twelve o’clock, April 6, 2021 – 08:28
of Monica Scozzafava
It had to be a championship clash, which the fans of both teams were already looking forward to on the third day of the championship. It was then transformed, 185 days later (from 4 October to tomorrow), into a Champions League play-off. Juventus and Napoli will find themselves at the Stadium, with different objectives but above all with an inverted perspective. The last face to face was on February 13 at the Maradona stadium, after the January super cup at Mapei Stadium won by Juve. Gattuso was on the gridiron, annihilated by criticism for the uncertain results and fluctuating performances of his team. Today Pirlo is taking the risk, someone even whispers the bench if he doesn’t get the better of Napoli. No small opponent: four wins and one draw in the last five games, 15 goals scored and seven conceded: Gattuso launches the assault on the Champions League in a convincing way, after having recovered five points in his friend Pirlo’s Juventus in the last two games . A comeback that almost means overtaking, given the Italian victory in Fuorigrotta in February.
Advantage that Napoli wants to keep, aiming at at least a tie result tomorrow at the Stadium. The Champions play-off is an unprecedented feature for the mother of all matches: the two teams hardly found themselves competing on equal points, together with the crucial crossroads for the conquest of a position that is worth the Europe that counts. The position of the two coaches is also unprecedented, not only friends but protagonists of a similar destiny. Gattuso and Pirlo will almost certainly not be at the helm of Napoli and Juve next year, and perhaps also for this reason they will experience tomorrow’s match at the Stadium with a stronger emotional involvement. The difference lies in the mood: euphoria for Gattuso who has found his key players and with the team ready to support him; bitterness for Pirlo, who instead does not have total control of his group. The result is never taken for granted, but certainly Napoli arrives in Turin with awareness and mental strength, what they had lacked other times when the stakes were different, even higher.
April 6, 2021 | 08:28
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