Sacchi: What Inter, Napoli, Lazio and Milan must do to reach Champions League goals
As the stage is set for the final day of the Champions League, wherein positions and qualifications will be confirmed, former Milan manager Arrigo Sacchi offered his analysis on Italian sides’ performances in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. The list of matches includes Inter-Real Sociedad, Napoli-Braga, Atletico Madrid-Lazio, and Newcastle-Milan.
Leading on the match between Inter and Real Sociedad, Sacchi assessed that Inter seems to be in impressive form based on their recent performance against Udinese. However, Sacchi was quoted as saying, “Real Sociedad is a tough opponent. They know how to play football. Their manoeuvre is quick. If you give them space, they’ll take it and put you in difficulty.”
To overcome this obstacle, Sacchi suggested that Inter must maintain severe pressure against their Spanish counterparts to prevent them from playing their game.
Turning his attention to the Napoli-Braga matchup, Sacchi believes Napoli is going through a unique phase right now, having recently replaced their manager who hasn’t yet left his mark on the group. Nonetheless, Sacchi praised Napoli’s initial 30-minute performance against Inter, encouraging the team to extend that kind of gameplay to the entire match duration.
For the Atletico Madrid-Lazio match, Sacchi predicts a challenging encounter. Atletico’s strength as a team that impeccably defends and counterattacks initiates complexities for Lazio, who according to Sacchi, has displayed inconsistent performances. However, the former manager went on to add, “Lazio can harm Atletico if they play their cards right, hence much depends on how they tackle the match. Games, I’ve always thought, are won in the hours of anticipation, not on the field.”
Lastly, discussing the Newcastle-Milan game, Sacchi simply stated, “Well, but the important thing is that Milan returns. Do you understand what I mean?” implying his hopes for Milan to revive their form in the upcoming match.