Serie A Superthread

Mr.Nice Guy

Pretty sure Allegri would have been sacked on that bad spell last year had it not been for his huge contract, and yet he has quietly got Juve back into the title race. Napoli vs Juve on Friday is going to be huge.

Milan vs Roma is pretty significant too and I expect Milan will win. Leao vs Zeki Celik will be interesting as they were former teammates at Lille.

Mr.Nice Guy

Oh my goodness. Tammy Abraham looks to have snatched a point for Roma.

Full-time. Didn't see that coming after the Pobega goal. Think that leaves Juve 2nd and means the Friday game is now a clash of the top two.

breezy1985

Roma were absolutely crp for 85 mins. They were actually defending a 1-0 deficit. Absolutely shocking form Milan and shows they can't close out games with such a weak bench.

EltonJohn69

Mourinho is God.

Smell the glove

Can't believe Roma robbed a point last night. They were dreadful.

Mr.Nice Guy

Battle of the top two tonight as Napoli play Juve. Been looking forward to this. Hope Napoli win but have a feeling for a 1-1 draw.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120104608#Comment_120104608

I fear Juve catching Napoli far more than I dream of Milan catching them so ya hope Napoli stuff em.

breezy1985

Great bicycle kick, great save, great follow up.

Napoli 1 up

Mr.Nice Guy

1-0 Napoli via Osimhen. Great start from the home side. Shame the Kvaratskhelia effort was saved.

Mr.Nice Guy

Kvaratskhelia! Him and Osimhen having a great half. Tough for Juve at 2-0, just when they looked like they might get back into it.

Hang on, Di Maria gives Juve an instant lifeline. Pity Napoli couldn't take the 2 goal lead into the break. Di Maria looks Juve's biggest threat.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120104965#Comment_120104965

2-1

Fun game. And Did Maria looks on form tonight.

Mr.Nice Guy

What a strike from Rrahmani. 3-1!

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120105143#Comment_120105143

Perfect low volley.

Mr.Nice Guy

4-1 now! Juve can't handle Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen. Statement performance, this.

breezy1985

Another sweet goal.

4-1

Mr.Nice Guy

Oh my goodness, 5-1! It's a rout. Juve had a good defensive record coming into this. Napoli's attack is something else.

breezy1985

Just give them the title.

5-1

NIMAN

Would love to see Napoli win the CL this season, they have probably been the best team to watch in Europe this season.

Before the vultures come and pick the meat off the team.

The Golden Miller

Napoli love to bottle it, but surely it can't happen from this position. This weekend was the tricky one and they got over that hurdle, with Milan slipping up aswell unfortunately.

Naples have been pushing for this title for a long time now, and should have won it several times, particularly a few seasons ago beating Juve on the run in. If they finally get over the line the club could really go from strength to strength. Could go close to winning the Champions League too

When they started getting to the top echelons of the league well over a decade now, I always thought they'd fall away. But with the team being completely overhauled since then they're still there. They've seemed to have adopted a certain culture on how to play and it's now stuck.

Naples has always been different to the rest of Italy and likewise, Napoli play a very non Italian game, but it's very impressive. They are absolutely relentless, take it to teams home and away, win or lose. Throw everything at it and try and bludgeon teams into submission. It's impressive.

If they overcome the psychological hurdles that have held them back, they could a serious force at European level too. It's hard to see many teams living with them

The Golden Miller

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120106425#Comment_120106425

Don't think Napoli will get pulled apart, and even if players are sold, they just seem to find more and keep hammering away at it. They haven't really fallen away in 15 years at this point, regardless of who comes and goes. I wouldn't worry about them in that regard, compared to say someone like Ajax

breezy1985

Milan very lucky to come away with a point yesterday. Between injuries and poor form to key players they are really only scraping by.

The drop in performance from Tomori is shocking and teams have copped that him and Kalulu have no aerial presence.

Smell the glove

How sickened would ye say Insigne is. The year he leaves for money they are looking like scudetto winners.

The Golden Miller

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120111625#Comment_120111625

At least he doesn't have to directly see it like Calhanoglu

Smell the glove

Milan are crumbling. 2 down in the super final shamefully being played in Saudi Arabia. Disgraceful defending from Tonali.

dor83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120126020#Comment_120126020

Milan have been poor so far but I'd expect them to be better in the 2nd half and wouldn't be surprised if the get a couple of goals.

Money talks in football now, they paid something like €7.5m to host the match. After the World Cup being moved to winter so Qatar could host it we shouldn't be surprised, plus the Supercoppa was held outside Italy before Covid too so it's no surprise they went abroad again.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120126195#Comment_120126195

The Supercoppa also has fek all history or significance in Italy. It's not the same as a despot regime snagging the charity shield.

dor83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120126402#Comment_120126402

I don't know, I always saw the Charity Shield as a glorified friendly and never even counted it a a trophy, so no more important. I think the big difference is that the Italian teams need the money but the English would be looking for much more. To make it even worse they're talking about adding another 2 teams to get a couple of extra matches, like the Spanish version.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120126540#Comment_120126540

Well take what the English think of the Charity Shield and minus a million off of it to get the Supercoppa. It was invented because other countries had similar "so why not". I hate that it's in Saudi Arabia but to Italians it's no more significant than the GAA All Stars going to Dubai.

The Spanish thing is a shocking heap of sht and no more important than the Emirates Cup.

Mr.Nice Guy

Wow!

https://twitter.com/eurofootcom/status/1616531487599247360

They will drop from 3rd to 11th in the table.

dor83

I'm surprised by how many points they deducted, it's something that every club does to some extent and it'll be interesting to see if any other clubs get penalties.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120136532#Comment_120136532

Ya but Juve keep doing it to a big extent.

It'll be appealed and sure to be overturned

dor83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120136616#Comment_120136616

Other clubs have pushed it too but it's very difficult to prove, Juve were only caught because of wiretaps as part of the other investigation.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120136730#Comment_120136730

I reckon they'll get a reduced punishment, maybe 3-5 point deduction rather than the 15.

I still find it hard to believe they discussed this over the phone after all the wiretaps from Calciopoli, you'd think they'd have learned not to discuss anything dodgy on the phone by now.

NIMAN

Do Juve never learn.

Some dodgy boys behind the scenes at that club over the years.

Fully expect an appeal and a reduction.

Smell the glove

Pity they weren't relegated.

Mr.Nice Guy

I was about to say Salernitana have done well at frustrating Napoli but a great finish from Di Lorenzo with the last kick of the half.

2-0. Osimhen grabs another goal as the ball falls kindly. Looking good for Napoli.

Full-time. Napoli go 12 clear for the moment. Over to the chasing pack...

Schwiiing

Expecting Atalanta to do a job on Juve tonight. Juve on the wrong end of a thrashing last week and Friday could see the heads drop. Atalanta in **** hot form with 13 goals in their last 2 games.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120143313#Comment_120143313

Big game for Atalanta who are in a 3 way battle for The Champions League.

You would expect them to beat the mid table opposition tonight 🤣

Schwiiing

Atalanta 1 up in 4 minutes. Poor from Sczesny.

Schwiiing

I stand corrected.

Mr.Nice Guy

Lookman is having a hell of a season. If I was doing a Serie A team of the half-season, I'd probably have him and Skriniar as the only non-Napoli representatives.

NIMAN

Entertaining game.

Mr.Nice Guy

Wow, Inter beaten 1-0 at home by Empoli. Skriniar got a red card in the first half. Inter now 13 points off Napoli.

It seems Milan are the only ones that have a glimmer of a chance of keeping the title race alive, but if they lose at Lazio tomorrow...

breezy1985

Milan down after 5 minutes. Headless defending again.

Mr.Nice Guy

2-0 Lazio. It just feels like destiny for Napoli at this point.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120152954#Comment_120152954

Nice 5 way battle for the Champions League building.

dor83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120152954#Comment_120152954

The Osimhen transfer is still being investigated so they could yet have points deducted if they find anything. It also wouldn't surprise me if Spalletti found a way to throw away the lead they have.

Mr.Nice Guy

3-0 Lazio from the spot. That's the game surely.

Make that 4-0. It's a rout.

Headshot

It's going to be some fight for the CL qualification

2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th position are really tightly bunched at the moment

I fear for Milan though, they are on an downward spiral and really hard to get out of that.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120153660#Comment_120153660

Playing Sassuolo next who it feels like always beat Milan. 11:30 Sunday too which feels extra jinxed.