Juventus and Napoli win in the Champions League, but what a pain. The Bianconeri risk elimination but are saved by Openda and David, the two attackers targeted by critics
Two victories were needed and two victories arrived. Juventus and Napoli put the Champions League back on the waterline even if Spalletti and Conte will still have to suffer to at least reach the finish line of the playoffs in February. Both were looking for a caress and some confirmation from the European night and both received what they were looking for; that the level of the opponents on duty (Bodo Glimt and Qarabag) was not excellent matters little.
Juventus had to recover in the Norwegian cold, where Roma and Lazio had fallen in recent years. The goals from Openda (first in black and white), McKennie and David in the final decisions were decisive, but what a scare. Napoli missed a penalty with Hojlund and feared for a long time that they would end up on the sidelines against the little more than willing Azerbaijanis, but in the end the usual Mc Tominay got the job done.
Juventus reaction, but what a risk for Spalletti
Luciano Spalletti’s Juventus was perhaps born in the cold of Bodo. A difficult and risky birth, because for too long the Bianconeri were truly walking on the edge of a sensational elimination from the Champions League. With its back against the wall, however, the Juventus spirit came out and rebelled against fate, managing to let its superiority prevail.
Not everything was perfect, on the contrary. The choice to make way turnover on a very treacherous pitch, for example, he didn’t pay off for a long time and raised doubts about Spalletti’s strategies. The coach had explained that he wanted to give trust and minutes even to the less committed ones, a risky bet in an evening that was already in or out.
After the rest, however, there was no more room for fear. The news will say that Yildiz’s entry onto the pitch changed the match, but it is not necessarily the only key to interpretation. Openda’s first goal in black and white, goal from David the other disappeared, growing performance from Miretti and, above all, a reaction of character that had not yet been seen even after Spalletti’s arrival at Continassa.
The victory does not seal qualification for the playoffs, but it makes everything easier also because the calendar now offers home matches against Paphos And Benfica from which you can squeeze the points you need with the trip to the Principality against Monk as a safety net: it’s not much but it’s enough as a balance sheet for an evening that was scary and had started in the worst possible way.
Napoli on the shoulders of Mc Tominay
Napoli banged against the Azerbaijani wall for over an hour, allowing themselves the luxury of even missing a penalty kick before finding their way to the net. The signature on the victory that gives consistency to the project to progress to the next round is the usual one: Scott Mc Tominay. The Scotsman is the soul of Conte’s team who, after the break on the Aventine Hill, received convincing home successes from his two while awaiting the trip to the home of league leaders Roma.
The emergency forced the Lecce technician to continue on path of the offensive trident with two wide wingers like Lang and Neres: a choice that paid off again, as against Atalanta, and which is set to become one of the solutions to the woes of a team that for a few weeks has shown enormous difficulty in building football and triggering its attackers.
With 7 points, Napoli can look to the future with confidence. On paper there is still a chance to get into the top eight of the single group stage because the away games against Benfica and Copenhagen are not prohibitive and they can provide a dream night with world champions Chelsea at the end of January. However, moving forward with thoughts can be dangerous: it is better to concentrate on the present and on the trip to the Olimpico in which the third and final proof of rebirth is needed.
