Il Napoli goes more and more on the run. The Azzurri manage to win even when they are not playing, thus adding to the 3 points they just won those taken from the competition. Yes, because if Juve was beaten directly on the pitch, the Milan he was "defeated" in front of the TV: after the 2 points left last Sunday with Roma, in fact, here are the 2 from yesterday in Lecce, all to Spalletti's joy. And seeing that the'Inter, although victorious over Verona, it was still the most detached of the group, one comes out standings unmistakably colored blue, with the Naples first +9 on Pioli and +10 on Allegri and Inzaghi. The three pursuers, in the hope of returning to better times (which, however, in the event, will also and above all have to go through a drop in Spalletti), will do well to watch their backs from Lazio, Atalanta and Rome: should they win today with Sassuolo, Salernitana and Fiorentina they would find themselves just 3 points off fourth place, but also 4 off second.
Lecce–Milan 2-2, Pioli: “Wrong approach. I worried? I always am…”
Milan had to win at all costs, instead they only managed one draw, moreover in comeback. The disastrous first half, in fact, ended with Lecce leading by two goals (self-goal from Hernandez and Baschirotto) and many wasted chances for the third. The Rossoneri thus remained alive and in the second half, thanks to the entrances of Messias and Dest in place of the impalpable Saelemaekers and disastrous Hernandez (palm of the worst on the pitch to be divided with Kalulu), they have definitely changed gears, finding a draw with Leao and Calabria. The 2-2 final, even if it came from a situation of double disadvantage, still remains a half-defeat, just like last Sunday's one against Roma: in fact, in the space of two games, the gap from Napoli went from 5 to 9 points , bloody complicating the Scudetto dream. “It was quite evident thenegative approach, in the first half we got everything wrong that could be wrong, making very avoidable mistakes that made the game difficult. Then we had a good reaction, we could have won it, but we can and must do better. Am I worried? I always am, even when we win, because I always want to improve. This will help me prepare in the best possible way for the Super Cup: it's a trophy, a one-off match against a historic rival".
Inter–Verona 1-0, Inzaghi: "No table, but we've won 8 of the last 10 games"
Inter, on the other hand, did their thing: beat Verona and take advantage of the double misstep by Milan and Juventus. Sure, Napoli are moving at a different pace at the moment, but Inzaghi can still smile for hooking up Allegri and getting within a single point of Pioli, all with minimal effort. In fact, yesterday's victory will certainly not go down in history for the show, indeed the Nerazzurri, after the struggles of the Cup with Parma, have reiterated that they are not going through a great moment of form.
Paradoxically, however, the good news is precisely this: if he wins even when he doesn't shine, what will he be able to do when his legs go back to turning as they should? However, Inzaghi hopes that this will happen as early as Wednesday in Riyadh, when he will face Milan in the Super Cup final Italian for the first trophy of the season, but it is clear that she would even be satisfied with a dirty victory, perhaps taking advantage of her cousins' bad moment. After all, points are always the priority for the big teams, which is why Inter are enjoying this success against Verona signed by Lautaro Martinez, moreover with the fundamental recoveries of Calhanoglu and Barella.
We came from the 120 minutes of the Coppa Italia, but we remained lucid by scoring immediately – commented Inzaghi -. Then, despite a bit of nervousness for the second goal that didn't arrive, we remained compact without suffering much even against a Verona team that could create us problems. In the last two and a half months we have had great continuity, Napoli are far away at the moment, for the rest there are many of us in very few points. We don't have to make tables, but look from game to game hoping to have as many players as possible and large rotations ".
Rome–Fiorentina (20.45 pm, Dazn)
Today the focus moves to the Europe area, starting with evening postponement between Rome and Fiorentina. Very interesting match that of the Olimpico, between two healthy teams and ready to fight for points that can change a season. This applies above all to the Giallorossi, who in the event of success would bring the Champions group closer together, but the Viola also have every interest in winning the post, in an attempt to return to a better ranking area than the current one.
On paper, thanks to the usual Roma full house, Mourinho is the favourite, but the Italian certainly doesn't start beaten: his Fiorentina, moreover, has already shown that they can put the big teams in difficulty. It wasn't an easy week for Roma, despite the results suggesting the opposite: the unexpected draw in Milan and the victory over Genoa in the Italian Cup, however, were marred by Internal controversy between Mourinho and Candela about Zaniolo, booed, according to José, due to some statements by the Frenchman. A question and answer that unleashed the Giallorossi world, with interventions by Totti, De Rossi and Rosella Sensi, all in favor of the Scudetto full-back.
Roma–Fiorentina, the formations: Mou, still silent, aims at the titular trident
Perhaps this is also why Mourinho chose not to attend the press conference on the eve, not even now that the disqualification has ended. The Special One hears the noise of "friends" and this evidently does not please him much: better to think about the game with Fiorentina, with the awareness that a victory would make everyone agree.
The Giallorossi coach must do without the disqualified Ibanez and as usual Wijnaldum (closer and closer to returning), for the rest everyone is available (even if Pellegrini is bruised) for a 3-4-2-1 that will see Rui Patricio in goal, Mancini, Smalling and Kumbulla in defence, Celik , Cristante, Tahirovic and Zalewski in midfield, Dybala and Zaniolo in the frontline, Abraham in attack.
Very heavy absence also for the Italian, who will have to give up Cabral for the next 40 days: the most obvious solution would be to rely on Jovic, but the Viola coach is thinking of a different solution, therefore a 4-2-3-1 with Terracciano in goal, Dodò, Milenkovic, Igor and Biraghi in the back department, Amrabat and Duncan in the midfield, Ikoné, Bonaventura and Saponara behind the lone striker Kouamé.
Sassuolo–Lazio (12.30 pm, Dazn and Sky Sport), Atalanta-Salernitana (18 pm, Dazn)
The challenges of Reggio Emilia and Bergamo are also very important, both in terms of Europe and salvation, where Lazio and Atalanta they will go on the hunt for decidedly heavy points. In front, however, they will find each other Sassuolo and Salernitana, not really "comfortable" opponents, even if the latest results would suggest otherwise. It must be said that even Sarri and Gasperini are not returning from a golden period, in particular the first who, in this 2023, has not yet managed to win a game (defeat in Lecce and draw at home with Empoli), while the second, after the painful 2-2 in La Spezia, made up for it in the comeback in Bologna. We'll see what happens, what is certain is that the points for Europe come from challenges like these, and Lazio and Atalanta have already thrown away too many…
