Bologna-Inter: Crossroads for the Championship and the Champions Race

Bologna v Inter It really is the match that can change the fate of the championship. If Inter wins, I see it as tough for Napoli to reopen the race for the scudetto. If Bologna wins, not only will Italiano get back into the race for the Champions League, but the duel between Inter and Napoli up there will be wide open.

For Gianluca Pagliuca, which has written brushstrokes of rossoblù and nerazzurri history, Bologna-Inter is the usual crossroads of affections. This time with a Champions appetizer.

Pagliuca, is Inter's road to success easier with Bayern tonight?

"I think so after the 2-1 in the first leg. However, it's a match that really excites me and in fact I'll be in the stands at the Meazza."

On a mission for Italian.

"Italian is already good, and quite good, on its own."

But in Bergamo on Sunday he took two good beatings from Gasperini.

"I was really afraid of that match. Bologna had been on a six-game winning streak and had won the last three at Atalanta's home, while Atalanta had suffered three defeats. I mean, by the law of large numbers, I almost expected Bologna to risk falling."

But it was a bad blow on the road to the Champions League.

"Let's say that Atalanta now has a good advantage and in my opinion they also deserve to play in the Champions League. With Atalanta I would like to see Bologna in that Cup again, but I'm also happy with the Europa League, eh".

The fourth wheel in the race for the Champions League is in fact called Juve.

"Do I say that? For us it would have been better if Stranino had stayed. Tudor is a solid coach, who has always done well wherever he has gone. His Juve is already more linear than before, you can see that there is the hand of a coach who has put a few things back in place".

Did you expect Motta's vertical fall?

"No, because I thought that by going to Juve I'm not saying he would have smoothed out his character, that's impossible: but I imagined that he wouldn't have repeated exactly the things he did in Bologna".

Guy?

"Thiago is good but if he doesn't change the role of his players it doesn't suit him. Here, however, he could afford it, not at Juve: there, if you make two mistakes in games, they immediately crucify you. And he made more than two mistakes...".

Did Bologna pay only two 'lucumate' in Bergamo?

"Beukema also has some responsibility for the ball put in by Bellanova in the action of the first goal. Retegui was alone in the middle of three Bologna players and scored unchallenged: it shouldn't have happened".

Among those three was also Ravaglia.

"It was a strong, tight cross, it's difficult for a goalkeeper to do anything different than what Federico did."

Inter-Bayern then.

"The Germans never give up, that's the only danger: but it's clear that after the victory in the first leg Inter are the favourites. In the possible semi-final against Barcelona I already see it as more difficult".

Bayern, Bologna, Milan (in the Italian Cup) and Roma: the Nerazzurri will play four games in twelve days.

"True, but thinking that they can show up squeezed at the Dall'Ara would be a mistake. Inzaghi has two teams and a very high quality, and double, in all roles. Even in attack, where there is an Arnautovic who reminds me of the best Arnautovic we saw in Bologna".

Dallinga, on the other hand, continues to struggle enormously.

"With Dallinga you need patience: I remember well the criticism that Cruz received in his first year at Bologna".

And will Inter on Sunday remember the harakiri committed by Radu on 27 April 2022 when the Nerazzurri left the Scudetto at the Dall'Ara?

"Inzaghi certainly yes. As he will remember the great performances that Bologna has put in at the Meazza in the last two years, including the Coppa Italia".

Here is the Coppa Italia final that all of Bologna dreams of.

"The return match against Empoli will be a formality, after which there is no point in asking whether it is better to face Milan or Inter: whoever you find, in a one-off match this Bologna can beat anyone. And the same goes for the last six games of the championship: the schedule is very tough, but Italiano always plays with everyone".