It is getting close to crunch time for a few Serie A sides and if anyone wants to catch Inter Milan they’re going to have to get a run together now. Inter won’t be dropping any points this weekend unless something drastic happens though, they face bottom club Reggina at the Giuseppe Meazza and I don’t think anyone would predict anything other than a victory for the Nerazzurri. I’ve had a run through some of the key fixtures to see if I can offer any betting tips and advice along the way.
Post-elimination aftershock? Not for Juventus, no sir! The Zebras have turned into Bengal Tigers, landing straight on their feet after their European fall.
Their Saturday 4-1 win over Bologna demonstrated one thing and one thing only: depression only lasts for as long as you let it (in Juve’s case: 45 minutes). After a rocky first half ended with a one-goal deficit, Ranieri’s boys put on a spectacular turn-around, led by a Salihamdzic/Giovinco pair absolutely on fire and a reborn Capitan Del Piero.
A great way to kick their European Blues (and never-ending streak of injuries) goodbye and put the pressure back on Inter, now temporarily at -4 in the Serie A standings.
After nearly two months of hunger Lazio made peace with the Olimpico crowd Saturday, defeating Bologna with two goals by Mauro Zarate and obtaining their first home victory of 2009. It was a double-rebirth of sorts, with the the team collectively answering their coach’s “wake-up” call and their Argentine striker (whose last goal was in mid-December) finally returning his name to the scoreboard. Coupled with Matuzalem’s recovery and Foggia’s first top-notch performance of the season, Delio Rossi can be quite satisfied with how his week-end started.
The same cannot be said for Sinisa Mihajlovic unfortunately. His team’s currently 17th in the Serie A standings, one measley point above the first relegated side (who still have to play on Sunday). Despite a very active Marco Di Vaio, Bologna simply were off their pace today: only the entrance of Marazzina (coupled with the removal of Rodriguez) managed to improve the predictability the Rossoblu had shown in the first half. Mihajlovic knows he will need much better performances from his men if he intends to keep Bologna in the Italian top-flight division.
No, that’s not the title of the latest Nintendo Wii game; it’s who Inter have to thank for their three points against Bologna Saturday.
Two protagonists: an expected one (it would be useless to point out that right this moment, Julio Cesar is the best goalkeeper on Earth) and a very unlikely one. And I say unlikely because given all the drama taking place in these last few months, it looked as if Mourinho was ready to keep him on mothballs until kingdom come. Instead, Mario Balotelli came, saw, and conquered, albeit with (a little) luck and a (minor) contribution by Antonioli (and by little and minor I mean big and major). Which should surely prompt the Serie A press now to hail José with yet another “miracle renewal”, just like the Portuguese manager did with Adriano. Pff… how predictable.
Regardless, these were another vital three points for the Nerazzurri (their lead is +12 with Juve playing later at 20:30 CET) who can now give their impending encounter with Manchester United their full attention. With a serene mind. At least until the Red Devils come through the door.
Saturday’s Napoli vs. Bologna was a match telling two tales. The first is that Mihajlovic seems to like 1-1 draws an awful lot: since he took over the team, Bologna has finished six matches out of twelve with that scoreline. That’s six valuable points in the fight against relegation which may prove decisive later on (you know what they say about pennies…).
The second thing is that Napoli aren’t in a slump anymore, they’ve turned just plain mediocre. I don’t know what it is, but this is a team who is now incapable of winning: they’ve raked 4 losses and 2 draws in their last 6 matches, something which sounds almost unreal compared to the 8 wins & 1 draw in their first 9 of the season. That was back in September/October. So who’s to blame? The manager? The players? Hard to say, but one thing’s for sure: presidents don’t generally fire their players…
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