CAN LUKAKU BREAK HIS JUVENTUS JINX

All eyes would be on Italian football when Juventus and Inter Milan this weekend in an Italian Serie A clash that could determine the immediate future of the Old Lady.

Inter Milan have already sealed the league title after ending the nine-year domestic dominance of Juventus as masterminded by one of their former players and managers, Antonio Conte. The Nerazzuri won’t want anything other than to put spanner in the works of the Old Lady in the quest to secure a Champions League spot ahead of the new season.

Italian football giants Juventus failed to defend their title well under new manager Andrea Pirlo this season and they could find themselves in the Europa League next season if they don’t finish in the top four at the end of the Italian Serie A this term. Ahead of the big Italian football clash at home to champions Inter Milan, Juventus are in fifth place and they trail Napoli in fourth place by one point, while second-placed Atalanta and third-placed AC Milan have two more points than Napoli.

Inter Milan striker RomeluLukaku has been the standout player for his team this season and strike partner Lautaro Martinez is not far behind. However, the Belgian international is yet to score against Juventus in five meetings.

He played once for Manchester United against Juventus in the Champions League and has featured four times against them in the colours of the Nerazzuri. Lukaku has been on the winning side just once and that was the 2-0 league win for Inter in January 2021.Apart from Juventus, Lukaku has remained scoreless in four games against two other teams namely Atalanta and Hellas Verona.

Juventus need a win at home to Inter Milan to boost their quest to qualify for Europe’s premier club competition. The Italian football giants have a financial crisis on their hands and only Champions League football can ease it a bit. Also, they could lose some of their stars like Cristiano Ronaldo if they don’t make it to the Champions League.

SOLSKJAER COMMENDS UNITED FOR IMPRESSIVE RECOVERY

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has praised his players after they recovered from a disjointed first half display against Italian football team AS Roma to produce a phenomenal second half performance that sees them move closer to the Europa League final.

Solskjaer and his players trailed 2-1 to their Italian football visitors at the break after goals from Lorenzo Pellegrini (penalty) and EdinDzekohelped the Italians overturn the ninth minute opener from Manchester United talisman Bruno Fernandes. In his post-match interview with BT Sports, Solskjaer revealed how his team had to put a disappointing first half behind to produce a strong second half which produced five goals.

Manchester United are now in a strong position to qualify for the Europa League after those five goals in the second half ensured that the Red Devils ended the first leg at home with a 6-2 lead to take to the StadioOlimpico in Rome for the second leg next week Thursday.

Solskjaer also praised the impact of Uruguayan international EdinsonCavani who was the catalyst for the second half fightback and that he wants him to stay at Manchester United beyond the end of his contract this summer. The former Napoli and PSG striker scored twice in the second half to overturn the game for his team. Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and second half substitute Mason Greenwood then scored three more goals to make it a thumping victory for the Premier League team.

Manchester United are expected to see off their Italian football opponents at the end of the second half to seal an Europa League final meeting with either Arsenal or Villarreal. Spanish La Liga club Villarreal defeated Arsenal 2-1 in the first leg to leave the tie in limbo ahead of the second leg in England next week.

PIOLI CHANGES STANCE ON LEAGUE TITLE

AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli has changed his stance on the Italian Serie A title for this season after his team’s recent run.

Pioli was asked about the Scudetto in his pre-match presser ahead of the trip to face relegation threatened Parma on Saturday evening and his response was of someone who knows Italian football top flight leaders Inter Milan are almost home and dry as far as the Serie A title is concerned.

The Milan boss told reporters that they are the ones pushing the league title narrative on the Rossoneri and that the wind blows away the words.

The current stance is different from the one he had shortly after the 3-2 win over Fiorentina shortly before the international break. As at then, Pioli told reporters that Milan will fight for the Italian football top flight title. It looks like the disappointing 1-1 draw with Sampdoria has changed his perspective. The draw ensured that second place Milan now trail their city rivals Inter Milan by 11 points ahead of the remainder of the season.

Inter Milan were eight points clear of Milan before a win in their rescheduled game at home to Sassuolo in midweek took the Nerazzuri 11 points clear at the top of the table. RomeluLukaku and Lautaro Martinez were on target to give Inter a 2-1 victory over Sassuolo.

Milan have nine games and a maximum of 27 points to try and stop Inter from winning the league title.

Pioli informed reporters about the target for Milan between now and the rest of the season in his presser ahead of the Parma game. According to him, the target is to qualify for the Champions League rather than win the league title. Only the first four places on the Serie A table will guarantee Champions League football ahead of the new season.

Milan are in second position with 60 points and they have four points more than Napoli in fifth place. Serie A holders Juventus and Atalanta are in third and fourth position respectively with 59 points and 58 points. With Inter Milan almost guaranteed a place in the Champions League next season, AC Milan, Juventus, Napoli and Atlanta will fight for the remaining three Champions League spots between now and the end of the season.

Capital clubs Lazio and AS Roma are also still in a position to make a late charge towards a Champions League spot at the end of the season.

JUVENTUS RANKED SIXTH BEST

Italian football top flight champions Juventus have been ranked the sixth best team on the European football scene for the last one decade behind the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona. The rankings for the best teams on the continent was revealed by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).

The period under review was from 2011 to 2020. Juventus have not had the best of seasons under former player Andrea Pirlo, who was named the new manager in the place of Maurizio Sarri at the beginning of this season. Juventus have struggled to maintain the form that saw them win the league title in the Italian football top flight for each of the past eight seasons.

The Italian football top flight champions are third on the table and ten points behind league leaders Inter Milan. The Old Lady are on the verge of losing their league title to the Nerazzuri. In addition, Juventus have been knocked out of the Champions League by Portuguese giants FC Porto in the first knockout stage.Porto got the better of Juventus on the away goals rule. Juventus have already won the Italian Super Cup by beating Napoli and they are in the Coppa Italia final where they will face Atalanta.

IFFHS say that Barcelona are the best team with 2877 points as they retained the title they won at the end of the last decade. They are also the best team in the years 2011, 2012 and 2015. They finished ahead of arch rivals Real Madrid in second place. Bayern Munich, PSG and Atletico Madrid are in third, fourth and fifth respectively.

CHIESA: JUVE DESERVED TO QUALIFY

Juventus forward Federico Chiesa is adamant that the Old Lady did enough to qualify for the Champions League quarterfinals ahead of FC Porto.

Federico Chiesa spoke to reporters immediately after the second leg of the last 16 tie with Porto at the Allianz Stadium in Turin. Federico Chiesa was visibly disappointed that Juventus didn’t secure a place in the last eight of the competition. He told Sky Sports Italia that the players were determined to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

Federico Chiesa is one of the most talented young players in Italian football at the moment and he definitely played his part with three goals over the two legs against Portuguese giants Porto. Chiesa the only goal for Juventus in the first leg which ended in a 2-1win for hosts Porto. Iranian football star forward Mehdi Taremi scored the opening goal of that first leg for Porto in the first half before Malian international Moussa Marega added a second goal after the break. Italian football star Chiesa would go on to score two goals against FC Porto in the second leg, which ended in a 3-2 win for Juventus ay the Allianz Stadium at the end of extra time. The result was not good for Juventus as they were eliminated by their Champions League last 16 opponents via the away goals rule.

For Federico Chiesa and Juventus, attention will now turn to the Italian Serie A and the Coppa Italia final with Atalanta later this year. Chiesa will also be looking forward to the European Championships this summer. The Juventus attacker is expected to be one of the stars of Italian football at the tournament.

OSIMHEN RULED OUT TILL MARCH

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has been ruled out till the start of next month after suffering head trauma. The Nigerian international suffered head trauma at the weekend during the Italian Serie A clash with Atalanta.

Victor Osimhen, 22, hit his head on the turf after the collision with Atalanta player Cristian Romero. The Super Eagles of Nigeria striker was unconscious as he was rushed to the hospital. The Napoli player underwent some tests and has been cleared of any head damage afterwards. He will need to rest for some days before returning to action. To this effect, Victor Osimhen could miss the next two games for Italian football giants Napoli in all competitions.

Napoli doctor Alfredo Bucciedo gave an update on the injury status of Victor Osimhen on Radio Kiss Kiss. The neurosurgeon said the Nigerian player suffered head trauma with memory loss and that medical tests are showing good results but they have to wait for the normal recovery time as he added that the player needs at least one week of complete rest.

The new development means that Victor Osimhen will miss the crucial last 32 clash with Spanish La Liga club Granada on Thursday. Italian football top flight club Napoli are in big trouble after they were beaten 2-0 at Granada in the first leg. The Italian football giants have to score three goals without conceding to win the last 32 tie and qualify for the round of 16. Victor Osimhen is also expected to sit out the league game with Benevento in the Italian football top flight this weekend.

The Nigerian player is expected to return for the Sassuolo game in the Italian football top flight next week. Victor Osimhen has had a stop-start first season at Napoli since his big money move from Lille last summer. He has missed games through injury, suspension and Covid-19. The Super Eagles striker has two goals and one assist in 16 games for Napoli this season.

INTER WILL DECIDE ON ERIKSEN

The future of midfielder Christian Eriksen seems to be entirely in the hands of Inter Milan, who will make a decision on the availability of the player once the January window opens. The former Tottenham midfielder has been a major flop for Inter after moving to the San Siro for around £ 17 million.

He has failed to make any impact and manager Antonio Conte has subsequently dropped him from the squad. After signing a four-year contract, Eriksen is not under a great deal of pressure to seek a move away from Inter, who have publicly stated that the midfielder may not have a future at the club.

The Danish midfielder has to play regularly to feature for the national team. After making only 12 appearances for far for Inter, there is little option available for the midfielder. A few weeks ago, CEO Giuseppe Marotta confirmed that Eriksen will be listed on the market in January. The latest appearance for the midfielder came in the 2-1 loss against Sampdoria, when he came on as a substitute in the last 20 minutes. This seemed to suggest that Inter were still considering the possibility of retaining the player in the hope of seeing him come good. Continue reading INTER WILL DECIDE ON ERIKSEN

LAZIO VS AS ROMA: PREDICTED LINEUPS

AS Roma are playing a consecutive huge game as they have been pitted against fellow league heavyweights Lazio. The game will see players from both sides clash intensely and is expected to be an eye-catching game as well.

After their hard-fought draw against second-placed team Inter Milan, Roma will be looking to build upon that by giving their best to conquer a Lazio side that are also in the running to make a strong claim in the Italian Serie A this season. Continue reading LAZIO VS AS ROMA: PREDICTED LINEUPS

MILAN IN €12M FOR MIDFIELDER

Italian football top flight leaders AC Milan have reportedly made a bid for a midfielder plying his trade in Italian football in a bid to boost their title challenge between now and the rest of the season.

The Rossoneri have surprised a lot of Italian football enthusiasts with their form in the Italian Serie A this season. They are the only unbeaten team in the Italian football top flight after fifteen matches and they have a one-point lead at the top of the Italian football top flight standings.

Hellas Verona player Mattia Zaccagni is the Italian football midfielder attracting the interest of AC Milan and fellow title rivals Napoli. The AC Milan bid for the player was disclosed by II Corrieredello Sport. It was revealed that the seven-time European champions have made a €12m for the Hellas Verona star and that they are open to the option of loaning him back to his club for the rest of this season. Napoli are also in talks to sign the player who has been in fine form in Italian football. MattiaZaccagni has scored four goals in addition to four assists in 15 league outings for Hellas Verona this season and his contracted to the club until next summer. Continue reading MILAN IN €12M FOR MIDFIELDER

ITALY U21 TO TAKE ON SPAIN

The draw for the under-21 Euros tournament has been concluded and teams have now known their opponents. The current holders of the title are Spain and they will be looking to defend their title by all means.

Spain have been drawn in the same group as Slovenia, Italy, and the Czech Republic as they all contain Group B. In Group A, Germany and the Netherlands have been drawn alongside Hungary and Romania.

Occupying the Group C slots are Iceland, Russia, Denmark, and France. While for Group D, Portugal will lock horns with the likes of England, Switzerland, and Croatia. All the teams will be looking to stretch their capabilities and bank on their abilities to see if they can go as far as winning the tournament.

Italy and Spain have been drawn in the same group have both won the tournament five times each and it is going to be interesting to see how they face-off. According to Betiton, Spain remain the favourites for the outright tournament.

Full 2021 U21 Euro Tournament Draw
Group A: Germany, Hungary, Romania, Netherlands
Group B: Italy, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Spain
Group C: Denmark, Iceland, France, Russia
Group D: Croatia, England, Switzerland, Portugal

Slovenia and Hungary are the co-hosts of the competition and there is a unique format regarding how the matches will be played. Between the 24th of March and the 31st of March, the group stage games will be played. After then, there will be an eight-team knockout stage to be played between the 31st of May and the 6th of June.

The match schedule is yet to be released but will be done as soon as possible.