Tonight Napoli in Bologna tries to shake Inter. Atalanta fall again. Roma and Juve draw

If that were the case, the problem would already be solved. It would be enough to put the big players back on the field and everything would be as it was before. Instead, already in the first half, at the Tardini, things did not go well, on the contrary. Inter, although leading 2-0, went into the locker room with the impression of having escaped only thanks to the prowess of Sommer, their goalkeeper. If the goalkeeper is the best, the alarm must go off.

Then in the second half there was the patatrac, with those changes hardly understandable if not with the idea of resting the star players. But the soup was already that. Inter had already boiled before. Perhaps Inzaghi, if he had budgeted for the substitutions, should have reconsidered, but something went wrong.

So?

And so Inzaghi himself will now have to be very careful. Winning everything is great, emulating Mourinho and his Triplete would be fantastic, but we are talking about football from 15 years ago. Many things have changed today in this football that is increasingly full of commitments and physical stresses that are not easy to reconcile.

Some critics rightly observe that Inter has a problem: that of comebacks. That is, that it runs out of gas in the second half. The opposite of Milan, who go under even with Lumezzane's chicks. And then somehow gets back on track. Winning helps to win, they say. But the opposite is also true.

We will already see tonight what Napoli will do in Bologna. The opportunity is great, but the Italian team is a very difficult crash test for anyone. Atalanta's new fall with Lazio (0-1, Isaksen in the 54th minute) gives further impetus to the Rossoblu who, although momentarily caught up with Juve (56), can even aim for third place.

In fact, if the race for the Scudetto is really uncertain, that of the pursuers for the Champions League is much more so. Atalanta, it was said, is in free fall. Gasperini's team, after Inter and Fiorentina, also lost to Lazio, despite the fact that the Biancocelesti had several absentees.

The Dea, seventh consecutive game without a home win, is increasingly screwed in on itself, risking losing even third place. Nervousness does not help, just as Gasperini's early announcement to leave the club at the end of the season did not help. He denies it, but facts speak louder than words. Lazio, on the other hand, has regained momentum by overtaking Roma in sixth place and re-entering the race for a place in Europe.

Roma’s Victor Nelsson and Juventus' Kenan Yildiz during the Serie A Enilive soccer match between AS Roma and Juventus FC at the Rome's Olympic stadium, Italy - Sunday, April 06, 2025. Sport - Soccer. (Photo by Fabrizio Corradetti / LaPresse)

The match at the Olimpico ended in a draw that did nobody any good in the standings. However, the Bianconeri, who took the lead in the 40th minute thanks to a sharp strike from the edge by Locatelli, showed comforting signs of recovery. The team, with Tudor on the bench, had a soul that could not be seen with Motta. Almost always on the attack in the first half, with another good chance from Cristante and a Gonzales post, the Bianconeri were caught up at the start of the second half by Shomurodov, thrown into the fray shortly before by Ranieri.

It was a fair and hard-fought draw on the whole (El Shaarawy's goalpost too), but it didn't add much. And if Juve hooks up with Bologna (committed tonight against Napoli), Roma, after seven consecutive victories, fall back to seventh place behind Lazio.

The match at the Stadio Olimpico was also the challenge between two 'traghettatori' who, while correcting the mistakes of their predecessors, will probably go elsewhere at the end of the season. For Tudor, although some progress can be seen, it is too early for a judgement. Formidable instead was the contribution of Ranieri, a 'safe used man' who brought Roma out of the ruins and relaunched it towards Europe.

It's a good thing that Conceicao gets a laugh. Happy people, heaven help them, says the proverb. Asked if he plans to stay on in the future, the Portuguese coach replies with a good laugh. By now, to talk about Milan, in the light of the 2-2 draw with Fiorentina, you have to go to Zelig, to the comedians, where at least there is no lack of fun. But not only because Milan endlessly repeat their mistakes (this is the seventh time this year that the Rossoneri have conceded a goal in the first ten minutes), but above all because of the bewildering confusion that continues to reign in the club.

This is confirmed by the latest about-face on the choice of the new sporting director. After two months, the choice seemed to have fallen on Fabio Paratici, 52 years old, former Tottenham after a long experience with Juventus. A perfect profile of great experience, a winner who would have brought with him a coach of weight with an identity consistent with Milan's history. All that was missing was the signature. Everything ok then?

Of course not, the deal fell through because of the notorious affair that Paratici is disqualified until 20 July and therefore for the market he would have had problems, etc. etc. But is it possible? They've only discovered this now?

Then there is president Paolo Scaroni, who in the 'Gazzetta dello Sport' repeats the usual pre-packaged refrain: 'We are disappointed but already working for a winning Milan...'

They have been playing this violin for a year now. Ninth in the standings twenty points behind Inter, with Europe a long way off, the Milan management seems to be doing it on purpose to repeat the same mistakes as the Rossoneri defence. To err is human, but this management is truly diabolical. Like continuing to put faith in Ibrahimovic, who has been singled out lately only for his new haircut. Last consideration: by now, even the protesters at the San Siro have given up. Protests and whistles have almost disappeared. But that is not a good sign.

On a Sunday afternoon like a hymn to spring, it was cycling that saved those who stayed at home, with a beautiful Tour of Flanders (culpably ignored by RAI) won after 16 walls and 269 kilometres by the almost unbeatable Tadej Pogacar, first for the second time at the 'Ronde' after an escape that began 18 kilometres from the finish on the old Kwaremont wall. An attack that allowed him to finish one minute ahead of Dane Pedersen and Dutchman Van Der Poel, his rival friend who had beaten him at the Sanremo.

A Pogacar victory, the 93rd in his career, that of the Slovenian, which matured after a tremendous series of attacks (eight!) that gradually demolished his rivals. It was impossible to resist the percussions of the world champion, who was also stronger than a crash that had split the group at the halfway point. In a very fast race, run at a record average of almost 45 km per hour.

And so now Tadej boasts another classic, which he had already signed in 2023 anyway. In total, there are now eight monumental classics that Prince Tadej has in his trophy cabinet. No one has won more among the active riders. Not forgetting, of course, that the Slovenian has already stamped three Tour de France and one Giro d'Italia. Being only 26 years old, his only real opponent is now the legendary Eddy Merckx, the strongest champion in the history of cycling (523 victories, 5 Tours, 5 Giro d'Italia and as many other stuff as 19 monumental classics).

Here, however, the job for Pogacar becomes more complicated. Mainly because comparisons, in such different cycling, leave time to be found. To strike while the iron is hot, Tadej will now make his debut at Paris-Roubaix, the race of stones, next Sunday, 13 April. It is not a test tailor-made for him, say his advisors, who have thus managed to entice him to the new venture. Last notation: Ganna finished eighth after more than two minutes. However, do not be fooled. The author of a fine breakaway with other braves, Ganna was caught with about 40 to go after having reached a lead of over a minute. In short, the 'boy' is also growing in the classics. Who knows...