Sergey Shevchenko - about the chances of Serie A teams to get into the Champions League.
The fight for places in the Champions League promises to be the most attractive plot of the ending of the series A-2017/18. I want to believe in the championship intrigue, but Napoli, alas, can not stand the pace of the race for the "Scudetto" and regularly stumble. Hope, except that for a personal meeting of two contenders in Turin, only Juventus can increase the head start. Interesting are the layouts at the bottom of the table (outsiders added, and a number of middle peasants were threatened with relegation), but the struggle for survival is a dish for an amateur.
Another thing is teams on the ground from the third to the fifth. There is an equal fight, and teams that are interesting for many fans: Inter is always in sight, and Roma and Lazio have recently confronted the Ukrainian teams in European competition, not to mention the feat of "jallorossi" in the second leg against Barcelona. The company could make them Milan, but the Rossoneri allowed too many losses at the beginning of the championship, and now they are not in the best shape, so they will hardly be able to reduce the gap. Recall that it is about two direct trips to the group stage of the Champions League: they, except for Juventus and Napoli, will receive the teams that took the third and fourth places.
At the moment the layouts are as follows: 2. Napoli - 77 points, 3. Lazio - 60 points, 4. Roma - 60, 5. Inter - 59, 6. Milan - 52 points. When the points are equal, personal meetings are taken into account, then the total difference of the balls. We estimate the prospects of the three teams directly participating in this race.
Inter Personal meetings: Roma - 3: 1 (d), 1: 1 (d); Lazio - 0: 0 (e) Calendar: Atalanta (g), Cagliari (d), Chievo (d), Juventus (d), Udinese (g), Sassuolo (e), Lazio (g) Who are they hoping for: Mauro Ikardi , Ivan Perisic, Rafinha Sila. First of all, the experience of the head coach. Luciano Spalletti can be blamed for European Cup failures, but in the Italian championship he is consistently successful - his Roma five times made their way into the Champions League. The work of Spalletti in Inter is still difficult to assess unequivocally, but from the crisis Nerazzurri was taxied due to the coaching decisions: the center of the field was renewed, where a bunch of Gagliardini and Brozovich played (both were critically criticized during the season). Now Inter plays much more dynamically, and for creative answers the winter rookie Rafinha. So there was a compromise solution to the tactical dilemma: Spalletti wanted to put the game in a short pass, but the composition was sharpened for flank attacks. We also note the ability of Inter to confront leaders, as well as the confident play of defenders. Draws from Napoli (twice), Juventus and Lazio, four points with Roma - in case of equal points with "jallorossi", the Milanese will have an advantage.
Weakness. Two months ago, Inter was so bad that his loss from the Champions League seemed like a matter of time. The win-win series reached eight matches! The reason for this was fatigue: the team maintained a high pace in the fall, when the "Nerazzurri" were on par with the leaders, but then the gasoline ended. Frankly exhaled Borja, through which the game was played in the center of the field. Unstable (and often weakly) Perisic played, and Ikardi missed some matches due to injury. Inter's problem is a short bench and the consequent dependence on the shape of several leading players. Winter transfers solved this problem only partially. Inter is also not lucky: in the matches with Milan and Torino, the team of Spalletti was to gain six points, but only took one. Plus regular misfires with teams from the middle of the table - four defeats Inter happened in games with Udinese, Sassuolo, Genoa and Torino.
Roma Personal meetings: Inter - 1: 3 (d), 1: 1 (d); Lazio - 2: 1 (e) Calendar: Lazio (g), Genoa (d), Spal (g), Chievo (d), Cagliari (g), Juventus (d), Sassuolo (g) For whom: Alisson, Raja Nainggolan, Edin Jacko Sila. We saw the maximum of Roma's opportunities in the Champions League quarter-finals. This is a mobile, militant and tactically savvy team, which has a number of charismatic leaders, as well as an excellent goalkeeper. Of the three candidates Roma, perhaps, is more stable than everyone, she "takes" her glasses almost without misfiring. "Dzhallorossi" have a set play in the attack, which allows you to regularly create moments - on strikes Di Francesco's wards lead in Serie A. We also note the whole successful calendar of the "wolves": after the Roman derby - a series of four relatively easy matches, and in the last two rounds wait for the game with Juventus (Turinians by that time can secure the title) and Sassuolo, who is also likely to be stripped of tournament incentives.
Weakness. Load on two fronts. Roma is the only Italian team in the semi-final stage. Beautiful, sensational, but tedious. Summer selection was to provide the Romans with a decent supply, but it is only present quantitatively. Chic is not a replacement for Jack (which is largely due to the difference in their manner of play), and the Gonalon - De Rossi. Force may not be enough, it is indicative of a recent match with Fiorentina, wedged between two quarterfinals. And the derby will take place exactly after the historic removal of Barcelona. From the game problems of Roma we note the weak implementation of the moments, as well as regular problems in home games: six defeats in the championship six (!) Took place at Olimpico.
Lazio Personal meetings: Inter - 0: 0 (d); Roma - 1: 2 (d) Calendar: Roma (d), Fiorentina (g), Sampdoria (d), Torino (g), Atalanta (e), Crotone (d), Inter (e) For whom: Ciro Immobile , Luis Alberto, Lucas Leiva Force. Attack! Lazio scores more than all in Serie A, ahead of this indicator, even Juventus. Ciro Immobile confidently goes to the title of the best scorer of the championship, the benefit of it supports such a remarkable raspasovschik, as Luis Alberto. Fast, "vertical" style of Lazio becomes uncomfortable for many rivals, down to Juventus. In addition, Lazio (alas!) Lost additional load in the LE and can concentrate on the championship. Also Latsial was lucky with the date of the Roman derby: their attitude will go off scale, while Roma will hardly be able to avoid physical and, especially, moral exhaustion.
Weakness. Defense! The game of the defenders of Lazio sometimes causes laughter, sometimes - nervous convulsions. "Biancochaelasti" are able to miss a goal-two from any opponent, down to hopeless outsiders. Often this is compensated by the immortal principle "we will score as much as we want," but sometimes Salzburg. Or Napoli. "Orlam" does not play in the final segment against the uncomfortable team Maurizio Sarri, as well as against Juventus, only that their calendar is worse than the competition. No one round-the-clock tour - if not frontal meetings, matches with strong and well-suited applicants for LE (Fiorentina and Torino are now good). And the departure in Crotone is by no means "resort", southerners will cling to survival. Finally, we mention that the referees do not really like the team of Simone Inzaghi, because of which scandals have already flared up several times.
Forecast Perhaps, it is Lazio will be the third superfluous.
Inzaghi already squeezes out a maximum of rather modest resources - we do not forget that latsiali lose leading players year after year, but do not have the means to conduct an active transfer campaign, at least at the level of Roma. Chance of "biancohale" - to win in the derby, which takes on special significance against the backdrop of Eurocups feats and failures of teams from the Eternal City. If Lazio does not sprinkle after the collapse in Salzburg and will withstand the pace in the championship, then in the last round of the "eagles" another test sign awaits - a meeting with Inter, which can be an effective end of the season.
Author: Sergey Shevchenko.