Inter-Naples: Kvara, Lobotka and Osimhen are Inzaghi’s special observers

In Simone Inzaghi’s mind, the anti-Naples formation is “almost” done and, with the choice of the starting eleven, there are also tactical moves to limit Spalletti’s Azzurri. With Onana starting in goal, there will be Skriniar, Acerbi and Bastoni in defense, Dumfries and Dimarco on the flanks, Barella, Calhanoglu and Mkhitaryan in the middle plus Dzeko and Lukaku up front. Martinez, back from his post-World Cup holidays, will probably be back from 1′ in Monza; Brozovic, who cut his holidays short, will work separately for a few days and (99%) won’t be at risk especially after the discomfort in his right thigh he suffered in the semifinal against Argentina.

ANTI KVARA CAGE

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The number one danger is the Georgian who will start from the left wing, after overcoming the lumbago that had made him miss the last three championship games before the stop for Qatar 2022. Kvara cannot be limited to just one man or Dumfries, who moreover it has very offensive characteristics: in order not to let it gain speed in one-on-one situations, it is mandatory to build a cage around it or if you prefer to go and “catch” it with several players. The Dutchman will lower down to limit him, but he will still have to keep his leg to restart. He will therefore not be able to play full-back so as not to move the center of gravity of his formation back too much. That’s why the former PSV will be helped by Skriniar who, of the three behind, will be the one who will expand on Kvara. In order not to put the Slovakian in difficulty, it will be essential not to force him to face an opponent launched at speed because with dribbling the blue can create problems even for an element of Milan’s value. When number 77 concentrates on him, however, Barella and possibly Calhanoglu are ready in the first place, a bulwark also for the backward crosses that the former Dinamo Batumi places when he reaches the back.

PRESSURE ON LOBOTKA

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Fresh from the renewal of his contract, the Slovak cannot be left free to play, at least from his own trocar onwards. Inzaghi is well aware that the Azzurri are the ones that have had the most possession per game in the first 15 days of Serie A (32 minutes and 53 seconds per match) and the only way to counter them is to put pressure on Lobotka. With who? Probably by raising the pressure on the midfielder Mkhitaryan, but the work of the two strikers will also be fundamental, called to screen the passes under construction from below. Dzeko and Lukaku, in turn, will have to prevent the ball from reaching central defenders or full-backs easily to Stanislav, who won’t have Pirlo’s illuminating pass, but is good at keeping the orchestra going. If he struggles to get going, Napoli is (perhaps) easier to limit.

OSIMHEN DANGER

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And then there’s the Nigerian who, as a central offensive point of reference and above all the league’s top scorer, deserves special treatment. Francesco Acerbi is ready for him, who in these weeks without the championship has had the opportunity to study him carefully. From the statistics he understood that Victor can’t leave even one meter because the number 9 has put 9 balls behind the opposing goalkeepers with 15 shots on target (35 in all). The former Lazio player’s task will be complicated especially on crosses coming from the sides, but also be careful not to give him depth. And don’t think that the African will be conditioned by the fortuitous and violent clash he had right at San Siro on 21 November 2021 with Skriniar: a “blow” that gave him multiple broken fractures of the orbit and left cheekbone. The memory of that knockout still carries him now given that since 17 January he has always taken the field with a protective mask despite the titanium plates inserted during the surgery and time having completely solved the problem.