Inter-bound Stefan De Vrij was at the centre of a wild collapse as Lazio surrendered a Champions League place to InterStefan De Vrij folded himself up small and hid his face underneath a training top, but he could not stop the cameras from honing in on him as he sat for the final time in Lazio’s home dugout. The curtain was coming down on the 2017-18 Serie A season, and the team whose shirt he was still wearing had just lost its Champions League spot to the one he will play for next year.A messy situation under any circumstances, but even more so for how events unfolded. Lazio had led 2-1 with 12 minutes remaining against Inter, in a game...
From the 1960 final to the miracle of Istanbul, Europe’s top club competition has provided many moments to rival the drama of Real Madrid’s quarter-final against JuventusThe almost shocking conclusion to what had been a notable Juventus recovery against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu has not only divided opinion – it was a penalty all day long, one could only admire the stealth with which Medhi Benatia administered his shove in the back of Lucas Vázquez and the bravery of Michael Oliver for punishing it – but has also inspired much talk of the evening being one of the most dramatic in the history of the European Cup and Champions League. However the latter stages of the competition have frequently...
A goalless night at San Siro boosted rivals from the capital and leaves Milan almost certain to miss the Champions League again and at risk of upheaval on and off the pitchEven at 6.30pm on a wet Wednesday, the derby still felt like The Derby. A crowd of 78,000 fans at San Siro, vast choreographies on both Curve, the usual procession of celebrities in tailored coats and designer glasses. In a week when Italy’s two remaining Champions League representatives endured three-goal defeats, the only question that mattered in Milan was which of this city’s leading clubs would get a shot at Barcelona or Real Madrid next year.This was not technically a European playoff, though even some Milan players described it...
Turkish forward reaps rewards from Eusebio Di Francesco’s new tactical approach with four goals in three gamesUdinese were served with ample notice of Cengiz Under’s threat. The Roma forward had scored three times in two games leading into his visit to the Stadio Friuli on Saturday but more explicit were the words of his manager. “He has this great quality of being able to line up his shot while still hiding it,” explained Eusebio Di Francesco. “Just like [Vincenzo] Montella used to do.”Forewarned but not forearmed. How does anyone prepare for something they cannot see coming? There were just under 70 minutes on the clock when Under took a pass a few yards outside the area, turned, glanced and in...
Luciano Spalletti’s side have drawn their past five games, have not won in 10 and seem stuck in their own Groundhog SeasonAt this rate, Luciano Spalletti might want to contemplate learning the piano, helping a homeless man and declaring his love for Andie MacDowell. Milan is a long way from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, but on the weekend that Americans celebrated Groundhog Day, the Inter manager appeared to be trapped in a time loop akin to the one that Bill Murray found himself in during the 1993 movie by that name. The Nerazzurri just keep on drawing. They have done so five times in a row, and the last four of those by the exact same 1-1 scoreline. Even the order of...