But was Mazzola’s football good, or is ours just bad? Milan and Juve bounce back, while Como slip up

Once upon a time, the idols were Zoff, Platini, Scirea and Zidane. Quite a difference. And thank goodness Roma have someone like Dybala, who, despite his fragility, does have that certain charisma. And what about Como, that great start-up on the rise? Fabregas may well be a manager – an up-and-comer, but even he, as in this round against Frosinone, has taken a healthy thrashing. The chairman is Indonesian: nothing against Indonesians, but Moratti and Berlusconi were in a different league. 

It’s true that nostalgia clouds one’s judgement. We need to be careful. But what about the TV pundits? The ones who scream like madmen after just 30 seconds when the Azzurri take their first corner? You know who they are – no need to spell it out. They talk about depth, quality, quantity, playing deep and playing high, about ‘chains’ and ‘short arms’. You’d need an Italian-football dictionary just to follow them.

“He’s good at staying between the lines,” says one. Is staying between the lines a virtue? What about formations? It seems as though everything now depends solely on tactics. Shall we go for a 3-5-2? Or a 4-3-3?  They’re getting carried away, thinking they’re experts.

And what about the managers? What on earth are they on about? Antonio Conte, who’s flitting from one stadium to another in search of a new managerial post, expresses himself through cryptic allusions like the Cumaean Sibyl when she said, ‘You will go, you will return, and you will not die in war’ Nobody understood a thing, but at least it was the Sibyl who said it.

 And what about all that money thrown out the window? Ramos, Milan’s new centre-forward, is worth 75 million. So how much would Van Basten and Shevchenko have cost, then? Finally, to console ourselves, let’s look at the national team, which has been knocked out of the World Cup three times by Sweden, North Macedonia and Bosnia. It feels like we’re on the programme ‘Scherzi a parte’.  And so, to turn things round, Malagò (who isn’t a member of the FGCI) was elected president and Mancini – who had already fled the Azzurri dugout for Arab dollars – was appointed manager. What a fine sense of loyalty:  more to money than to the flag. Some might object: this is reality, mate, get over it. No, thank you; we may be nostalgic, but things were better when they were better.

++++++++++++++++++++

It’s been a bit of a mixed bag of a round, a bit of a stopgap, but after five matchdays it’s giving a clearer picture of the relative strengths of the teams.  Inter, despite drawing 2–2 with Roma, have so far shown themselves to be the strongest. So strong, in fact, that they let their opponents get off to a flying start.  The same went for the Giallorossi, who – after a superb first half – were then pegged back when the Nerazzurri, led by Lautaro, realised things were going south. Eight goals in five matches aren’t a great track record for a side aiming to reclaim the Scudetto, but Chivu has such a formidable squad that he can even afford these slip-ups. Roma also did well, almost pulling off a major upset. They’re still a little short of Inter’s level, but they’re still improving. When Malen failed to score, Konè stepped up to score an unexpected brace. Lazio are also in fine form, winning in Venice after a tough first half and enjoying top spot. In a club where anything can happen, Gattuso’s success deserves a round of applause. He’s proving that, as well as determination, there’s more to him. 

Another surprise is Cagliari, fourth and just one point off the top, who secured a 0–1 victory over Udinese. The focus is, of course, on Daniel Maldini, who has found the net again following his car accident, the medical tests and the ensuing controversy fuelled by social media and the player’s surname. After such a storm, he could easily have lost his way, but instead he did well not to let it overwhelm him, redeeming himself with a goal that also propels him into the national team. 

But the real news is Como’s defeat at Frosinone. A resounding 2-0 defeat which, as well as preventing them from drawing level with the leaders at the top of the table, has (at least for this matchday) put a damper on Fabregas’s ambitions, as he has suddenly tasted the bitter reality of cup competition. Frosinone, who scored in the first half through Calò and Kvernadze, did not deserve to lose and drew level with Como on 10 points, whilst a very disorganised Como side squandered several chances to turn the result around. This is what happens to teams unaccustomed to playing at the highest level yet determined to compete on all fronts.

Another disappointing result for Allegri’s Napoli. Against Fiorentina, they could only manage a draw (1-1) – a result that ultimately satisfies no one, even though it marks the Viola’s first point at home following two home defeats under Grosso’s management. The Neapolitans took the lead through Gilmour, before Fiorentina equalised early in the second half through Jimenez. For Allegri, the gap to the top is now six points. Vanoli’s new reign, however, has got off to a better start: in the space of a week, he has won twice (against Venezia and Pisa in the Coppa Italia) and drawn with Napoli this Sunday.

There were smiles all round at Juventus too, who – following their setback against Sassuolo – returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Atalanta (Conceicao and Bremer). A goal in each half saw them bid farewell to ‘La Dea’ and put the controversy sparked by the defeat in Reggio Emilia behind them. For Spalletti, now three points off the top, it was a peaceful Sunday that banished the spectre of Antonio Conte. Maurizio Sarri, on the other hand, finds himself in a gloomy state of mind following his third consecutive defeat to Atalanta. 

And what about Milan? This time, the Rossoneri were in fine form, beating a Lecce side that hardly put up a fight 3–0 at San Siro. Following their heavy defeat to Benfica, the Rossoneri finally treated their fans to a great evening, entertaining them with fast-paced, incisive play. Despite the numerous substitutions (as many as six) made by Amorim, Milan benefited from the return of Rabiot and Modrić in midfield and Gila in defence. Pulisic put in a fine performance – his first of the season – breaking the deadlock with a fine left-footed strike following an equally impressive first touch. After Rabiot doubled the lead, Diego Moreira, who had come on for Saelemakers, sealed the hat-trick. It has now become a hallmark of the Belgian: whenever he comes on, he scores straight away. This one, too, was a rare gem. Fifth place, two points behind the top, certainly brings greater peace of mind. If Ramos were to start scoring as well, Milan would be all set. But you can’t have it all. 

THE RESULTS

Monza v Sassuolo 2–1

Bologna v Torino 1–1

Udinese v Cagliari 0–1

Roma v Inter 2–2

Fiorentina v Napoli 1–1

Frosinone v Como 2–0

Parma v Genoa 2–1

Juventus v Atalanta 2–0

Milan v Lecce 3–0