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Serie A Match Week 3 Recap I Juve show their Fino Alle Fine spirit Luka Modric gets his first goal for Milan Napoli show their depth Atalanta get their first win of the season under Juric Roma fall at home Sass, Cagliari, Udinese all with wins Genoa get first goal of season on late drama at the Lak
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In this episode of Calcio Culture, hosts Logues and Mats dive into the thrilling match week three of Serie A, highlighting Juventus' dramatic derby win over Inter, Napoli's continued dominance, and the struggles of teams like Roma and Lazio. They analyze tactical performances, standout players, and look ahead to upcoming matches, including the highly anticipated Roma derby. The episode also touches on the future of the San Siro stadium and concludes with betting picks for the week.
Juventus showed resilience in their derby win against Inter.
Napoli continues to impress with their depth and performance.
Inter struggles with mental fortitude in crucial moments.
Fiorentina faces challenges under new management.
AC Milan secures important points despite missing key players.
Roma's inconsistency raises questions about their season.
Lazio's performance is under scrutiny after a disappointing loss.
Atalanta's attacking prowess returns with a strong win.
Cagliari proves tough to beat at home.
Nico Paz is a rising star in Serie A.
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Transcript
Introduction and Hosts
00:00:07
Speaker
Ciao, paisans! Welcome back to another electric episode of Coucho Culture. I'm your host today, Logs. I'm joined by none other than Mats today. No vos as he's traveling to the Pacific Islands.
00:00:22
Speaker
He is in Hawaii. Mahalo, brother.
Serie A Match Week 3 Recap
00:00:25
Speaker
Match week three was an electric week for Serie A. We start out with Juve finally showing their Fino alla fine spirit with a huge win beating Inter in the Derby d'Italias, 4-3.
00:00:40
Speaker
Mr. Ballon d'Or, Luka Modric, gets his first goal from Milan, carries them to big three points against Bologna. Napoli showcased their depth and dominated Fiorentina in Florence.
00:00:51
Speaker
Atalanta get their first win of the season under Juric with four goals over Lecce. Roma unfortunately fall at home to Torino, 1-0. to nell Sassuolo, Cagliari, Udinese all take away three points from their games this weekend.
00:01:08
Speaker
And Genoa get their first goal of the season with some late drama at the lake against Como. Paisans, it's great to be here. Great to be back. Mats, are you feeling?
00:01:19
Speaker
We're feeling good. We're feeling good. Fresh off of, like you said, a fantastic week week of Calcio. um The premier games were a very good sample. So if you haven't watched Serie A or Calcio, those were good, great introductions.
00:01:34
Speaker
um So if you didn't see them, go watch the highlights because they were a great games. So can't wait to get into this episode and cover them.
Fan Engagement and Feedback
00:01:40
Speaker
No, definitely a great weekend to start being a fan of the Serie A. So definitely check in.
00:01:46
Speaker
We know one Paizan is certainly checking in. Commented on our Spotify last week from our table predictions. Mots, who's our shout out for the Paizan of the week? Yep.
00:01:56
Speaker
We have an older gentleman, most likely based off of the name on his Spotify account. We have granddad giving a nice comment saying, great podcast guys ever thought about doing ah collab with I F TV.
00:02:12
Speaker
And Grandad, we would love to do a collab with IFTV. I absolutely love it. I think right now we're probably a little too small, not not necessarily maybe on their radar yet. However, with you guys commenting, liking, rating at five stars as you're doing, subscribing on YouTube, we are growing um very quickly. So hopefully we can be get on their radar and do a collab with them so it can help us grow.
00:02:37
Speaker
I will say that I did meet some of the IFTV guys at a... um at a in person in the city um ah long time ago and they did give us a shout out on one of their episodes it was more towards the end um but they do know who I am I have met them before um and would love to do a a collab um eventually but Maybe we still are on their radar after your little interaction last season.
00:03:06
Speaker
IFTV, if you are listening, let us know. We'd love to ah we'd love to do a collab with you guys. um But that will be for another day.
Serie A in the Champions League
00:03:14
Speaker
What's on tap this week, before we get into what happened this past weekend, we would be remiss not to talk about The Champions League is back.
00:03:25
Speaker
We have four Serie A teams going at it, vying for that ever-escaping trophy that we just simply can't take back to Italy. But in any case, a start for Juve today.
00:03:37
Speaker
They draw against Dortmund in another high-scoring game. Seven goals led up by Juve. Seven goals in the last two games given up by Juve. They draw 4-4.
00:03:50
Speaker
Tomorrow, we're recording on Tuesdays to tomorrow, Wednesday. Inter go to Amsterdam, take on Ajax. at Atlanta are going to Peri, taking on the reigning champions of Europe and PSG.
00:04:02
Speaker
And a big, big tilt on Thursday, Napoli. is visiting the Etihad in Manchester. Kevin De Bruyne, KDB, going back home for the very first time not too long after his departure there.
00:04:16
Speaker
That'll be an interesting, interesting game to see how he plays on Thursday. Yeah, I just want to quickly cut you off here. um Obviously, Juve was at home and we they did draw 4-4. So i I can understand you where you're coming from saying not the hope that they were starting for.
00:04:34
Speaker
However, they were down four two or two to four in the 86th minute. And they did earn a point and a draw. So it was not the result in terms of getting the three points. But you can look at this as a um a stepping stone in the season as they came back from a game where last season or for over the past five years, Juventus have 100% lost this game.
00:04:58
Speaker
Yeah, i mean, i think there's a couple takeaways from this game from my perspective. Number one, Dorman's not a bad team. Let's not get that twisted. Dorman is a very good team, perennially one of the top four teams from the Bundesliga, and have made some great signings over the summer. A lot of players have been developing well for them.
00:05:15
Speaker
So i'm not going to say that this was the easiest game to start out on. Number two, this is a A very young Juve's first time since very early into last season playing and in ah in another competition outside of Italy.
00:05:29
Speaker
Tudor's first match coaching as the Champions League team. So again, a little bit of a learning curve there. And then number three, and I think the biggest thing from this game is Dusan.
00:05:41
Speaker
A brace from Dusan, Mats. Why do you feel about that? I feel good. Listen, Doosan, like I said a couple of episodes ago, he always starts the season strong. So I want to see what he can do as the season progresses. But at the at the bare minimum, what has happened this season is we have...
00:06:00
Speaker
uh, inner team competition at the up all across the front three. So it's no longer, no matter what hap, no matter what ship Doosan puts out, he needs to be the starter. Cause last year we didn't even have a backup nine until January and Rolo Randall Colomani came in.
00:06:17
Speaker
So now we have Jonathan David, we have Luis Openda, we have Zagrova, we have Yildiz. We have a bunch of different options and can play a bunch of information. So now it's like, Hey, Doosan, if you're not going to perform,
00:06:29
Speaker
you're not going to play. um And you have to perform in the short amount of time that you are given, which he's taking the most of his minutes, which you to give him props there. I'd also add it is his contract year.
00:06:42
Speaker
He is obviously right now the most highest paid player in the Serie A, making 12 million a year. We have noticed on this podcast repeatedly, he probably does not deserve that contract right now.
00:06:52
Speaker
um However, in order for him to get come somewhat close to that contract or try to get it maybe somewhere else in a different league, he needs to perform this year. um And he probably knows that. So the ah pressure's on and he is answering. So listen, I'm not going to be mad if he scores or gets assists or plays well. I'll be happy.
00:07:13
Speaker
We'll keep that inner competition going. Hopefully, Doosan can keep
Analysis of Juve vs Inter Derby
00:07:16
Speaker
performing. But you love to see him on the score sheet. You love to see him getting confidence um and making the most of his minutes. Love to see it.
00:07:24
Speaker
So with that, we go into match week three coverage. And just like that, we just finished up some coverage on a Juve game, and we're going right back to Juve. Like I said earlier, Paisans inter-travel to the Allianz in Turin to take on Juventus this past weekend, and we were in for an absolute treat of a game.
00:07:44
Speaker
Seven goals of late winner from Adzic in the 92nd minute off an absolute bomb 30 yards out. This game had it all back and forth. Hakan Chalkanaglu with a be brace and an absolute stunner for a second goal.
00:08:01
Speaker
Gildiz also on the score sheet. That's now two games in a row, including today against Dortmund. We have Monsa's take on that in just a second. um But in any case, a huge drop of points from Inter. They take away zero, and they're actually in the bottom half of the table as it stands through three games.
00:08:18
Speaker
Adi. Tell me what you thought about this game. Up and down, rollercoaster back and forth, but at the end of the day, Fino Alafini comes through and Juve take three points away. What was yeah just the biggest aspect here?
00:08:30
Speaker
There's a lot lot that went into this game or a lot to take away after the game was over. The first and utmost and most important is, we mentioned it earlier on, just a great representation of Calcio.
00:08:43
Speaker
No, ah kind I don't want to jinx it, but a lot gone may potentially gone are the days of these one to one, one nothing in the the biggest matches where people are tuning in and you get a one nothing slow defensive game where maybe people aren't necessarily going to come back to watch another game. So this is a great representation representation of what Calcio in the Serie is becoming and is.
00:09:08
Speaker
We had great players all over the pitch, which I'd love to see. Now, um from a Juventus standpoint, I want to break it down in a couple different layers here. I want to start it off with Tudor, the manager, who um I thought tailored two halves for Tudor.
00:09:24
Speaker
I thought first half, really, very good performance. We set up kind of in a not in a low block, but like in a mid block defensively. But what I really thought was where he was, um where he he changed up his style of play. And this is where he really set himself apart.
00:09:42
Speaker
is Normally, he kind of wants to play out of the back. Inter have a very good press. He said, screw playing out of the back. We're just going to launch it deep. Launch it on ah far balls and just completely negate their press in the field.
00:09:58
Speaker
our side of the pitch which worked very effectively because we got rid of five players we got rid of their strike their uh attacking two and their midfield and on just one long ball um so i thought that was great and we we ended up being going into the half up two to one um Second half, little bit of a different um story for me.
00:10:22
Speaker
I thought he'd lined up too deep and tried to just, hey, let's hold on to this lead, this two to one lead. Let's defend. We fell. We stopped that that caused us to fall behind three to two in the 75th minute. And then it was, hey, now we got to go try to at least tie the game.
00:10:41
Speaker
that paired with, I thought that his subs were needed much earlier in the game to change it up. I thought that he made the right subs and I liked what he, it ended up becoming the right subs, so but they were much too late.
00:10:57
Speaker
And when we needed them, however, so overall I'll take it from two door. There's a places to grow, but I liked what I saw moving on to a player perspective. Um,
00:11:08
Speaker
The two key takeaways for me is going to be Yieldiz. He's an absolute star boy. He is, anytime he gets the ball, he is direct. He's taking on a player. He creates chance after chance.
00:11:21
Speaker
The goals that he can score, he um when he gets the ball, he knows what he wants to do with the ball. And his his not only his decision-making, but his execution in the final third this season to start in the end of last season has been tremendous and that's what's made him take the next step um next up would be kefran taram just game in and game out he's running all over the pitch he is a winning the ball back uh defending creating chances he scored a goal with his head to tie off of a yield as assist so those two are becoming our what uh what used to be kind of our paulo diballa and paul pogba when we reigned for nine years in the syriac and the the champions league um
00:12:07
Speaker
Then on the on the lesser side or the not performing not performing well side, I would say Coop Miners was not good at all. However, he was played as the right offensive mid slash right wing, which is not his position. He was roaming all over the pitch. He didn't know what to do.
00:12:23
Speaker
He really didn't look good. But once again, ah don't love him playing there. So when I see him playing there, I'm not expecting a whole lot. um And then lastly, just the overall overall After the game, my thoughts, I saw a team that showed belief, that showed spirit, that never gave up, that had the Fino a la Fino, which I have not seen since the last time Juventus has won the Scudetto.
00:12:48
Speaker
And I credit all of that to Igor Tudor. He understands winning is everything that matters. The team is a snapshot of your coach, and they fought, scratched, clawed, believed.
00:13:00
Speaker
that they could get all three points from this game. And that's exactly what they did. um And that's my perspective from Juventus side. Incredibly surprised that you are this relaxed talking about such an insane game. But I i think the reason that it is is because you're fine you feel settled in with this team, with the way that they're they're showing, the way that they play with Tudor, with that Fidu and Lafine. So I'm happy to see you happy, Mas. You happy makes me happy.
00:13:26
Speaker
And then obviously beating Inter also makes me happy, but i can only I can only echo a couple of things that you said. I mean, you you hit it nail on the head there, but Yildiz is becoming an absolute star in this league. he's You can really see it.
00:13:38
Speaker
Physically, he's filled out. he's these You've seen him become from a boy to a man through and through. Way more confident this season, way more direct, knows exactly what he's trying to do and is effectively converting an oh on all of those chances.
00:13:52
Speaker
Another thing i'll I'll say here is that I think Bremer looked actually pretty good in this team, but only on the offensive side, I would say. It was like he was getting he was getting so far of the pitch and had two assists in this game.
00:14:05
Speaker
Really strange, I would say, to see out of him being the center center back, but at least good to see that he has a range of of play outside of just being a pretty brutal um physical defender.
00:14:18
Speaker
The other one that I'll i'll point out is And I'm not going to pick on Coop here. I think that you you hit it already, and he's just playing super out of position. But Lloyd Kelly. Lloyd Kelly now two games in a row, including today as well on the score sheet, with a beautiful finish in the first half for the opening goal.
00:14:35
Speaker
Is Lloyd Kelly coming up your likability list, Monts? Yeah, listen, in the episode where I broke down how I think Juventus could line up, I did give him a small shout out saying that he has taken the step up from Newcastle to Juventus and he has answered that call.
00:14:53
Speaker
um He had a few shaky starts in the beginning, but since the start of the Club World Cup in this season, he's been a consistent starter and a consistent um consistently good defender and even helps...
00:15:07
Speaker
up and up and attack, which the two goals he scored yesterday or today and on Saturday are number nine level finishes. They are unsavable by the goalie. So want to give Lloyd Kelly his flowers. He played a great game and he's been holding his own and proving a lot of the Juventus fans wrong in not wanting to bring him to terrain.
00:15:27
Speaker
100%. That does bring us to the other side, the losing side, the lesser of the two teams in Milan, Inter Milan, the Snakes. They almost had it, carried by Hakann.
00:15:40
Speaker
Teron brings in a goal as the third goal to tie it up again. They give up a late one. We've seen this now time and time again that they just don't have the mental capacity to play a full 90 minutes and close out games, whether it's to get one point or even get three points.
00:15:55
Speaker
We've seen this team under Nzagi last season and now again under Kivu multiple times lose games because they just do not have the mental fortitude to last the entire 90.
00:16:08
Speaker
Monsi, you noticed noted that you didn't agree with the lineup here. I will say that I kind of agree with that, and I'll let you comment on it in second, but... Peter Suchitz should be starting in this game, first and foremost. I mean, it's incredible that he didn't he was a sub and a rather late sub, I believe, in this game.
00:16:22
Speaker
um He's been their best midfielder for through the first three games of this campaign here. And the fact that Hank is playing in a game where the midfield battle was going to be so incredibly important, I think is an oversight by Keeva for sure.
00:16:37
Speaker
um And this isn't really a lineup thing, but... Obviously, i ah I would be, I have to say this because this is the biggest thing that stood out to me. Sommer was horrendous in this game. Jan Sommer between the pipes was horrendous. Juve puts up four goals in this game off of.68xg.
00:16:56
Speaker
One rule as a goalkeeper is if you get your hands on the ball in some capacity, maybe not your fingers, but your hand, you need to make that save. And on two goals, the one on yield is from 30 yards out, and then the winning goal from Adzic from 30 yards out, both times he gets on the first one at one hand. On the second one, goes right through his mitts.
00:17:14
Speaker
Jan looked like he should not be playing at ah at a top level on a top team like this. We noted that in the season preview for Inter as well. I do think it's time for Joseph Martinez to take the starting job away from Sommer, but really, really bad showing from him, especially on a game where shots were coming in from a pretty far distance, I will say. Aside from the Lloyd Kelly one, which I thought was absolute phenomenal finish, nothing to do there.
00:17:37
Speaker
I thought that he looked ah rather bad. And then the last thing I'll say before, Mons, I'll kick it to you here is... we We highlighted it when it happened. It's now showing it's rearing its ugly face.
00:17:47
Speaker
Bringing in Akandji and sending out Pavard did absolutely nothing. It did nothing for this defense. You still have the issue of having to play a Cherubi for a entire 90 minutes and get in games where he probably shouldn't see the pitch. Now, will I say that Bastoni had his best game? Absolutely not.
00:18:03
Speaker
I don't think that's the case. I don't think anybody would say that's the case. But to bring a defender that's supposed to revamp and upgrade your ranks and just to send out another guy to go play from our side who had a decent game today against real I think it was ah definitely an oversight by the management of inter so monster thoughts Yeah, I mean, I agree with a lot of it, right? The lineup to start, I don't agree with. I think maybe Kivu thought, hey, we need to get a win. Let me not change up what worked ah so well last year. So we went back to that classic 3-5-2 with the all the starters that Nzaghi plays. However, without DeMarco starting, and then obviously there is no more Pavard. So we went and plugged in play to Kanji there.
00:18:48
Speaker
but you got to you you you've been for inter um invested this summer in younger players and um to to to rotate or to move on from players you need to do that you need to move on from players a cherubi number one you have a kanji now put a kanji at center center back and play basic i don't care if he makes mistakes He is a better option than a 37-year-old, a Cheruby. It doesn't make any sense to not be playing Bissek in a game like this, to have him learn from it, to to be in the game. He's young. If you're not going to play him, then move on from him.
00:19:32
Speaker
I really didn't like that that start. um And then secondly, in terms of the substitutions, you spent โ money last season on likes of Luis Enrique um and you are put you're bringing Darmian of all people on off the bench why are you bringing him in when you've spent money ah in the summer to reinforce these lines it didn't it didn't make any sense um so I didn't love the the the
00:20:03
Speaker
the formation or the players he picked. I did think that it was ballsy from Kivu to substitute off his two leaders in Barella and Lattaro being like, we're changing this up. I don't like what I'm seeing, but I don't love who came in for those players, right? So, and and and the timing and things like that. So, um that's from a Kibu perspective. I agree with everything you said about summer. i think we've we've said that we beat a dead horse in the summer about why Inter should have gotten a goalie um and moved on from summer. And then, so what I wanted to talk about is
00:20:38
Speaker
like what is missing from this team? Because last year they were almost as good almost a treble winning team and they won nothing. This year, they're obviously two losses out of three games.
00:20:50
Speaker
um And it's the it's the mentality. And I think Bo said it last episode when he was predicting where they finish. And he said that he he has a mentality question about this team and it comes up time and time again.
00:21:02
Speaker
The fact that they don't have the mental focus to win a game or to to see a game out the amount of goals they allow in the 75th minute plus to any team whether it's juventus hudenese we saw last year calgary like they do not have the mental fortitude to see a game out and it's it's honestly embarrassing for the level of quality these players have it doesn't make any sense and it's It's embarrassing.
00:21:31
Speaker
um and And what that leads to, to me, I don't know the answer because they did it last season and I thought Nzaghi is one of those players, I mean, not players, the manager. He screams at them on the pitch. He holds them accountable.
00:21:45
Speaker
He sweats through his shirt. He has to change at halftime. So it's not like they didn't have a manager holding them accountable. I think they have decent leaders in Lattaro and Barella and Hakann, but there's something lacking from this club and this squad.
00:22:02
Speaker
And I don't think they're ever going to get over the hump or they're ever going. What they've won already is the the max that they can go because they cannot finish games out or they don't have the mental... They don't have the mental fortitude to do it over a full season in multiple competitions or even over 90 minutes sometimes. So that to me is what's missing from this team.
00:22:22
Speaker
Yeah, as much as I want to dog Inter, I will say one thing, that going to the Allianz against this Juve team with the momentum that Juve have, from my perspective, is definitely a tough game.
Napoli's Strong Form
00:22:32
Speaker
But then you look at the scoreline and you see that Inter put up three goals.
00:22:36
Speaker
you what You put up three goals in Serie historically you're winning that game. And so clearly there's a bifurcation here between the fact that their offense is actually rather good but that their defense and maybe their transition in the midfield is is lacking and lacking severely. We already covered the fact that there's holes in this defense, but from a Kivu perspective, and this is something that he needs to pick up on and learn, is that If you're scoring three goals here, that means that you are fully prepared to be be going forward, getting in deep, getting shots on net. They had almost 65% possession here, I think.
00:23:09
Speaker
But you look at the lineup, and Dumfries is your wingback on the right side. He wants to get forward. Morella, as much as people say that he's ah he's a box-to-box eight, which he is, I'm not going to lie, he wants to get forward, right?
00:23:22
Speaker
Mocketarian is a 10 traditionally. He wants to get forward. Hakan putting two goals in the net here, obviously getting forward. So there's very little support on the backside, especially if Destoni is another guy who likes to get forward from the center back position.
00:23:37
Speaker
You're leaving a Cherubi and a Kanji back there with Carlos Iglesias, who may or may not be supporting it when they're getting forward, leaving a lot of holes in that backside, especially when Solmer... activated zero saves this game so i think that it they need to tweak this lineup they need to use the younger guys they need to get out some of these stale positions and allow for a fresher start and to get a little bit more and to get much more focused much more focused because that's where i think they can fix the defense is not so much in the skill level because these guys have been there and done that like we like to say it's the fact that and we beating the dead horse but i'm we have to beat it because
00:24:13
Speaker
This inter team has the talent to be a Scudetto contender, but the way that they are playing, the way the the way that they look right now is not anything close to that. Yeah, and I just want to quickly say one more thing and then we'll move on to the next game. And it goes, something I just forgot to mention about the mentality. And I think you can you could see it clear as day in Marcus Taram scoring a goal to take the lead in the 75th minute off of a corner and a header.
00:24:40
Speaker
didn't celebrate at all i can understand maybe he wanted to have respect for his brother respect for his father who like is a juventus as a juventini played for juventus didn't celebrate at all fast forward to rom scores the his brother kefran trump scores the equalizer also on his head can see this And and Marcus Tram is laughing. He's like happy for his brother, which i I get that you're happy for your brother, but you have a task at hand to win a game against a rival.
00:25:08
Speaker
And that shows right there. Mentality. One of your best players, one of your yeah strikers that plays every game if he's healthy is laughing and not celebrating. Like when Kefren Tram scored the equalizer, he went berserk.
00:25:22
Speaker
And he was he was he was patting the badge, she was kissing the badge. He was he did the same exact so celebration that his brother did the little um kind of point to your head and your arm.
00:25:35
Speaker
He showed the back of his jersey and but it was so much more passion. the The mindset was there with Marcus. It wasn't there. And I think it goes back to what I said, mentality, question marks all around this, this the team, the management, the locker room, everything.
00:25:51
Speaker
Sure. For sure. That does bring us to a team where there are zero question marks about the mentality. We are going to Florence here. Napoli brought it to Fiorentina at the Stadio Franci.
00:26:03
Speaker
They score three. They give up one late. I think Moise Keane scored that goal. correcting No, no, it wasn't Moise Keane. um It was somebody else. Was it Piccoli, maybe?
00:26:15
Speaker
If it was McCullough, that'd be great. But in any case, Napoli continuing on the roll, continuing. It was Ranieri. Ranieri, the center back, puts it in for Fiorentina with, I will say, a very late electric effort from Fiorentina.
00:26:30
Speaker
Yeah, they made a push. They did make a push, which we love. we love that We love teams not giving up, which we've seen a lot. What I will say here is, though, Napoli are continuing on the run that they had from last season. They look like they have not skipped a beat.
00:26:42
Speaker
If anything, they've gotten better, which we do know from their roster. They have certainly gotten better. Conte seems to be in midseason form with the way that this team is shaping up. And KDB, again, the old the old lads are coming to Serie A and taking over.
00:26:57
Speaker
um This Napoli team certainly looks scary. There's a reason that all three of us put them at the top of the table in our table predictions. So, Mats, from your perspective, what what is this Napoli team even doing? Is there anything they're doing wrong at this point?
00:27:12
Speaker
Um, no, I mean, definitely not. Right. Like they're rotating their squad. Bon, you got the start. I know Moret maybe picked up a knock, but they're rotating their goalkeepers. They had a ah brand new pairing and their center back position and Bucama and Sam and Bonjorn. Oh, no.
00:27:29
Speaker
which we haven't seen before and they played fantastically well. Bukema got a goal. Bongiorno scored the winner last game. Di Lorenzo's been kind of their one guy that they haven't really subbed out in terms of their back line. Spinazzola got to start this game, looked incredible, got an assist.
00:27:47
Speaker
um And he's been riding with this but this four midfield, this 4-1, with Labaka, Zambo, De Bruyne, and Scott in the midfield. And there is just class all over the place in that midfield. And...
00:28:05
Speaker
If you're winning the midfield battle, you're winning the game nine out of 10 times. And Napoli have class all over their midfield. And they have, they got guys that could do it all in in those four. Labaka is a pace setter.
00:28:17
Speaker
Regista controls the game. Zombo box to box. Beast will win you the ball. and can score and can and ah get on the final ball in the in the box.
00:28:28
Speaker
Kevin De Bruyne can do the pacing. He can do a little bit of everything. He can pace, he can put the ball in, he can score, he can shoot from deep, he can create. And then we all know what Scott McTominay did last season,
00:28:41
Speaker
And so they really have class no matter where they turn. And just another player that got their debut that ah allows to them to add to their depth was Hoyland. He got a goal. he Maybe it's it's something in Manchester United, which we've talked about before. But Napoli's recipe is just go get all the flops from Manchester United and we'll make them good because Hoyland looked amazing this game, getting a goal.
00:29:05
Speaker
um so Their defense looks strong. Their midfield looks strong. They have a great offensive um pairing or or ah rotations with Lorenzo Luka and Oylan and when Lukaku comes back. So listen, this team's scary.
00:29:20
Speaker
it's ah It's early and I want to see what Kante can do when he manages three competitions. That's coming up now. But in terms of what I've seen for the first three games of the league, this team is is going to be tough to beat.
00:29:33
Speaker
I couldn't agree more. um and We talked about this on the last episode or the the episode before when we covered match week two. But again, this is their third pairing in three games in the center backs and they're they're holding it down like nothing ever changes between those those four guys. So it'll be it's promising to see that in terms of how they're going to be able to manage those three games or those three competitions under Conte.
00:29:55
Speaker
And they're they don't seem like they're going to be missing a beat if they have to rotate here or there, even at the goalie, with Vanya making a bunch of good saves in that last push from Fiorentina in the second half. Vos did mention this um over the weekend, but having Spinazzola off that left side is a game-changer over Oliveira for this offense. And kind of that interchanging ability, that push forward um with him on and McTominay on the same side is certainly helpful.
00:30:22
Speaker
Hoyland looked great. Hoyland looked great. He looked like he was back to that promising um and ronzi stature that he had at Atlanta before he went to Man U. It seems like he's going to pick up right where he left off in Syria. Again, first game, not going to take too much out of it, um but looked quick, looked athletic, looked strong.
00:30:41
Speaker
Kamutso and I think Ryanieri was the center back. Now the other Ponger Pongerjic Yeah They got roasted I mean they just got tormented all game long And that's all thanks to Hoyland So it's gonna be interesting to see Once Lukaku comes back What kind of combinations they're gonna have up front Because you know Maybe they don't play Politano off the right and they go two strikers Diamond two strikers to me sounds awesome Juve did that a bunch of years ago Under Allegri 1.0 Matsu you know this well um I mean, this Napoli team can do it in so many different ways, can attack you from so many different angles, places on the pitch, set pieces, counterattacks, possession.
00:31:19
Speaker
They have it all. They can do it all. it It's going to be a very, very tough job for the other 19 teams to be taking on this Napoli squad, whether it's at home or away. it does not matter.
00:31:30
Speaker
These fans seem like they're traveling well this season as well. So from my perspective, our our shouts of having Napoli top of the table come May is is not looking bad at all. Yeah, I mean, it's definitely early and anything can happen, but they got depth, they got quality, they got a great coach, they got buy-in from the from every level. you saw what they've the looked like they won the Scudetto last week when they won one nothing So once you have that great belief and buy-in and inner team competition between everybody, and we know how good Conte is uniting the the the players, it's going to be tough.
00:32:10
Speaker
All right, enough glazing of the champions. um I know it's too rumored, we got to move on to a team here, La Viola, Fiorentina. Tough start here under Pioli. A tough couple of games to start the campaign here.
00:32:23
Speaker
Stefan Pioli coming back from the Saudi League after his stint with Milan. ah He is Scudetto winner, so we can't take that away from him, but it seems like it's going to be a lot of the same in terms of not being able to...
00:32:38
Speaker
have tactics within a game to let to at least shepherd players in the right direction it seems like these guys are going out there with no game plan in place and just kind of playing out of sorts i touched on this two episodes ago when we talked about fjord tina i'm seeing it again again early days but it it's It's seeming like they needed a manager who's able to be the glue between these players because they are a little bit of a hodgepodge combination.
00:33:03
Speaker
And I don't think Pioli is that guy. um I will say that Keane is still looking good. It's going to be... promising to see if he can keep up this this pace maybe two seasons a row is really when you solidify that um and the only the other bright spot here is the fact that the the wingbacks for Fiorentina still Robin Gosens off the left and Dodo off the right are still just as venomous as they were last year Gosens continues to be an aerial threat in the box very similar to how Denzel Dumfries plays for Inter love to see that and Dodo a tech
00:33:36
Speaker
a tactician off the right side. So there are bright spots to this Fiorentina team. It's just a matter of can Pioli highlight and play to those strengths throughout the season because if they don't, it's going to be a very midseason for Fiorentina and I think that they're better than having just a midseason.
00:33:55
Speaker
Yeah, 100%. And so that kind of leads me to a question I want to ask you. and obviously, I think I'm I'm know what you're gonna answer is gonna be but I'm gonna buy into the Italian media and how they like to um overreact and let's call it overreaction Tuesday.
00:34:12
Speaker
Are we pressing the panic button on Pioli in his first three games, two draws and a loss? When how long is his leash? What are your thoughts? I'm not going to panic right now. The panic button is open. the The glass top has come off, so we're definitely ready for it.
00:34:29
Speaker
um But no, i'm not I'm not panicking just yet with this Fiorentina squad. I mean, listen, they they go in and they play and a Napoli team to a 3-1 loss at home. I get it. You're at home.
00:34:40
Speaker
You probably should be filling up a better fight than that. I will say, though, that the last 15 minutes or so, they did. They did go out and fight, so it seems like they do have that 90 minutes of Grinta in them. A 0-0 draw to Torino is not the best, and a 1-1 draw to Cagliari at Cagliari, which we've already said is a really tough place to play to go out to Sardinia, I'm not panicking yet. I'm not i'm not going to overreact right now.
00:35:04
Speaker
This has a reminiscent showing of what Pioli did in some times with Milan, but let's not forget that our finishes for the last couple of seasons were all top four.
Challenges Facing Fiorentina
00:35:16
Speaker
It's there's so many games left here. This team has a ton of talent and really a ton of leaders. There's a lot of guys here that have been around for a very long time. It's not just a bunch of young guns. You know, De Gea has been around since dinosaurs roamed the earth.
00:35:28
Speaker
Moise Keene has been to nine, to nine different stints between Syria and the Prem. So that's not, you know, it's not a concern that there's a bunch of guys here that can really bring them through. um So for me, no, no, no panic in Florence.
00:35:40
Speaker
But the button is there. Those are fair answers. Fair answers. I try to be fair on this. I try to be fair on this podcast. It's my job to be unbiased as the Milan fan, in-house Milan commentator. But that does bring us to one of the best teams in the league in AC
Milan's Narrow Victory and Performance Concerns
00:35:57
Speaker
Milan.
00:35:57
Speaker
ah we were We did bring out a 1-0 win at home against ah our what has become our nemesis in Bologna outside of Inter. A one-no win, I will fucking take it.
00:36:10
Speaker
I will take those three points to the bank. I will shove them in a lockbox. I'm not giving them up. Those were huge for us. I know it's only match week three, but to get that going, to get three points on the board, we're now fifth in the table.
00:36:24
Speaker
um i'm I'm happy with the result. I think we could looked better. One thing I will say is, though, huge, huge, huge fuck up from the VAR refs that there was a penalty in question towards the end in Cuckoo. Great ball from Pulisic and Cuckoo in the box.
00:36:38
Speaker
Nice shield. Great body positioning. Gets knocked over, i think, by Lukamei. But in any case, draws the penalty. VAR decides not to review the entire play.
00:36:50
Speaker
It only reviews the potential penalty from Skarupski, the goalie, coming out and making contact with Nkunku, which they decided was not a penalty. But the initial contact 100% was VAR decides not to not to review it.
00:37:03
Speaker
That VAR ref has now been suspended. This game easily could have been 2-0. um The other thing that I will say about this Milan team, still no layout, so still not our... in question best player on the pitch and we're still getting three points out of a really big game like this against Bologna, I will say that I'm happy with that.
00:37:20
Speaker
Another takeaway from me here The progressiveness that came out of Rabiot and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in this game was incredibly promising. I will say, and I know, Mons, you're smiling, and I know that you love to see Allegri's son on the pitch, but I really didn't think that Rabiot looked poor.
00:37:38
Speaker
I thought that he looked additive. I didn't think that he looked great, but it wasn't it wasn't that he was a detriment to the team. He had a ton of energy. I think he played the full 90, very progressive, drove drove the ball forward every time that he could, tracked back.
00:37:54
Speaker
He was a great compliment to Modric in the midfield because obviously we know 40-year-old Modric is not going to be sprinting around the pitch all the time. Rabiot will do that, um and he clearly showed that in this game.
00:38:06
Speaker
That does bring me to Modric, another absolute masterclass. First goal the season for the Rosaneri. ah bal Mr. Ballon d'Or is well on his way to another Ballon d'Or campaign here. um First goal, bringing up the rear. Ruben Loftus-Cheek drives the ball forward, lays it off to Salamacher. Salamacher's off the right.
00:38:24
Speaker
No look pass. Meg's a defender. Top of the box. Modric comes up on it and finishes real clean right the bottom of the net. Very Reinders-esque from last year, bringing up the rear from the midfield, scoring that goal.
00:38:35
Speaker
Looked great. it it it It was a great progression, a great look of play there. It looked like the team kind of knew what they were want wanting to do there. So very happy with that. Mots, your thoughts on Modric?
00:38:47
Speaker
I mean, that's what I said in the and the season preview. He is going to carry your your team, um whether it's scoring goals, whether it's creating, whether it's pacing the game.
00:38:59
Speaker
he Every time you so you watch a Milan game, now that Luka Modric is on the team, you can see there's a reason why he's got six Champions League and he was on Real Madrid for like 12 years. He is...
00:39:11
Speaker
he is a step above the rest on the pitch. And I'm happy to have him in the league, even though he is 40. Sometimes I get frustrated when A brings in older players.
00:39:22
Speaker
Luka Modric, I'm not mad about. I'm happy he's in the league. and Happy we can watch him um every week. Yeah, and i I think another thing from this game for me that made me a little happier, our defense looked good.
00:39:36
Speaker
You know, we give up zero shots on goal, which is really helpful when Mignon, made of glass and paper, goes down again with another lower leg injury. Doesn't seem to be muscular, but... Obviously came off.
00:39:47
Speaker
Terraciano has to go in net um for most of the game there. But again, no shots on target from Bologna. That low block seemed to frustrate them to the the high heavens. Castro couldn't make anything happen. Orselini couldn't make anything happen.
00:39:59
Speaker
Finally, they're seeing the detriment of not having a joy in this lineup. Somebody who's going to be creative and direct. um So I think that that's one thing to watch from Bologna. um A couple more player highlights here because I just love โ I need to touch on them. And Kuku looked promising. Really need to see more, again, comments out of Allegri saying that he only has about 30 minutes in his legs and he's way behind on fitness, which is really tough to see.
00:40:25
Speaker
um But hopefully he can get up to speed because we do need him up top because our other nine, Insanti Jimenez. just can't figure it out. Another game, another horrible performance from Santi.
00:40:39
Speaker
He just, his first touch was off. His finishing was horrible. He had one, had one clear through play where his first touch failed him. He tries to recover and he, he takes a shot that goes out for a throw in.
00:40:53
Speaker
It's just inexcusable. And so, he is I think the even more glaring one was he dribbled by the goalie, had an open net and hit the post.
00:41:04
Speaker
Right. Because he's he he just doesn't have it. He doesn't have that feel. He doesn't have that confidence. He doesn't know where he is on the pitch. and You need to have that as a nine. um So what I will say, though, is that actually our offense played much better than what we're seeing because Santi blew up four or five chances.
00:41:19
Speaker
And so if we did have a true nine, if we did have maybe Nkunku out there, who's a little bit more in his in his game right now, we might have actually won this game by a lot more. um But again, Santi really needs to figure it out. Two guys that did figure it out, though. Christian Pulisic needs to get healthy.
00:41:34
Speaker
That guy is something else. Looked phenomenal for the small amount of minutes that he played. We do need Captain America back on the pitch. I think he could be... our second best player this year behind Modric, forget Leal. I don't know if Leal's going to get back into this team as quickly as he needs to.
00:41:50
Speaker
um But then the one shining, the one shining, glaring thing is Sam Welly Ricci. He's the fucking play. That guy needs to be on the pitch. He's a game changer. I heard from a bunch of fans over the weekend after this game say how much Ricci made this team look so much different. And I think it's incredibly true.
00:42:09
Speaker
The fact that he's playing in complement next to Modric and learn from Modric, it's already progressing. You're already seeing that come come true. He needs to be on the pitch full fauna. It should not be seeing any grass unless it's it's garbage time or we need to need some legs in the field.
00:42:23
Speaker
um Yeah. He looks good. What I saw from Ricci playing in not his main position as well impressed me. um He almost had a goal. He hit the post. But just yeah obviously he came from Torino where he played as a regista, the low-hanging midfielder.
00:42:38
Speaker
Modric said he wants to play in that spot. You do what Modric says. Ricci's going to have to adjust a little bit. So I was interested to see how he would translate. He played extremely well and was very very progressive next to Modric.
00:42:52
Speaker
um So very promising to see that and definitely need to get him more minutes. He has to play. Has to play. Has to play. Has to play. Cannot have out of the way. But what I'll say from the game is my takeaway really is this is just classic Allegri, Corto Musso, one-nothing ball, defend, be stout, ah ah um and... um physical in the midfield, which as much as I don't necessarily love the players of the roster, you definitely have big physical midfield that Allegri likes.
00:43:28
Speaker
ah And he, as I mentioned on the Milan um preview way back when, Allegri is going to definitely solidify you guys defensively. It's just Is it are you going to play too much defense, right?
00:43:42
Speaker
um This game, obviously, I think it wasn't too much because you you you completely smothered Bologna. They had not one real chance. um It's just he likes to sit back a little too, too much. And with a team unlike Italiano, who is sometimes OK with just passing the ball around and kind of lacking ah or being a sterile offense.
00:44:04
Speaker
that might not work so well, but against an Italiano who's just okay with kind of just having the ball, uh, and passing it without really creating anything, it can work.
00:44:16
Speaker
Um, but this was a great, great managed game by Allegri. Um, and it was a classic Allegri game from the defensive standpoint, the one, nothing standpoint, and then the theatrics at the end of the game, which I do agree with you.
00:44:30
Speaker
Definitely a PK and understand why he's flipping out. Um, But definitely an Allegri game to a tee here. i mean I love to see the fire out of him, no matter what it's from.
00:44:42
Speaker
Obviously, to be tough that he's not the sidelines for the next two games or so. um But really love the emotion there. And for me, this just goes to show that we're not going to drop points to the lower level teams.
00:44:54
Speaker
Belong is not even a lower level team. and ah But I'm saying that this play style, the solidity, the the ability to to get comfortable in that low block is is showing that we you know we're not going to drop points. And Kremlin SA is going to be in 11th this season, so i'm not going to call them a lower-level team.
00:45:09
Speaker
But at least we're going to get those three points from the bottom half of the table for the most part. um From a Bologna perspective, we don't have our in-house Bologna lover. Vos is, again, on vacation, but he did send some messages wanting to say that.
00:45:21
Speaker
um He's a little disappointed in Italiano, a little disappointed in Italiano and how he was inflexible in this game. It just wasn't working in the first half again, and it didn't work in the second half.
00:45:33
Speaker
Just no creativity, no ability to get any shots, any threatening um offense going, and then no ability to adapt, be flexible in the second half, make changes at
Bologna and Roma's Struggles
00:45:44
Speaker
halftime.
00:45:44
Speaker
It seemed that he was just trying trying to run through a brick wall and it wasn't going to work. ah Going forward, definitely need to see a little bit more creativity. a little imagination out of Italiano to get this, this Bologna team um to work at its best, no matter what the other team is doing from a play style perspective.
00:46:02
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, it was a pretty boring game from their side. They like, they didn't really have any standouts. um But before we move on, I just want to quickly go back to what I was saying about Allegri from, from now on, like I'm going you need four things for an Allegri game to be an Allegri game.
00:46:18
Speaker
One, nothing. um very defensive game, get dominated in possession, and... um Rabiot plays 90 minutes.
00:46:31
Speaker
that yeah but ah It just seems like that's going to be a lot of games this season. So that that remains to be seen. But again, big three points for Milan. Very happy to be moving forward in fifth at this point in the season, especially after getting zero points against the stout Creminesse in the first game.
00:46:48
Speaker
That does bring us to Torino, goes to the Capitale, takes on Roma, and squeaks out 1-0 win. nell weird Romanistas, what is going on?
00:47:01
Speaker
What is happening? i I'm not going to say that i'm ah I'm a Roma hater, but maybe Roma's not the whole getting caboled this season, Mons. I don't know. Listen, they're in they're in sixth place right now. obviously This is the first loss under the Gasparini era. I think that even though they did win their two games prior to this,
00:47:19
Speaker
It wasn't what we necessarily might have all anticipated because knowing what Gasparini came from in Atalanta and them scoring goals and flying high, where Roma's first two games were 1-0 and 1-0 against a Bologna squad that is solid, but a Pisa squad that we think is going to get relegated. And then a Torino side that we saw get dominated 5-0 by Inter and kind of struggle in their second game as well. And then they don't score. So listen, it's not they're not hitting the ground running.
00:47:50
Speaker
ah under Gasparini. um But that's not that uncommon, right? It's a new manager. Yes, it's a similar formation, but different parameters of which they're going to play that formation.
00:48:01
Speaker
And they need to get accustomed to that. They need to figure it out. um And it's slightly a different group. They have the core players still the same, but he's kind of refusing to play Dovbic, which we're going to talk about a little bit.
00:48:15
Speaker
in terms of a lineup standpoint but he's playing evan ferguson so he's a new guy that that um has to be integrated with the team right um he's playing they just need a little bit more time to gel i think under the gasparini system in order to kind of hit their the their gear to take off and they're still not in a bad spot in sixth place only three points behind first or one point behind second so Listen, I think that they should have won, especially being at home, especially being Torino.
00:48:44
Speaker
um And I think that they need to start scoring goals. But it's OK that you stumble in the beginning, right? The first 10 games of the season, like I always say, is is ah not really really real.
00:48:55
Speaker
But with all of that said, now getting into the lineup that Gaspar... Let's talk about that lineup. It was absolutely out of this world. Yeah, so I mean, for the first time, we did see Dybala start under Gasparini from the start.
00:49:08
Speaker
And Gasparini kind of deployed a new system. It was rather than the 3-4-2-1 that we're so accustomed to seeing Gasparini deploy. He went to a 3-4-1-2 with, um I'm going butcher the guy's name, but Awi Nawe.
00:49:28
Speaker
El Inouye. El Inouye. Playing as like a false nine. um It didn't work. Didn't work. And my thing with that is you had... two, not one, but two of like, just when you close your eyes and imagine ah number nine, big, physical, good in the air players and Dovbic and Evan Ferguson, why are you trying to play ah a false nine with the but with a midfielder, attacking midfielder who's not a nine?
00:50:01
Speaker
um That's my number one. And then number two is Debal, first, he he was taken off in the 45th minute or the second half. I think he got injured. He's going miss a couple weeks. He got injured.
00:50:12
Speaker
Gasparini can't figure out. I mean, granted, it's new still. It's only three games in, but it seems to be that same unsolvable puzzle with Sule and Dybala.
00:50:24
Speaker
How do we get them to play together? I thought Sule had a good game, but it's never both of them having a good game. They're never playing good together because they are basically the same player and they play in the same position and it doesn't work. So...
00:50:37
Speaker
Gasparini's dealing with it. We saw De Rossi couldn't figure it out. Juric couldn't figure it out. the The one that really sort of did figure it out is Ranieri, but I still don't think it got the most out of both of them.
00:50:49
Speaker
um So that seems to be an unsolvable puzzle. But then you pair that with Gasparini trying to outsmart or be the smartest guy in the room and play this false nine when you have two real nines. It didn't work for me.
00:51:04
Speaker
Yeah, was it was definitely a bit weird to see Gasparini stray from what he's really known for because no matter what, it seemed to be that he would fit into that same 3-4-3, 3-4-2-1 formation, game in, game out, no matter who was playing at any of those top three positions. So definitely a little weird for him to stray from that.
00:51:23
Speaker
um Good for him, I would say, to notice that it wasn't working. Obviously makes those changes at half, whether it was for injuries or not. He did bring in Evan Ferguson at halftime to play that that more direct nine position.
00:51:35
Speaker
I will also say, finally, seeing Pizzilli and Baldanzi play this game was helpful, um but just just couldn't get it done. Not enough firepower in the second half from from Roma here.
00:51:45
Speaker
And, you know, to Torino's credit, you know, wait way to stick in, way to get a goal. You know, the whole full first half seemed to just be kind of a deadbeat game.
00:51:56
Speaker
And then second half comes out Giovanni Simeone, my fucking dog, who's an absolute trash bag up at striker, turns it, it turns over and looks like he's back at Verona from years ago. Man, man of the men player of the month, six goals in like five games, four games, absolute stunner of a finish.
00:52:13
Speaker
Looked like he did take a couple of steps forward there. um But this is this from for me. Roma can't have this. I know it's early. I know it's early days, but can't drop points like this.
00:52:25
Speaker
I would say it about Milan. I'd say it about Inter. i'd say it about Juve. This is a team that got absolutely obliterated by ah you Inter just two weeks ago, three weeks ago. You can't have this, especially at home. So I agree with that.
00:52:37
Speaker
um But just to just to take it to Torino very quickly, and Mas, I think you made this note. Barone, good manager. No doubt about it. That was Vos. Give Vos his flowers. he's He said that from the start about Lazio.
00:52:51
Speaker
Vos loves Barone. Vos absolutely loves Barone. And I said it if Doreno actually showed up against Inter that he would be going nuts. But we saw it last year with Lazio. Not really sure what happened with that divorce, but...
00:53:02
Speaker
Comes to Torino, and I think it's going to be a good match for him. Question marks around a couple of their signings, especially in Gonge from Napoli, playing off the right with Vlasic playing off the left.
00:53:15
Speaker
Very underwhelming performances for through the first three games. So remains to be seen if Torino can't keep up in games that they're only scoring one goal. you know Maybe they get a lot of draws here in their mid-table, but... um That's what they normally do, so...
00:53:30
Speaker
this I think this says a lot more about Roma going forward. And to be honest, Gaspar going to learn from this very quickly. I think this is going to small blip. um Again, can't have it, but he'll he'll learn from it. He'll make the changes.
00:53:43
Speaker
And I think that this Roma team is come out firing in their next game, um especially playing the next team that we're going to talk about at home in the Capitale against their hometown rivals. And that is Lazio. Lazio also dropping points this past weekend against the boys in green.
00:53:57
Speaker
Sassuolo come out with a 1-0 win. Again, that front three from Sassuolo continues to be dangerous, continues to put a ton of pressure on a lot of these teams. And I said it, I'll say it again.
00:54:08
Speaker
Lazio are fake ass dooms. That 5-0 win from two weeks ago was a flash in the pan. This is classic Lazio. They'll show you that they have the talent and that they can put in a bunch of goals and and and hold teams to know no scores.
00:54:22
Speaker
And they come out like this and play against a Sassuolo too. In my opinion, has no defense and they can't they can't get one singular goal against them. um I guess well done by Sass. I was not familiar with your game in terms of your defensive nature, but I still think that that's not your strong suit of the team.
00:54:39
Speaker
So good by then to take three points away from Lazio. Lazio limping into ah the Derby this weekend, Mons. Yeah, I mean, i'm I'm in a similar boat with you, with Lazio.
00:54:50
Speaker
um I had them coming in 10th last season, um and Barone surprised
Lazio's Growing Pains
00:54:57
Speaker
me. i don't know why they moved on from Barone, because he did such a good job there.
00:55:01
Speaker
However, I do know why, because it's Letito, and he's a terrible owner and doesn't know how to run ah an organization well. um And so they brought Sarri back in I think i'm um I like Sarri.
00:55:12
Speaker
It's way different than Barone. They're going to it's going to be some growing pains for Lazio in my opinion, because Sarri has a very specific style of play that he likes and you got to play that way. um So they're going to, they're going I think this is going to happen a little bit from Lazio. They're going to grow kind of same thing. Roma experiencing growing pains. Lazio is going to experience it a little bit as well.
00:55:32
Speaker
But yeah, um I'm not that high on them either. No, I think, again, this could be a this is to be a a lot to a team that's going be up and down all season. I wouldn't be surprised to see them bottom half of the table when it's all said and done.
00:55:46
Speaker
um But that does bring us to a game where we saw five goals, not just one, five goals.
Atalanta's Offensive Creativity
00:55:50
Speaker
Reminiscent of the old days of Gasparini back up north in Bergamo, but Atalanta at home against Lecce, four to one, led by none other.
00:56:01
Speaker
Then CDK, ah by a product that we had seen come through Milan and seen shipped off very quickly. What a game from Atalanta, Mots. Yeah, this is a great game from Atalanta.
00:56:12
Speaker
Back to the Gasparini ways, as you mentioned, big headline here. Lookman not included in the squad. There was reports he was ready to get back practicing with them. I don't know if that's due to game shape.
00:56:25
Speaker
I don't know if that's due to Juric trying to punish him. I don't know if that's front manager or their front office saying you every transfer window you try to leave. So this is what it's going to be moving forward.
00:56:36
Speaker
um So we'll have to keep a close eye on that. but also can kind of show look man. Hey, look, Yes, we had a slow start, but we could still score four goals without you. Maybe that puts some pressure on him. So that's going to be ah interesting to see, and we'll have to follow that.
00:56:53
Speaker
um But yeah yeah, CDK had a great game. I thought Zalewski played well. It was great to see scal Scalvini get back in the score sheet and and just back playing. um Listen, we've we've said it before, Atalanta have good players.
00:57:06
Speaker
we We have question marks about the coach in Juric. And so we'll see what happens. I do think that they did get a very poor Lecce team and they were Atalanta. It was in Bergamo as well. So they had the fans, they had a poor opponent and they have very strong attacking players. So I don't want to read too much into it, but we'll see what they can build on from this. And we'll keep an eye on the Lookman situation.
00:57:32
Speaker
No, a thousand percent. i'm not I'm definitely not going to hang my hat on this being Atalanta's best showing, especially playing against a potentially Serie B team right now. um But it is โ I mean it's great to see this team kind of firing at all cylinders and able to show โ that they can be offensive even under Juric, who we've we've seen as of late and as the last couple of years be completely defensive and unable to show any offensive creativity. So it almost looks like it's on the 11 here taking it upon themselves.
00:58:02
Speaker
to be much more creative. um Great to see Kerstovich against his old team, two assists in this game. Again, CDK with a brace. Zalewski with a great goal as well. um Continuing where he left off from Inter last year and continuing to show that he's not just a wingback, but he can be that forefront attacking player, um which I think in this in this system, in this 3-4-3, 3-4-2-1, can be incredibly helpful.
00:58:24
Speaker
can be incredibly helpful um I don't understand. i don't. So Lewski to me, like when we saw him in the, I think it was the Euros for Poland was very solid.
00:58:35
Speaker
He played very solid for Inter in the last half of the season. ah I understand maybe why inter Inter moved on from him because they have their deep, But he, Roma, he didn't work at Roma.
00:58:46
Speaker
I don't want to say he didn't work at Inter because, like I just mentioned, they're very deep. But he's a great player to me. He can play center mid. He can play offensive mid. He can play wingback. He's a versatile.
00:58:57
Speaker
I like this guy. I think Atalanta got a bargain buy with him. and And don't want to say maybe Inter's missing out because they do have a lot of players. But I think Zalusi's got a very high ceiling for me, in my opinion. I'm a fan.
00:59:12
Speaker
I've been a huge fan of Zalewski ever since his Roma days. Now, he did get shunned out, um I think specifically by... Mourinho. Mourinho. Oh, he was a tough one there, but he also, he was not the only one that got shunned out there. Karsdorp, another wingback for Roma back in those days, was also a quality player and for whatever reason was never really included. Celleck ended up playing over them.
00:59:35
Speaker
And the Frasco brothers, I'm sure, will comment under this about about what their thoughts on Zalewski are, but... Zalewski is a quality player and but ah a perfect situation for him to go to an Atlanta team, which I know without Gasparini is certainly going to be different, but it just continues to show that I think, you know, Kerstovich coming in and playing well this game, Zalewski coming in and being able to be flexible and fluid in the formation.
00:59:57
Speaker
It seems like this Atlanta team has the DNA still there and Juric is just the post man standing because I think this Gasparini blood is running straight through the veins of this roster no matter what. that's ah That's a great shout. That's a great shout.
01:00:10
Speaker
So we'll see if that continues or if Juric gets his paws on and on this team and drives him to the ground. um But with that being said, ah really quick, Leche stink, and we're moving on from there. A couple of games to just roll out for the weekend, guys.
01:00:23
Speaker
Parma goes to Cagliari, goes to Sardinia, and like we said, Cagliari picks up a 2-0 win against Parma. Really unfortunate from Parma here. I thought they would put up a better fight, but Cagliari at home, we've already noted a bunch of times, incredibly hard to play them at home.
01:00:38
Speaker
um Vos wanted to make sure that we did note. Look out for this midfield trio in Cagliari. We got Delprati, Fuloranchu, and Adopo seemingly being their midfield trio for the season, playing all three games to start.
01:00:52
Speaker
They are promising at all those positions. Keep an eye on lower-level team in Cagliari with some quality players that might get swooped up come next season. Udinese goes to Pisa, cleans up with a win.
01:01:05
Speaker
Kremen Nesse, my pick for the Colby last week um was hot on Kremen Nesse. I thought they'd be still top of the table. They tie Verona nil-nil. Verona should have been up 9-0 in the first half of this game, which just goes to show that they just don't got it.
01:01:21
Speaker
Verona just don't got it this season, and I don't think they're going to figure it out. Yeah, Verona, i was it's but very bad that they did not come away with three points in this game. They dominated this game. They had three big chances, 20 total shots, an XG of 1.46 compared to Kremonese's 0.24.
01:01:37
Speaker
um But this is the types of games that you got that Kremonese... grind through. They should dropped points. They didn't. That goes to show that they did, like like we mentioned, they bought a lot of experienced players.
01:01:51
Speaker
We saw Jamie Vardy get his debut wearing the number 10. That was exciting. They have experienced players. They know how to grind out games. Maybe they're lack they have what Inter's lacking in terms of mentality or knowing how to at least get points in games that you might not deserve to get points in.
01:02:08
Speaker
That's a shout, Mons. That's the ingredients that keeps you up. Is Kremenese mentally stronger than Inter? Let us know. I like that shout, Mots. I like
Como vs Genoa and Key Performances
01:02:18
Speaker
that shout. um But in any case, to round us out, we did have a the second game ah yesterday on Monday. Genoa goes to the lake, takes on Como, and with a late, late drawing goal, they tie 1-1.
01:02:30
Speaker
Nico Paz, baby. Nico Paz, baby, continues to pick up where he left off last season with an absolute stunner off the left. 30 yards out off the spin.
01:02:43
Speaker
I mean, this guy can do it all. He continues to show why he was so sought after this past summer. 70 million valuation from Tottenham. Como say, fuck no, get the fuck out of here. We're keeping our boy.
01:02:55
Speaker
I mean, this guy is awesome. But, unfortunate from Como. Yeah, Nikopaz obviously is must-watch TV. Having him and Yildiz in the Serie both under 21, is fantastic.
01:03:10
Speaker
It does amazing things for the league. So happy that that he's in the Serie A. Como, if you want to take the next step in terms of becoming a team to push for a European spot, which we all think that they can, the money that they invested over $100 You cannot tie this game.
01:03:32
Speaker
You're at home. You have the lead. i believe you have the lead in the 90-plus minute. And not even that, you also, you can't give up the red card. Let me take a step back. you can't You need to keep your head to not give the red card.
01:03:46
Speaker
Keep 11 men and defend your lead. and then win the game, you get the red card and then shit hits the fan and then you lose the three points and you tie.
01:03:57
Speaker
You can't do that if you're looking to take the next step. With all that said, I don't i want to give the credit they ah credit to Genoa because I think that they deserve to point out of this. They had they played them very well. um but But you have Nico Paz for a reason. If you're Como, he can create something out of nothing. He can win you three points out of nothing.
01:04:14
Speaker
And then you just got to do your job to see it out. You didn't do that. This is an area where Fabregas has to teach the boys. They got to learn from this if they want to make that push that they're looking to make. thousand percent. and that's And that's something we saw from Como last season. So we definitely need to see them take a step in that right direction. And I think that they will hopefully finish again in the top 10 this season.
01:04:35
Speaker
That rounds out Match Week 3. Players of the Week from Coucho Culture this week. Mots, I want you to start us off. Yeah, mine is from a lower-level team. Given a center back, a shout-out here.
01:04:48
Speaker
um We are going to... um Where they play again? Sardinia? Cagliari? Cagliari's in Sardinia, yep. Yep, we're going to... um Cagliari and we are using we are we are the player my player of the week is Yerry Mina I think he's been in this league for a while he has 50 total apparent appearances he is um a starter for Cagliari game in and game out He we're going to just focus on this week, though, because I'm not doing a player highlight.
01:05:19
Speaker
um He had a goal. He had eight clearances. He had a block shot. He had 66, 96 percent pass accuracy and 66 touches. He was all over the pitch. He is also ah looks exactly like John. Look who me.
01:05:34
Speaker
If you've ever seen them, they look they look like twins. um But listen, he's a great a very good player. He's about 30 years old now. So getting up there in age, but very strong. Keep an eye out for him when you watch a Cagliari.
01:05:49
Speaker
I will say, Mats, I think that half the reason that he's your player of the week is because he realized he looks like John Luke Mace. Yeah, I was. shot but I was looking at him. i was like, this is literally his twin brother.
01:06:00
Speaker
They do look incredibly like Yerimina, unfortunately, with a terrible hairline compared to Luke Mace. So take a look at that, Paisans. My player the week, again, going to a lower level team and maybe my my favorite team of the bottom 10 this season, Kremlin S. Emil Adaro in a nil-nil game with...
01:06:19
Speaker
Verona, 20 shots total, 12 in the box, makes nine saves to keep this game level. That's an absolute performance. Again, like we say, four four saves, I would say, is probably an average game from a goalie. Five, six is a good game.
01:06:33
Speaker
You start getting up to nine. Nine, ten, those are those are some Vanya-level games that we're seeing. So, Adaro, you are the player the week for me. um Yes, and Vos obviously on vacation.
01:06:44
Speaker
His player of the week that I just made up for him because we didn't ask him because this player needed to win player of the week is going to be CDK. um Logan touched on him.
01:06:56
Speaker
charles to get the la Yep, Logan touched on him on the Atalanta highlight. He had two goals. He had 58 touches, six key passes.
01:07:08
Speaker
um He had a great game. he on Sofa score, he had but ah A 10. Perfect 10. A perfect 10 overall, which is tough to do. So I felt like he needed to be on this list. So I didn't even ask Vos and I'm saying this is Vos' player of the week.
01:07:25
Speaker
I'm sure he won't be mad that is that is his that is his team in Atalanta. So ah you could have picked anybody in Atalanta, Bologna, Torino, Cagliari, and you would have been fine. um But with that, Paizans, we do look ahead to match week four.
Preview of Upcoming Serie A Matches
01:07:37
Speaker
Again, like we said, we got a couple of Champions League games this week definitely tuned in.
01:07:41
Speaker
um But coming up this weekend, we've got the Derby, the Roma Derby, Lazio, Roma, Stadio Olimpico. It'll be a great game. That game, is that the game that's at 6.30 in the morning?
01:07:53
Speaker
Roma versus Latz was at 6.30 in the morning on Sunday, yeah. Tough. 6.30 Eastern time, Paizans, if you're into that kind of thing on Sunday. We do have Como at Fiorentina. That's a good game.
01:08:05
Speaker
Yeah, that's a great game. Definitely tune into Como-Fiorentina. I can see that being a 2-2 draw. You heard it here first. Cagliari is going to Lecce. That should be an easy dub for Cagliari. Genoa at Bologna, I think, is an incredibly interesting game, too. Patrick Fierro seems to get results from this Genoa team, and Bologna coming out of this Milan-Ferro.
01:08:22
Speaker
ah Milan game not looking too, too strong. We'll see how that game goes. Juve is going to take the belt all the way to Verona. Belt to ass coming up this weekend.
01:08:32
Speaker
Milan is taking on Udinese. We never play Udinese well. This is going to be a 1-1 draw, I feel, which is unfortunate. karma going to creminese lanta going to turin playing torino suolo is going to sanciro playing inter and to round us all off napoli kings of monday they always seem to play on mondays they get pizza at home that should be an easy three points for the top of the table team here ah like the uh i like the crystal ball you had going on there i wanted you to continue
01:09:05
Speaker
Listen, i I am the king of the crystal ball. i did i did make that game. if you guys are interested, Paisans, let me know if you want to just do a ah weekly ah prediction here. But i got I got a couple up my sleeve, Mots. Don't sleep.
01:09:18
Speaker
Don't sleep. Yeah, I liked it. I'm going to go back and listen after the results, see what how how you were right or wrong. um But before we get to everyone's favorite segment, I did want to quickly... um ah sorry There was some news today coming out of Milan in that the mayor has confirmed an agreement has been reached to sell the stadium.
01:09:41
Speaker
San Siro is being sold. It needs to be ready for by 2031 because the UEFA won't consider the San Siro for the Euros. um Why, I don't know. I assume probably because it's old. It needs to be updated.
01:09:56
Speaker
So um this could finally mean a new era for Milan and Inter. um Not really sure what that looks like. um If they're going to do different stadiums, if they're going to still share what the San Siro will be afterwards.
01:10:10
Speaker
But it has been announced that the mayor has confirmed an agreement has been reached to sell the stadium. Right, and I'm glad you brought that up, Mons. I will say that the the last domino to fall here was that the San Siro was supposed to host the 2027 Champions League final. That has now moved to the Metropolitano, which is Atletico Madrid's home stadium.
01:10:31
Speaker
ah This was kind of the last straw. the The teams, the city, they really need to do something here to get back in the mix, and especially with the Euros coming up in 2032. San Siro, Milan needed to be a destination.
01:10:44
Speaker
I'm glad that they're doing this. I agree. I do not know if it's going shared stadium, if they're to refurbish San Siro, if they're two stadiums, who knows.
San Siro Sale Discussion and Betting Picks
01:10:51
Speaker
um But definitely time to move on from this absolutely legendary venue that we have had the pleasure of visiting now twice.
01:10:58
Speaker
Glad we went. Glad we went. Glad we went before they knock it all down. um But with that being said, everyone's favorite segment of the week. Good little Colby. This week, last week, we were trash. I think we only hit one leg.
01:11:11
Speaker
Did we even hit one leg? Yeah, Vose hit Napoli Moneyline in in Florence. good Good bet. apple Napoli Moneyline, good bet. That was a fat Colby, I will say, though. I will say fat Colby.
01:11:23
Speaker
Kremenese did not show up for me, so really tough on them. Roma didn't show up for me. Roman did not show for you. But this week, we've got we got a safer Colby. We need to get a hit in the first 10 weeks.
01:11:34
Speaker
Last year, it took us a while a bit of time to get there. i think we got two. I think we got two in the first 10 last. I think so. I'll have to go back and look. But maybe we we try to beat that.
01:11:46
Speaker
Well, in any case, we're due here, boys. We're due, paisans. And so with that, we got a plus 569 parlay for you guys. nice Nice and easy this week. Nice and easy. Only plus 569. The starters off, Vos.
01:12:01
Speaker
Bologna Moneyline minus 130. I don't know about that after my after my little run through there. I think Genoa has a chance here, but Bologna at home coming off the loss of Milan. Moneyline minus 130.
01:12:13
Speaker
Mons, who do you got? I'm sticking here. What's up? Interesting pick here. we We've never gone singular team overs here. Yeah, which I think is a a smart smart pick here. I'm sticking with my beloved Juventus. They are scoring goals, eight goals in the last two matches alone.
01:12:32
Speaker
That front three is extremely strong, no matter who is playing. um We are showing that we want to put the ball in the back the net. So with that, I took them.
01:12:43
Speaker
we ah We're also going up against a weak Verona team. um So I took Juventus over one and a half. And it comes in at minus 115. Love it. I love that pick, especially after eight goals last two games. They're going to keep it rolling. I love your pick as well.
01:12:58
Speaker
ah I feel pretty good about this pick. I feel good about this pick. I've been talking all about Sassuolo's front three. I think they take it to Inter. might My bet here, minus 105. Inter Sassuolo, both teams to score.
01:13:09
Speaker
Both teams to score at the San Siro. Again, that's Bologna Moneyline. Juve over one and a half goals. And Inter Sassuolo, both teams to score. That's going to get you 569. You bet $100. You get 669 back.
01:13:21
Speaker
But you know how this all works by Zanz. You bet the Colby. You bet all the legs singularly. You just do it for the love of the game and to make money with cultural culture. That's why we do it. That's why we're here. We love you, Paisans. And with that, that's a wrap.
01:13:34
Speaker
Great episode, Mats. Appreciate you being here. Vos mahalo, brother. heaven and Have a great time in Hawaii. Let us know how it was. And Paisans, you let us know how it was. Interact with us. Get after it on the socials. Be the Paisan of the week.
01:13:48
Speaker
Get Paisan of the Week. It's a great honor to be Paisan of the Week. Thank you, Granddad, for the shout-out. IFTV, we are ready for that collab. Don't you worry. But you know where to find us everywhere at CouchalCultureFC, YouTubeX, Instagram, TikTok, and, of course, on all your favorite streaming websites, Spotify and Apple Cods. Five-star subscribe, follow, comment, do it all. We love it.
01:14:11
Speaker
Mots, take us away. what an episode lois i gotta say you did a great job hosting i love those as the host as well it's a nice switch up great episode here looking forward to match week four thank you for sticking with us paisanos um do not be a got goots and forza calcio culture