Milan, flop transfer market. Nkunku and De Winter terrible. Hojlund irrepressible for Napoli

It’s a (good) Napoli that avoids the third defeat in a row and is waiting to renew the challenge with the winner of Bologna-Inter and it’s a Milan that isn’t up to par and loses its second trophy of the season, after the Italian Cup already lost against Lazio. Now, in order not to end up with zero titles, only the scudetto remains, but the company is anything but agile, especially without a center forward and without a central defender. The difference between Nkunku (cost 37 million) and Hojlund, sought by Milan in the summer, and then taken by Napoli (6 million for the loan, 44 to honor the obligation to buy) was there to be seen. And the arrival of Füllkrug from the market does not seem (but we will be happy to be proven wrong) sufficient to make up the difference with the firepower of the more accredited rivals. Perhaps it is better to hope for a constant and inspired return of Leao, another major absentee, in the center forward role.

of winter

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But it wasn’t just the attack that was missing in the land of Arabia: the Rossoneri’s summer transfer market also brought in De Winter for another 18 million (plus 2 in bonuses), who was paved last night by Hojlund (in his best game with Napoli, perhaps encouraged by the presence of Lukaku as a super fan on the bench). That’s 55 million spent on the negative protagonists of the evening: even with the calculator in hand, the Danish striker would have been a better deal. Gabbia’s absence was enough to make Milan’s defense super fragile. Modric was also missing in the middle, at least until the last minutes when he was welcomed by an ovation from the Saudis (even there they know well that the Croatian is the only prophet of the Allegrian Milan): it is true that he needs to catch his breath but going to the final would have been important for the club for reasons of international prestige (with all that it entails in terms of sponsors and money). And it had to be the same for the players, for many of whom last year’s success was the only positive note of a unsuccessful season. Heavy absences, which however demonstrate how the reserves, so far, are not up to par. Jashari was also too shy, he probably still needs time to get into shape.

count

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For once, the distance from Maradona did not cause Antonio Conte’s Napoli to lose their thread. For once, the direct clash with a great team saw Massimiliano Allegri’s Milan emerge defeated. The match on a neutral pitch in the CR7 theater in front of a packed audience, as if it were on the night at San Siro, was won by the Italian champion team and did so with full merit. They may be few, tired and bruised but Conte’s boys have never suffered. A balanced first half, with some harshness here and there, was broken by the Hojlund-Neres axis, with a little help from a Maignan who was not miraculous for once, and a well-controlled recovery from Napoli. Allegri and Conte really care about the Super Cup (this was evident from their final reactions) but neither of them wanted to risk losing their balance on the pitch. Both Milan and Napoli had the best opportunities on the counterattack and, as mentioned, the two center forwards made the difference. Nkunku missed Milan’s best opportunity by thwarting a sensational three-on-two in Napoli’s area, Hojlund triggered Neres’ goal from two steps with a deep run and a nice movement in the area and then did it all alone in the second. The negative note, for both teams, was the latent nervousness throughout the match which every now and then exploded with some melee, barely contained by Zufferli, and with the behavior of the two benches who pinched each other at a distance more than once until the failed handshake between Conte and Allegri.

bologna-inter

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Tonight it’s up to Inter and Bologna: the Italian has nothing to lose and can play lightly, in the wake of last year’s historic triumph. Chivu is motivated by the idea of ​​starting to win where Inzaghi started to lose last year. For Inter it is a trophy that is worth more than other seasons: it can give the awareness of being able to win against the big teams, tonight Bologna (historically indigestible, there is no need to remember the two lost championships) and then possibly Napoli, in a challenge destined to last until May.