The 4-0 win last week in the cup hit at FC Barcelona was followed by a sobering 2-3 home defeat against Villarreal in the Spanish league on Holy Saturday. Now Alaba and Co. want to get a taste of the mountains again in the Champions League. Chelsea, who are weak in the English Premier League, come at just the right time for coach Carlo Ancelotti. The Londoners lost 1-0 at Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend and are only eleventh in the league.
But last year, the Alaba squad almost failed at Chelsea. Away at Stamford Bridge, the Spaniards won 3-1, but in the second leg Real were even 3-0 down before they fought their way into extra time and finally went on with a 2-3 defeat. “We suffered a lot last year,” Ancelotti recalled. “We have to respect the team and the club, they have very good players, even if they’re not in a good mood right now,” said the Italian.
For the Londoners, club icon Frank Lampard has recently been on the sidelines as an interim coach, who also played for Chelsea under coach Ancelotti. “He’s only been here a week, but he’ll do a good job while he’s at Chelsea,” said the Real coach, confident of his former protégé. However, Ancelotti, who last year became the first coach to celebrate his fourth CL title, is hoping for “another magical night at the Bernabeu. We have to take advantage of the fact that we’re playing the first game at home.”
Napoli with a chance for revenge
Italy, meanwhile, are looking forward to the North-South duel between AC Milan and designated champions Napoli. In the league, the Neapolitans have a 16-point lead over second-placed Lazio and 22 points over Milan. Ten days ago, however, the Milanese humiliated SSC coach Luciano Spalletti’s team 4-0 away and can now also count on the support of their own fans.
The self-confident southern Italians, who otherwise have had an impressive season on the road to victory, do not want to be irritated by the 0:4 waddle. “We have about 50 games a year and are experiencing them intensely right now,” enthused Aurelio De Laurentiis, the Napoli club manager, with a daring comparison. “It’s like making love 50 times with the most beautiful woman in the world. Not bad, right?”
Italian dominance
The duel also symbolizes the successful European Cup season of Italy’s clubs so far. After years of international sporting misery, Serie A is represented with three clubs in the quarter-finals of the Champions League – more than any other league – and three more in the Europa and Conference League. “Forza, folks, Europe is waiting for us. Let’s conquer it”, was the headline in the “Gazzetta dello Sport” on Tuesday and was particularly looking forward to “a Champions League that speaks Italian”.
If at least the Napoli coach has his way, the dominance of the Italian clubs this season should also lead to a correction of the image. “It’s time we got rid of the bad Italian football cliché,” said Spalletti. For Napoli, the dance among the eight best teams in Europe is a first, because the club is in the quarter-finals of the premier class for the first time. Spalletti will have to do without striker Victor Osimhen, at least in the first leg. The 24-year-old recently suffered from adductor problems and will also miss Wednesday’s game.
