Friends of SMIT, Soccer Made in Italy, Club Dago is now also a video segment! With us, of course, is Gaetano D’Agostino. Hi, Gaetano.
Hi, good morning everyone. Hi, Guglielmo.
Let’s take stock of the situation and analyze Matchday 23 of Serie A, which I called the matchday of missed opportunities in my editorial yesterday on SMIT. Gaetano, Napoli, Inter, and Atalanta all failed to win. Which of the three has the most regrets?
I’d say Inter, because the derby against Milan was very intense, but Inter hit the post three or four times. A derby is always unpredictable, but in the second half, Inter deserved something more and couldn’t bring home the win.
Napoli, despite taking the lead, didn’t shine, largely due to Roma’s strong performance. I didn’t see a great Napoli.
As for Atalanta, I have the impression they are going through a slight dip in form. They’ve lost ground, and I believe the title race will come down to Napoli and Inter. I see Napoli as slightly ahead since they don’t have European competitions to worry about.
You see Napoli as favorites, but this also confirms Antonio Conte’s frustration over the transfer market. Okafor arrived, but perhaps Conte expected more to replace Kvaratskhelia.
Yes, and Conte never holds back his opinions. When you sell a player of that caliber, everyone expected a proper replacement in this window, even though Okafor is a good player.
I believe the club’s choice was to focus on Neres and bring in an alternative like Okafor, who, even at Milan, when he replaced Leão for 20-30 minutes, made his contribution.
He’s a hard worker, explosive, and has great pace—a useful asset for Napoli’s counterattacks, especially when they are leading. However, compared to Kvaratskhelia, his name doesn’t quite meet expectations, especially for Conte and the fans.
You mentioned Atalanta’s decline, which brings us to the Coppa Italia. They were surprisingly eliminated by Bologna, a team that has now fully embraced Vincenzo Italiano’s system. But shouldn’t we expect more from Atalanta?
Yes, Atalanta at home is almost a fortress, but Bologna is currently one of the most in-form teams in the league, showing consistent performances and results.
Teams managed by Italiano don’t fear opponents like Atalanta because they also play man-to-man, press aggressively, and press high up the pitch. These are always very high-intensity, fast-paced matches.
Bologna is in great shape and has gained confidence from their last two Champions League matches, winning one and drawing the other. That kind of experience helps increase self-esteem and awareness, and it shows in their league performances. Bologna is doing very well.
Speaking of Coppa Italia, let’s close with Milan vs. Roma. Milan has been completely transformed by their January signings. What do you expect from this game?
If we analyze recent performances, Roma should be in a better mental state. Milan spent a lot of physical and mental energy in the derby, only to see the equalizer come in the 92nd minute—that was a real shock.
However, Milan arrives with the enthusiasm of their new signings, as they sent a strong signal in the transfer market. So in this match, we’ll see a clash between Roma’s mental advantage and Milan’s excitement from their new squad additions.
I don’t know who will start among the new arrivals—João Félix, Gimenez—but some of them will definitely be involved. The squad is excited, and the club has made a strong statement.
As a Roma fan, I’m not too worried about the technical side, but rather about Milan’s emotional response—they’ll want to make a statement to their fans after this transfer window.
Thanks, Gaetano D’Agostino.
Thanks to you, Guglielmo.
