The scent of the championship. The championship Sunday promises to be anything but banal, with Inter, Napoli and Atalanta to challenge each other, albeit at a distance, in a tricolour key. But the races in question, with the exception of Inter-Udinese (18pm), also involve other objectives, starting with the race for fourth place: Napoli-Milan (20.45) and Fiorentina-Atalanta (15) will affect both sides, ending up affecting even those who have already played. Bologna has nothing to fear, given that the success in Venice (0-1, goal by Orsolini) guarantees him the Champions League zone for at least another week, as well as Juventus and Rome, victorious against Genoa and Lecce, but gaining ground on the pursuers would still have a significant impact.
Juventus – Genoa 1-0: Tudor celebrates his debut with a magic from Yildiz
Good start. The Tudor era on the Juventus bench begins with an important victory over Genoa: a 1-0 that will not go down in history for the spectacle, but which could have a significant impact on the race for fourth place. The Juventus coach, despite only a few days of work, wanted to immediately make a change both from a tactical point of view (3-4-2-1 with Gatti, Veiga and Kelly, Nico Gonzalez, Locatelli, Thuram and McKennie in midfield, Koopmeiners and Yildiz behind Vlahovic) and footballing, with a vertical and direct game like we haven't seen in a long time. His team, from the first minutes, showed great intensity, attacking the depth with rhythm and aggression, while Genoa, orderly and compact, relied on long throws and insertions by the midfielders to try to break through centrally. The key episode came in the 25th minute, when Yildiz took advantage of a pass from Vlahovic on a throw-in and beat Leali with a splendid right-footed shot, after an equally beautiful dribble. In the second half the pace slowed a bit and Juve struggled to create chances, risking a lot on a shot from Pinamonti that went just wide. As the minutes passed, thanks to the teams stretching out, the goal opportunities increased to the benefit of the spectacle, but the result remained unchanged also thanks to the saves by Leali, good on Kalulu, Locatelli and, above all, Weah. Tudor, praised by the Stadium (John Elkann was also in the stands), was thus able to celebrate his first victory as Juventus coach, a nice viaticum in view of the very delicate away match in Rome next Sunday. Impressions? The road is still long, but the game system seems to be the right one to enhance the characteristics of the squad. Of course, Koopmeiners and Vlahovic are far from the glories of the past, while Yildiz seemed reborn and ready to drag his teammates to the much-desired fourth place.
Tudor: “I’m happy, deserved victory. Koopmeiners? Difficult moment, he needs to recover”
“I am very satisfied because the lads gave it their all against a serious team like Genoa, who are doing well, running and fighting – Tudor's analysis -. We need to get through this moment with work, something needs to be improved but the victory is well deserved, I am also happy for the fans. Now we will rest for a day, then we will work with everyone for a full week. Yildiz? I am very happy for him, he has important skills. I also liked Dusan and we did a great job in defence, we could have scored another goal or two. Koopmeiners? He is not in a great moment, but he is a strong player and can only get out of it by working on a physical and mental level. He is an important lad for the team, he needs to recover. I have found some good lads, I am available for everything and they can always call on me, but in training not a fly must fly and we must go fast. I heard the chants of the fans and they were emotional. It was nice, but I was focused because it was important to start in the right way: the victory is more beautiful than these emotions”.
Lecce – Roma 0-1: Ranieri conquers Lecce with Dovbyk and remains in the running for the Champions League
In the name of Dovbyk. A goal from the Ukrainian allowed Ranieri's team to win their seventh consecutive victory, when they seemed destined for a draw against an orderly Lecce, forced instead to deal with their fifth defeat in a row. What seemed to be a game under control for Roma (two great chances missed by Angelino and Koné) thus turned into a real battle, decided only by a great play by Dovbyk in the final minutes. The almost utopian goal of arriving in April in the running for the Europe that counts has been achieved: now there will be a difficult calendar, but this team cannot and must not be afraid of anyone. A deceptive start, we were saying, because the aforementioned goal opportunities had given the illusion of a quiet evening, to be brought home without excessive worries. As the minutes passed, however, the Giallorossi got tangled up in an organized Lecce, determined to win at least one point to keep third-last Empoli at bay. Krstovic grazed the post with a shot from midfield, Mancini had everyone shouting for a goal from a corner, but the VAR disallowed it for offside. Ranieri tried to mix things up by switching to 3-4-1-2 with Baldanzi behind Shomurodov and Dovbyk and the move paid off. It was the Ukrainian, in fact, who resolved the match with a great personal action (shoulder on Baschirotto and left-footed shot to the near post), transforming the match with Juve next Sunday into a real direct clash: we can't call it a Champions League play-off, but the meaning is similar. In November, when Ranieri arrived, no one would have expected it.
Ranieri: “We have to believe until the end, I asked the boys not to have any regrets”
“You always have to believe until the end,” Ranieri exulted. “The team entered the field focused, then by missing two easy goals and with a few mistakes of our own we gave Lecce the chance to hurt us. In any case it was important to win, this Roma fought and we know how difficult it is to play these games against teams fighting to stay up. Dovbyk? We need to ask him more to motivate him. He is good when he asks for the ball in depth and we don’t always serve him, that’s why I asked the team to help him and him to understand the movements. Goals do him good. Fourth place? I asked the lads not to have any regrets in the summer. We have to always give our all and then we’ll see, there are eight games left and they will all be difficult. The important thing is to do well, we’ve got 39 points since I arrived and we hope to continue like this. The next coach? I can only promise that whoever comes will be younger than me and that qualifying for the Champions League will not affect the choice.”
Inter – Udinese (18pm, Dazn and Sky)
The race begins again. Udinese, Milan (Coppa Italia), Parma and Bayern (Champions League) are just the beginning of a tight path to glory, provided you approach it in the right way. In Appiano we think game by game, or at least we try: it is too risky, in fact, to be distracted by calculations and tables. They will be three decisive and difficult months, but that is exactly what Inter has been waiting for since the beginning of the season. Inzaghi said it clearly a few days ago in Coverciano, where he was awarded the Panchina d'Oro, underlining that he and his Inter are exactly where they wanted to be. Concepts reiterated to the team in recent days, because the desire to get to the end will have to prevail over the inevitable tiredness of a season as long as ever (we are already at 43 games played). The coach has to deal with heavy absences due to injuries (Lautaro and Dumfries) and suspensions (Bastoni), but in moments like this it is the head that makes the difference, especially on a weekend like this, with the competitors grappling with very complicated challenges. The wingers will give him a hand, back at his disposal (except for the Dutchman) after the emergency of the last few weeks. With Dimarco, Darmian, Carlos Augusto and Zalewski the blanket is no longer short, while in the middle Calhanoglu and Mkhitaryan will be asked to do overtime, with only Frattesi to threaten Barella. In attack, given the unavailability of Lautaro (also for the derby), space will be given to one between Arnautovic (favorite) and Correa together with Thuram, looking for a goal that he hasn't scored for eight games. At Udinese, there is the awareness of being faced with a tough challenge, but also the determination to try to overcome it. Runjaic, after losing Sanchez for the umpteenth time (calf problems, season over?), must also do without Thauvin, still struggling with a foot problem: stopping the league leaders without the two best in the squad is even more difficult, but the Friulians will try.
Inter – Udinese, probable formations
Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, Acerbi, Carlos Augusto; Darmian, Frattesi, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Arnautovic
On the bench: Martinez, Di Gennaro, De Vrij, Pavard, Zalewski, Barella, Asllani, Aidoo, Berenbruch, Taremi, Correa
Coach: Inzaghi
Unavailable: Lautaro, Dumfries, Zielinski
Disqualified: Sticks
Udinese (3-5-1-1): Okoye; Kristensen, Bijol, Solet; Ehizibue, Lovric, Karlstrom, Payero, Kamara; Ekkelenkamp; Lucca
On the bench: Piana, Padelli, Kabasele, Giannetti, Zemura, Rui Modesto, Atta, Zarraga, Bravo, Pafundi, Davis
Coach: Runjaic
Unavailable: Touré, Sava, Thauvin, Sanchez
Disqualified: None
Napoli – Milan (20.45pm, Dazn)
A chilling night at the Maradona, where Napoli and Milan will face each other in a very delicate match, perhaps even decisive for their respective objectives. The feeling is that the draw is of no use to either team, even if a more complete picture will only be available later in the evening, once the results of the others have been acquired. The match counts a lot for both teams, but Napoli is certainly the one with the most at stake. Conte will have that essential David Neres at his disposal to return to 4-3-3, or play the card of an ultra-offensive 4-2-4. But the attention, more than on the game system, is focused on the men, starting with Lukaku: the striker returned regenerated from the break, having scored three goals in two games with Belgium, and he also knows how to be a real sentence against Milan, at least under the guidance of the Salento coach. The last 12 Serie A matches between Napoli and Milan have been perfectly balanced, with four wins each and four draws, after the Azzurri had remained unbeaten in all eight previous league matches, winning six. At Milan, however, the goal is to reverse the negative trend against the teams currently ahead of them in the standings. The Devils dream of continuing the positive streak that began with comeback victories against Lecce and Como, but they absolutely must change gear against their direct competitors for the Champions League. So far, Milan have collected just seven points out of thirty-three available, obtaining only one win (in the derby against Inter in September), four draws (Lazio, Roma, Juventus and Inter again) and six defeats (Fiorentina, Atalanta, Napoli, Juventus, Bologna and Lazio). The gap from the Champions League zone can also be explained by this, but now the matches with Napoli, Fiorentina, Atalanta, Bologna and Roma will arrive and the Devils will have to reverse the trend, otherwise they will definitively say goodbye to their hopes of a comeback.
Conte: “It would be crazy not to believe in the Scudetto, let's stay focused and fierce”
“We are facing a strong team that had the ambition of winning the championship and in January they brought in important players – Conte thought -. Conceiçao is an excellent coach, we will have to suffer and therefore we will need Maradona's help. The championship? It is right to believe in it, we are three points from the top with a few days to go. How can we say: let's see? No, we are there, we believe in it and we are looking at first place. There is pressure and stress, but this must make us proud. Often the result is linked to give value to a performance, but I re-watched the match in Venice, like others, in my opinion they were matches where we certainly deserved more. There are still matches to play, it can be everything and it can be nothing, let's stay focused on the present and fierce. There is still something to conquer, it can be the maximum objective, a very important objective or something else... there are 9 matches, we don't talk about anything and we focus on the present”.
Conceiçao: “I don’t need confidence, but results. Fourth place? We believe in it”
“Antonio and I have faced each other many times as players, but this is the first time as coaches,” Conceiçao stressed. “It’s an important match for our goals, we’ll do everything we can to get a good result, we want to win even though we know the qualities of our opponent. Let me say one thing: I have to work, I don’t have the weakness of needing someone to reassure me. I don’t need it, I depend on the results: I’m not a child who needs his dad to tell him he loves him. We have two goals, Coppa Italia and fourth place, plus the Super Cup that we won. We mustn’t think about the derby, preparing for two games isn’t good, we risk not doing well in either, let’s just think about Napoli. Fourth place? If I didn’t believe in it I wouldn’t be here, the environment is good and healthy to have a Milan-like end to the season.”
Napoli – Milan, probable formations
Napoli (4-2-4): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno, Olivera; Gilmour, Lobotka; Politano, Lukaku, Raspadori, McTominay
On the bench: Scuffet, Turi, Juan Jesus, Marin, Mazzocchi, Billing, Anguissa, Hasa, Neres, Okafor, Simeone, Ngonge
Coach: Conte
Unavailable: Contini, Spinazzola
Disqualified: None
Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Walker, Gabbia, Thiaw, Hernandez; Bondo, Loftus-Cheek; Pulisic, Reijnders, Joao Felix; Abraham
On the bench: Sportiello, Torriani, Florenzi, Terracciano, Jimenez, Tomori, Pavlovic, Fofana, Chukwueze, Leao, Sottil, Jovic, Gimenez
Coach: Conceicao
Unavailable: Emerson Royal
Disqualified: Musah
