Football. ua sums up the eighteenth round of the championship of Italy.

For twenty rounds to the finish, it is probably premature to say that in the championship race in Italy for the title will traditionally be claimed by two clubs, and one of them Juventus. Theoretically, even Benevento can score 61 points and in certain situations spoil the nerves of leaders. If seriously, then we are waiting for the most interesting struggle between Napoli and Juventus for Scudetto, Inter, Roma and Lazio - for the two remaining vacant places in the Champions League, Sampdoria, Atalanta, Fiorentina, Udinese, Bologna and Milan - for vouchers to the Europa League, and all the others - for survival.

Tour Results What is common between Milan and Inter? Black band, not only on the form A week ago, everyone was interested: how will Inter react to his first defeat under the leadership of Luciano Spalletti. The reaction turned out to be unintelligible - defeat number two, and this time not from gained momentum with the arrival of the coaching bridge of the team Massimo Oddo and the Udinese involved in the struggle for Europe, but from Sassuolo, who only in the last rounds began to get out of the zone from where the straight road opens to Serie B.

After the fiasco (otherwise you can not call defeat in Reggio Nell'Emilia) Spalletti did not regret enthusiastic words about "neroverdi", but did it, most likely, to at least somehow justify his players, who, yes, played well, and who , yes, a little unlucky (one unrealized penalty named after Mauro Icardi is worth it!). But setting high goals (and whatever the "snakes" say aloud, in their hearts they dream of a scudetto already this season), there is no point in complaining about "trifles".

The main reason for the failure of Inter all the same is not seen as an external factor, but team psychology. "Neradzurri" so long "jostled" at the top with competitors, stood in full-time duels with Napoli and Juventus, finally climbed to the first line ... And they counted the matter done, relaxed. This is not the case with Inter for the first time, the last example is last season, when the "snakes" after the defeat of Atalanta with a score of 7: 1 believed that they are now all on the shoulder and gave out a horrendous lose-lose series that left them outside the zone of European cups.

Having got the opportunity to focus on domestic tournaments, Inter does not yet take advantage of this advantage. In any case, does not demonstrate this. And the references to the shortish bench of the reserve look ridiculous, because of the personnel potential of the "Nerazzurri" from their competitors, except perhaps Juventus.

However, to fall into despair to Inter fans is clearly a bit early. Five points behind the leader and 20 rounds ahead - everything can be fixed. Determining can be the next three rounds: the game at home with Lazio, departure to Florence and a visit to Jezeppe Meazza of another metropolitan team - Roma. Well, to raise morale does not prevent the victory in the Cup of Italy over the countrymen from Milan - Derby della Madonnina will be held on Wednesday, December 27.

Even sadder picture of the "devils". Draw with Benevento, defeat from Verona and a well-read defeat from Atalanta threw Milan from the top of the standings. Constant references to the fact that the team had a "personnel revolution" in the summer, have become boring and, to put it mildly, do not stand up to criticism. After all, if you take the same Fiorentina, then the "violets" in summer, in fact, lost the whole "base", but at the moment, the last time losing to Roma on November 5, the Florentines came close to the zone of the League of Europe.

The sports director of the "devils" Massimiliano Mirabelli does honor that he decided to take responsibility for the setbacks. Say, it was he who was engaged in the staffing of the then still Vincenzo Montella. But tell Udinese or Bologna, who scored as many points, so much and "Rossoneri" that they are staffed better than Milan, and you run the risk of their fans and coaches dying with laughter.

After the defeat of Atalanta, Gennaro Gattuso said that if he felt that he was to blame for the results, he would have resigned. That is, Reno knows for sure that it's not he who is to blame? Then the question is who? The club management that did not provide personnel? On this occasion, you can read the previous paragraph. Football players are not able to show their capabilities? The question to the coach - could not find his wards the best place in his tactical scheme, or unable to choose a tactical scheme that would give the best opportunity to use the capabilities of players. Football players do not want to show their capabilities? The question is at the same address - either the coach finds an incentive (stroke or give a kick - that's at his discretion), or drives the player from the first team ... Getting rid of the "ballast"?.

Perhaps the most attractive feature of the current Italian championship was the fact that the real chances for the Scudetto were at once five teams (although only two dared to talk about it in public) - Juventus, Napoli, Inter, Roma and Lazio. And here for the tour to the equator of the Serie A championship, a dense group of favorites broke up.

The first to break was Napoli, although at first it seemed that the team of Maurizio Sarri in the confrontation with Sampdoria loom large problems. Twice Neapolitans in his native San Paolo had to recoup, and after the first half was established the final (as it turned out) the account, the owners had to finish the game in the minority after the removal. Alas, but Sampdoria, which deserved many favorable reviews at the beginning of the season, now found herself in a pit from which she can not escape. Four defeats and one draw led to the fact that the recent contender for the Champions League could lose and the opportunity to play in the European League.

Where a more difficult opponent went to Juventus, but the victory over Roma would give not only three points, but would also allow to break away from one of the competitors. As a result, Juventus won at the expense of three components - order, class and luck, and, perhaps, the third component played almost the main role.

The hosts looked more confident and more impressive than the guests, and they created more moments. However, due to the mood of the Romans, not only they offered worthy resistance, but sometimes they overplayed the favorite of the duel. The only advantage of Juventus looked very solid - in strikes on goal - 22 against 14. As for Fortune, the only ball that flew into the gate of Alisson after a series of saves and ricochets, obviously did not do without the assistance of this capricious lady, and even Shock-killed one-on-one output after a gift from the author of the hammered Benatya ball can also be written on the account of the goddess favor good luck to the owners.

It is clear that the word "ballast" in this situation differently, as with quotes, should not be used. After all (assuming that Roma will win his rescheduled match with Sampdoria), the first and fourth place is shared by only five points, and for the remaining more than half the distance, there can be any.

Messiah Oddo and the battle for Europe Given that one of the vouchers to the Europa League will go to the loser of five competitors in the Champions League, and another will potentially win the winner of the National Cup, the struggle for which continues Lazio, Fiorentina, Milan, Inter, Napoli, Atalanta Juventus and Torino, vacant through the championship there is only one pass in the second most important club trophy of the Old World.

And behind this pass there was a solid line of seven teams at once, which fit into the interval of three points. The most unexpected individuals in this company - Bologna, in a bitter struggle, defeating her neighbor in the standings - Chievo, and Udinese, whose victory over Verona, following the win at Inter, organically blended into the series of four wins in the championship. It is not necessary to run ahead of time, but the leaders of "zebrat" clearly guessed with the moment to change the mentor and even more guessed with his candidacy. What is the secret of Massimo Oddo and whether he can become a true messiah for Udinese - it's too early to judge, but with the arrival of the 2006 world champion, the team that has already been recorded as an outsider has won five of the last seven matches in all the tournaments, in the championship and the Cup of Italy.

Benevento in anticipation of fellow travelers No matter how ridiculous the assumption of the owner of Benevento Oreste Vigorito that an evil spirit has fought against his team, there is something in it. Here already in time time "witches" lose points in the compensated time, this time in a duel against Genoa. Considering that only six points are in the asset of the "jallorossi" after eighteen rounds, and from the saving seventeenth place of the newcomer to the Serie A series there are already fourteen credits, then with a high degree of probability one can say that the first candidate for the reinforcement of the B series has already been approved.

But with fellow travelers Benevento while everything is complicated. Unlike the last round, in which the victories were able to win Verona, Spal and Croton, to continue successful performances could only SPAL, who played a draw with Torino. Also significantly improved his position, Genoa, snatching victory from Benevento. But Verona and Croton had no chance of success. Verontsy after the defeat of the lame for everything (how many they have), Milan's legs got under the rink of a great run Udinese. And the "sharks" were able to hold out only the halftime against Lazio.

At the moment, Verona, Spal, Croton, Cagliari and Genoa fit into a four-point interval, and if you consider that Sassuolo and Chievo broke away from the general group of participants in the show, "Lost" by three and four points respectively, they lost hope for a free trip for two (Benevento's third vacancy is hardly likely to be missed) in Serie B. And, it seems, the issue with the lowering in the class, as in the past season, will be resolved only in the last round.

Interesting facts - Goalkeeper Sassuolo Andrea Consilia, parried blow from the "point" Mauro Ikardi, went to second place in the reflected penalty in Serie A from the season-2008/2009 - 13, and second only to goalkeeper Inter Samira Handanovich (21).

- Failure Icardi interrupted his series of seven consecutive penalties.

- Inter lost two matches of the championship in a row for the first time since May of this year.

- In the last three games of Serie A, Inter scored only one goal.

- Inter made 48 innings from the flanks in a duel against Sassuolo (Serie A's record this season), but only 7 of them were accurate.

- Juventus struck Roma in the first half 12 times - this season nobody bothered Romans so often in the first half.

- Juventus keeps its goal dry for eight matches in all tournaments - for the first time since February 2016.

- Scoring in the goal of Sampdoria, Marek Hamshik outscored Diego Maradona and became the best scorer in the history of Napoli - 116 goals.

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