Former midfielder of Napoli's first Scudetto, Salvatore Bagni, spoke to the microphones of 'Radio Anch'io Sport' on Rai Radio 1, offering an in-depth analysis of the current situation in Italian football, starting with Atalanta's clear victory over Conte's Azzurri at the Maradona.
“The judgment on Napoli-Atalanta lies in the words of Conte, who admitted the current superiority of Gasperini's team,” Bagni made his debut. “The Neapolitans were never in the game, while Atalanta dominated, also thanks to Gasperini's surprising tactical choices, such as the exclusion of Retegui in favor of De Ketelaere.”
On the race for the Scudetto, the former Azzurri player maintains a traditionalist vision: “Despite the balanced championship and the excellent performances of teams like Atalanta, Fiorentina and Lazio, my favorites remain Inter and Napoli.” Bagni particularly praised Conte's work: “He was extraordinary, he built the team in two months after the defeat in Verona.”
Regarding European competitions, Bagni was cautiously optimistic: "The Italians are not favorites in the Champions League, but they could take advantage of the difficult moments of the European big teams. Milan will have to take advantage of Real Madrid's bad moment, while Inter, Atalanta and Juventus have concrete possibilities of reaching the quarterfinals." However, for the former midfielder “Manchester City remain the main favourites to win the final.”
On the tactical front, Bagni also analysed some individualities, underlining how “Gilmour, despite having similar characteristics to Lobotka, does not yet possess his qualities in building the game”, and highlighting Lukaku's difficulties “against physical defenders like Hien.” Finally, a special applause to Atalanta Gasperini, that “he never lifts the ball and does not resort to long throws, showing significant growth in awareness after the triumph in the Europa League.”
Article published on November 4, 2024 - 11:04
