Chivu rises in the standings, but the match against Juventus is conditioned by a serious refereeing error. And Bastoni’s simulation causes discussion: should he be excluded from the national team?
Bastoni simulates, La Penna takes the bait and chases away the innocent Kalulu, Inter wins but fills the Italian Derby and the entire season with poison. It’s all there in the night at San Siro which sends the Nerazzurri back to +8 over Milan, awaiting recovery against Como and sends the Bianconeri to hell. Above all, there is the unsportsmanlike gesture of a national team player which affects a previously balanced match, breaks it in two and leaves behind the pungent smell of sporting dishonesty. Right on the field where a week ago the sacred fire of Olympia celebrated the values of sport. Bad. Very bad.
It’s impossible not to start from the scene that cost Kalulu the red card: who knows what Gattuso thinks about the opportunity to call Bastoni and give him the blue shirt in March rather than leaving him at home to reflect because the gesture is unforgivable, aggravated by the celebration after having collected the spoils of the opponent’s expulsion.
Without too many turns of phrase, it is the main scene that conditions everything else because Juventus had been better up until that moment and never abdicated even afterwards, despite being crushed by numerical inferiority. Then there’s the rest and it’s no small thing given that San Siro experienced an evening full of emotions and reversals. Inter won by erasing the taboo of prohibited direct clashes, extending their standings and incredible streak of positive results.
Chivu had to draw heavily on the alternatives given that the starters struggled for a long time: the Nerazzurri’s superiority in Serie A can also be measured in situations like this, when there is a need to go deep into the squad to be able to overcome the embarrassments created by the opponent. It wasn’t the league leaders’ best night, but it was perhaps the most important on the road to the scudetto.
Spalletti complains about the refereeing issue but can go home happy with what his Juventus have shown. Team with a precise and definable identity, capable of controlling the pace of the match for a long time through organization and ball possession, never tamed even in difficulties. It is possible that Milan’s defeat temporarily puts them on the margins of the Champions League zone, but the signal sent to the other contenders is strong.
