It’s a shame that Champions League Wednesday didn’t find continuity compared to the previous day. Of course it was difficult to be able to do it en plein. The games that ended tonight were more difficult, especially because of what was around. And in fact, practically the exact opposite happened. Three wins on Tuesday, a draw and a defeat (at home) on Wednesday.
Juventus faced Aston Villa full of injuries. T Motta’s formation was practically obligatory. And the response that the Juventus coach found from his boys is certainly positive, due to the dedication and commitment they put into play in an objectively complicated moment. The draw is to be accepted with satisfaction, Juve continues to be solid, conceding very little. And even if the goal disallowed in the last minute scared the Juventus fans, the evening can still be archived as positive. Juventus is perhaps the team that is looking most carefully at the January transfer window: in defence, where long-term injuries do not actually allow changes to the Juventus coach. And in attack where Vlahovic’s stop highlighted that Milik’s absence is definitely being felt. Now the recovery times for the Pole are still not certain, but Juve is certainly playing a large part of their future in this period. If the opportunity arises, rest assured that Giuntoli will not let it slip away. It’s true that Juve is in the first year of its new course, but nothing prevents us from putting T Motta in the best conditions to work. And if for the defenders there really doesn’t seem to be any doubts (given that it’s more of an urgency than a necessity) for the attack it will be necessary to find the right opportunity, so as not to find themselves during the second part of the season, as in this segment from the end of November .
Bologna is still stuck at zero. The satisfaction of having scored the first goal in the Champions League lasted too short. We certainly couldn’t ask Bologna to be the surprise of the season: they were returning to Europe after a long time, they were in the Champions League for the first time. Some of the protagonists (perhaps the main ones) of last season’s extraordinary ride have left and a new coach has arrived. All true. But a scratch, even if it serves no purpose or just to hope to reach the playoff zone, we expect it. Tonight Bologna played a good game. But the goals conceded underline that in the competition of details you cannot afford mistakes, especially messes like the one with the first goal conceded.
In Bologna they already know that the Champions League must be experienced as an adventure. But Bologna and Bologna deserve to celebrate at least once.
Inter and Atalanta, on the other hand, demonstrated that they are in excellent form. The work of the respective coaches over the years with a group that changes (in terms of men) but remains intact (in terms of mentality) is extraordinary. They are among the companies that have worked best, with planning and intelligence. By exploiting the market, not being afraid to give in (especially when necessary), having had the ability to invest and plan the purchasing campaign. Atalanta changed their alternatives, those who had played fewer minutes last year. And he did it with higher level players. Inter – who had started this process earlier and who started from a theoretically higher base – continues to put quality pieces into a mechanism that seems oiled to perfection. Watching Inter and Atalanta play today is a pleasure. Two different philosophies, two different ways of trying to dominate the game. The ability to attack and score is almost taken for granted. But it shouldn’t be that way. However, we must not stop only at the score: Atalanta also spread to Europe, Inter did not due to errors in the finishing phase and in the attacking midfield. But both always had the ball in their hands. The Milan team is more hedonistic and thoughtful, the Bergamo team is more arrogant and aggressive. But the result is the same: a great identity, built over the years, which is bearing fruit.
The one that Milan is chasing. But be careful: to reach certain levels, not only the work of the coach is necessary. We need a team group that is willing to follow its coach and sacrifice itself and a company ready to support (even with a functional market) the path we intend to travel together.
This is why you can never always give all the responsibility to the coach. And if it is true that in this season where many teams have tried to rebuild, Milan is one of those that is providing a more fluctuating path, it is equally true that Ibrahimovic himself, before Tuesday’s match, said that there will be no need to intervene on the market: it is not necessarily a matter of men. Maybe in terms of performance, of application.