Champions that will light up the south

Tonight at the Do Dragao stadium, two teams met in the late hours (21:00, Movistar Champions League) to rehabilitate the honor of the south. In the narrow edge of the goal, the aspirations of the Portuguese and Italians move; candidate for entry into the Spanish front, which is now held by Real Madrid alone in the Champions League. If Porto manages to overcome Lukaku’s goal in the first leg, the Portuguese league will place two teams in the quarter-finals of the continental competition for the first time. If Inter manages to keep the distance, they will join Milan and most likely Napoli (tomorrow they will defend 0-2 against Eintracht), and the three Calcio teams will reach the round of 16 of the big continental competition. The last precedent is from 2006. After that edition, Ancelotti’s Milan (2007) and Mourinho’s Inter (2010) stretched the period of Italian strength, in an irreparable phase of recession accelerated by the match-fixing scandal in Turin’s Juventus.

The Bianconeri returned from their brief exile in Serie B, becoming the only stable representative of their country among the European giants. He stood up, unsuccessfully, in two finals, but lacked companions with the necessary tenacity to consolidate a block against the inexhaustible resources of the northern powers. Now that Juve are reliving their bad hours, this alternative group is re-emerging.

Those led by Simone Inzaghi intend to join her. In addition, they need a break from a bad run in the national championship (two defeats in the last three games) that has driven away any option for the scudetto (18 points away from the leaders) and will make them fight for presence until the end. in the next edition of the Champions League. For now, Romelu Lukaku’s goal is keeping them alive at the moment.

The Belgian striker took advantage of Barella’s great cross and put his team ahead before the end of the game at San Siro, where the visitors managed to keep the hosts at bay. Porto paid dearly for the absurd sending off of Otávi with a quarter of an hour to go, spoiling a remarkable exercise in choral resistance.

The defeat, however, did not dilute the good feelings, nor close the cross that Sérgio Conceição’s players hope to turn under the protection of their fans. They would follow Benfica, who destroyed Bruges in the quarter-finals, and lead the national competition solvently. Eight points ahead of Porto itself, punished by inexplicable defeats such as the recent one at home to Gil Vicente.

Portugal would confirm its good moment, both at the national team level and at the club level, claiming the title it last won in 2004. It shone in the windows of the Estadio do Dragao, where the two candidates are competing tonight for the right to defend the southern football honor.

probable compositions

Porto: Diogo Costa; João Mário, Pepe, Iván Marcano, Zaidu; Pepê, Grujić, Eustáquio, Uribe; Taremi, Galen.

Inter Milan: Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Calhanoglu, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Lautaro, Lukaku.