Milan sinks in Rome, Naples flies away

The Rossoneri no longer respond at the beginning of 2023. With a 4-0 win over Lazio on Tuesday at Rome’s Olympic Stadium, the defending champions see their hopes of a double vanish within two weeks.

Now, 12 lengths behind leaders Naples, more than ever aiming for their first Scudetto in over 30 years, the Lombards are in deep trouble and a fifth meeting without a win in all competitions.

All of Napoli’s rivals drowned on the last day of the first leg. At the forefront of which are Juventus, who recently received fifteen points on the green carpet from the Italian Football Federation, who on Sunday scored only one point on their lawn against Atalanta from Bergamo (3-3).

Inter also sucks

For their part, Inter lost 0-1 at home to the modest Empoli on Monday, with Milan imitating him at greater latitudes.

If they remain second, the Rossoneri remained unrecognizable and apathetic for almost 90 minutes after their 3-0 thrashing of their Nerazzurri neighbors in the Italian Super Cup.

In the third game in a row, Milan broke down in the first ten minutes, issued by a static defense after a pass by Mattia Zaccagni, which was received by Sergei Milinkovic-Savic after a feint by Luis Alberto (4th).

Zaccagni, the real poison of the laziale, doubled down, more lively to make a shot thrown back by the post (38th).

Milan’s weak reaction at the start of the second half didn’t do much to an excited Lazio. Pierre Kalulu converted a penalty converted by Luis Alberto (67th), then completed by Felipe Anderson still forgotten in defense (75th).

That this AC Milan is far from the one who last season on the same pitch beat a badly started match with a victory over Lazio (2-1), a victory that looked like a turning point in the conquest of the Scudetto.

“In Search of Your Spirit”

Currently, the head no longer responds, and the legs are tired, like Fikayo Tomori and Davide Calabria, new injuries in the already orphaned defense of Teo Hernandez, who remained in Milan (muscle fatigue).

Olivier Giroud took the ball in vain, Ismael Bennacer almost missed the top corner (50th), and Stefano Pioli paced in vain in front of his bench, not recognizing his players and not finding a solution.

“I am here because I have to be there, but I would like to go back to Milanello to work because we have to work harder and better,” he said, speaking to the press. “Currently we are not performing at our level,” he acknowledged.

Paolo Maldini, the club’s technical director, spoke to the DAZN microphone to urge the team to “regain their spirit” after last season. “There can be a loss of confidence, it’s important to know how to stand up,” he said.

Maurizio Sarri, it looked like a good day. His Lazio, even without Ciro Immobile (injured), comes back a point behind the Rossoneri and moves up to third on equal points with Inter (4th) and Roma (5th), gaining height, like the eagle on the emblem of the club, which, before every match, rotates in the sky of Olimpico.

Source: AFP.