up its extraordinary ranking, which now sees it at +18 on Inter second. Talking about the Scudetto fight has become a useless exercise for many weeks and it is even more so now, so much so that the question, as we said during the presentation phase, is no longer whether the Azzurri will win, but when they will. Completely different scenario for what concerns the race Champions, where there are five teams in just six points: Bologna-Inter and, above all, Milan-Atalanta become so very important, waiting to see what Lazio and Rome will do between Monday and Tuesday.
Empoli - Napoli 0-2, Spalletti: "Won a tough game by giving an imperious show of strength"
Once again Napoli won the match effortlessly, approaching it as if it were a final and not a "simple" championship day, moreover with a stratospheric advantage in the standings. After all, one of the many strengths of the Azzurri is precisely this, otherwise it would not be possible to have such numbers: the updated ones see the best attack (58), the best defense (15), 8 wins in a row only in the league (to which that of Frankfurt should be added), 18 in the last 19 games played. Yesterday too it took only 17' to break the balance and take the lead, albeit with the luck of finding Ismajli's winning deflection for the most classic of own goals. Nine minutes later the “tax” arrived osimhen, so punctual as to be almost democratic: the Nigerian, top scorer of the tournament with 19 goals (all from play!), scored from 8 games in a row and seeing that Spalletti never lets him rest (rightly…) he also added Empoli to the his fantastic collection. From then on there was substantial management, which not even the expulsion of Mario Rui (67') managed to scratch. “The team played a great game, especially in the second half after the expulsion, a tough one to bring home a result that could become fundamental – the analysis of the blue coach -. We gave an imperious demonstration of strength, showing the same quality as always and uniting great intensity and sacrifice, forcing Empoli to surrender. Against Napoli everyone gives their life, they are hyper-stimulated to stop us, but they can't because the team has understood very well what they have to do".
Milan – Atalanta (20.45 pm, Dazn)
The spotlights move thus on Saint Siror, where a real direct match for the Champions League will be staged. Milan-Atalanta, in fact, is the match between the fourth and sixth in the standings, divided however by only 3 points: a Rossoneri success, as well as definitively closing the period of crisis, would Pioli safe, if the people of Bergamo were to impose themselves, however, things would change radically, for both of course. The Devil arrives after three consecutive victories without conceding a goal, plus he recovers a fundamental player like Maignan (we'll talk about him shortly) and can count on the boost from San Siro, but the Goddess never starts beaten, especially in face-to-face matches that so much likes to Gasperini. It is therefore legitimate to expect goals and entertainment between two teams that, albeit for different reasons, absolutely do not want to give up on the Champions League.
Pioli: "Very important game, Maignan starts and Ibra can play"
“A very important match, it is because the standings for the fourth it is very short and we can stretch on them – confirmed Pioli -. I expect a hard-fought challenge because Atalanta are a physical team, with duels and counterattacks, but we're good with our heads and legs and we'll try to be more masters while maintaining defensive solidity. Maignan plays between goal, we missed him a lot on and off the pitch, but Tatarusanu did well. Ibra? He is always better, he can play ”.
Gasperini: "We are fired up and motivated, we have to stop Hernandez and Leao"
“Playing against the reigning Italian champions is a great motivation, not only for the standings – thought Gasperini -. It's a match against a strong team, we'll try to perform as we've already done, Milan have looked for solutions that have produced results, but it's a championship, apart from Napoli, in which everyone has positive and negative moments. We know their characteristics well, we must try not to give space to fast players like Hernandez and Leao, there are many components to be developed in the best possible way, but we too can have qualities that can annoy him".
Milan - Atalanta, the formations: Maignan starting after 5 months, Gasp focuses on Lookman, Hojlund and Boga
The big news, therefore, is the return to the field of maignan after more than 5 months of absence. In fact, the last time wearing a Milan shirt dates back to 18 September, when the Rossoneri lost against Napoli. A few days later, during the France-Austria match, the calf injury and the beginning of a real ordeal, which made him miss the World Cup and most of the AC Milan season. But now the Frenchman is back and Pioli wastes no time, immediately launching him among the starters in the now usual 3-4-3 with Thiaw, Tomori and Kalulu in defense, Messias, Tonali, Krunic and Theo Hernandez in midfield, Diaz, Giroud and Leao in attack. Gasperini knows that Milan have regained confidence and an overly passive attitude could prove fatal, which is why they seem oriented towards playing it in the most offensive way possible, therefore a 3-4-3 with Musso between the posts, Toloi, Djimsiti and Scalvini in the back. Zappacosta, De Roon, Koopmeiners and Maehle in the midfield, Lookman, Hojlund and Boga in the offensive trident.
Bologna – Inter (12.30, Dazn and Sky Sport)
However, Inzaghi's Inter will open on Sunday, awaiting the insidious away match in Bologna. A pitch that certainly doesn't evoke good memories for the Nerazzurri coach, given what happened last season, but precisely for this reason there shouldn't be the risk of lowering the attention span, despite the week being almost entirely dedicated to the Champions League. Furthermore, the rossoblu do not have a "small" standings, indeed the latest results (3 victories in 4 games) have even fueled dreams of Conference League: Inter will need a better version, like Wednesday's against Porto and certainly not the faded version of Genoa, just to stay in recent times. However, Inzaghi shouldn't have problems motivating the team, given that any victory would be worth gold on Sunday's Milan-Atalanta match.
Bologna - Inter, the formations: Skriniar and Dimarco stop, Inzaghi raises Lukaku, Brozovic and Dumfries
Compared to Wednesday there will be some changes, especially after the forfeits of Skriniar and Dimarco, stopped respectively by lumboglutalgia and muscle fatigue. From the first minute they will be like this again Lukaku, man of the match against Porto and Brozovic, who also entered the Champions League very well, but the turnover, in addition to Dzeko e Stretcher, it will necessarily also concern the defense. The Nerazzurri 3-5-2 will thus see Onana in goal, Darmian, De Vrij and Bastoni in defence, Dumfries, Mkhitaryan, Brozovic, Calhanoglu and Gosens in midfield, Lukaku and Lautaro in attack. Thiago Motta, a former player never forgotten at Inter, will respond with a 4-2-3-1 with Skorupski in goal, Posch, Soumaoro, Lucumì and Cambiaso in the back, Schouten and Dominguez in the midfield, Orsolini, Ferguson and Soriano behind from Barrow, the only striker available given the absences of Arnautovic and Zirkzee.
