by Xavier Jacobelli
There is nothing Atalanta can do: in the league or in the Super Cup, Inter is always their taboo. Even in Saudi Arabia, the Italian champions deserved to win, although the Bergamo team halved their deficit compared to the 4-0 of last August 30th at San Siro. Now Inzaghi’s victories have become seven consecutive Gasperiniwhose massive turnover this time worked halfway, even if it was more necessary than ever, considering the amount of commitments of the iron January: Udinese, Juve, Napoli, Sturm Graz, Como, Barcelona and Turin await the Goddess from January 11th to February 1st.
The rotation was effective in the first half, which ended in a draw despite Ederson, De Ketelaere e Lookman surprisingly on the bench compared to the draw with Lazio and ScalviniInstead, he is a starter for the first time in seven months, but logically needs to play. The turnover didn’t work as well at the start of the second half, when the unleashed Dumfries doubled the lead five minutes after the trio entered the pitch simultaneously.
Proud, the Goddess only surrendered at the final whistle, having also suffered the backlash for the 2-1 goal annulled by Ederson by the VAR due to CDK’s millimetric offside which, however, was there. Atalanta must start again from the middle of the second half of the match, during which they had proof of Ederson’s indispensability: with the Brazilian in the middle of the pitch, the team plays different music.
As for Meatballsauthor of at least five sensational saves, Spalletti will also be happy: the Atalanta player is the best goalkeeper in the championship. He shares the prize with Sommer who, thanks to the double, feline reflection in the final, honored his reputation as a goalkeeper of absolute international level.
In the Riyadh aquarium, where the empty yellow seats shone in a stadium populated by less than 17 thousand spectators according to official data (another flop, like Napoli-Fiorentina a year ago), Inter reaffirmed their strength. It comes from a game organization from which comes a top quality maneuver, sublimated by his interpreters accustomed to big shots like Dumfries who scores both for the Nerazzurri and for the Netherlands; veterans Mkhitaryan and the aforementioned Sommer; the cornerstones named Barella, Bastoni and Dimarco, the young people in irresistible rise of the caliber of Bisseck. Inter are so strong that they even allowed this unexpectedly wasteful Lautaro, with Thuram forced off at half-time due to a muscle strain.
Gasperini took it out on Chiffi, denouncing in his opinion three irregularities in Dumfries’ first goal. Even if he were right, he is the first to know how much the refereeing decisions, technological and otherwise, even in the recent past of the championship co-leaders, sometimes give and sometimes take away. Rather, Gasp is right in arguing that Ederson, Lookman and CDK cannot play 56 games in a row and all for 90 minutes. Here, for Inter and Atalanta, the Scudetto sprint and the path to the Champions League will depend a lot on the “T Factor”, which stands for turnover. Meanwhile, Inzaghi is preparing for his fourth Super Cup final in a row, having already won five. Milan or Juve, whoever the opponent is on January 6th, one fact is certain: Simone starts as the favourite. Clearly.
