Juve wins in Bologna. In the championship of mediocrity, Inter returns to the top. Napoli loses, Milan slows down

Milan-Sassuolo 2-2. It must be a vice, a strange vice, Ugo Tognazzi would have said, the one that leads the Diavolo to throw away precious points when it crosses the newly promoted teams. It had already done so with Cremonese and Pisa (a defeat and a draw), and this time it repeated itself at lunchtime at the San Siro with Sassuolo, who may be a tough challenge, but in short, they always come from Serie B.... Luckily for Allegri, the newly promoted teams are over, at least in the first round. For the return leg, if he really aspires to the title, Max will have to gear up." We need respect, we need a change of pace,' he said, putting his hands out. Words to the wind, especially if you think that Milan are 'free' from cup fatigue

The Emilians took the lead through Konè. And then, despite young Bartesaghi's one-two, came Laurientè's equaliser, who also hit a post in the final. The Rossoneri also had two goals cancelled out (Pulisic and Rabiot) Not at all convincingly the one cancelled out for the American. The point, however, is another: and that at 2-1, when it seemed to be done, Milan started to retreat, trying to somehow take away the three points. They were unlucky, because Sassuolo took the field and courage first by equalizing and then almost winning. "Good point, we were in danger of losing," commented Allegri at the end, already taken by the upcoming challenge with Napoli in Arabia. At least Napoli are not newly promoted. Franco Baresi, returning to the San Siro after his illness, must have thought back with some nostalgia to the Milan of the Invincibles

Udinese-Napoli 1-0. Conte's partenopei also made hara-kiri, leaving another three points on the road. This time they left them in Udine, where the Friulians, with a superb goal by the Dutchman Jurgen Ekkellenkamp (powerful right-footed shot into the crossbar) beat a Napoli exhausted by the Champions League misadventures and by the numerous injuries that still penalised it. Another defeat, the seventh of the season and the fourth in the league, which throws heavy questions on the ambitions of a group that, as soon as the bar is raised by the double commitment between league and cup, goes off the rails. Absences certainly weigh heavily, but this incurable fragility in away matches is a worrying symptom. A seasonal ailment that can be cured with tachipirin or something more? Already on Thursday in the Riyadh game with Milan we will have a first answer.

Fiorentina -Verona 1-2 "If something can go wrong, it will..." says Murphy's law, whose intent is to mock any negativity, and which fits perfectly on the current Fiorentina who, in the challenge-salvation, lose badly at home against Verona, being doubled almost at the end by a wild Orban, who came on the pitch after Giovane's injury. The violets, slandered even by their own supporters ('you make us laugh...') remain last with six points, more and more hunted by the spectre of the B league. Indeed, that of Fiorentina is a sinking that leaves very little hope for the future. And not so much because they have never won, but because they lack a leader, a club that makes itself heard and takes the situation in hand. Coach Vanoli's position, stuck on his mistakes, is also very compromised. Finally, there is the 'problem' of the fans, so disillusioned and angry that they are more of a brake than a stimulus. Also pitiful is the usual sad and humiliating ritual of players in penitence in front of the ultras' corner. We would like to see a reaction from grown men, who take responsibility, not from overpaid bamboccioni who apologise because they no longer know how to win.. For Verona another coup after the one with Atalanta: six points in two games that take them to third-last place (12 points), bypassing Pisa.

Parma-Lazio 0-1. What can I say? When you win in nine, you just have to applaud. Sarri's team achieved this singular feat at the Tardini thanks to a fine strike by Noslin seven minutes from the end. But the relevant fact is that the Biancocelesti at the moment of the decisive goal were nine down for two expulsions (Zaccagni and Basic) decided by referee Marchetti of Ostia. On Basic's (elbowing Estevez) the red perhaps fits. On Zaccagni's foul (he slipped with slight contact) a simple caution would have sufficed. But not everyone's taste is minty. Now Lazio in Italy have this singular record of five expulsions in 15 matches. 'Yet we are the most correct team, next game we will start with 10 players...' pointed out Maurizio Sarri who does not lack a sense of humour. Another who had a sense of irony was Baron Niels Liedholm who liked to repeat: 'You play better in ten than in eleven. Let alone in nine.

Atalanta-Cagliari 2-1. A brace from Scamacca (4 goals in 3 games) gave the orobici's coach, Palladino, a precious victory that allows him to continue his climb towards the Champions zone. But it was not an easy evening for the Dea, who took the lead in the first half but were remounted in the second half (Gaetano's fine goal) by a Cagliari team that was not at all willing to give up. The good will of the guests, however, was not enough in front of the rediscovered scorer Scamacca (good news for Gattuso) who took the field despite a fever of 38°

"Dirty matches that toughen us up," said Palladino, enjoying the three points and the fourth consecutive victory in Bergamo (Fiorentina, Genoa, Chelsea and Cagliari) since he has been coach of Atalanta, which now stands 19 points behind Cremonese and Sassuolo.

Torino-Cremonese 1-0. Despite the protests against president Cairo, the granata found a victory more precious than water in the desert, overcoming a Cremonese team that had just won two consecutive matches but was not very responsive. The opposite of Toro, who regained some light after three defeats in a row. The match was decided in the 27th minute by Croatian Nikola Vlasic, who scored his fifth goal in the last six outings (between Torino and the national team. Staining the hosts' success was a more than obvious penalty denied to Cremonese for a clumsy touch with the arm by Cholito Simeone. A penalty that once would not have been rightly given, but that with the new regulations (out of gauge) is now automatically conceded. Mysteries of football in the Var era.

Lecce-Pisa 1-0. Third consecutive defeat for the Pisans who, never entering the match, make another false step that brings them closer to the abyss of the B. Better instead the Lecce that wins thanks to Sulic (first goal in the championship) and goes up to 16 quota, moving away from the rivals for the salvation.

Fighting between ultras before Genoa-Inter. In the end a few bruised only among the policemen. But it could have been a lot worse in the pre-match around the Ferraris stadium. Bottles flew, smoke smoke bombs and even some road signs were thrown as improper weapons when the Nerazzurri supporters' bus crossed paths with some groups of red and blue ultras.

Evening thought: this time it went well, but why do we have to go on forever with this scourge of the ultras? Apart from the incivility, the victims and the injured, do you know how much this little joke costs us each year to guarantee public order? About forty million euros plus the involvement of about 6,000 agents per championship round. And it has been going on like this for at least 50 years.