A Saturday with no margin for error. Napoli, Juventus and Inter are preparing to inaugurate the twelfth day against Sassuolo, Lecce and Sampdoria, looking for 3 points almost obligatory for everyone. Spalletti wants to continue the race at the top of the standings, aware that a victory would put further pressure on Milan, expected tomorrow from the insidious away match in Turin, Inzaghi is looking for continuity after the Champions League with the hope of recovering a few points on the first ones, Allegri instead cannot make no calculations, but just try to cancel Lisbon and start again.
Naples – Sassuolo (15 pm, Dazn)
We start immediately with the best of the class, that is the unstoppable Napoli of this start of the season. With the one on the Rangers, the Azzurri arrived at twelve victories in a row and now they are hunting for the thirteenth at Maradona against Sassuolo, with the awareness of being able to even reach +6 over Milan, albeit waiting for the same to respond tomorrow evening. It won't be an obvious match, given that the Emilians have already shown that they know how to put the big teams in difficulty, but certainly within reach: this Napoli, moreover, cannot and must not be afraid of anyone.
Naples – Sassuolo, the formations: Spalletti recovers Anguissa
Spalletti knows this well, but is equally aware that he has to face the match with the right head, otherwise he will run into some rather unpleasant surprises. That's why he will field the best training possible, all the more so as the away match in Liverpool on Tuesday, however prestigious, will move little of his European path (the first place is at stake, but the advantage is very consistent). The good news is that he's back Anguissa, fully recovered from the muscle injury that stopped him against Ajax, for a 4-3-3 with Meret in goal, Di Lorenzo, Kim, Juan Jesus and Olivera in the back, Anguissa, Lobotka and Zielinski in midfield, Lozano , Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia in attack. The same game system also for Dionisi, who will respond with Consigli between the posts, Toljan, Erlic, Ferrari and Rogerio in the back department, Frattesi, Lopez and Thorstvedt in the midfield, D'Andrea, Pinamonti and Laurienté in the offensive trident.
Lecce – Juventus (18pm, Dazn)
At aperitif time, however, it will be Juventus' turn and here things change diametrically. In fact, Allegri does not have the first places to lock down, but a team in crisis that must be revived at all costs, otherwise the Champions area, the only objective currently attainable, could move away in a very dangerous way. The climate is dark, both for field issues (the elimination of Lisbon, although expected, has given a further blow to morale) and corporate issues, in the light of what emerged during the week on balance sheets, invoices and capital gains. The situation is complicated and only a string of victories could make it acceptable again, which is why at Via del Mare you can't go wrong for any reason.
Allegri: "There is time to recover, but a reaction is needed"
“You need to have a reaction after what happened with Benfica, even if playing in Lecce is never easy – he confirmed Allegri -. We are late in the championship, but we have the time and the possibility to recover. Now we have five important games and we need to focus on those, then the break will come, we will recover all the players and it will be something else. We have to think about working with commitment and dedication, there are teams that haven't played in the Champions League for eight years, we mustn't be frustrated otherwise we'll never get out of it. In Lecce it will be a complicated match regardless of the exit from the Champions League, we will have to play it as a team”.
Lecce – Juventus, the formations: Allegri without Vlahovic and Locatelli
Even today though the infirmary doesn't help, given that in addition to the usual Chiesa, Pogba, Di Maria and Paredes, Vlahovic will also be missing, who stopped at Da Luz for a muscle problem and Locatelli, absent for personal reasons. The Juventus 3-5-2 will therefore be very far from the typical one, with Szczesny in goal, Gatti, Danilo and Alex Sandro in defense, Cuadrado, McKennie, Fagioli, Rabiot and Kostic in midfield, Kean and Milik in attack. Baroni, ex of the challenge given his militancy in the Juventus youth sector, will respond with a 4-3-3 with Falcone between the posts, Baschirotto, Pongracic, Umtiti and Gallo in the back department, Blin, Hjulmand and Gonzalez in the midfield, Strefezza, Ceesay and Oudin in the offensive trident.
Inter – Sampdoria (20.45 pm, Dazn, Sky and Now TV)
They will close the day Inter and Sampdoria, engaged in the evening match at San Siro. The Nerazzurri are fresh from qualifying for the round of XNUMX of the Champions League, a great achievement that definitively sweeps away the clouds at the start of the season, but now they must continue their run-up in the league as well, given that the standings are currently very far from their summer ambitions. Of course, a brake from those in front would also be needed, but in the meantime Inzaghi must do his duty, especially since Stankovic's Sampdoria, formerly beloved by the Inter population, is certainly not one of the best-formed teams in the league. Furthermore, the results of the last round of the Champions League make next Tuesday's away match in Monaco totally useless, which is why all energies (physical and mental) can be diverted to today's challenge.
Inter – Sampdoria, the formations: Lukaku on the bench, it's still up to Dzeko and Lautaro
The match, barring sensational twists, will not see the return of Lukaku from the first minute, even if his use during the match is practically certain, especially after the excellent piece with Viktoria Plzen, topped off by a goal that blew up San Siro. Inzaghi's 3-5-2, net of the absence of Brozovic (possible return to the Champions League), will still be the best possible with Onana in goal, Skriniar, De Vrij and Bastoni in defense, Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan and Dimarco (ballot with Gosens) in midfield, Dzeko and Lautaro in attack. Stankovic, refreshed by the victory in Cremona, will try to hold on to Inter with a 4-2-3-1 with Audero in goal, Bereszynski, Ferrari, Colley and Augello in the back, Rincon and Villar in the midfield, Gabbiadini, Sabiri and Djuricic behind the lone striker Caputo.
