Inter-Real Sociedad 0-0 in group D THE NEWS e Naples-Braga 2-0 in group C THE NEWS on the sixth day of the Champions League group stage. The Nerazzurri, already qualified, close their group in second place just behind the Spanish. The Neapolitans are also in the round of 16. At Maradona, an own goal from Saatci in the 9th minute of the first half and a goal from Osimhen in the 33rd minute decided the match. Napoli finishes the group in second place behind Real Madrid.
RANKINGS
RESULTS AND CALENDAR
Champions: Inter only 0-0 with Real Sociedad, second
Inter, less beautiful than usual, held back by Real Sociedad who played well on the pitch, failed to find the goal and left San Siro with a draw on the final day which was a great missed opportunity. Only winning would have guaranteed first place in the group, but instead the top goes to Real Sociedad who have the same points (12) as the Nerazzurri, but a better goal difference. The Basques are a compact, difficult formation, difficult to overcome. Only three teams in the last two Champions League have managed to finish the group stage with just two goals conceded: City, Bayern and Real Sociedad. Now Inter qualified as second, they will have to hope for a good draw (as was the case in the group stage) to hope to avoid the favorites in the round of 16. Perhaps Simone Inzaghi’s choice to leave room for the second lines was not far-sighted. Sanchez starts, with Thuram while Lautaro sits on the bench at least initially. Chance for Frattesi, Cuadrado but the match doesn’t have great pace, there are no tears or big jolts on both sides. Real Sociedad were not intimidated by the atmosphere of San Siro and actually played openly, so much so that they ended the match with 62 percent of ball possession. The only great chance in the 38th minute, the only great opportunity of the first half: Thuram’s ride, Sanchez attempts a cross which is intercepted and the ball goes out despite another attempt from Traoré. Beyond that chance, however, Inter did not create any other clear scoring opportunities. Perhaps a little courage and resourcefulness is missing. So still with the result 0-0, Inzaghi recalls Sanchez and Thuran for Lautaro and Arnautovic, as well as Mkhitaryan for Barella. Some owners enter to shake up the balance. But a few moments after the triple change, there is a doubtful episode in favor of the Basques. In the 23rd minute Cuadrado ‘hugs’ Oyarzaba in the penalty area, a borderline intervention that could lead to a penalty kick. But the referee lets it go. Surprisingly, however, the match director decisively points to the spot due to Take’s fall in the area but Calhanoglu’s foul is non-existent. The VAR calls out Scharer who immediately corrects himself and warns Take Kubo for simulation. A not entirely convincing race direction for the Swiss. In the meantime, however, the minutes pass and the game remains unresolved. Inter struggled to deliver the lethal blow we are often used to this season. Lacks a bit of clarity and resourcefulness, perhaps a little tired, perhaps caged by the opponent’s pressing. Not even the arrival of Lautaro and Barella changes the balance of the match and the Nerazzurri lose a fundamental chance, that of leading in a group that is not impossible. The last chance passed through the feet of the Nerazzurri captain in the 5th minute of injury time but Lautaro’s shot was out of bounds. There is bitterness for the top of the class in Serie A who is unable to shine on the last day of the group stage. We will have to work hard but Inter are not a team that gets scared, on the contrary they get excited against the big teams and San Siro knows how to experience the great Champions League nights, waiting for the round of 16.
Champions: Napoli in the round of 16, beats Braga without worries
Mission accomplished. Napoli qualified for the round of 16 of the Champions League, beating Braga 2-0 without too many worries. Mazzarri’s team seems to be growing from game to game and the victory against the Portuguese is clearer than it might appear from the final score. The superiority of the Azzurri is manifested in all sectors of the pitch and for the entire duration of the match. The final outcome of the match and consequently the qualification for the round of 16 is never questioned in the slightest. The Azzurri’s task was made easier by having found the opening goal after just 8′. Once again, as had already happened in the first leg, an own goal paved the way for the hosts, with Saatci who from a cross placed in the center by Politano touched the ball with his heel and sent it over the line brings. At that moment, to reach qualification, Braga needed to score three goals without conceding any more and it was clear that the task for Jorge’s team was becoming prohibitive. As if that wasn’t enough, the Azzurri also scored the second goal in the 33rd minute and at that point the match was virtually over. The credit for the goal goes almost entirely to Natan who starts percussion on the left wing starting from his own half of the pitch, reaches the back and places the ball in the centre. Osimhen, who followed his teammate’s action, touches first with his right foot and then with his left and goes past the opposing goalkeeper. In the second half, with qualification now locked in the safe, Mazzarri made all five substitutions to rest some starters (including Osimhen) also in view of next Saturday’s championship match with Cagliari at ‘Maradona’. The Azzurri came close to scoring the third goal with Anguissa who had his shot blocked from an excellent position by Matheus and subsequently with Kvaratskhelia whose shot was deflected into a corner by the goalkeeper of the Portuguese team. The race starts at the end without any jolts. Qualifying for the Champions League round of 16 certainly helps to lift the morale of the Italian champions after the previous three consecutive defeats suffered between the championship and the Champions League. It is clear that Mazzarri now expects the good streak shown on the international stage to be confirmed in the championship to move up the rankings and aim for at least fourth position.
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2023-12-12 22:34:59
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