Matchday 18 of Serie A goes into the books by consolidating established certainties, confirming trends and sidestepping surprises.
It’s no longer news that Allegri’s Milan grind out another “short snout” win, unbeaten in 16 straight league matches and now fully reshaped—especially in their solidity—in the image and likeness of their coach.
It’s no longer news—and yet it really should be—the attacking struggles of Juventus’ No. 9s. From Vlahović to David, the Bianconeri are cementing a recent tradition of supposed stars burned out quickly and without appeal… or after too many appeals (or chances), depending on how you look at it.
David’s penalty against Lecce is the programmatic manifesto of the “I’d like to, but I can’t”: when a striker enters that kind of spiral—trying to be what he has always been (and David has always been a prolific goalscorer) and yet constantly coming up empty—maybe it really is time to change scenery.
It’s no longer news the Roma’s awful trend in direct clashes for Champions League qualification: another defeat arrived in Bergamo, after those against Inter, Milan, Napoli and Juventus. When the bar is raised, Roma lose—by now, that’s a fact.
Atalanta of recent years, despite their poor current league position (and let’s say that choosing Juric at the start of the season didn’t help…), are fully involved in the Champions League race and, in absolute terms, should be considered superior—especially at home—to Bologna and Como. Those two are not mentioned by chance: they are the sides currently ahead of the Bergamaschi in the table that Roma have beaten, at home.
Sticking with the match in Bergamo, it’s no longer news (unfortunately) the dreary drift of VAR, unveiled with great fanfare as “The Solution” to all injustices and, in just a few years, turned into a festival of overcomplicated interpretation and doubled controversy. A mistake on the pitch can be accepted; a failure to correct it by officials sitting in front of a monitor cannot.
After the match, Gasperini thundered about the goal awarded to Scalvini—and he’s absolutely right. There are two irregularities, both rather obvious, and both incredibly missed by the all-seeing eye of VAR: Scalvini commits a clear foul on Svilar and, above all, in the motion he handles the ball, guiding it into the net with his arm.
The lack of VAR intervention on Atalanta’s awarded goal represents one of the clearest and most glaring errors of the season. The question is: who oversees (and sanctions) the overseer?
In theory, the refereeing designator—but he is widely expected to be on his way out, effectively weakened in both form and substance in the eyes of the officials he oversees.
It’s no longer news Inter, who keep winning led by captain Lautaro Martínez, the only player to have reached double figures as the first half of the season draws to a close—and with a game in hand, no less.
The Nerazzurri reacted to the painful derby defeat on November 23 by stringing together an (ongoing) run of five straight Serie A wins, making them the form team of the moment, thanks above all to the goals of their captain, who is well and truly on fire.
It’s no longer news the chronic nervousness at Lazio, with Sarri’s side continuing to pick up red cards (two against Napoli), and captain Zaccagni—spared by the referee after repeated protests—eventually substituted by the coach out of sheer exasperation.
Staying with the Olimpico clash, it’s no longer news either the solidity of Conte’s Napoli, completely transformed compared to two months ago.
And it’s no longer news that the Scudetto race is now a three-horse affair between the two Milan clubs and the reigning champions Napoli: matchday after matchday, the gap to the chasers grows, and considering the game in hand due to the Supercoppa, the divide now looks definitively drawn.
L’articolo No longer newsworthy proviene da Soccer Made In Italy.
