Salernitana upsets the championship fight. Arechi's draw, in fact, stops a Milan very fast towards a possible +4, which today could reverse if Inter beat Sassuolo. Obviously, Napoli will also try to benefit from it tomorrow in Cagliari, because this completely unexpected, but deserved, 2-2 draw seems to be a rather important chapter in the championship.
Salernitana-Milan 2-2, the analysis
Davide Nicola had promised a battlefield Salernitana, ready to challenge Milan for every ball in the match. He kept his word, because the grenades offered a vigorous test from the very first seconds, with that mix of light-heartedness born of those who, after all, have little to lose but various things to offer. The Rossoneri however, despite approaching the match well (Messiah found the advantage after just 5'), they didn't show the same intensity, probably surprised by the adversary, but also because of the usual limitations which, just like a year ago, are costing dearly. It can't be a coincidence if the Devil, between Spezia and Salernitana, collected only one point and if with the Ligurians there was the justification of the now well-known "Greenhouse effect", with the Campanians there is absolutely nothing to say.
Pioli was betrayed by those decisive players in other contexts, such as Maignan, up until yesterday free from mistakes, Tomori, who has always been one of the most reliable, or Giroud, Inter's executioner in the derby. In an Arechi full of crowds and South American decibels, the goalkeeper betrayed by delivering a Bonazzoli the ball to make it 1-1 (29', he was also good at finding the overhead kick), the defender got lost Djuric on the occasion of the 2-1 (72'), the attacker was unable to materialize anything in the opposing area. At one point the match even seemed lost, then he entered Rebic and he made it 2-2 with the complicity of Sepe, who was not very reactive on shooting, but the 2-3 shot remained in the barrel, just like the dream of breaking away from Inter and taking a piece of the Scudetto.
“We are disappointed because we didn't play the best match – commented by Pioli – We committed ingenuity that we paid dearly for, failing to play well from a technical point of view, even due to too much frenzy. The boys and I are disappointed, and it's right to be disappointed because we didn't play for Milan. The Scudetto? There is a strange atmosphere around us, insiders keep asking me this question, but then there isn't one who believes in us”.
Inter vs Sassuolo (18pm)
So today it will be up to Inter to make their move, in a match against Sassuolo which becomes very important for a whole series of reasons. First of all in the standings, given that there is the possibility of regaining first place without even having to take advantage of the Bologna bonus. But then there's the post-Champions disappointment, because if it's true that Inter certainly didn't disfigure in front of Klopp's Liverpool, it is also that he ended up losing the match and, most likely, the qualification.
Today, therefore, Inzaghi's team is waiting at the gate to understand his real state of health, given that the last victory in the league dates back to January 22 against Venice. Since then the defeat in the derby and the draw in Naples have come, so much so that the rivals have nibbled away at points in the standings. An answer is urgently needed and also important ones, therefore 3 possibly convincing points.
Inzaghi, yesterday in press silence, he knows it well, but he will have to make it without two key men like Sticks and, especially, Brozovic, who hadn't missed a single game so far. The coach will thus have to review the usual 3-5-2, by virtue of one that is a little different than usual with Handanovic in goal, Skriniar, De Vrij and Dimarco in defense, Dumfries, Gagliardini, Barella, Calhanoglu and Perisic in midfield, Sanchez and Lautaro in attack. Dionisi loses Ferrari by disqualification, but finds again Scamacca and Raspadori, fundamental to attempt the coup: the neroverde 4-2-3-1 will see Consigli between the posts, Muldur, Chiriches, Ayhan and Rogerio in the back department, Frattesi and Lopez in the middle, Berardi, Raspadori and Traoré behind the lone striker Scamacca.
Rome-Verona 2-2, the analysis
The other advance on Saturday, in addition to the victory of Sampdoria over Empoli (2-0 signed by Quagliarella), saw the draw between Rome and Verona. The 2-2 final captures the match perfectly, exactly split in two: Hellas dominated the first half taking the lead by two goals thanks to Barak (5') and Tameze (20'), the Giallorossi instead came out in the second, forcing the Venetians into their own half and finding the goals of the "remontina" with the very young volpato (65') and bove (84'), launched by Mourinho in an attempt to avoid defeat.
The Portuguese, as always, was the protagonist on the sidelines, forcing referee Pairetto to send him off for protests in full recovery, so much so that he didn't even show up at the press conference as a sign of dissent. Specifically, this is not a point to throw away, on the contrary, given how the match went, one could almost say that it has been earned, but more generally, Roma's season is not going as expected and the absences, however undeniable, are not enough to explain everything. The race for the Champions League has become almost impossible, the one for the Europa League is anything but obvious: a little bit if you choose a coach like Mourinho and buy players like Abraham and Oliveira.
Fiorentina-Atalanta (12.30) and Udinese-Lazio (20.45)
The draw of the Olimpico, combined with that of Juve on Friday, make the other Sunday matches with a view on Europe even hotter, starting with that of the Franchi between Fiorentina and Atalanta. At the moment we cannot speak of a direct confrontation, given that the Bergamo players are fifth, 3 points behind the Bianconeri (but with two games left), while the Viola are in eighth place, but if the Italian manages to beat Gasperini, as has already happened in both previous seasons (the last one in the Italian Cup), he could have serious ambitions for the Champions League, especially since he too is still missing a match. The Nerazzurri will have to sweat a lot, moreover in a very busy week that saw them play in the Europa League against Olympiacos as well, but the opportunity to become masters of their own destiny again, by virtue of Juve's equal in the derby, is one to do not waste.
The same can also be said for the Lazio, which if it wants to nurture European ambitions it cannot fail to win a Udine, especially after the misstep of the Giallorossi cousins. Sarri but he is struggling with many important absences, starting with Immobile, passing through Acerbi and Lazzari, up to the disqualified Luis Alberto and Leiva, furthermore his team is back from the demanding away match in Oporto and could pay the price to tiredness. An attentive and concentrated performance will be needed, unlike all the others in which the Biancocelesti have not been able to charge themselves mentally. After all, Europe is not for everyone, but only for the best: places are few and must be earned Sunday after Sunday.
