European Cups: the ranking of the pretenders from Rome to Turin

Two seats for five, one in the Europa League and one in the Conference. Two seats almost certainly because, barring a coup from Sassuolo, the Coppa Italia (which entitles you to a place in the Europa League) will be won by one of the teams that will go to the Champions League or those who are in the running for “minor” Europe , strictly in quotation marks. For those two seats Rome, Fiorentina and Lazio are in the running, but also the revelations Verona and Turin. Here we are going to analyze, also in light of the winter market for both entries and exits, how the teams stand to measure the possibility of hitting the goal. The many head-to-head clashes make the gold rush more interesting, indeed it is likely that they will also be decisive.

Few grafts, but very targeted. On the other hand, Roma, with the squad they have, did not need it much. Maitland-Niles on the right of the defense and Sergio Oliveira’s engagement in midfield who has already shown in a flash of time how precious he can be: two games, two goals. Mourinho then recovered Lorenzo Pellegrini, and sooner or later Spinazzola will also return, to the delight of him and that of the Italian coach Roberto Mancini. The Giallorossi, still competing in the Coppa Italia by the way, are among the biggest favorites for their place in the Europa League. If they hadn’t lost in a sensational way against Juventus at the Olimpico, they would also be in front of Allegri’s gang. What the Special One team lacked is just a little continuity and solidity on important occasions. But with the inclusion of Oliveira the impression is that it has become safer, as well as more complete.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ZANIOLO

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Mourinho has placed the Portuguese in the nerve center of the game, alongside Veretout. With Pellegrini’s return, the system that he seems to want to adopt is 4-2-3-1, bringing Zaniolo back to the trident behind Abraham. But he always has the solution of the two side by side in attack ready, which has worked well in some games. If he is well, Zaniolo will be decisive for his qualities and for the variants he offers. Be that as it may, the potential at Mou’s disposal is important. Mou which is another card in favor of Roma for the race for Europe, because he is very used to fighting for certain goals, unlike the other rivals, except for Sarri who has already won the Europa League with Chelsea. We can bet that he has not even put aside the thought of the Champions League, let alone the minor Europe.

With one less Vlahovic and one Cabral (and one Piatek) more. What Fiorentina will it be? The Brazilian in Basel was the purple Dusan: fourteen goals and 4 assists in 18 Super League games, a serial bomber himself. But we are talking about the Swiss championship, it will be necessary to see the impact that the new Italian center forward will have on Serie A, which is something else entirely. With super Vlahovic Fiorentina never had any problems in front of goal, on the contrary they almost started with a goal advantage. The coach did the rest, arranging the pieces and giving his team a great game. Fiorentina is two points down from Roma but played one game less, the one with Udinese at home postponed for Covid. A challenge on paper is not difficult, therefore Viola could potentially be ahead of Roma. And for what it has shown so far it is certainly its most dangerous rival.

IN THE HANDS OF ITALIAN

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But now we need to see how the team will react without its key player. And if Cabral proves to be up to it. In addition, there are the discontent of Comisso (and of the fans) that could destabilize the environment. It will be up to Italian to keep everything together and reconstruct a game with a different reference point in terms of characteristics. Vlahovic also knew how to do the ward on his own. But the coach has shown that he has great skills in finding solutions and Ikonè’s happy engagement will help him to form an attacking trident that is nevertheless effective, because Nico Gonzalez also gives guarantees. Not to mention Castrovilli, who after a difficult start seems to shine again. The Viola will remain at the top. Saturday already has a direct match, with Lazio at home. Let’s see how the first post-Vlahovic exam will go.

Let’s say it with an understatement. Maurizio Sarri is not happy with the repair market operated by the company. He had asked for certain men. Better, players with functional characteristics to the game of him, and a Deputy Immobile. Only one offensive player has arrived: Jovane Cabral, the Portuguese talent of Sporting Lisbon who acts as a winger but who can also make the first striker, but as a fallback. On the other hand, many sales, including Muriqi, even if not prominent. Lazio is there, with the same classification as Fiorentina (which, let’s remember, however, has one game less) and therefore the Tuscan coach in the first year is doing well, despite his game mechanisms needing time. Time is running out now, however, and we need to be ready for the final rush to conquer a slice of Europe.

AGGRAPPATI TO CIRO

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So far Lazio have alternated excellent matches with disappointing matches. The lack of continuity was its fault. But he gave the impression of a flower ready to bloom. This is the bet that Sarri must win, that is to make his game fully blossom. Who needs a center forward, like when he exalted Higuain at Napoli. Not that Immobile needed him to score, but with Sarri he still kept Vlahovic’s pace at the top of the scorer list. Lazio need Ciro to remain in excellent health, because there is no real replacement (not that it was easy to find him). On the sides of Immobile Sarri he has some variations to play around with, and the midfield is of absolute quality. To challenge Roma and Fiorentina, however, the coach must find a way to make Luis Alberto perform as in the past even with his mechanisms.

Who would have thought after that false start? Who would have thought, after the greeting of its creator, Ivan Juric? With a wonderful ride the Verona is amazing once again. In the hands of Igor Tudor he scored 33 points in 18 games, with nine victories including the one against Juventus away. A Champions League record. He wanted to save himself, now look a little further. Thanks to director D’Amico, Simeone and Caprari got it right. And he made a great winter market in the sense that he didn’t sell any of his prized pieces, Barak in the lead. He will talk about it again in the summer. And, sparingly, he completed the squad puzzle in the missing points. Like the team, Tudor also surprised us. He got back on the path traced by Juric and added a bit of imagination and freedom of action in the offensive phase. Thus Hellas can even dream of Europe. The road is long, the rivals are objectively much better equipped, but the team is solid and could surprise us again.

PROS AND CONS

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One of the qualities of Verona is the ease of scoring, the novelty of the season. The other is known, it is the trademark: aggression and race. To continue scoring a lot, Tudor needs to find the best Simeone, who has stopped a bit in the last few races. And that Barak and Caprari remain at these levels, which they had never reached. Because there are no adequate reinforcements behind them, even if the Polish talent Praszelik could be a pleasant surprise. In any case, to reach the goal not even imagined at the beginning of the season, it is necessary for many teams to stumble. Hard. But Verona has 4 direct clashes available to ‘help’ them. An advantage, because Verona gives its best with the strongest.

Now all that’s missing is that he finally manages to make Pietro Pellegri blossom and we could call him the magician Ivan. Juric is doing a wonderful job, there is no doubt that he is the extra man of Torino. He gave him a clear and effective game, he brought him back to the top after he struggled to save himself for two seasons. Little by little, he has shaped the team in his image and likeness, which is then paired with the old Toro heart: a lot of aggression, racing, courage. It is not for nothing that Torino is the team that, according to the Soccerment study, presses most effectively in the top 5 European championships, especially from midfield upwards. The effort of the company did the rest. The Croatian coach was gradually satisfied with his requests, even in this winter market. Pellegri, in fact, as an alternative to Sanabria, and the promising Demba Seck for the attack. And, among others, a talent ready and sure to happen like Samuele Ricci, director of the Under 21 team. In addition, there is the safety Bremer who has just renewed his one-year contract.

CHANCE EUROPE

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Turin, like Verona, needs some big top clubs to disappoint in the final rush to reach the European goal. But compared to his former team, Juric has a little more chance for the quality and completeness of the squad. The grenades in the standings are a step below Hellas but, like Fiorentina, they have one game less. A little more difficult: against Atalanta in Bergamo. With Juric, however, never say never. The strength of the team lies precisely in the fact that it has rarely seen itself at the mercy of an opponent. It’s not from Juric and it’s not even from the new Taurus that has gone back to the old. And all this has succeeded the technician without so far having a certain … Belotti.