No redemption for Inter and Napoli in the Champions League, their respective qualification objectives are postponed to the last round of the first phase. Not without risks for both…
It wasn’t a great night for Italian football, but ultimately there’s little to be surprised about the struggles of Inter and Napoli. Two victories were needed to fuel the plans for direct qualification to the round of 16 for Chivu and the playoffs for Conte, but a defeat and a draw arrived which fuel regrets. It wasn’t even enough for Napoli to play almost the entire match in numerical superiority and find themselves in the lead to finish the job in Copenhagen while Inter, who faced the strongest team in Europe today, simply didn’t do the feat they needed.
The result is that the Nerazzurri are out of Europe’s magnificent eight for the first time and, barring an upheaval, they won’t get back there even by winning the last one in Dortmund. Assuming they win. While the Neapolitans continue to walk a thin line. They maintained at least a one-goal lead over Copenhagen, and in the end it could prove decisive, but against Chelsea no missteps will be allowed. And in the madness of the last Wednesday of the Champions League there will be the obligation to play to win because you never know what can happen.
Inter surrendered to Arsenal by playing a courageous and at the same time mortifying game. In terms of opportunities there are regrets, but not in terms of the game: the English managed the standings and pace of the match from the start, sinking when they wanted. Since it is the third time in Europe that Inter have bowed their heads when the bar is raised (and the head-to-head matches lost in the championship must be added), we must conclude that Chivu has not yet found the antidote or, more brutally, that there is not the same quality and intensity as last season.
And Napoli? McTominay’s usual goal wasn’t enough and neither was playing for more than an hour with eleven against ten. Not even Milinkovic Savic blocking a penalty was enough, as Larsson reiterated the effort into the net. Conte attacked everyone he had including the purged ones, he saw his team waste some favorable opportunities in the final and the draw he brought home had a bittersweet taste. Calculator in hand, it was important not to lose in Copenhagen, in reality the match against Chelsea will be a final in all respects. To play with the same men counted. Survival and a mountain of money are at stake.
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