Former Milan coach Fabio Capello believes Juventus can still put pressure on Inter in the race for the Serie A title. The former Roma and England coach wrote a column for La Gazzetta dello Sport, outlining the season so far and what he expects for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign:
Having left behind the three days of cups, it is already time to dive back into the championship. Juventus are immediately on the scene at Genoa. This is the third time in a row that the Bianconeri have moved up to Friday, and in the previous two matches they have always put pressure on Inter, winning and momentarily taking the lead. On a purely psychological level, playing earlier allows you to face the engagement with the right serenity: you know you have to bring home the three points, without doing too much reasoning, and then you sit on the sofa waiting for your rivals. Massimiliano Allegri, yesterday in the eve conference, defined the away match at Marassi as a dangerous obstacle. He is right, Gilardino’s team is doing well, especially at home, and has also been unlucky in some final games, otherwise they would have a better ranking.
But I have seen a conviction in Juve recently that wasn’t there before. The players know what they want and how to achieve it. So today Max has on his hands a team that has acquired personality and this makes all the difference in the world. Of course, Inter are still the favourites to win the championship. And at Juve, Kean’s injury can create problems. We know how fragile the starters, Vlahovic and Chiesa, are and losing the centre forward of the national team means having their backs less covered for a month or so. Especially at a time when the forwards are struggling to score, also because supplies are scarce, to be honest. The opposite of what is happening at Inter, at least if we limit ourselves to Serie A. In Europe, however, I did not understand Simone Inzaghi’s strategy. The match against Real Sociedad was crucial to put the Nerazzurri (on paper of course) on a less dangerous track in the Champions round of 16. Instead, Lautaro on the bench for more than an hour. I wonder: wasn’t it better to spare the Argentine the second half with Udinese, when you were already 3-0 up? Now comes the trip to the home of Lazio, who have been indigestible to Inzaghi as a former player for the past two years. Both Biancocelesti and Inter have played in the Champions League, but at this point I expect Tuesday’s turnover to allow the leaders to come in with a little more freshness than Sarri’s side.
The weekend Serie A match that intrigues me most, however, is the lunchtime one between AC Milan and Monza. On the one hand I would like the Rossoneri to be those of the last 25 minutes in Newcastle, on the other hand I am curious to see Palladino’s team. Monza play good football, they have courage, they always play the ball forward. It will not be easy for Pioli, who, however, in the last Champions League match was clever, giving up playing man on man and almost deploying in zone, and then taking advantage of the physical decline of the English. The Milan of the final with Newcastle can and should have great ambitions in Italy and in the Europa League, but playing on Thursday could become a problem. The victory at St James Park, however, has another positive side: it can make the players, and I refer especially to the new ones, understand that they are strong. It gives them confidence, after it seemed to me that in some games they played with a bit of fear, doing the little task, without risking the most difficult pass. Now Leao will also be back at full strength, and by regaining confidence the Rossoneri can hope to make up points or at least keep the pursuers away in view of qualifying for the next Champions League.
And speaking of the fight for fourth place, Bologna v Roma is a top-class challenge and promises to be very interesting. Thiago Motta is, along with Palladino, the coach I like best among the emerging players, and he has Zirkzee, one of the best young players in the league, but he will have to watch out for that ‘foxy’ Mourinho. The Giallorossi are without Dybala and Lukaku, the man who creates chances and the bomber who finishes, but I would not trust him: it is precisely in difficulties that Mou is at his best and surprises. Finally, I expect a step forward from Napoli: Mazzarri knows that he has to fix the defensive phase and against Braga he finally kept his goal inviolate. Let’s see if it will be confirmed against Cagliari.
