The Recent European Adventures of Italy’s Big Four
It’s hard to forget the momentous weekend of the “short muzzle” festival, where four of Italy’s top teams faced off in the high-stakes world of European club soccer. Despite being outnumbered, AC Milan outplayed the opposition, even if three of their opponents were given a raw deal by the referees. Juventus, having already fallen to Lazio, managed to eke out a narrow win thanks to an own goal, leaving many fans wondering if they truly deserved to win. Napoli, on the other hand, were saved by a desperate second half and a missed penalty, while Inter Milan navigated a tough test against Roma, albeit without shining as brightly as they could have.
Fast forward to the present week, and we find ourselves with a new set of results. Napoli, buoyed by their rest and the promise of an easier match ahead against Lecce, notched another win. Milan, meanwhile, held their own against Brugge, even if they were beaten with and without the absence of their star player, Leao. Juventus, by contrast, made an already disastrous day even worse by being stifled by Stuttgart. Inter lost their key player, Carlos Augusto, but emerged victorious on the road in a well-deserved win. As for the other two Italian teams, Atalanta and Bologna, it was a day that would not be remembered for its standout performances.
All of the 1-0 scores over the past weekend may have been identical in terms of result, but they differed wildly in terms of performance. In the end, only one of the Italian teams – Milan – can lay claim to having truly impressed. The big picture? Napoli benefited from the break and the distraction of the Champions League, allowing them to rest and focus on the week ahead.
Here’s a rundown of the performances, in order, from best to worst: Milan did well, Juventus did very poorly, Bologna did adequately, Atalanta struggled, and Inter did well, although they may not have been entirely deserving of their win. Despite the struggles, Inter’s rotation players rose to the occasion, with Ngolo Arnautovic netting a crucial penalty and Taremi and Zielinski both coming close, only to be denied by a heroic display from Thorsten Thuram, who has emerged as the team’s top striker, even ahead of Lautaro. As for the upcoming match against Juventus, Inter may have a strong hand in Lautaro Vlahovic, but it’s Thuram who will ultimately decide their fate. Juventus, on the other hand, will have to rely on a player who has yet to prove himself in the big games.
