Sergei Shevchenko - about the layout in the fight for the "scudetto". The teams share just one point!.
Goal Kalidou Coulibaly in the 90th minute of the meeting in Turin restarted the championship of Italy. Serie A and without that favorably differed from other top-leagues presence of champion intrigue, but in the last month it was exhausted. At the end of the 33rd round, the gap between the two leaders could reach a hopeless nine points, but the Neapolitans won a strong-willed victory over Udinese, and the Turinians suddenly stumbled against Crotone - the miracle-goal of the Nigerian Simi through himself in the fall came out no worse than a similar blow to Ronaldo. So Napoli had a hope that allowed to do the previously impossible - to win at the Juventus Stadium. The previous six visits to this stadium ended in defeats with a total score of 2:14. The victory of the name of Coulibaly has already become a landmark of history.
Juventus never hit the target gate, for which team Allegri was severely criticized by the press, including the Turin. Napoli, in turn, scored not thanks to the proprietary combination, but after a corner and high jump of the most powerful player. As a pistol can strengthen the meaning of a good word, so the corners sometimes become the best assistants of technical teams. It is also worth recalling that 4: 2 with Udinese formed due to two goals centerback (Albiol and Tonelli, Culibaly was then disqualified) after the corner. Do not forget, where did the nickname of Sarri "Mr. 33" come from?.
Even more impressed was the reaction of the Neapolitan fans. Their team has not yet won the championship, moreover, did not even regain the lead, but in Naples after the final whistle the true madness began. The embankment lit up with fireworks, and tens of thousands of people poured into the streets. The team was returning home at three o'clock in the morning. Despite such a late time, about 15 (according to other sources, 20) thousands of fans went to meet their heroes at the airport! Congestion on the roads late at night, cavalcade cars and motor scooters with flags, songs, emotions and glee. How do the Neapolitans want to get this "scudetto"! Now the chances of their team to repeat 1988 and 1990 are quite real.
Naples on the night after the match Will Napoli have enough strength?.
There are four rounds left. This segment must be passed on the moral and strong-willed qualities, because in the game, Napoli is much inferior to himself the sample of the first round. A characteristic sign of a recession - goals: in 11 of 19 last year's matches (it's only about the championship), the team scored at least three goals, the indicator of this year is much worse - 4 out of 15. It must be understood that Napoli started the season earlier because of participation in the qualification of the Champions League. Sarri had to speed up preparations by mid-August, so that Napoli would easily be in the group stage of the Champions League. The recession at the end of the season was inevitable.
The problem of fatigue players could be compensated for by rotation, but Sarri's conservatism in choosing the basis is a phenomenon with which it's time to put up. Some statistics. As part of Napoli immediately nine players who spent this season more than 3000 minutes: Reina, Kalehon, Coulibaly, Hyusay, Mertens, Insigne, Allan, Albiol and Hamshik. No doubt, Gulam would have been among them, but the Algerian is seriously injured. Juventus players with this load are only three: Higuain, Pjanic and Chiellini.
Is it any wonder that some degree of emasculation and even the predictability of Napoli's game? For the last eight matches, none of the victories was unreserved. Always nerves, even with teams of the Chievo level. Sometimes - losses, not only with the Milan clubs, but also with Sassuolo. Luckily the Neapolitans, their team definitely has a character: wins over Chievo, Juventus, and Udinese were mined in the endings of the matches. In general, the calendar favors. Napoli's rivals in the remaining rounds will be Fiorentina, Torino, Sampdoria and Crotone. Far from the fact that it will be easy, because Fiorentina is fighting for a place in the LE, Walter Mazzarri has something to prove to Napoli, and Marco Giampaolo - Sarri, to his teacher. However, Juventus' opponents are much stronger.
Will Juventus cope with the calendar?.
Both home games at Juventus are through, with Bologna and Verona. Another thing is the trips, where the champions will face almost the most difficult opponents of the possible, Inter and Roma. The motivation of these teams will go off-scale even without taking into account adherence to principle (tickets for today's Italy derby have already been sold), because they fight each other and with Lazio for places in the Champions League. Even one loss of points can become fatal for turintsev.
Inter lost a lot of points with the middle peasants and outsiders, but in the matches with the leaders, the team of Spalletti turns into an extremely uncomfortable opponent. Both her match with Napoli, as well as the game with Juventus in the first round ended in nulevki. "Neradzurri" also overcome the crisis, and if the guests are rarely impressed, then in their field play convincingly (4 wins from 5 previous matches). Roma in turn convincingly plays with Juventus at the Stadio Olimpico. She won two previous home matches at Juventus, and overall statistics for the six Juventi-champion seasons are quite in favor of "jallorossi": + 3 = 2-1.
Before the meeting with Roma Turintsev waiting for another major match in the capital of Italy - the final of the Cup with Milan. Will Allegri distribute forces? Checking for both roster Juve, and for the leaders who will inevitably come to the field in the decisive fights. Here may be the weakness of Juventus. Benatia, who played superbly in late autumn, is now on the decline (it was he who missed Coulibaly), Chiellini can miss the rest of the season due to injury, and Dibala often fails at crucial moments.
What happens to the scorers?.
The common feature of Napoli and Juventus: their top scorers, Mertens (17 goals in the championship) and Dibala (21 goals), weakly spend the end of the season. It got to the point that on the eve of the meeting of the leaders the press seriously discussed whether the two would come out at the basis. As a result, they came out and did not succeed - substitutions during the match (Dibala - during the break) and the lowest scores in their teams.
Mertens is tired. For his Italian career period, he never spent so much time on the field. Dries did start reserve, competing with Insigne on the left flank, and only after transfer to the center of the attack was not just the main, but virtually indispensable. The Belgian was magnificent at the beginning of the season, held a strong stretch in January-February, but now he has not scored seven consecutive matches.
The problem of Dibala is more complicated. This player is a colossal talent, but he lacks stability. He can score the decisive ball to Tottenham or pull the game out with Lazio, and then stupidly retire in a match with Real Madrid and fail the game with Crotone. It is significant that the most striking match of the season, at Santiago Bernabeu, Juve held without his tenth number. Paulo was partly hostage to tactics. Allegri in this season prefers 4-3-3, where the Argentine does not fit - Higuain from the position of the center forward does not oust, and on the flanks Dibale uncomfortable. In addition, internal problems are not excluded. Paulo in the course of the season paid too much attention to personal life (parted, and then reconciled with the girl), and his financial affairs from this season, run by the brothers, who did not have relationships with the leadership of Juventus. Should I be surprised at the game differences?.
What reserves do the teams have?.
They even have Napoli with his ultra-short bench. Speech about Arkadyush Milika - forward, who was purchased to replace Higuain. Because of the rupture of ligaments, he was out of the game from October to March, but now recovered. Moreover, he scored a decent form, becoming the hero of the ending match with Chievo (goal + pass). If Napoli is tired, then Milik, on the contrary, is fresh and cheerful. In addition, the presence of ramming center forward diversifies the game of Neapolitans ahead, no matter how surprising it may sound. Now, when the importance of the result is prohibitive, simple recipes are needed.
Juventus is all the more able to find reserves. Here a variety in the course: in the course of this season, 14 players were "bianconeri" scored, and 16 - gave assists. Kuradrado and Bernardeschi were restored, so that without Dibala there will be a mass of working options. From the players of the defense, let us single out Benedikt Howedes. German defender because of injury spent only three games (one of which in November), but managed to excel in a recent game with Sampdoria, and against Napoli looked organically. His experience, class and universality will definitely be useful at the crucial stage of the season.
Who is the favorite in the race for the Scudetto?.
The best indicator - bookmakers, and they argue that the chances of Napoli and Juventus are equal. Optimal layout in terms of intrigue. Turintsy is more experienced and the mother, everything still depends on them, but for Napoli is now a psychological advantage, as well as Inter and Roma.
If we turn to history, then the analogy with the season-1999/2000. Then Juventus confidently led, but in the 22nd round unexpectedly lost at home Lazio with a score of 0: 1. Stumbled, the Turinians did not return to the rut (although Inter on a visit they managed to beat). The fateful 0-2 defeat by Verona and, of course, the legendary game with Perugia in the final round, when the match was interrupted due to bad weather, and Juve on a wet lawn lost 0: 1.
What plot will present this drawing? Extension of the hegemony of Juventus and the tragedy of Napoli, who missed the historic opportunity? Or is Naples strolling so that he can not notice the eruption of Vesuvius?
Wait is not long, and the first match of the finish straight already tonight. How pleasant it is to realize that a real struggle has returned to Italy.
Bonus: video with a selection of reactions of the fans of Napoli to the goal of Coulibaly. For the health of some of them you begin to experience. Also I was surprised by the daylight at 1:55, although the match was played late in the evening. It turned out that this is a Neapolitan diaspora in Miami!.
Author: Sergey Shevchenko.