The last face to face between the two in a 2003 Juve-Barça. This time they are fighting on the benches to save Spezia and Verona
La Spezia – The last time face to face was for a Champions League match, a year of grace 2003, Juventus-Barcelona. Marcello Lippi had the problem of turning off that lighthouse in the middle of the field that illuminated the blaugrana of Radomir Antic, the Serbian magician, the only one who in history has led all the greats of Spain: Real, Atletico and Barca. Thiago Motta with Xavi he turned on the light and Lippi put Tudor on him, as a man. The thing failed (Thiago made assist-goals for Saviola, and much more) and on the return Lippi changed register and won.
Eighteen years later, Tudor and Motta are playing for credibility as a coach, with different perspectives. Igor overturned Verona, Motta seems to suffer from Spezia, which he cannot shake. He will say that he does not want the team to get used to playing well but not scoring points, but in the meantime the only habit is the injured, ten with Bourabia yesterday. Too many. Verona-Spezia is heavy, however, for the classification since it is a fast pace day behind; Salernitana wins its first, Venezia moves, the push from the bottom is there.
But the problems of La Spezia go beyond that point that separated it last night from the last place: “We must pay attention to the psychological aspect – says Motta – when we take a goal we have to react and after scoring a goal we cannot let ourselves go, but continue to play and look for others without lowering ourselves and closing in ». We said ten absences, the last ones in order of time those of Sala, Nzola and Bourabia, and the Salcedo case that breaks with Motta (legacy of Spezia-Milan) and is sent to the Primavera (where he scores a double). The technician thus deprives himself of a nineteenth man, having nothing else and giving a jersey, the first to Aimar Sher, Swedish talented Hammarby friend of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. There is still everything to be based on the author’s shots with the first as a starter of the Albanian international Manaj and the probable sacrifice of Gyasi in midfield. Strelec, the Slovakian talent caught by Pecini at the Slovan, awaits his moment, while the race is underway. Emergency, but also some not very clear ideas.
First call also for Nguiamba, released from Nancy and arrived during the week: «He is a guy who can give his contribution to the team, he must make himself available immediately». He has no luck or statistics: between Serie A, Serie B and the Italian Cup, Spezia won at Bentegodi against Hellas only once in their history (0-1 in April 2017, goal by Pablo Granoche on football of rigor); in the remaining 15 matches, the misery of five draws and 10 Venetian victories. A sort of black cat the Hellas. Thiago then meets Verona for the first time in Serie A: he has never challenged Hellas either as a player or as a coach and at Bentegodi he only played in Genoa against Chievo.
Tudor, on the other hand, has in hand the best Verona since the beginning of the season, coming out of the lean period with Di Francesco, and today revitalized: «I expect a tough race – Tudor admits – Spezia will sell their lives dearly, as they have always done in the last years with Milan and Juventus. We must always be ready. Spezia like us is fighting for salvation, so you have to do everything possible to get a result, there are important points at stake but they will only be obtained if the performance is of a high level. Spezia has an excellent dribble, as well as a great ability to counterattack and take advantage of the depth. In general, is a team that knows how to stay on the pitch and he has a very interesting coach, who had already shown his ideas in Genoa. But it will depend above all on us, on the spirit and attitude that we will put on the field ». He directs Camplone, French emissaries for Antiste, summoned for the first time in the transalpine under 21. –
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