Small steps towards the Scudetto. Even Antonio Conte, unusually smiling, feels that there is no longer any need to raise the tone. Inter are missing eight points out of the 18 available, but three will be better off pocketing them on Sunday at San Siro with a Verona losing blows. And the Nerazzurri team seems to have come out best from the Super League flop. The real interest of Serie A, however, is centered on the furious fight for the other three Champions League places. Roma took off, with their heads already in Manchester, Milan remain at 66 points, Atalanta and Juve at 65, Naples at 63 and, more secluded, Lazio at 58 with a match to recover. After the knockout with Sassuolo, Milan are in danger because they still have to meet Juve and Atalanta, but it is already the first obstacle that is slippery: on Monday the Rossoneri play atOlimpico against Lazio who can only win to stay in the running. The other three contenders are also strictly prohibited from snubbing their opponents. Juve are involved in the usual poison match against Fiorentina, who beat them in the first leg. Atalanta will not find the red carpet by receiving a solid team, even if alternating, like Bologna. The team in the best form, Napoli, will play at home to Toro which is in a positive streak, but salvation is still to be consolidated. Cagliari, which comes from two victories but is still three points from the closest team, hosts Roma who are preparing the games of the year for the Europa League semifinal. But the Giallorossi can't get too distracted because Sassuolo, now at -6, is marching at a fast pace and will have a sparkling challenge with Ranieri's excellent Sampdoria.
The rest concerns the safety zone, with Parma-Crotone that looks like a melancholy farewell walkway between two teams one step away from relegation. Genoa and Spezia are looking for points and Inzaghi's Benevento which receives a too relaxed Udinese, so much so that it has lost four of the last five matches. Lukaku and Lautaro prepare the assault on Verona. Inter have all agreed on the legitimacy of his success. Juric will try to groom his slightly tarnished group. Dangerous crossroads for Milan: Ibra has renewed his contract but is in doubt at the Olimpico. Lazio also arrives bruised in the big match (the equal is of no use to anyone) with Luis Alberto and Immobile uncertain. After the too easy success on Parma the spotlight is on Juve, who have to do without the Church and have Ronaldo from two games in a minor tone. L'this time the obstacle is more consistent, Vlahovic's and Ribery's Fiorentina in search of safety points. Agnelli's exposure to the aborted Super League project could have repercussions on the performance of a team that has a vital need to grab the Champions League. Gasperini's Atalanta seems to have few problems to achieve this goal, who only accidentally did not hit the three points at the Olimpico and should win against Mihajlovic's Bologna. There is only the embarrassment of the choice in attack for Gattuso who manages to enhance the qualities of Insigne, Lozano, Osimhen, Politano and Mertens by directing a Napoli that is the bugbear of the three teams that precede it if he succeeds in the enterprise of winning with Torino, motivated by the race for salvation. Fonseca hopes to recover Smalling and Spinazzola in Cagliari,in the dress rehearsal ahead of Manchester, where he could also present El Shaarawy and Kumbulla. Space for Mayoral, Diawara and Mirante against the desperate assault of Cagliari, without the former Nainggolan. Good game and many goals are finally expected between Sassuolo and Sampdoria, eighth and ninth in the standings: De Zerbi polishes his jewel Raspadori, Ranieri keeps Quagliarella on the bench, ready to exploit his intact qualities in case of need.ready to exploit its intact qualities in case of need.ready to exploit its intact qualities in case of need.
