Where else can we start a Serie A weekend than Luciano Spalletti dragging Inter Milan back into chaos? A hapless 1-0 defeat at home to Lazio was the match to light a powderkeg under Luciano Spalletti. So Spalletti took to the press to air out frustrations that have already forced multiple responses and controversies.
Serie A Weekend: Spalletti Drags Inter Back Into Chaos
Inter 0-1 Lazio
Before this game began it felt like Inter Milan were starting to right the ship. They had just beaten AC Milan in a thrilling Derbi Della Madonnina, and Mauro Icardi was set to return to training. But just when you start to feel comfortable, are you at your most vulnerable. And Lazio came into San Siro and stole three points right from under Luciano Spalletti’s nose.
It was a classic game of snatch and grab. Lazio scored a singular goal thanks to a great ball by Luis Alberto and a bullet header from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. But beyond that Lazio failed to create any more serious chances, and Inter had 18 shots! They forced Albanian international Thomas Strakosha into seven saves, but could not find the back of the net.
One might be tempted to think a team that had 18 shots but no goals could use a goalscorer; one Mauro Icardi maybe? Or this could be seen as a by-product of the team Spalletti has built. Since his arrival at the start of last season, there hasn’t been any plan beyond Icardi scoring. Icardi has come through with the goods on most occasions though, and they need those goods in this race for Champions League football.
Aftermath
Now is the portion of the program where we get to what Luciano Spalletti said after this game. Spalletti said the Icardi situation was “humiliating for anyone who loves Inter.” Spalletti thinks and said that Icardi doesn’t care enough; It’s a bold accusation and has obviously gone over swimmingly in Italy.
However, despite what Spalletti said the plan is to start working Mauro Icardi back into the team this week. He is apparently an option to play against either Genoa or Atalanta, their two games this week. Without a new contract or move in sight, it seems the Icardi family has just wasted two months of our time.
It’s all frankly a mess, nor does it seem like Luciano Spalletti is going to be the one to lead this team out of it. He just ripped off the Icardi scab right before it healed fully, giving more chaos to a club that seemed out of the woods. Now they face two difficult games against teams that will cause them problems, thanks in part to Spalletti’s tactics.
Its the lack of invention with this team, all of Spalletti’s innovative ideas got left behind in Rome. He has been static and rigid to the 4-2-3-1 system, and the players in it. His signings have been awful as well. Bringing in the likes Keita Balde or Kwadwo Asamoah has worked. Not to mention trading Niccolo Zaniolo to bring in Radja Nainggolan.
Roma 1-4 Napoli
Lazio fans certainly had their cake and ate it too this Sunday because before their win eternal rivals Roma got spanked by Napoli 4-1. Napoli were by far the better side from the moment it kicked off, with Arkadiusz Milik the star of their show. He had one of the best control-touches seen anywhere before uncorked a left-footed hammer for the first goal.
The ball over the top forced Milik into a pirouetting half-turn where he simultaneously standing-scorpion-controlled the ball with his weak foot. It started an avalanche for Napoli as every time they went into Roma territory it felt like they would score.
That fact was not lost on Roma and their managing. The owner James Pallotta even said a performance like this was going to cut it and they needed to better. It will be a crucial few weeks for Roma as they fight desperately for the Champions League place they need.
With nine games to go Roma currently sit seventh on 47 points. They are one point behind Lazio and Atalanta for fifth and four points behind AC Milan for fourth. But there are worth challengers below them as well as Serie A go nine deep with teams that could challenge for a European place. This league has gone through a rough decade but it looks like Serie A has come out the other side swinging.
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Images
