Sept 19 (Askume) – All eyes in Serie A will be on this Sunday’s high-stakes derby between AC Milan and Inter Milan, with Milan coach Paulo Fonseca in the spotlight as the team’s performances have come under increasing scrutiny.
Milan, who recently picked up their first win of the season, beating bottom side Venezia 4-0 at home, are currently 10th in the Serie A standings, 3 points behind third-placed Inter Milan.
However, concerns have grown over the 51-year-old Portuguese coach’s leadership after a shock 3-1 Champions League defeat to Liverpool at the San Siro on Tuesday .
Daniele De Rossi left Roma on Wednesday, the first managerial departure of the season , and many believe Milan’s board may not hesitate to make a similar decision if results do not improve quickly.
Milan’s midfield performed poorly against Liverpool, repeatedly being unable to stop attacks and showing an inability to adapt tactically. Christian Pulisic scored the only goal for Milan and it was not a great performance from his side.
“We’ve had a tough start to the season. We’re not happy and we need to change things,” Pulisic told Sky Sport Italia.
Juventus stutter
The other big game of the weekend will see Antonio Conte’s Napoli take on Thiago Motta’s Juventus at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.
Both teams have made strong starts to the season but Juventus’ momentum looks stalled after two consecutive goalless draws in the league, and Motta may be worried his new project is losing appeal due to their ball-handling to find scoring opportunities.
Conte’s Napoli have won three games in a row and are eliminated from European competition, so have a fresh squad.
Current Napoli forward Romelu Lukaku has scored and provided two assists in the last two games, showing that the team has moved away from relying on the skills of the departed Victor Osimhen to utilising Lukaku’s physical fitness.
For Juventus, the potential return of Arkadiusz Milik could bolster their attack alongside Dusan Vlahovic, although Weston McKennie and Nicolas Gonzalez were unable to return on Tuesday , having impressed in a 3-1 home win over PSV in the Champions League.
Few expected Udinese to top the Serie A table after four games but they have earned 10 points under new coach Kosta Lenzic and are still in the hunt for the Premier League title when they visit winless Roma on Sunday.
Roma announced on Wednesday that former Torino coach Ivan Juric will take over as head coach of the capital club for the remainder of the season.
Renjez said it is important to accumulate points early in the season before opponents adapt.
“It is important now to get as many points as possible. What is always important is the connection and team spirit between the different departments on the pitch,” Lenzic said after his side’s 3-2 win over Parma on Monday.
How long Udinese’s impressive form can continue remains uncertain, however, Lenzic has moulded Florian Thauvin and Lorenzo Luca into a strong forward partnership, with the pair already scoring five league goals in Serie A.
