Looking for a place in the sun. The spotlights on matchday 15 are primarily focused on the historic big names, but the others are also playing a lot, hunting (for now) for a very important place in the Champions League. Today's round, in full amarcord style, will see them all on the field at the same time, with Rome-Sampdoria, Atalanta-Sassuolo, Cagliari-Naples and Genoa-Lazio to ennoble the afternoon (15 pm). At the Giallorossi there are many expectations for this 2021, which will have to tell us the true size of Fonseca's team, up to now almost perfect with the medium-small ones and decidedly less effective with the big ones.
“The boys are fit, they're back motivated and they've trained well – explained the Portuguese coach at the press conference -. We are ready to face Sampdoria in the best possible way, then we will think about the transfer market: we are already talking about it with Tiago Pinto…”. Waiting for the new DS to take command of operations ex Ranieri's Samp has to be beaten, not exactly the softest opponent to encounter. Fonseca will rely on the usual 3-4-2-1 with Pau Lopez in goal, Mancini, Smalling and Ibanez in defense, Karsdorp, Villar, Veretout and Bruno Peres in midfield, Pellegrini and Mkhitaryan behind Dzeko. Classic 4-4-2 also for Ranieri, who will respond with Audero in goal, Yoshida, Tonelli, Colley and Augello in the back, Candreva, Ekdal, Thorsby and Jankto in the midfield, Verre and Quagliarella in attack.
Very heavy points up for grabs also in Cagliari, where Gattuso's Napoli will try to get out of the quicksand in which it has fallen for a few weeks. The defeats against Inter and Lazio hurt, the home draw against Turin, if possible, even more: an immediate turnaround is urgently needed, otherwise the standings risk getting seriously complicated. However, the Azzurri continue to have major training problems, as demonstrated by the absences of Koulibaly, Mertens and Osimhen, the latter with a positive result at Covid. Various controversies have arisen around him: the fault of a family party without a mask that took place in Nigeria, for many the cause of the aforementioned virus.
"Mister 80 million", who has been out since November with a shoulder problem, will therefore have to stay out for a long time, including the Super Cup against Juve (January 20): a big problem for Gattuso, also because, as previously mentioned, he is in the pits there is also Mertens. So in Cagliari we will see a forced 4-2-3-1 with Ospina in goal, Di Lorenzo, Manolas, Maksimovic and Mario Rui in defence, Fabian Ruiz and Bakayoko in midfield, Lozano, Zielinski and Insigne behind the lone striker Petagna. The same system also for Di Francesco, who will try to redeem the defeat in Rome by relying on Cragno between the posts, Zappa, Ceppitelli, Walukiewicz and Lykogiannis in the back, Nandez and Marin in the midfield, Pereiro, Joao Pedro and Sottil in the trocar, Simeone in attack. Another very interesting challenge in Bergamo, where Atalanta and Sassuolo will fight for a place in the ranking that matters.
The last few months have given the feeling of a changing of the guard, with De Zerbi's men close to snatching Gasperini's surprise role, especially as, around Zingonia, we continue to talk above all about Gomez, now out of the squad and ready to go. "We have recharged our batteries, we are ready for a new tour de force" cut short the Nerazzurri coach, determined to repeat in 2021 all the good things shown in the previous year. His 3-4-1-2 will start again with Gollini in goal, Djimsiti, Romero and Palomino in defense, Hateboer, De Roon, Freuler and Gosens in midfield, Pessina in the trocar, Ilicic and Zapata in attack. The usual 4-2-3-1 instead for De Zerbi, who will respond with Consigli between the posts, Toljan, Chiriches, Ferrari and Kyriakopoulos in the back department, Locatelli and Obiang in the midfield, Berardi, Djuricic and Boga behind Caputo.
Finally, a very delicate match in Marassi between Genoa and Lazio, with the Ligurians looking for safety points and the Biancocelesti for a victory that will give way to a difficult climb up the standings. “We are a few points behind in the championship, as far as we have shown we deserved better results – admitted Inzaghi -. We knew the Champions League would drain our energy, but we'll be back at the top." To do this, a thread of consecutive useful results is needed starting today, when the biancocelesti will face Ballardini's rossoblu. The Lazio coach finds Acerbi again but he must once again do without Correa and Luiz Felipe: his 3-5-2 will see Reina in goal, Patric, Acerbi and Radu in defense, Lazzari, Milinkovic-Savic, Lucas Leiva, Luis Alberto and Marusic in midfield, Immobile and Caicedo in attack. Mirror system for Ballardini, who after the victory in La Spezia will look for another one with Perin between the posts, Masiello, Goldaniga and Criscito in the back department, Ghiglione, Lerager, Badelj, Behrami and Czyborra in the midfield, Destro and Pjaca as an offensive couple.
