Milan collapses, but remains first. Inter's 0-0 in Udine, in fact, allows the Rossoneri to become winter champions despite the very heavy 0-3 cashed in by Atalanta, totally in control of the pitch at San Siro. Paradoxical Saturday therefore for Pioli, who closes the first leg from the first but has to deal with an alarming defeat, both for the score and for the performance. Antonio Conte doesn't have many reasons to smile either, who failed to take advantage of Milan's result: Udinese's draw shortens the distance a bit, all right, but he smacks of a wasted opportunity. In short, on balance the real winners of this Saturday are Gasperini and Fonseca, who thanks to their respective successes are overwhelmingly relaunching themselves in a Champions League key, with Pirlo and Gattuso at the window: if Napoli and Juve were to beat Verona and Bologna, in fact, they would recover part of the previously lost ground.
Milan's defeat causes a sensation, not so much for Atalanta's victory in itself, but for the modalities. The Bergamo players have dominated far and wide, driven by a simply unstoppable Ilicic and, more generally, by a sumptuous performance, which annihilated the league leaders like no one before. “It's the only team we haven't been able to beat since I've been on the bench – sighed Pioli -. We got off to a very good start, but then they did better and deserved the win. From a physical point of view, Atalanta have played much better than us, but the general level among the top seven is very similar. We will analyze the defeat, but we are already thinking about the next one”.
“We played a great game and offered one of the best performances of this cycle against the first in the standings – Gasperini exulted -. We were superior in everything, there is great satisfaction. Our aim? We want to stay in the first group, it's within our reach even if our opponents are more aggressive. Scudetto? You won't be able to put this word into my mouth..." At this rate, however, he will at least have to think about it, because in the face of matches like yesterday's one, nothing can really be ruled out. Evening of grace for the Goddess, who legitimized the victory from the first half, closed in the lead by a goal thanks to a header from Romero (26'). But it was in the second half that we saw it all the overwhelming power of Bergamo in San Siro, so much so that the final result, rounded off by a penalty from Ilicic (53') and a tap-in from Zapata (77'), is even tight, in light of the many opportunities created.
Milan? A shot by Ibra from close range in the first half and one by Mandzukic blocked by Gollini in the second, for the rest many errors, both technical and departmental. However, Inter didn't know how to take advantage of it, getting bogged down in Udinese's web, on the second consecutive point after the one with Atalanta. A 0-0 that hurts, as demonstrated the uproar that took place in the tunnel at the end of the game, with Conte (expelled shortly before) furious against the referee Maresca, guilty of having granted little recovery (according to him). “They seemed few to me, but we have to accept the race director's decisions – glossed the coach at the press conference -. I always say that you shouldn't think of others, but only of us, we made mistakes on the last step several times and this is not good if we want to fight for something important. Now a derby awaits us, I said that the championship has priority but the Coppa Italia is a trophy we care about: we will try to win, as always after all".
He remains a draw that has a slightly bitter taste, son of a not very brilliant performance, but also of a great Musso: his save on Lautaro in the first half, in fact, risks taking the cover of the season. For the rest, a territorial dominance that didn't turn into goals, with an attentive Udinese concentrated on taking a very important point, both for the standings and for morale. The ball thus passes to Juventus, called to win to shorten both Milanese and get back in the running for the Scudetto. At the Stadium, in the match that will open on Sunday (12.30), Mihajlovic's Bologna arrives, for a game that Pirlo cannot and does not want to miss. The victory of the Super Cup, in fact, erased, at least in part, the disappointment for the defeat against Inter, but failing today would mean turning the clock back a week, with all the consequences of the case, regarding the standings and the environment.
“Winning helps to win, the Super Cup has left us with great enthusiasm, so despite a little tiredness we trained well for the next goal, which is called Bologna – Pirlo's speech -. We haven't been continuous, it's true, but the ups and downs are a problem that everyone has had, as confirmed by the scores in the standings. The lack of continuity made us lose points, but we're working on that. I've been working since day one with the same enthusiasm and the same desire, I know that I have to improve, that the team and I can grow. Winning a trophy doesn't change anything for me because I want to lift many more." To do this, however, a change is needed, possibly definitive, starting today, regardless of what may come from the market (Dzeko's name, after the break with Roma, is back in vogue, but the deal is very complicated).
Pirlo, what still has to do without Alex Sandro and Dybala but De Ligt recovered (negative buffer), he will rely on the now usual 3-5-2 with Szczesny in goal, Demiral, Bonucci and Danilo in defense, Cuadrado, Rabiot, Arthur, McKennie and Bernardeschi in midfield, Morata and Ronaldo in attack. 4-2-3-1 also for Mihajlovic, who after regaining victory against Verona will try again today with Skorupski in goal, De Silvestri, Danilo, Tomiyasu and Dijks in the back, Schouten and Dominguez in the midfield , Orsolini, Soriano and Sansone behind the lone striker Palacio.
