A dizzying Saturday. We're only on matchday five, but the calendar comes alive with three big matches that promise goals and entertainment: Milan-Inter first of all, of course, but also Fiorentina-Juventus e Lazio-Napoli they have many arguments to bring up. In short, there will certainly not be boring and to make everything even more balanced are the cups, ready to start next week, further shuffling the cards on the table. They could take advantage of these challenges Rome and Atalanta, awaited by less high-sounding commitments such as the away matches in Udine and Monza: the first in the class risk earning points, as long as they do their duty and don't stumble into the Friulian and Brianza traps.
Milan-Inter (18pm, Dazn)
Spotlights first of all on San Siro, the theater of derby of the Madonna number 233 (the 199 in Serie A). Milan and Inter approach it in different ways, returning from a midweek shift that saw the Nerazzurri beat Cremonese and the Rossoneri stumble in Reggio Emilia, thus overturning the previous hierarchies. Now it's Inzaghi's team who are watching their cousins from above and the derby could consolidate things, leave them unchanged or overturn everything once again.
Pioli: "It will be a battle, every centimeter can make the difference"
“I expect a vibrant and energetic match, the derby is always the derby and for this reason I think it will be a match with great duels – thought Pioli -. Two teams who know each other well and who want to win will face each other, it will be a real battle, where even an inch can make the difference. The misstep with Sassuolo? In derby games, it's not how you finish, but how you play: we've prepared for this match in the best possible way and we'll try to do it until the end".
Inzaghi: "They will decide the episodes, let's get them on our side"
“It will be a balanced match decided by the episodes, we will have to be good at getting them on our side, and I also think that the individual duels will be very important – retorted Inzaghi -. We all know what a derby represents for the club and for the fans, the team is doing well, they have recovered mentally and physically from Tuesday's match, it will be a very important match. The market? The club did a great job, it was a positive session financially and the team is very competitive."
Milan-Inter, the formations
Thus the word passes to the field, which will see Milan and Inter with the type teams: this derby is too important, in fact, to think about Salzburg e Bayern Monaco, next Champions League opponents. Pioli has to do without Rebic, Krunic and Florenzi, but recovers Origi at least for the bench and is ready to rely on the usual 4-2-3-1 with Maignan in goal, Calabria, Tomori, Kalulu and Hernandez in defense, Bennacer and Tonali in midfield, Messias, De Ketelaere and Leao behind the lone striker Giroud. Instead, a much heavier absence for Inzaghi, forced to do without Lukaku: the doubt on the eve consists precisely in who, between Dzeko and Correa, will take his place. The Nerazzurri 3-5-2 will thus see Handanovic between the posts, Skriniar, De Vrij and Bastoni in the back, Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu and Darmian in the midfield, Lautaro and Dzeko (slightly favorite over Correa) in attack.
Fiorentina-Juventus (15 pm, Dazn)
However, Fiorentina and Juventus will kick off the day, engaged in what is never a game like any other, especially when you play at the Franchi. The historic rivalry, exacerbated by the sale of Vlahovic last January, it will cause the environment to be very hot and this will certainly be an extra problem for Allegri, which however comes to the challenge much more charged than Italian. The victory over Spezia in fact partially put things back in order, plus Paredes also arrived from the market, ready to fill that gap in midfield as evident as it was neglected. Fiorentina, on the other hand, got off to a decidedly bad start, both in terms of results (the last one was the defeat against Udine) and offensive performance: the last goal scored dates back to 18 August against Twente (in the league you have to go to 14 with Cremonese) and this abstinence can only affect the team, as demonstrated by the 0-0 draws with Empoli and Naples and the recent Friulian knockout.
Allegri: “Are we the favorites after the market? Let's think only of Florence…”
The purchase of Paredes he brought enthusiasm back to the black and white environment, which now feels entitled to dream. “The club worked very well both in terms of entry and exit, confirming young players and bringing in the players we wanted – underlined Allegri -. But we are only thinking about the match in Florence, it will be very difficult and getting a result would be just as important. However, I still have to decide the formation, maybe you know better…”.
Fiorentina-Juventus, the formations
So let's try to get into the Juventus coach's head and decipher his choices, bearing in mind that on Tuesday there will be the prestigious away match in Paris. The latest from Continassa indicate a possible rest shift for Vlahovic, a bit to take advantage of the rediscovered vein of Owned, partly to avoid the inevitable volley of boos, but above all the flash debut of Paredes, ready to immediately take the keys to the team. The Juventus 4-3-3 will see Perin in goal, De Sciglio, Danilo, Bremer and Alex Sandro in defense, Locatelli, Paredes and McKennie in midfield, Di Maria, Milik and Kostic in attack. Same game system also for the Italian, who will respond with Gollini in goal, Dodò, Milenkovic, Igor and Biraghi in the back department, Bonaventura, Amrabat and Barak in the midfield, Ikoné, Jovic and Sottil in the offensive trident.
Lazio-Naples (20 pm, Dazn and Sky)
To conclude the super Saturday of Serie A, Lazio and Napoli will take care of it, awaited by the postponement of the Olimpico. A test of 9 for both, given that so far they have alternated excellent things with unexpected missteps: the biancocelesti were able to beat Inter, but also to slow down against Turin and Sampdoria, the blues, after a crackling start, definitely slowed down with Fiorentina and, above all, Lecce. The match thus becomes very delicate for both, with Sarri e Spalletti called to demonstrate the true size of their teams. “I'm delighted to be the coach of Napoli, but I can't guarantee anything – Spalletti pointed out -. You always put it on winning or dying and I don't like this thing much, if you don't win you have failed… and I don't know if I win”. The climate is starting to heat up and it is clear that a negative result would make things worse, especially with the away match in Liverpool just around the corner. In front, however, there will be a fierce Lazio, determined to redeem the draw-mockery in Genoa, but also last year's defeat signed by Fabian Ruiz in full recovery.
Lazio-Naples, the formations
After Wednesday Spalletti's (unsuccessful) experiments it will go back to the old, therefore at 4-3-3 with Meret in goal, Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Kim and Mario Rui in defense, Anguissa, Lobotka and Zielinski in midfield, Lozano, Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia in attack. Same game system also for Sarri, who will respond with Provedel between the posts, Lazzari, Patric, Romagnoli and Marusic in the back department, Milinkovic-Savic, Cataldi and Vecino in the midfield, Felipe Anderson, Immobile and Zaccagni in the offensive trident.
