 AP photo |
Inter Milan coach Leonardo will immediately be tested Thursday when he makes his debut against second-place Napoli as Serie A resumes after a 17-day break.
Hired to replace Rafa Benitez after Inter won the Club World Cup, Leonardo leads an Inter side that is only seventh in the Italian league, 13 points behind leader AC Milan.
Led by Edinson Cavani and Marek Hamsik - who have scored a combined 17 goals - Napoli trails Milan by just three points.
Making matters more difficult for Leonardo is that striker Samuel Eto'o is still suspended after head-butting a Chievo Verona opponent last month and goalkeeper Julio Cesar could be out for another month after injuring his right leg in training Tuesday.
But there are already signs that Leonardo has changed Inter's outlook.
"He's a great person and his message is quite clear," Inter striker Diego Milito said. "The squad will follow him and I hope he can help us to reach our big goals."
Also Thursday, Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri will visit his former club Cagliari, third-place Lazio is at Genoa and fourth-place Juventus hosts Parma.
With a few matches postponed last month due to the Club World Cup, Inter will play nine games over the next month.
"Already starting with Thursday we've got to pull out victories that can put us back in the fight for the title," said Milito, who scored both goals in Inter's Champions League victory in May, then struggled with his form and injuries during the first half of this season.
"We're in good form, we're happy and we're training well," Milito added. "Winning the Club World Cup has definitely given us more motivation for what's ahead, starting with the match against Napoli. We need victories."
Also making his Inter debut should be center back Andrea Ranocchia, who transferred from Genoa and signed a five-year contract Monday, giving the Nerazzurri some defensive relief after Walter Samuel was ruled out for the season with a knee injury.
Milan also has a couple key changes, with Antonio Cassano having joined from Sampdoria and Ronaldinho having left the club with a possible move back to Brazil.
"Cassano is the most talented Italian player," Milan president and Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi said.
Cassano will likely be on the bench with Brazil forwards Alexandre Pato and Robinho spearheading Milan's attack. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is suspended for a game.
Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is expected to dress for Juventus for the first time since injuring his back during the World Cup, but will likely stay on the bench with coach Luigi Del Neri preferring Marco Storari.
Juventus forward Vincenzo Iaquinta is out for a month with a thigh muscle strain, leaving Del Neri to choose from Fabio Quagliarella, Amauri and Alessandro Del Piero in attack.
Also Thursday, it's: Bologna vs. Fiorentina; Brescia vs. Cesena; Lecce vs. Bari; Palermo vs. Sampdoria; and Udinese vs. Chievo Verona.
Hired to replace Rafa Benitez after Inter won the Club World Cup, Leonardo leads an Inter side that is only seventh in the Italian league, 13 points behind leader AC Milan.
Led by Edinson Cavani and Marek Hamsik - who have scored a combined 17 goals - Napoli trails Milan by just three points.
Making matters more difficult for Leonardo is that striker Samuel Eto'o is still suspended after head-butting a Chievo Verona opponent last month and goalkeeper Julio Cesar could be out for another month after injuring his right leg in training Tuesday.
But there are already signs that Leonardo has changed Inter's outlook.
"He's a great person and his message is quite clear," Inter striker Diego Milito said. "The squad will follow him and I hope he can help us to reach our big goals."
Also Thursday, Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri will visit his former club Cagliari, third-place Lazio is at Genoa and fourth-place Juventus hosts Parma.
With a few matches postponed last month due to the Club World Cup, Inter will play nine games over the next month.
"Already starting with Thursday we've got to pull out victories that can put us back in the fight for the title," said Milito, who scored both goals in Inter's Champions League victory in May, then struggled with his form and injuries during the first half of this season.
"We're in good form, we're happy and we're training well," Milito added. "Winning the Club World Cup has definitely given us more motivation for what's ahead, starting with the match against Napoli. We need victories."
Also making his Inter debut should be center back Andrea Ranocchia, who transferred from Genoa and signed a five-year contract Monday, giving the Nerazzurri some defensive relief after Walter Samuel was ruled out for the season with a knee injury.
Milan also has a couple key changes, with Antonio Cassano having joined from Sampdoria and Ronaldinho having left the club with a possible move back to Brazil.
"Cassano is the most talented Italian player," Milan president and Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi said.
Cassano will likely be on the bench with Brazil forwards Alexandre Pato and Robinho spearheading Milan's attack. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is suspended for a game.
Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is expected to dress for Juventus for the first time since injuring his back during the World Cup, but will likely stay on the bench with coach Luigi Del Neri preferring Marco Storari.
Juventus forward Vincenzo Iaquinta is out for a month with a thigh muscle strain, leaving Del Neri to choose from Fabio Quagliarella, Amauri and Alessandro Del Piero in attack.
Also Thursday, it's: Bologna vs. Fiorentina; Brescia vs. Cesena; Lecce vs. Bari; Palermo vs. Sampdoria; and Udinese vs. Chievo Verona.
No comments:
Post a Comment