Courage, concentration and a bit of cheekiness were needed in this round of the Champions League. It was the most difficult round on paper, it has become the most prolific.
Inter had concentration. A small, big business. Another victory for Inter in Europe. Once again without conceding a goal: we can see that this is a characteristic of the Nerazzurri teams given that Atalanta have also not conceded a goal yet. This is the small big business. Inter had wasted a lot in attack recently in the championship, it’s true, but they had also danced a lot in defence. Think back to the match against Juventus, but also just to Sommer’s great saves against Venezia. Good: against Arsenal Inter suffered, they struggled to get going again. But he built his game on that penalty at the end of the first half. Everyone very concentrated, everyone very attentive. No smudging. And if Arsenal pushed so hard they hardly found the right space for the shot. There were few great saves from Sommer (one from Havertz), but there were few great saves (from Bisseck for example or Dumfries). Inter were very determined, and in their own way also courageous to trust their men once again. Against a team that has had a great identity for some time and which aspires to play a leading role. But Inter are unbeaten: they haven’t conceded a single goal (it’s worth repeating) playing against Arsenal and City (among others).
The defensive roster is very similar to that of Atalanta, who however play with a different mentality. She was much more brazen, even in the last few games. She hadn’t managed to break through the wall with Celtic and with Arsenal but that was a coincidence. Do you remember Retegui’s penalty and the rebound? This time Atalanta exploited the opportunities it had. And he played his match against a very tough team, who had just beaten Juventus. And its growth process continues. Today Zaniolo, one of the latest arrivals, also takes the showcase. Thanks to last summer’s transfer market, Atalanta (apart from Koopmeiners) replaced the reserves (playing time in hand) with potential starters. The secret is that work in the field goes hand in hand with that of society.
Atalanta is growing day after day, match after match. It has an important European dimension, you can mention the word “scudetto” without being labeled crazy.
Courage, concentration and audacity are certainly all characteristics that Milan had as they went to take the victory in Madrid. Almost unexpected, given what had happened in the Rossoneri’s last matches. Almost obvious, once you’ve seen the match. Milan, playing in a very simple and tremendously effective way, exposed all of Real Madrid’s difficulties and sank us into the match. There has been a lot of talk about Leao in this period. We saw Leao in Madrid and he was able to make the difference. But the beauty of the Spanish victory is that it was not the victory of Leao’s Milan, but of Milan WITH Leao.
This is certainly the most beautiful brick that Fonseca has put. In a difficult moment he always put the team ahead of the individual and today we are going to achieve a great performance. A very good match cannot make one think that all the Rossoneri’s problems have been resolved, just as a bad match does not certify a crisis. But a signal arrives from Madrid: Fonseca’s work is understood. The seeds he planted are starting to bear fruit. How lush they will be, how juicy, will not depend only on Fonseca. Everything must work around the coach. Team first. But we have seen what the potential is and above all the players have understood it.
Juventus had half the courage. In a European context he needed to make a point, after a period in which the defensive position had faltered. The match against Stuttgart, the one at San Siro, the dangers faced against Parma. Juventus needed to get back on the bubble. He did it with another draw, he did it in a match that wasn’t great but balanced. Juventus, even more than Milan, is in the midst of a growth process. It’s normal that not everything is perfect and well-oiled yet: especially since there have been some injuries that have certainly put Motta in difficulty.