Matchday 23 felt like it would never end: it kicked off on Friday and only wrapped up last night…
I don’t know about you readers, but personally I found Matchday 23 of Serie A unbearable, finally concluded last night with Milan’s emphatic away win over Bologna. A round of fixtures that truly seemed unwilling to end: a never-ending story, to quote an iconic ’80s movie.
From my point of view—and I’m genuinely curious to hear other opinions—a matchday stretched across five days simply makes no sense.
Lazio–Genoa opened proceedings on Friday night, three games on Saturday, three on Sunday, Udinese–Roma on Monday night, and Bologna–Milan on Tuesday. In between, a January transfer window that closed on Monday less than two hours before kickoff in Udine.
One single question, handed down by the ancient Romans in Latin, keeps echoing in my head: cui prodest? Who benefits?
Milan certainly did: having nine full days to prepare for the trip to Bologna paid off. At the Dall’Ara we saw one of the most convincing versions of Massimiliano Allegri’s side, even if the suspicion that Bologna played their part in it is hard to ignore.
Vincenzo Italiano’s team has literally collapsed over the last ten matches, picking up just six points from a meager return of one win (against Verona), three draws, and as many as six defeats. More than a negative run, it’s been a full-blown meltdown: only Lecce and Pisa have done worse in that span, while Cremonese have matched the same points total.
Against this Bologna side, a fresh and well-rested Milan cruised through the match, managing the second half with the result already in the bag by the 48th minute and repeatedly going close to making it four, breaking on the counter into the wide-open spaces left behind by their opponents.
With the win in Bologna, the Rossoneri moved up to 50 points in the table, five points behind leaders Inter and, crucially, seven clear of fifth-placed Roma. That cushion over fifth is vital, as it puts a serious mortgage on Champions League qualification—the real seasonal objective for Allegri’s team, a point the coach never fails to reiterate whenever microphones are put in front of him.
The biggest crash of the round belongs to Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma, beaten away by Udinese: the coach’s post-match irritability is a mirror of a deeper malaise that has turned into outright dissatisfaction.
Gasperini was not fully convinced by the January transfer window, neither by the timing of the club’s moves nor by the overall volume of reinforcements. All the arrivals were attacking players—which were needed—but no action was taken on the defensive flanks (especially on the left) or in midfield, where the coach had asked for reinforcements.
After flirting with dreams of glory, feeling just one step away from a definitive leap in quality, Gasperini probably feels today—more than ever—that he cannot compete with the league’s heavyweights and fears that even Champions League qualification, which once looked within reach, could slip away.
As things stand, Inter and Milan are a cut above not only Roma, who sit 12 points off the top and seven behind the Rossoneri, but also Napoli and Juventus, trailing the summit by nine and ten points respectively.
The risk of Inter pulling away remains high, but for now we should thank Allegri—much criticized yet undeniably effective—if the Scudetto race isn’t already over.
L’articolo The Never-Ending Story proviene da Soccer Made In Italy.
