Serie A vs Covid, act 23. The round in question, which already started on Friday with Verona's victory over Bologna (2-1), comes alive with the matches on Saturday among which the Inter-Venice (18 pm) e Lazio-Atalanta (20.45). Both are a postponement risk: that of San Siro due to the outbreak that hit the Venetians (just like Naples-Salernitana and Cagliari-Fiorentina tomorrow), that of the Olimpico due to some suspicious swabs from Atalanta, which it is no coincidence that it has postponed until today, Saturday, the eventual departure for Rome.
However, if no negative news emerges, both should be played regularly, because the new protocol just approved indicates in 35% the maximum percentage of positives with which you can take the field: with 8 out of 25 the game is done, if they become 9 it is postponed to a later date. The final confirmation will only come this morning, but in the meantime Venice has reached Milan and is ready to take the field, albeit with an inevitably remodeled formation. Football in the time of Covid, moreover, is like this, so there is no need to be surprised or be too picky.
Better to think about the pitch and a challenge, on paper, with little history, even if the Nerazzurri's latest difficulties (see the thrilling 3-2 draw against Empoli) lead to don't take anything for granted. Inzaghi is well aware that this could be the turning point: the concomitant Milan-Juventus, in fact, could give him a further advantage in the standings, provided however that he does his duty against Venice. Something that, to tell the truth, has been doing quite well for several weeks, given that in the last 9 games there have been 8 wins and a draw, with 22 goals scored and only 3 conceded. First place is therefore the result of a job that is continuing over time and which even puts Inzaghi ahead of Conte, in the light of a positive path also in the Champions League, but it must be confirmed match after match, without voltage drops or slip-ups.
He thinks about giving a hand the extraordinary athletic work of the staff, in a squad that counts only one injured person, that Correa who stopped on Wednesday (he will be re-evaluated in two weeks, but a month's stop is feared) which led Marotta to postpone the sale of Sensi to Sampdoria until Monday. Inzaghi therefore has maximum freedom of choice, for a 3-5-2 that will see Handanovic in goal, Skriniar, De Vrij and Bastoni in defense, Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu and Perisic in midfield, Dzeko and Lautaro in attack. On the other hand, it is difficult to hypothesize the formation of Venice, given that for privacy reasons the names of the Covid positives are not yet known: in the next few hours, if no surprises emerge from the last round of swabs, we will know more, otherwise the match will be postponed date to be set. The same argument obviously also applies to Lazio-Atalanta, a very interesting match which, if played, promises really well.
The two teams, as seen in the pyrotechnic 2-2 draw in the first leg, give away goals and entertainment every time they meet, but today there are heavy points up for grabs in Europe, which makes everything even more thrilling. Ranking in hand, one could say that it is Sarri's team that plays the most, given that any result other than victory would in fact exclude them from the already difficult run-up to the Champions League, but also Gasperini cannot make too many calculations: back there they run more and more, so points are urgently needed to at least keep their distance. “We play against a team with great offensive potential, for us there will be less margin for error – confirmed the Lazio coach -. I don't know if we have a chance of getting to the Champions League, I don't even care, but now we're starting to travel on excellent averages, 10 points in the last 5 games. Beyond the absences we get there as a growing team, now I want to see continuity ".
Compared to the turnover of the Coppa Italia, the standard line-up will return, also because the match against Udinese confirmed that Lazio, without their star players (Immobile above all), is decidedly less competitive. However, Sarri will have to do without important players like Pedro and Acerbi and the suspended Cataldi, so we will see a 4-3-3 that is a bit different than usual with Strakosha in goal, Hysaj, Luiz Felipe, Patric and Marusic in defence, Milinkovic-Savic, Leiva and Luis Alberto in midfield, Zaccagni (recovered in extremis), Immobile and Felipe Anderson in attack.
Much longer Gasperini's unavailable list, that in addition to the already known Malinovskyi, Ilicic, Hateboer, Gosens and Zapata he may have lost (if the swabs confirm it) also Muriel, Pasalic and De Roon: his 3-4-1-2 would see (conditionally) so Musso between the posts, Toloi, Demiral and Palomino in the back department, Maehle, Pessina, Freuler, Pezzella in the midfield, Miranchuk behind the offensive duo made up of Piccoli and Zappacosta.
