Draws for Napoli and Juventus. Pioli’s dismissal fails to wake up the Viola, who lose again — this time in the Conference League.
The overall balance for Italian clubs in this week’s three days of European action is better than last week’s, but still not without its shadows.
Let’s start with the positives: no defeats in either the Champions League or Europa League. Atalanta earned a well-deserved away win over OM, and Inter did what was expected by beating Kairat. In the Europa League, Roma grabbed a vital away victory against the Glasgow Rangers, securing three crucial points that put them back in contention for a top-eight finish in the single-table format.
While Atalanta’s and Roma’s away wins were spotless — considering both the quality of football and the strength of their opponents — Inter’s victory over Kairat was far more labored than expected. The Nerazzurri suffered a dip in focus, knowing they were vastly superior on paper. In the end, as captain Dimarco underlined post-match, the three points are what matter, but the performance sounded a small alarm bell that should not be ignored.
The home draws for Juventus and Napoli were more disappointing, as both sides had the quality (and the odds) to win their respective matches.
Conte’s Napoli couldn’t break through the Eintracht Frankfurt wall — or “catenaccio,” as the coach himself called it — finishing 0-0. Spalletti’s Juventus were held 1-1 by Sporting Lisbon. If the single-league phase ended today (luckily we’re only halfway through), Juventus would sit outside the top 24 — meaning elimination — while Napoli would just squeeze in as the 24th and final team to advance to the knockout stage.
As mentioned, Roma’s win in Scotland was the standout Italian performance of the round. Meanwhile, Bologna could only manage a goalless home draw after being reduced to ten men in the 23rd minute when Lykogiannis was sent off.
The only Italian defeat of this European week came in the Conference League, where Fiorentina were beaten by Mainz after surrendering a lead. The decisive goal, conceded in the 95th minute, summed up the Viola’s miserable start to the season — a mix of bad luck and self-inflicted mistakes that continue to drag the team down, even after Pioli’s sacking.
seo tags: Serie A, Inter, Roma, Atalanta, Fiorentina, Juventus, Napoli, Bologna, Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, Spalletti, Conte, Italian football
L’articolo European Cups: Wins for Inter, Atalanta and Roma — Fiorentina sink again proviene da Soccer Made In Italy.
