Crossroads Scudetto, chapter two. The championship, after last week's, gives us the second direct confrontation consecutive in a tricolor key, this time no longer at San Siro but in the equally suggestive setting of the Maradona. Napoli-Inter (18 pm), if possible, counts even more than the derby that just ended, because Giroud's brace has drastically changed the balance, transforming the title race into a three-way deal. The Nerazzurri remain in command, and they also have one game less than their two rivals, but if they were to leave Fuorigrotta today with a negative result, they would lose all the advantage accumulated up to now, with all the consequences.
However, it's not just Inzaghi's team who have the pressure, on the contrary: Spalletti knows he cannot afford to waste this chance, regardless of the expectations at the start of the season, which saw him competitive "only" for a place in the Champions League. “It must always be specified that the declared objective is to return to the top four, but we know that by winning this match we could be catapulted towards another objective – confirmed the blue coach -. It's a cool situation, it made us spend a week with a smile even while we were sleeping, it's a situation we love to experience".
The message, therefore, is clear and positive, a sort of "go and enjoy it, we have nothing to lose" which however smacks of pre-tactics. After all, Napoli at the beginning of the season was an almost perfect machine, capable of making a clean run almost without conceding a goal, then the injuries and the consequent difficulties arrived. Being one point behind Inter (with one game more, we repeat) is therefore already a success, but now there's the chance to overtake them and a great team, you know, wouldn't let it slip away. The same obviously also applies to the Nerazzurri, who came to Naples to forget the derby and reaffirm their superiority to everyone. Inzaghi, yesterday in press silence due to the disqualification, is aware that this match will address a good part of his season, a sort of sliding doors from which there will be no turning back, in one sense or another. This time, after a long time, the roles seem to have reversed, given that the Azzurri have practically the entire squad at their disposal and are experiencing a moment of great enthusiasm, while Inter will have to give up Sticks (injured, but also disqualified) and, above all, having to deal with last Saturday's knockout, only partially mitigated by the success against Roma in the Coppa Italia.
Spalletti has also found Koulibaly e Anguissa, but could leave them on the bench by virtue of who pulled the cart (well, given the results) during the African Cup, thus opting for a 4-2-3-1 with Ospina in goal, Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Juan Jesus and Mario Rui in defense, Lobotka and Fabian Ruiz in midfield, Politano, Zielinski and Insigne behind the lone striker Osimhen. Inzaghi will respond with a 3-5-2 that will see Handanovic in goal, D'Ambrosio, De Vrij and Skriniar in the back, Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu and Perisic in the midfield, Dzeko and Lautaro in attack. However, the Olimpico in Rome, theater of the match between Lazio and Bologna (25 pm), will open the curtain on matchday 15. Very delicate challenge for Maurizio Sarri, who thought he had definitively conquered the Lazio world in Florence: wrong, because on Wednesday Milan suffered a defeat that was too bad to go quietly, especially since the Italian Cup could give direct access to the Europa League, far from it which is obvious in the light of sixth place in the standings, minus 6 from Juventus fourth.
La Lazio he needs to win and possibly convince, otherwise his season risks remaining incomplete. The good news is that Immobile has recovered and will therefore be on the pitch regularly, which is no small feat considering the team's total dependence on him. Sarri will insist on the usual 4-3-3 with Strakosha in goal, Lazzari, Luiz Felipe, Patric and Marusic in defense, Milinkovic-Savic, Leiva and Luis Alberto in midfield, Pedro, Immobile and Zaccagni in attack. Mihajlovic, fresh from the home draw with Empoli, will attempt the coup with a 3-5-2 with Skorupski in goal, Soumaoro, Medel and Theate in the back, Hickey, Schouten, Svanberg, Soriano and Dijks in the midfield, Orsolini and Arnautovic offensive duo.
