Jump to content
Newcastle-Online

"Calcio!" Serie A

Collage

by Collage
in Football

 Share

Recommended Posts

ponsaelius

ponsaelius

Posted
Posted (edited)

The one thing I take from this season to be honest is that Atalanta have fumbled a once in a century opportunity. 79-82 points is going to be enough. They could have easily had it if they'd just not fucked up too many home games mid season.

 

 

Edited by ponsaelius

Link to post
Share on other sites
Fak

Fak

Posted
Posted

Cracking piece from Horncastle in The Athletic this morning:

 

Spoiler

Serie A has proved it is Europe’s most enraging, engaging and entertaining league

 

Nothing changed and yet everything happened.

 

It was another Sunday in Serie A, except this Sunday felt like an entire season in one. Nine months condensed into 90 minutes.

 

League leaders Napoli began the day a point ahead of Inter, and that’s how they ended it. The table, cold and numerical, betrayed no emotion. It is not a cardiogram, after all. And yet hearts were in mouths throughout.

 

Tensions ran so high that Napoli coach Antonio Conte and his Inter counterpart Simone Inzaghi won’t be on the sidelines for the final matchday, when the title will still be very much on the line. Both were sent off in different stadiums 90 miles apart, their teams locked in a fight for the same objective.

 

That both lost their heads was entirely understandable.

 

Napoli were expected to have wrapped up the title by now, particularly given their run-in. Three points clear going into last weekend’s games, on Sunday they returned to the dressing room at half-time away to Parma a point behind Inter, who were winning at home to Lazio. The score in their game was 0-0 and the ball wouldn’t go in.

 

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa had struck the post, and the woodwork continued to get in the way after the interval. A cross from Matteo Politano bounced on the top of the crossbar. A Scott McTominay free kick was then tipped onto it by Zion Suzuki. The inches separated Napoli from more than a goal. They added up to the distance between them and a second Scudetto in three years.

 

As Napoli’s frustrations grew, Inter gained in confidence of being able to retain their title, one many thought lost. At the end of April, Inter were visited by the ghosts of three years ago. In April 2022, a defeat to Bologna at their Renato Dall’Ara stadium cost them that Serie A crown. Inter were beaten on the same ground again and, to make matters worse, in their next two games they went out of the Coppa Italia to Milan and then lost to Roma in the league. The title race seemed run.

 

Either side of the mentally and physically exhausting Champions League semi-final games against Barcelona, Inzaghi played the reserves in the league, back-ups he hadn’t been able to trust all season. Slip-ups were expected — if not against Verona at home, then away to Torino. But Inter unexpectedly won both, and all of a sudden their breath was hot on Neapolitan necks.

 

After last weekend’s 2-2 home draw with Genoa, Conte tried to find sweetness amid the bitter taste of being twice in front and failing to win. They could still have won the league this weekend. He depicted himself as a regular Neapolitan going to the pasticceria. The cake was ready. All that was missing was the cherry on top.

 

And yet, at 9:47pm last night, it was as if Inter had picked up their order. They were the ones licking their lips.

 

Yann Bisseck had given Inter the lead at San Siro.

 

It was first-half stoppage time and Napoli learnt of the goal and the change in the table in the away dressing room at the Ennio Tardini. Conte’s team talk may as well have been the notifications popping up on their phones and the news coming through on fans’ pocket radios. Napoli had to react, they had to score — or hope Lazio, a team who lost 6-0 the previous time they played Inter in the league, did.

 

Warming up for Lazio was Pedro, a player Conte coached and with whom he won the Premier League for Chelsea eight years ago.

 

In 40 minutes of football last night, the 37-year-old Spanish forward did enough to win the man of the match award in his game and also the one in Parma, as he did more than any Napoli player to ensure the lead at the top of the league swung back to them.

 

Pedro equalised against Inter, not once but twice. Both goals were dramatic. The first was ruled out, then reinstated. The second was a penalty missed by the referee but not by the VAR and not by Pedro, who could not have placed it better.

 

His eighth and ninth goals from the bench this season, nobody in Europe’s top five leagues has more, sent the Napoli fans in the away end at the Tardini into raptures. A roar went up and plumes of blue smoke twirled in the sky as if one of their own had scored.

 

But Inter, as was the case in that classic tie against Barcelona, kept coming back.

 

Francesco Acerbi, the centre-back who moved up front and sent that Champions League semi-final to extra time, once again found himself in the opposition penalty area in stoppage time. Marko Arnautovic missed his knockdown, a relative sitter, and then had another goal disallowed.

 

In a race far more compelling than the Imola Grand Prix elsewhere in Italy earlier in the day, the overtake was close again. Inter were a nose in front and then had to give the place back.

Napoli had played most of the night in fear of relinquishing their lead in the title race. The twists and turns weren’t over. The ones performed by David Neres drew a penalty award at the Tardini. It was a chance not only to beat Parma right at the death but to pull away from Inter. However, a foul by Giovanni Simeone in the build-up led the VAR to call the referee over to the monitor, where he signalled the reversal of his decision.

 

Up and down the country, pulses took longer than usual to come down to normal resting rates.

 

The goalless draw at the Tardini meant Parma aren’t safe from relegation. Cagliari’s 3-0 home win against Venezia kept them up. Juventus beating visitors Udinese 2-0 ensured Champions League football qualification is in their hands, although Lazio’s point and Roma’s 3-1 defeat of Milan left both with a chance of fourth spot.

 

Ordinarily, the choreography the Curva Sud reserved for Claudio Ranieri before his final home game (we think) at the Olimpico and the moving speech he gave afterwards would have been worthy of a column on their own. But this was no ordinary Sunday.

 

For the second time in three years, Serie A’s title race is going down to the final day.

 

When that final day is exactly will be decided at a league assembly this morning (Monday) — next weekend’s games could be brought forward to create space in the calendar for the first title-deciding play-off since one between Bologna and Inter in 1964, should the latter and Napoli finish on the same number of points.

 

Amid the regular conjecture about which league is the ‘best’ in the world, Italy’s top flight has had four different winners in five years and, as mentioned, two of those seasons have gone right to the wire.

 

In terms of keeping its fans engaged and entertained until the very end, Serie A is in a league of its own.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
toon25

toon25

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, Fak said:

Cracking piece from Horncastle in The Athletic this morning:

 

  Hide contents

Serie A has proved it is Europe’s most enraging, engaging and entertaining league

 

Nothing changed and yet everything happened.

 

It was another Sunday in Serie A, except this Sunday felt like an entire season in one. Nine months condensed into 90 minutes.

 

League leaders Napoli began the day a point ahead of Inter, and that’s how they ended it. The table, cold and numerical, betrayed no emotion. It is not a cardiogram, after all. And yet hearts were in mouths throughout.

 

Tensions ran so high that Napoli coach Antonio Conte and his Inter counterpart Simone Inzaghi won’t be on the sidelines for the final matchday, when the title will still be very much on the line. Both were sent off in different stadiums 90 miles apart, their teams locked in a fight for the same objective.

 

That both lost their heads was entirely understandable.

 

Napoli were expected to have wrapped up the title by now, particularly given their run-in. Three points clear going into last weekend’s games, on Sunday they returned to the dressing room at half-time away to Parma a point behind Inter, who were winning at home to Lazio. The score in their game was 0-0 and the ball wouldn’t go in.

 

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa had struck the post, and the woodwork continued to get in the way after the interval. A cross from Matteo Politano bounced on the top of the crossbar. A Scott McTominay free kick was then tipped onto it by Zion Suzuki. The inches separated Napoli from more than a goal. They added up to the distance between them and a second Scudetto in three years.

 

As Napoli’s frustrations grew, Inter gained in confidence of being able to retain their title, one many thought lost. At the end of April, Inter were visited by the ghosts of three years ago. In April 2022, a defeat to Bologna at their Renato Dall’Ara stadium cost them that Serie A crown. Inter were beaten on the same ground again and, to make matters worse, in their next two games they went out of the Coppa Italia to Milan and then lost to Roma in the league. The title race seemed run.

 

Either side of the mentally and physically exhausting Champions League semi-final games against Barcelona, Inzaghi played the reserves in the league, back-ups he hadn’t been able to trust all season. Slip-ups were expected — if not against Verona at home, then away to Torino. But Inter unexpectedly won both, and all of a sudden their breath was hot on Neapolitan necks.

 

After last weekend’s 2-2 home draw with Genoa, Conte tried to find sweetness amid the bitter taste of being twice in front and failing to win. They could still have won the league this weekend. He depicted himself as a regular Neapolitan going to the pasticceria. The cake was ready. All that was missing was the cherry on top.

 

And yet, at 9:47pm last night, it was as if Inter had picked up their order. They were the ones licking their lips.

 

Yann Bisseck had given Inter the lead at San Siro.

 

It was first-half stoppage time and Napoli learnt of the goal and the change in the table in the away dressing room at the Ennio Tardini. Conte’s team talk may as well have been the notifications popping up on their phones and the news coming through on fans’ pocket radios. Napoli had to react, they had to score — or hope Lazio, a team who lost 6-0 the previous time they played Inter in the league, did.

 

Warming up for Lazio was Pedro, a player Conte coached and with whom he won the Premier League for Chelsea eight years ago.

 

In 40 minutes of football last night, the 37-year-old Spanish forward did enough to win the man of the match award in his game and also the one in Parma, as he did more than any Napoli player to ensure the lead at the top of the league swung back to them.

 

Pedro equalised against Inter, not once but twice. Both goals were dramatic. The first was ruled out, then reinstated. The second was a penalty missed by the referee but not by the VAR and not by Pedro, who could not have placed it better.

 

His eighth and ninth goals from the bench this season, nobody in Europe’s top five leagues has more, sent the Napoli fans in the away end at the Tardini into raptures. A roar went up and plumes of blue smoke twirled in the sky as if one of their own had scored.

 

But Inter, as was the case in that classic tie against Barcelona, kept coming back.

 

Francesco Acerbi, the centre-back who moved up front and sent that Champions League semi-final to extra time, once again found himself in the opposition penalty area in stoppage time. Marko Arnautovic missed his knockdown, a relative sitter, and then had another goal disallowed.

 

In a race far more compelling than the Imola Grand Prix elsewhere in Italy earlier in the day, the overtake was close again. Inter were a nose in front and then had to give the place back.

Napoli had played most of the night in fear of relinquishing their lead in the title race. The twists and turns weren’t over. The ones performed by David Neres drew a penalty award at the Tardini. It was a chance not only to beat Parma right at the death but to pull away from Inter. However, a foul by Giovanni Simeone in the build-up led the VAR to call the referee over to the monitor, where he signalled the reversal of his decision.

 

Up and down the country, pulses took longer than usual to come down to normal resting rates.

 

The goalless draw at the Tardini meant Parma aren’t safe from relegation. Cagliari’s 3-0 home win against Venezia kept them up. Juventus beating visitors Udinese 2-0 ensured Champions League football qualification is in their hands, although Lazio’s point and Roma’s 3-1 defeat of Milan left both with a chance of fourth spot.

 

Ordinarily, the choreography the Curva Sud reserved for Claudio Ranieri before his final home game (we think) at the Olimpico and the moving speech he gave afterwards would have been worthy of a column on their own. But this was no ordinary Sunday.

 

For the second time in three years, Serie A’s title race is going down to the final day.

 

When that final day is exactly will be decided at a league assembly this morning (Monday) — next weekend’s games could be brought forward to create space in the calendar for the first title-deciding play-off since one between Bologna and Inter in 1964, should the latter and Napoli finish on the same number of points.

 

Amid the regular conjecture about which league is the ‘best’ in the world, Italy’s top flight has had four different winners in five years and, as mentioned, two of those seasons have gone right to the wire.

 

In terms of keeping its fans engaged and entertained until the very end, Serie A is in a league of its own.

 

Great piece. It's a brilliant league and hugely entertaining 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...