The Scudetto passes through here. It seems incredible given the premises at the start of the season but the match that decides the top of the standings does not see Juve as protagonists, but Napoli and Inter. The first against the second will face off at the San Paolo (20.45 pm), in a clash that will not award any trophies but will make the hierarchies of this championship clearer. The big surprise, obviously, is not Sarri's team, although few could have imagined finding them with full points on the eighth day, but Spalletti's Inter. It was known that the former Roma coach was an added value, that he could pull the Nerazzurri up to second place, plus +3 on Juve, but no. And so San Paolo will host a highly prestigious but rather unprecedented challenge, at least at this level: when it's over we'll understand if Inter can really enter the fight for the title or not.
“They are a spot for football, in some moments even perfect and Sarri is great, had he continued to work in the bank today he would be Minister of the Economy – Spalletti praised. – But at the moment we are able to play the match on equal terms, we have to go to their den and try to win”. The Nerazzurri coach therefore does not hide behind cliches or legitimate justifications but aims for the maximum stakes. After all, his Inter, however light years away from the aesthetics of Napoli, arrives at the San Paolo with respectable numbers. Second place in the standings speaks for itself, as do the only 5 goals conceded since the start of the championship (just like the Azzurri). It can't be a coincidence that first and second also have the best defense, if anything the curiosity lies in the comparison between two very different styles of play, which make Napoli the best attack in Italy. Inter score less (26 goals against 17) but can count on a bomber like Icardi, the one who, coincidentally, had been chosen by Sarri to replace a certain Higuain.
History went differently and maybe it's better this way: the Azzurri have found a great Mertens, the Nerazzurri have kept the one who today can even drag them to the championship lead. Sarri has only one big doubt which is called Insigne: should he feel able to play (yesterday he did part of training, there is great optimism) he would certainly be the owner, vice versa it would be Zielinski's turn. His 4-3-3 should therefore see Reina in goal, Hysaj, Albiol, Koulibaly and Ghoulam in defense, Allan, Jorginho and Hamsik in midfield, Callejon, Mertens and Insigne in attack. Formation also made for Spalletti, who recovers Joao Mario (but only for the bench) and has to give up Brozovic again. The Nerazzurri 4-2-3-1 will be made up of Handanovic in goal, D'Ambrosio, Skriniar, Miranda and Nagatomo in the back, Gagliardini and Vecino in the midfield, Candreva, Borja Valero and Perisic in the trocar, Icardi in attack.
