It was a result with very different sensations for Fiorentina, Juventus and the Scudetto rivals, writes Giancarlo Rinaldi.
In Florence, not all goalless draws are created equal. A share of the spoils with most teams visiting the Stadio Artemio Franchi might be a source of frustration and regret. Against Juventus, however, and especially after two defeats in a row to start their season, this one was priceless.
Despite strong interest from Juventus, Fiorentina somehow managed to keep Federico Chiesa and Vilizar Yakimov thinks both player and club will benefit.
This time Federico is not going to Turin. Only two years after Juventus snatched up Federico Bernardeschi from Fiorentina, the Bianconeri tried to do the same with another young talent that is blossoming at the Artemio Franchi.
However, this time the champions were dealing with a completely different customer compared to the Bernardeschi days. La Viola’s new ownership, ambitious project and revived enthusiasm proved to be enough to keep Federico Chiesa out of Juve’s reach and the fans are loving it.
Although everything already seems to be collapsing for Sampdoria, Football Italia’s Chief Correspondent Richard Hall writes they simply have to stick with Eusebio Di Francesco.
For Eusebio Di Francesco, the international break came at the perfect time. It was a period to reflect and plan ahead as Sampdoria’s start to the season could not have gone any worse. Seven goals conceded in games against Lazio and Sassuolo have only been compounded by the continual rumours that the club will be sold to a consortium led by old favourite, Gianluca Vialli. These are tough times for the Blucerchiati, and the Coach certainly has his work cut out.
Napoli are attempting an attacking approach, but without the key pressing ingredients that make it work at Liverpool, argues Jay Cassano.
Carlo Ancelotti said Napoli would be more attack-minded this season, but even he didn’t expect or necessarily want to start with two 4-3 results.
Football Italia Chief Correspondent Richard Hall believes Genoa have turned a corner and Aurelio Andreazzoli can revive this great club.
In years gone by, Genoa would not have been able to come back against Roma. In seasons past, they would not have been able to hold out to beat Fiorentina, but this team is different. With a new Coach, a good summer transfer window and a playing style that is impressive, albeit early in its evolution, there are reasons for the fans to be excited. There will be bumps along the way, but nobody betting on soccer would put them among the relegation candidates.
Many assumed Douglas Costa would be shipped out by Juventus, but Emmet Gates explains why the flashy Brazilian has won his place back.
Douglas Costa has been the standout performer in Juventus’ two opening fixtures of the season. Against Parma and Napoli, his frightening ability to shift gears in nanoseconds visibly struck fear into the hearts of the opposing players.
The Azzurri made it six wins out of six in Euro 2020 qualifying and Elio Salerno explains some of the tactical adjustments made to beat Finland.
Roberto Mancini’s Italy took a giant step toward qualification for Euro 2020 with a hard-fought victory over Group J rivals Finland.
He chose to make five changes to the team that had beaten Armenia three days prior. Lazio centre-back Francesco Acerbi made his competitive debut for Italy with Armando Izzo, Stefano Sensi, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Ciro Immobile completing a much changed XI.
Finland host Italy in the EURO 2020 qualifiers this evening and Sam Wilson identifies the three danger men to keep a close eye on.
Italy have a 100 per cent record in qualifying so far, but the only thing separating them from second-place Finland is their opening 2-0 result in Udine. The Finns have picked up four consecutive victories with clean sheets, beating the likes of Bosnia and Greece.
Football Italia Chief Correspondent Richard Hall discusses Andrea Belotti’s potential to have his best season to date for Torino and Italy.
Under the floodlights of the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Roberto Mancini was seething as his Azzurri team made it hard work taking apart 10-man Armenia, but there was a positive. Andrea Belotti’s brace (even if the second goal was eventually awarded as an own goal) saved the day and sent a message to his Coach that in this new look Italy team, he is to be the front man. It sometimes feels like the Granata hitman has been around forever, but at 25 years of age, he is just getting started and he could be critical for both club and country this term.
The Azzurri did just about enough to grind out a win over 10-man Armenia, but it was a reality check for Giancarlo Rinaldi.
It wasn’t pretty nor very much deserved, that’s for sure. If grinding out wins in uninspiring fashion is a symptom of coming down with a winning mentality, then this might be just what the Azzurri team doctor ordered. For the rest of us, enthused by some of the nice football seen in previous outings, a flattering triumph over Armenia felt about as good as chugging down your cough medicine when you are six years old.
