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Inter Win the Derby, Atalanta's Comeback and Midweek Match Previews (Ep. 21)
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Transcript
Introduction to the Seria Show
00:00:01
Speaker
Welcome to the Seria show!
00:00:16
Speaker
Welcome back. It's another edition of the City Off
Milan Derby Analysis: Disappointment and Criticism
00:00:19
Speaker
Show. We hope you are all doing well. It was another absolutely fantastic match day. So since there are midweek fixtures, this is going to be a mix of a review and a preview show. So we're going to start with the reviews of this past weekend. And Nima, we will start with you, the mean on Darby.
00:00:37
Speaker
sort of went as you expected. From my point of view, Milan never looked convincing or in that whatsoever. No. I've never seen... I was very shocked by that performance from Milan. Lifeless. They were completely dead. It was... I've never seen a Milan derby. I mean, I've seen Milan derby in the past 30 years where these teams have hammered each other. But that was...
00:01:06
Speaker
That was due to, you know, things happening in the game, tactical, you know, one team being on fire and whatever, but, but I've never seen one team just not turn up the way that Milan did. They were, they were
Inter's Strength and Title Contention
00:01:20
Speaker
completely dead. There was no passion. There was no, there was no, no fire. They, they, they looked like 11 individuals and they looked like 11 individuals. They didn't, didn't even care. Um, and they looked disjointed, they looked, uh, fragmented.
00:01:35
Speaker
and they were lucky not to lose 6-7-0. If Inter were a little bit more, if Inter were a little bit more, you know, had more killer instinct in front of goal, they should have won this by 5-6-0 because Inter were in complete command from start to finish. And once again, Gianpaolo, I don't understand what he's doing. I really don't understand what he's doing. Why didn't Benacer start? Why, again, Suso has a tréquartista. I mean, it's just,
00:02:03
Speaker
He seems in panic mode. This is match day four and the guy seems in complete panic mode. I said last week or the week before that I think that he's out by the end of the... before the next international break. Now I hope he's out by the next... before the next international break because this is not working. He looks completely lost. Bring Gattuso back. I don't understand why they let him go in the first place. If Gianpaolo was supposed to be the step up,
00:02:31
Speaker
It's not a step up, this is a step down.
00:02:34
Speaker
I'm not saying Gattuso, we all said it here that he was learning on the job. The curve was peaking upwards, although very slightly. But this is a disaster. Milan don't look like Milan. They look like a team that's newly promoted. They look terrible. And Chloe, again, one shot on target for Milan. I mean, this is getting worse. It should be getting better. It's getting worse.
00:03:01
Speaker
Yeah, I think for them it was, in a way, bad timing to play a Derby match. I mean, the fact that there was no fire or passion from Milan was unforgivable because there should be at least that in a game of that magnitude.
00:03:20
Speaker
But I think the thing that didn't help them was that Inter were so well organized. You could see the way Conte has got his defense working together. You could see this is already a team that have gelled and clicked. And so the contrast between them was really stark because Milan are so disorganized and so lacking identity, so clueless, working as individuals and not a unit.
00:03:46
Speaker
it really was two contrasting sides in the way that they approached the game as well, which it definitely didn't help. But I was just, aside from Milan being so poor, I was really, really, really impressed with Inter. I mean, we've said the first three games that they won were against sort of lesser sides, so to come
00:04:07
Speaker
after a disappointing result in Europe to come into the Milan Derby with such confidence, it just shows that really they are going to be in this title
Inter's Key Players and Upcoming Challenges
00:04:18
Speaker
race. I'm convinced of it.
00:04:20
Speaker
No, for me, this is way too soon still, because this was an awful Milan team. And also, sure, it was clear that Inter, after that horrible performance against La Villa Prague, needed to react, they needed to show something that, you know, that this was just a one-off. Un passo falso, as the Italians say. Just a false step.
00:04:40
Speaker
But Milan didn't put up a fight. I mean, sure, Inter were prepared really well for the game. The midfield was fantastic. Barella, Bessenci and Brozovic, when they get it to work, it's poetry. It's poetry in motion. This is so, so good.
00:04:58
Speaker
But I'm still a little bit, you know, I'm not really entirely convinced because I still feel that there are instances where we need to fall asleep. And Milan just aren't good enough to take advantage of that. Slavia Prague were better than Milan. Let's put it this way. Much better than Milan. And at least today.
00:05:19
Speaker
And I'm not entirely convinced. I thought Godin's clean yarn and the fry were fantastic again. I'm really surprised that Godin managed to outmuscle Liao, who was obviously put there. I mean, it's clear that Gianpaolo had identified Godin as the weak Lincoln in his defense for pace and only for pace. And
00:05:44
Speaker
And Godin instead used all his routine to outmuscle him, even though when he was losing these pace one-on-ones, he managed to win the one-on-one thanks to his routine, his physique, his great read of the game. No, it was a great performance by Inter as a cohesive unit.
00:06:07
Speaker
everyone worked and clicked and it was really important from a confidence point of view but for me this is still... look let me put it to you this way that for me Latzio and Juventus those those two games are the ones that if Inter are still have still maximum points after those games then yes this is there's no contact you know no one can hide from it anymore than Inter our team let's kind of fight for the title
00:06:28
Speaker
But before then, and also that Juventus game is so important. How will Inter go into that? How will Inter react to that? Because I still think Juventus, I mean, everyone criticizes Juventus, but they're three wins, one draw. They were 2-0 up against Atletico Madrid, who are one of the best teams in Europe. I mean, I'm not really buying this Juventus or the underdogs narrative, and Juventus have been so poor narrative. I'm not buying it at all.
00:06:54
Speaker
this is still Juventus title to lose again drawing conclusions now is ridiculous again we're taking this on a week by week a match by match basis but from what I've seen Antonio Conte's side Nima I mean having I don't care who you're playing I don't care if you're playing
00:07:13
Speaker
Third tier sides. I mean to concede only one goal up into this point is impressive They clearly resemble Antonio Conte and I just want to point out a player who I feel like he's taken such a massive step up The quality in my opinion has always been there, but but also bitch. I can't say enough about him. He's been absolutely fantastic
00:07:35
Speaker
Yeah, this is what Spaletti is doing. I mean, remember a year and a half ago when Spaletti was basically sitting in a taxi on his way to Malpensa to fly to Sevilla and Spaletti just blocked that deal and dragged him out and said, you're not going anywhere. I don't have any men.
00:07:54
Speaker
And since then he created this position, this double pivot position, this deep plane making position, started with a double pivot together with...
00:08:08
Speaker
with Gagliadini and Vicino and then since then he's just been you know he
Preview: Inter vs. Lazio
00:08:14
Speaker
had a fantastic World Cup with Croatia to went to the World Cup final and and he last season he was in interest without a doubt most important player and and now he's got you know Stefano Sensi was brought in as a backup to him but instead they they've managed to to find a way to for them three to play together and they all compliment and
00:08:33
Speaker
complement each other so well, but they're also so good in the sense that they can all switch positions and play in each other's roles, especially Sensi and Brozovic. And that's really good because when things don't work for Brozovic, you know, Inter, especially against Lavia Prag, it showed again. But then they just, you know, brought Barela in and moved Sensi to that playmaker position and Inter looked on fire. So now this midfield has got everything. It's got dynamism, it's got physique. The only thing it doesn't have is
00:09:02
Speaker
centimetres in the air because they're all like Smurfs. They're all short. But it is a midfield of Smurfs. But the physique, the tenacity, the dynamism, they can all shoot. They have good shots on them. Free kicks are now no longer an issue. Set pieces are now no longer an issue. Now it's really good. I'm really impressed.
00:09:28
Speaker
But as I said, Lazio and Juve for me before I start joining the hype train. That's fair.
Fiorentina's Struggles and Potential
00:09:35
Speaker
So we will be previewing that Lazio match in the coming minutes here later in the show. But Chloe, I gave you 10 minutes, just about, into this recording. How are you doing? I don't even know how to describe that.
00:09:50
Speaker
I think you'd better ask somebody else that question because I don't think I've come to terms with it myself yet. Now, I mean, let's put this into context. So the last time Fiorentina won a match in the league was February this year. It's now mid-September. The last victory was a 4-1 win away at Spal. So, you know, it's
00:10:17
Speaker
for supporters it's an incredibly long time since they won and you know you get to that point where that equalising goal for 2-2 was disallowed and you think that's it but
00:10:31
Speaker
for those last 10 minutes Gasparini was really able to change things by introducing Illichich and Papugomez and I think for a team that had given everything and battled really hard it was you know the fear crept in and you could see them defending too deep and backing off and
00:10:52
Speaker
It was really, really hard to just cling onto it because I think that they just wanted it so badly. It's not just Fiorentina that's fallen foul of this. How many teams have been leading against Atalanta and Atalanta eventually pegged them back? They're not alone in this problem.
00:11:13
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. Unfortunately, it's come at a very bad time for Montella and their team, but they've played Juve, Napoli and Atalanta, the last year's top three sides in the first four games.
00:11:29
Speaker
And coming off the back of last season when everything was so awful, he's had to pick the team up. They've had a new ownership. They've brought in lots of new players. But essentially, it's been him that's had to start rebuilding after they hit absolute rock bottom last season. And that's not going to happen overnight. And yes, you can look at the facts. You can look at the fact that they're bottom of the league with only two points.
00:11:57
Speaker
But I think you have to take the way they played for that first 18 minutes to show that I think it can be done. Well, I want I want to take one and maybe I would love to hear your input on this. But for me, just from, you know, not having a horse in this race between Atalanta Fiorentina, for me, the best positive if I were a Fiorentina supporter out of this is
00:12:22
Speaker
It seems like Montala now has found his setup. You have this 3-5-2, you have Ribery, you have Kiez up front. This midfield, I think, perfectly complement each other. Nima mentioned Interes midfield. I mean, you have Castro, Vili, Badal, Pulgar. All of them have these characteristics that perfectly complement each other.
00:12:42
Speaker
Yeah, you have the three at the back. You have to go ski in goal. It seems now he at least has the system, has the players, has the formation. I think now this is when it's going to come together because they, they, they clearly were the superior team for 80 minutes clearly. And they, yeah, sorry. And they were against Juventus as well. I mean, that's what I'm saying. I don't, I understand that you're ever, you know, look at the, like you said, look at the league table and people criticizing them.
00:13:08
Speaker
But I don't. There's no doubt in my mind that Fiorentina is going to fight for that last fourth position into the Champions League. There's no doubt in my mind because they're playing and behaving like a top team. Like you said, they play the top three sides, Juve Napoli and Atalanta, and they've outplayed
00:13:26
Speaker
uvanda palanta for large periods and they were well they they would you know they were they the referees stole the game from them against napoli which which is so so so all in all these are you know this this is just um small details in a game for me if you're in tina our topside there's no doubt about that and exactly as john said they found the formation now it's just clicking they're they're going to cruise now there's no doubt in my mind about that
00:13:51
Speaker
Well, to me, they play Sampdoria midweek, who are unbelievably considering the way they've played above Fiorentina by one point in the table, so their second bottom. But, you know, all of this that we're talking about and all of the positive points at the end of the day, Montella has to get a result versus Sampdoria and he has to get them onto a winning run. I mean,
00:14:18
Speaker
I'm confident that once he has got that win under his belt that like Nima says they'll go from strength to strength but first of all he's got to do it, he's got to get the job done otherwise whether they play well or not he's going to be in trouble.
00:14:34
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. Yeah, the wind will come though. I think they will be saptoria who even though they want to get stood, you know, they did not look even remotely convincing. Speaking of not looking convincing, Nima, you and I had differing opinions on how they would look against Verona. I thought this would be a chance for them to sort of, as I said, take their foot off the gas a little bit and sort of regroup, recalibrate because it's been
00:15:00
Speaker
I won't say it's difficult because they've gotten the results, but it's certainly been a period of transformation for them. They did not look good against Verona. Verona missed the penalty early on. It just looks very messy and not organized, which is not anything we would ever use to describe Juve of the past under Allegri.
Udinese's Relegation Concerns
00:15:20
Speaker
No, but then again this isn't the Yuva of Allegri. This is a Yuva that's where an ideologue is in charge. Sarri is an ideologue and when you have an ideologue he will impose his ideas and it will take time before they are fully incorporated and imposed and the rest of the team and the players have understood that. Allegri was a pragmatic coach.
00:15:47
Speaker
He could play in any formation and with any players. It was about getting the job done on the day. And Sarri isn't. He plays his 4-3-3. He has his players that he wants to play. And he has the system that he wants to play. And it's going to take a while for them to gel. But having said that,
00:16:05
Speaker
a draw away against Fiorentina. Sure, they were outplayed, but they still got the draw. They didn't lose. They didn't concede. At Juva, it's the results that matter, and the results that he's got aren't that bad. It's not looking too good.
00:16:19
Speaker
But who cares? At the end of the history books, at the end of the day, if they win the Serie A again and they win the Champions League, you'll only say... It won't say that in September, Saturday was being questioned because they weren't scoring goals for fun. It'll say that Juve won Serie A in the Champions League. That's just how the Juve approach life in general and that's how it should be approached if you want to be a winning side.
00:16:42
Speaker
and i think they are they are still for me i mean they the lift is looking better slightly better he still has some issues but but it's going to take time um and as long as they keep winning and getting the results then what are you going to do hey real quick i know we were going to move on to balonia roma next but i just want to bring them up because i we mentioned them in our preview episode and once again they looked i don't know if if you guys had the chance to watch but with an aza look
00:17:10
Speaker
So bad I I can't even find the proper words to describe them as a team because they they have absolutely nothing and We all expect some thought if you're in Tina to do better Nima you mentioned Sam could be in trouble for relegation Chloe and I I'm still convinced this with the nays aside is infinitely worse than Spall
00:17:31
Speaker
I think they could finish right there along with Lecce at the very bottom of the table. They look horrendous. They lose again, this time to Brescia. Hey, four matches in, six points. Not bad at all for the newcomers. And they've still got Balotelli as well to come.
00:17:46
Speaker
Yeah. Great point. Yes. So, Balotelli will be making his debut tomorrow for Brescia. But Utenese, they have all the makings, all the makings, in my opinion, of a side destined for the drop. They look horrible. Yeah, they do. They do. And it's quite worrying.
00:18:06
Speaker
But I think that at the end of the day, I think Lecha, Brescia, I didn't think we're going to go out, but I think Hellas, Lecha and Spal are teams that will be relegated. But I think Udinesse are definitely one of the teams that are going to be fighting to avoid it with them, together with Brescia.
Roma's Positive Changes Under Fonseca
00:18:27
Speaker
uh so so no i i'm worried about udneza i think it's sad because i it's you know pierpaolo marino is is you know it's a sporting director i absolutely love i think he's a fantastic um and then udneza is you know it's it's it's an interesting provincial side it's a classic seria team you know they have a new stadium they they're owned by a very professional family but they seem completely preoccupied by walkford and i think they
00:18:51
Speaker
you know, I think they need to kind of focus a little bit on Udinesis as well because they're kind of just giving away Udinesis. And if they can't, then they should just sell the club to someone who cares. They look horrible. So, Bologna Roma. Were you singing Verre 2 Mi Piace 2 2 2 2? Verre 2 Mi Piace 2 2 2 2. Verre 2. Chloe. Chloe, thank you for...
00:19:16
Speaker
Jordan Vertu, you know, it's interesting because in the summer he was a very divisive player and some Milan supporters were sort of giving some stick to Roma supporters as if they had pulled one over on them for getting Roma to spend.
00:19:35
Speaker
Let's be honest, a pretty sizable fee for the Frenchman, but if I were just to point out two or three of the most important players so far for Roma, I don't know how I could exclude Veratou. Veratou, Jeko, Kolarov would probably be my vote, maybe Pellegrini in there as well.
00:19:53
Speaker
he has the work rate of Nangolan, he is everything that they wanted Steven and Zonzi to be. Now Steven and Zonzi runs about as fast as Minona, but it's not even about speed, it's about work rate, it's about attitude on the pitch, it's about character. Oh my god, that run that Veratou made at the end of that match
00:20:13
Speaker
Was something I have not seen since since Nangolan and I was just so impressed. I in my opinion I don't think Roma should have even been in that in that position because I thought the penalty awarded to Bologna was dubious at best Color of clearly got the ball and I don't know what is going on with VAR just I give up because trying to explain trying to rationalize and
00:20:57
Speaker
I don't get it at all, and we didn't really receive much of an explanation after the match either, which made it even more confusing.
00:21:05
Speaker
That aside, I thought Roma, if this were, if you took the situation and you just switched out the manager, if it was you say the Odifreda just go in the place, Apollo Fonseca, I think Roma lose that match or they draw because they drop, they lose their attitude or they whine and they moan because of the penalty, they drop their heads, whatever it may be.
00:21:27
Speaker
but I give him a lot of stick as well. And Nima, you have in the past, but Juan Jesus, he gets fouled, he gets up and he quickly gives the ball to Vanna too, who runs 30, 40 yards, hands it off to Pellegrini, who gives it to Jeko, who hammers it home. They at least have the look of a different Roma side. I don't know if you guys agree with that or not, but from my standpoint, it's just aesthetics. Listen, the defense clearly still has some things that need to be worked out. I understand that, but just from my point of view,
00:21:57
Speaker
I think just from an attitude standpoint and not even a tactical, not even a player for player, just from a pure attitude and character standpoint, they look completely different, completely different. I think that's what you want to see as a fan as well. I think, you know, speaking from experience, when you've had a spell where everything is miserable and everything is diabolical and, you know, Roma definitely had that last season.
00:22:23
Speaker
with De Francesco, I think to see a team being positive and looking to attack and entertaining, I think that's really all you need to kind of cheer you up out of the doom and gloom. And I think, you know, if there are things to work on, then fine. But as long as you can see that
00:22:42
Speaker
it's a fresh approach and a fresh start and you've got some players who are willing to go forward and make a difference and you know Verrittu will give you that because like you say he has got a great character. He was stifled under Pioli in the second season when he tried to play him as a defensive midfielder which he was capable of doing but you cut out all that creativity that he's got.
00:23:09
Speaker
So I think now under Fonsecari we'll really continue to get better and better. And yeah, I think it's great for the supporters to be able to see something a bit more positive. For me, Roma, this is why I had Roma at fourth. I think Roma have a good squad. I think now the problem last season was completely different. Everything kind of
00:23:32
Speaker
Crashed and burned so I think that's that's kind of it's kind of difficult and reductive to make that kind of comparison But this is this is a good squad I mean when Zabakos has been at solar back then you have alternatives on fullback, which you haven't had before In midfield you have alternatives. I mean you still have diabara on the bench
00:23:50
Speaker
you know you've got Zagnolo bench you know comes in off the bench you've got Cengis Under, Perotti when he comes back I mean Roma or a topside and remember Roma haven't lost yet and they probably won't lose a lot because attacking wise we know they're good. Fonseca has already managed to put his offensive stamp on how Roma play
00:24:13
Speaker
but um and defend it's it's just defensively they need to sort it out and it's they've got the goalkeeper for it i mean that's save he does on sansana uh world class i mean wow that was that was the state of the weekend that was absolutely fantastic mancini i think you know he's young he needs someone he i think he's working pretty well with fazio i think fazio's kind of turning out to be the the um
00:24:36
Speaker
the father of that defense, which is what Gianluca Rancini means. I thought the sending off was a little bit harsh, but I mean, he's young and he'll learn that you have to have control over your body parts. You can't just... Yeah, you didn't see him. There was no intention, but it doesn't matter because you elbow the guy in the face. You're going to get booked for that.
00:25:02
Speaker
And that's the kind of thing that comes with routine and with age. So I'm not too worried about that. No, Roma are good. Roma are really good when they have options.
Napoli's Versatility and Strength
00:25:11
Speaker
Once the injury situation is sorted out and these players come back, then there's a real fight for those 11 positions.
00:25:19
Speaker
Roma, they're not going to run away with it but I think there's a reason I had them fourth and I'm even more convinced to finish fourth now. With Lazio and Fiorentina finishing behind them and Milan outside, even behind Atalanta, I think Milan are going to have a horrible season.
00:25:37
Speaker
But no, Roma is fourth without a doubt. And now they're starting to tick and now they're starting to click and defensively as well. And now I'm impressed Roma is going to be one hell of a team difficulty for everyone to face in this area. And I actually think that Roma is going to go really far in the Europa League.
00:25:57
Speaker
I think so. I think so. That is something that, yeah, I mean, listen, this is a club that hasn't won a trophy in 11 years now. So going far in the Europa League would be a dream. I think it's something they should aim for and achieve. Before we start our previews, a couple of other results, Napoli, they beat Lece for one.
00:26:22
Speaker
Nima, the thing you and I discussed or talked about in the previous episode was the thing that impressed me most at least with Na'Poli is how many options they have, how versatile they can be. That's exactly what they showed against Leche. Yeah. I mean, this is what Ancelotti does best. This is really him at his best. He's so, so good at
00:26:44
Speaker
at rotating. He's exactly the opposite of Sarri. Sarri has his 11, he goes with him and that's it. But this is where Ancelotti's strength is. He knows exactly how to rotate. He knows exactly when to play, when to swap, when to bring someone in, when to bring them off.
00:26:59
Speaker
and to
Match Edge Promotion for Betting Tips
00:27:00
Speaker
keep everyone fitting on their toes and feeling involved. And that's why he's won so many big titles. He is a world-class coach, for sure. Absolutely. All right, so as we said, this will also be a preview show. So because we have midweek fissures, which are always fun, helps break up the week. Chloe, we first have to mention before we get into our previews.
00:27:22
Speaker
our newest betting partner, Match Edge, who you can go to thecityashow.com to learn more about for eight pounds 50 per month. You can get the best in football betting tips with over 90% accuracy. Chloe, it was a very rough first go, but they made up for it last week because what happened? Or I should say this past week and they made up for it.
00:27:44
Speaker
Well, those of you who listen to our preview show may or may not have realised, but we got, well, Match Edge got every single preview right, every single prediction right. So if you'd have gone and put your money on what they recommended, you would have won with everyone. So I think we can start to see that it's definitely something worth investing in because it really isn't that much money at £8.50 per month.
00:28:13
Speaker
Let's get into the midweek fixtures that they have sent over to us that you can have a little taste of here. Again, you can go to thecityasho.com eight pounds fifty per month and you can get the full the full gamut. And again, this is just not the city. You get all the big leagues in Europe. So again, the cityasho.com
00:28:32
Speaker
to get all of their predictions with 90% accuracy. So the first one we're going to preview, Pratya Uve. Match Edge says to go with Uve winning at 1.36 and take the over one and a half goals at 1.2. So,
00:28:49
Speaker
chloe this is one that in our preview show we we talked about should be very straightforward now we did mention that mario balotelli will be making
Juventus and Inter's Expected Wins
00:28:59
Speaker
his debut so you you have to wonder how that factors into this but still you would assume uve get this done yeah
00:29:06
Speaker
Yeah, I think so. I mean, even though, as we said, Sarri has not quite clicked together yet. He is still winning games and I think they've got the individual quality during this interim period where they're not quite clicking into the Sarri ball.
00:29:24
Speaker
in inverted commas style that we're all looking for. Yeah, they're still getting the victories. And to be fair, that's really what was happening last season under Allegory. They weren't really playing very nice football at all, but they were still winning. And we all know that their squad is strong enough to do so.
00:29:45
Speaker
And especially versus a team like Brescia, they, you know, they, they have come up from Cerrabi. So, Juve are going to have too much for them, even if, even if Balotelli scores on his debut, which, you know, I think he likes to do and has done quite a bit in the past for different clubs.
00:30:03
Speaker
It'll be Balotelli pairing with Donnarumma, so we have to see how that will work out. I mean, Donnarumma, we all had our doubts as to whether or not he could translate that into the top tier of Italian football, but he's done well so far. But I agree. I think this should be fairly easy for Juve. Nima, now we go to your team, where you said you wanted to see them against Lazio.
00:30:26
Speaker
Now Match Edge says to take a home win for Inter. Oh, he's not going to like that. He's not going to like that. That's too bright. Yeah, as we as we call it in Italy, the pergine, you know. So they say to take the home win at 2.1 and they also say to take the over one and a half goals at one point
00:30:47
Speaker
2-9. So, Lazio are coming off a good victory against Parma, 2-0 at the Olimpico. You would expect to see a more spirited Lazio side than Mila and Nima, yeah? Oh, for sure. I mean, Lazio, I watched him against Parma yesterday and I watched him in the Derby and I watched him quite a bit this past season. They are an enigma. I thought the season's argue had been able to destroy this, you know, to eradicate this thing they have where
00:31:15
Speaker
They look so good and then they have a mental collapse as they did against Spal and then against Cluj in the Europa League, which I thought one of the funniest things I read was from Alistair McKenzie who
00:31:31
Speaker
who writes for, he's a freelance sports journalist in Rome and he's a Laziale and he wrote, after the Cluj game, he wrote a piece on what happened, on what Lazio did and it was absolutely brilliant. He described Lazio as a teenager that wants to look good in front of the teacher and but just can't
00:31:56
Speaker
just can't just can't pull it off and they're like a moody Mardi teenager who who Lutz who just can't too inconsistent and they want to look good you know it's like Lutz you are a moody are like a moody teenager showing glimpses of talent to the teacher before sulking or getting distracted and like a reluctant kid who drags his feet to school Inzaghi appears to have no interest in self-improvement
00:32:19
Speaker
Well, they're so interesting because I've mentioned on this podcast a number of times, I think, in my opinion, that they were not given the proper credit for this race for the fourth and final Champions League. This is a team with a manager who's been there for a number of years. Most of the players, they did not have a lot of turnover in their first choice players. They're starting 11.
00:32:43
Speaker
So you would think that the consistency, just from that regard, they would be a little more positive in their results. But truly, I mean, from what we saw from Darby against Roma, to Spal, to against Pardama, I mean, you're better off just sticking your hand in the bag and guessing what you're going to get because you just don't know. No, I agree. Lazio.
00:33:07
Speaker
But the thing is, when Lazio get it to work, that's the thing, though. And he's absolutely right there, Alistair. I think they are moody. On their day, when they get it to work, they're so bloody good.
Atalanta's Challenges and Performance
00:33:18
Speaker
They can beat anyone. And that midfield, and Mimobula, who I think is, you know, he's really, really improving as a player still, and he's just showing what a great, you know, that he's not just a gold scorer. He has movement, he creates, you know, he creates,
00:33:36
Speaker
space for his teammates, he's good crossing, no he's turning into like this kind of complete hard-working Italian forward and I'm really impressed, I really like what I saw and now you know Marosic who surprisingly benched Lazari, he scored a goal and it's clear that they kept him on the bench for the Inter game because that's a big game and Lazio
00:34:03
Speaker
They play good against the Inter at the San Siro, and they have under Simone's anxiety. So I think this will be difficult. This will really be difficult. This is one of those games where Inter has to show that they're the real deal. And in order to do that, they have to be able to impose themselves on a Lazio team who are much better than Mila.
00:34:23
Speaker
Okay, well that was nice, but you didn't say whether or not Inter will win or not, as Match Edge predicts that they will. Did you notice that? Did you notice that? I was waiting for it. I thought it would come at the end of the sermon, but it didn't arrive. No, no, no, no, no. Look, I don't predict Inter matches. It's just not what I'm going to do. But if they say that they're going to do it, then so be it. Then sure, I'll gladly take it. I'll gladly take it.
00:34:48
Speaker
I think Inter will win. I think Lazio, as we say, they're so unpredictable and they're really Jekyll and Hyde. But I think when they come up against a team that are so unwavering like this, Inter of Contes, I think they're going to find it really tough. And I think Inter will win again.
00:35:09
Speaker
Now, the last one we are previewing is Roma at home versus Atalanta. And Match Edge did not predict a winner for this. They just said, shockingly, to take the over one and a half goals at 1.15. And then they said, and then they said, shockingly, to take the over two and a half goals at 1.5. Yeah. So, goals, goals, goals, they expect. And I do think Roma
00:35:37
Speaker
win this. I think they should win this. I think Roma have more depth than Atalanta. I think Roma, I think in every facet of the pitch are more talented than Atalanta, but I probably could have said the same thing last season. Roma go up three nil after 50 minutes and then Atalanta hit them back. So who knows what to expect.
00:36:03
Speaker
I think this Atalanta team can smell fear and I think the minute the minute you get comfortable they'll hit you and then they can sense that you're afraid and then they'll go in for the kill they're just they're just that ruthless. They're absolutely agree that they're like sharks they can smell a drop of blood and like a mile away and you saw that against Fiorentina as soon as Fiorentina were a little bit anxious and looked a little bit frightened
00:36:30
Speaker
Atalanta looked like a completely different side. I think that's a spawn analysis of them. Well, this is going to be an interesting stretch for Atalanta, just getting away from Roma for a minute. So they get hammered in the Champions League. Then they come back against Fiorentina. Then they go away. They're going to Rome to face the Gellorossi. Then they're going away to face Sassuolo. And then they're at home against Shakhtar in the Champions League. And then they're at home against Lecce in the league.
00:36:57
Speaker
So they have this really tough stretch. And what was the thing that all of us said that we were worried about Atalata before the start of the season? Wasn't it the depth? Are we worried that this is the point where that depth is either going to make or break them? Because to date, they haven't looked entirely convincing. They lose to Torino. They beat Genoa by one. They get hammered.
00:37:21
Speaker
by Deena Mose in the Champions League. They have to come back and go full throttle against Fiorentina in the final stages of the match. I mean, are we worried that right now is the time where this may come back to bite them in terms of lack of depth? Yeah.
00:37:37
Speaker
I think that's their biggest problem, really, because, you know, against Fiorentina, their lineup was not really a very recognisable one at the start. You know, there were a lot of players who, you know, there's players like Hatterboar and
00:37:53
Speaker
recognisable players that have built this success under Gasparini. They're all on the bench, Ilocic, Papogromes, and so apart from Muriel and Zapata and the keeper, the rest of the outfield players are just
00:38:08
Speaker
you know, they're a little bit unheard of. And I think they had to obviously bring Illich and Papuan to salvage that point at the end. And they probably wanted to give them a complete rest, but in the end they couldn't because they were going to lose.
00:38:27
Speaker
So I think that showed a sign really that they are going to be struggling with this depth issue. And I think it will become a bit of a problem for them as the season goes on. Well, I wonder too, where do Gasparini's priorities lie? I mean, in my opinion, if
00:38:43
Speaker
If it were me, you're coming off getting absolutely hammered in the Champions League. You know, after this match against Fiorentina, you have to go away to Rome, which is always difficult. For me, in my mind, I thought he would have prioritized that Fiorentina match, Chloe. And not to say that he would punt the match against Roma, but certainly give a higher priority to this one against Fiorentina. But that, that was not the case. That was not the case at all.
00:39:05
Speaker
I think they're struggling. I think they're struggling for the fact that they're not at their own stadium. This is a team that always... That's a good shout. Yeah. Good shout. They struggle a lot because when they play at home at that stadium, they can outplay and outscore anyone.
00:39:19
Speaker
And they're not there and therefore they're feeling a little bit, they don't seem to gel and they don't seem to play that free flowing football that they were so used to them playing. They're not relaxed. So I think they will, this is going to be a little bit of a struggle for them until they return back home. And also, obviously, as we said, you know, this,
00:39:40
Speaker
the squad depth, they don't have it. Sure, they have it in attack. I mean, Luis Muriel Zapata, Illicic, Alejandro Gomez, that's good. And Illicic is always good for Apalanta. I mean, he has these sheer small moments of absolute genius outbursts that are just wow.
00:39:59
Speaker
And it works at teams like Atalanta. The problem is that teams that are bigger, he doesn't provide that enough times to cut it at a bigger team. But at Atalanta, it works perfectly.
00:40:14
Speaker
I honestly think that Atalanta, they won't lose that many games, but they will struggle. And until they return back home and then we'll see the old Atalanta. And obviously the fixture list gets easier as well because the Champions League is six games. It will be over by then by the time they return. So I think they'll still finish top seven, but I don't see them beating Roma. I think Roma will win, but it will be like one of those four, three, four, two, five, three games. Like it's going to be insane.
00:40:43
Speaker
Yeah, and for reference, they're renovating Atalanta Stadium. They've been playing in the meantime at the Tardini in Panama. So that's their home site until their stadium is up to date. So do we think then that they're sort of, again, it's a disrespectful term, but do we think they're almost punting the Champions League?
00:41:07
Speaker
Again, you get hammered by Dinamo, you have to play Shakhtar, then you have Manchester City. I just don't see any way for them to advance. In fact, I don't even see much of a route for them to finish third. No, I agree with that. I don't see that either. And I thought they would have a standard chance if they had started well against Dinamo Zagre, but the way they were completely destroyed. And it's kind of turning to where Gasparini, there's been some reports saying that he might change to a 3-5-2.
00:41:37
Speaker
Um again when when we you know, he's he's he's an ideologue He you know when when when you start mixing about with stuff like that Then it shows that you're not certain that you're doing the right thing I think for atalanta what they should do is just complete complete continue believing in their football continue playing it like this and then Whatever happens in the champion's league happens, you know because it's nobody expected them to reach it let alone Win that group and qualify for the second stage.
Conclusion and Match Edge Reminder
00:42:01
Speaker
Yeah, I completely agree
00:42:03
Speaker
All right, so that is where we were going to leave this preview slash review episode. Again, if you want to get the full, the full host of match bedding tips from Match Edge, you can go to thecdiashow.com. And again, that's eight pounds 50.
00:42:21
Speaker
or you can get a discount by paying 75 pounds for the entire year and get a, again, a little bit of a discount there from the eight pounds, 50 per month. So again, thecityasho.com. So we will be back later in the week after these midweek fixtures and we will again do a review slash preview episode. So until then, if you could please review, like, share, subscribe, all that good stuff, it helps our endeavors here. So as always, thank you so, so much for listening and until next time, bye bye.
00:42:53
Speaker
you