Between the Scudetto race and the transfer market. Serie A is preparing to experience a very rich Saturday, both for the matches that will see Milan, Juventus and Inter on the pitch a few hours apart, and for the winter session of negotiations, which has now entered the classic final rush. In short, a day of great emotions, that it starts at 15 pm with Bologna-Milan, continues at 18 with Sampdoria-Juventus and ends at 20.45 with Inter-Benevento, all with an eye fixed on the various Milanese hotels, the scene of meetings that could reopen negotiations that now seem to be off (see Dzeko-Sanchez exchange).
So let's start from the Dall'Ara and from the challenge between Pioli's Rossoneri and Mihajlovic's Rossoblu, very delicate for a whole series of reasons. The Devil, after the defeats against Atalanta and Inter, needs points, but even Bologna certainly cannot afford gifts, in the light of a classification that is still at risk. And then there is to check the psychological stability of a group that appeared tired and under pressure, photographed perfectly by Ibrahimovic and the chaos that broke out with Lukaku. In short, after much praise, the so-called "difficult moment" has also arrived for Milan, from which you can only get out by winning.
“It's a fundamental match after this week, and then Bologna will make us sweat – admitted Pioli -. We are not uniform in terms of condition because we've had some injuries, positives for Covid and because some new players have arrived, but in the next few weeks we'll be able to raise the general intensity a bit. Ibra? He is sorry for what happened, especially since 10 of them left the team, but he is absolutely not a racist ”. The Sports Judge must have also thought the same, who limited himself to punishing him and Lukaku with a single disqualification day, obviously awaiting a possible federal investigation which, however, at the moment, would seem to have been averted.
Pioli, however, has his head on Bologna, which he will have to face without Kjaer, Diaz, Kalulu and Calhanoglu: the Turkish in fact, despite the negative swab, is short of training sessions and has not even been called up. The Rossoneri 4-2-3-1 will be made up of Donnarumma in goal, Calabria, Tomori, Romagnoli and Hernandez in defense, Kessié and Tonali in midfield, Saelemaekers, Leao and Rebic in the frontline, Ibrahimovic in attack. The same game system also for Bologna, who will respond with Skorupski in goal, Tomiyasu, Soumaoro, Danilo and Dijks in the back, Schouten and Svanberg in the midfield, Orsolini, Soriano and Sansone behind lone striker Barrow. Dall'Ara's result will also be important for Juve, who are hoping for another Rossoneri misstep to gnaw at precious points.
To do so, however, in addition to the Bolognese coup, it will be necessary to win in Genoa against a healthy Sampdoria. “We are facing a good team that has had an excellent period, also obtaining important results – confirmed Pirlo -. It will be a difficult match like all those against Ranieri, a coach I respect a lot. We will need to be patient, without forcing the plays, open them by making them run from one side to the other and then find the right space to fit into. Ronaldo in Courmayeur? It was his day off, in private life everyone is free to do what he wants and take responsibility as free citizens ”.
This responsibility, as the Juventus coach called it, it will cost him a fine of a few hundred euros, just like anyone caught by the authorities for violating the DPCM. In short, nothing dramatic, even if the episode, for reasons of image, did not please the company. In any case, CR7 will be regularly on the field today, ready to warm up the engines in view of the semi-final against Inter on Tuesday. First, however, there is the insidious trip to Genoa to unravel, with Pirlo relying on the usual 3-4-1-2 with Szczesny in goal, Danilo, Bonucci and Chiellini in defense, Cuadrado, Bentancur, Arthur and Chiesa in midfield, McKennie on the trocar, Morata and Ronaldo in attack.
Classic 4-4-1-1 also for Ranieri, who will respond with Audero in goal, Bereszynski, Yoshida, Colley and Augello in the back, Candreva, Thorsby, Ekdal and Damsgaard in the midfield, Ramirez in support of Keita. To close the super Saturday of Serie A will be Conte's Inter, engaged in San Siro against Pippo Inzaghi's Benevento. A match to be won at all costs, also because not doing so would prevent the assault on first place for the umpteenth time, regardless of Milan, and would also risk bringing all the numerous pursuers closer. In the Nerazzurri, however, there was a lot of talk about the transfer market rather than the Campania players: the Dzeko-Sanchez exchange with Roma, for obvious reasons, ended up attracting attention.
“I haven't asked the club for anything, I don't like the fact that every time it seems to be my whim – specified Conte -. If there are situations that can be dealt with without financial outlay, it will be done, otherwise I don't see any changes. It is useless to raise smoke and create instability…”. But the deal, considered more than probable until yesterday, seriously risks blowing up: between the signing of Sanchez and that of Dzeko, for tax reasons (the Growth Decree applies to the Chilean, not to the Bosnian), there are about 3 million, a trifle until recently, an (almost) insurmountable obstacle today, with Suning engaged in delicate due diligence with the English fund BC Partners, as well as grappling with the non-payment of 5 months (but the agreement with the employees is in the pipeline).
We'll see what happens in the next few hours (there's time until 20pm on Monday), but in the meantime we have to face Benevento, already capable of stopping Juventus and Lazio. Conte has always said that the championship has priority, but the imminent semi-final of the Italian Cup with the black and whites it will cause him to do some turnover, for a 3-5-2 that will see Handanovic in goal, Skriniar, Ranocchia and Bastoni in defense, Hakimi, Barella, Eriksen, Gagliardini and Perisic in midfield, Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez in attack. Mirror game system for Inzaghi, who will respond with Montipò between the posts, Glik, Caldirola and Barba in the back department, Depaoli, Hetemaj, Viola, Ionita and Improta in the midfield, supporting the offensive duo made up of Caprari and Lapadula.
