This weekend gave us not one but two of Italian football’s biggest games and we saw a Champions League draw that gives one of the remaining Serie A sides a huge opportunity to reach the Final.
By Matteo Bonetti, US Serie A expert
Rome’s fierce rivalry
Once again, the Rome Derby between Lazio and Roma did not disappoint. This is one of the most hate-fuelled matches anywhere in Europe, and to truly get a sense of the intensity of this rivalry, it’s one you must experience in person, should you ever get the chance to do so.
Lazio won the latest edition 1-0, courtesy of a fantastic goal from the highly talented left-winger Mattia Zaccagni, who curled in a finessed finish to the back post from a tight angle. Sadly, the referee had a big part to play as he influenced the game in the first half by handing out a second yellow to Roma centre-back Roger Ibañez in the 32nd minute. The call looked harsh, given the unwritten rule that a second yellow usually carries a slightly different severity than the first one. A warning or ‘talking to’ was expected rather than the second yellow that was brandished, fundamentally changing the course of the game. After that sending off, the remainder of the match was littered with skirmishes and verbal battles any time there was a foul. Ibañez’s red wasn’t the last either, as two more players were sent off just before the final whistle.
Following the red card, Roma’s first substitution didn’t come until after halftime, when José Mourinho’s assistant Salvatore Foti surprisingly put in centre-back Diego Llorente for Paulo Dybala. Dybala is unquestionably Roma’s best player and even though he had been quiet in the first half, it felt like more of a product of Roma’s play as a whole; they had less possession and were pinned back in their own half. Having a player like “La Joya” means you only need half a yard of space for him to create magic out of nothing. Taking out that creativity ensured that Roma were playing to keep the score at 0-0, which backfired significantly when they went down a goal and were suddenly chasing the comeback without their attacking force.
As for the victors, Lazio’s win is massive for the top four race. While the Biancocelesti have been inconsistent of late, other contenders for the Champions League spots have also squandered precious points. The three taken here mean that Maurizio Sarri’s team now sit alone in second place, having leapfrogged Inter. The race will get even more interesting if Juventus get their 15 points back and knock off one of the current contenders.
Juventus show character while Inter stumble again
Ever since the 15 point deduction, Max Allegri’s side has rallied together and played some of their best football all season long. The Bianconeri have only lost once in their last 12, and picked up another fine result over the weekend by beating Derby d’Italia rivals, Inter 1-0 at the Giuseppe Meazza. It was also another game that was filled with controversy, as Filip Kostić’s goal was preceded by an apparent handball by Adrien Rabiot, which was not called by the referee or VAR. Even so, it never really looked like Inter were in the game. Simone Inzaghi’s side has seemed frail from a mental standpoint, which is evidenced by their wildly inconsistent performances throughout the season, often proving difficult to piece together with any semblance of analysis.
Against Juve, they looked out of ideas against an organised low block that was led by the surging centre-back Federico Gatti, who had a performance reminiscent of the days of Giorgio Chiellini. Another Juventus youngster who stood out was the midfielder Nicolo Fagioli, who seems to be in his element against one of the best teams in the league. He showed a creativity with his touches far beyond his years, with impressive vision and composure when he was on the ball.
The big issue with Inter is that they seem to lack a creative dribbler (like Ivan Perišić), who can find space against a tight defence. The endless crosses into the box provided no danger whatsoever for a Juve backline that was impenetrable. That’s now five defeats in Inter’s last nine games, a troubling statistic that puts a ton of pressure on Simone Inzaghi and his team’s chances of finishing in a Champions League spot.
Another startling trend is the involution of Inter’s midfielder Marcelo Brozović. He’s unrecognisable from the player who was one of the finest midfielders in the league for the past few seasons. Against Juve, Brozović looked slow and clumsy, unable to pick apart the Juve defence or offer any sort of spark to invigorate his team. Up front, there was little connectivity between the two strikers, Lautaro and Lukaku, who had formed a solid bond under Antonio Conte in the Nerazzurri’s Scudetto winning season. Lautaro was voted the worst player in the match by the Italian media – citing poor movement and no link up play to speak of.
If Inzaghi can’t turn it around and get Inter playing like the side we all expected to see before the season, they risk a Champions League quarter-final exit and a finish outside the top four in Serie A.
Italy’s great chance in the Champions League
The Champions League quarter-final draw couldn’t have been set up any better for Serie A teams to show their talent on the world stage. All three Italian teams are on the same side of the bracket, meaning we’re guaranteed one of them in the semi-final and there’s a good chance Napoli can go on to make the final.
It’s been 12 years since an Italian team won the Champions League – that was José Mourinho’s treble winning Inter side, that instantly made him a club legend for eternity. Since then, Juventus made the UCL final twice but lost both times against better teams, and there hasn’t really been much of a hope since then that a team from Italy had much of a chance in the modern era where we’ve seen the Premier League turn into a financial behemoth.
Napoli have shown the importance of intelligence and quality scouting in the transfer market, compared to blindly throwing hundreds of millions around in the hoping that one of the signings stick. It’s unheard of in this era for a team to reduce their wage bill and get rid of their best players only to improve dramatically with new, unproven and cheaper signings. Napoli are a heavy favorite to beat an inconsistent Milan side in the last eight, while Inter have a much tougher task against Portuguese side Benfica, who looked very strong in the group stage and has only lost one league game all season.
Benfica drew both of their group stage matches against PSG, while beating Juventus twice – an ominous sign for an Inter team that has been struggling to maintain any sort of consistency in their performances. All of this would point to a potential semi-final between Napoli vs. Benfica, which could be a dream for the neutrals given both sides play open, expansive and aesthetically pleasing attacking football.
Conversely, two upsets in the quarters could also give us a Derby Della Madonnina semi-final between Inter and Milan, which we haven’t seen since the 2002/03 season when the Rossoneri beat their city rivals on away goals and then defeated Juventus in the final on penalties. That was a different era though – the Premier League didn’t have a fraction of the monetary power it has now through their gargantuan TV rights deal, and state owned super teams scattered throughout Europe weren’t even an idea.
While Italian football still has plenty of issues and cannot compete financially with the true might around Europe, this is a strong signal that the clubs have found other ways to remain competitive on the biggest stage, and it has to indicate an upwards trend in the overall quality of the league.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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