Blog: All or nothing
Tonight Juventus gamble with their present, their future and their pride. Susy Campanale warns it's now or never
There has always been a sense of mutual respect between Milan and Juventus, but that certainly doesn’t mean a lack of fire. More often than not these sides meet with a huge amount at stake and, even if the Scudetto has left both behind this season, there is still everything to play for tonight.
In recent years they have fought for the title, the Champions League and to reach a turning point in their campaigns. Juve showed no mercy in thrashing their rivals 4-2 in Turin back in December to rule the Rossoneri out of the Scudetto race, so will Carlo Ancelotti’s men return the favour with the death knell in Claudio Ranieri’s Bianconeri career?
It doesn’t look like it would take much to knock the current Juventus side for six, as this is a squad falling apart at the seams. It’s a bad sign when a player like Mauro Camoranesi can openly slam his Coach and still be welcomed back into the fold the day after. When Gianluigi Buffon prefers to spend half-time storming up and down the pitch muttering “I can’t take this anymore!” and
36-year-old Pavel Nedved has to save the day with a brace – you have problems.
It was said they lacked the motivation to step up against Reggina and Lecce, so they certainly cannot cling to that excuse at a packed out San Siro. As has happened so often in the past, Milan-Juve is a crossroads, a game where it’s do-or-die. If the Bianconeri don’t give it their all, this could get truly ugly. After all, most Milan fans have not yet forgotten the 6-1 humiliation they suffered here in 1997 and would relish the opportunity to take revenge.
You might think Juventus are in a situation where they have nothing to lose and can therefore play without pressure, but the truth is they have everything at stake. There is little difference between second and third place, but Fiorentina and Genoa’s duel means they are catching up and could theoretically knock the Bianconeri down to the Champions League preliminary round. Failure to lift themselves this evening could have a devastating effect on the club for this season and the next.
Never mind Ranieri’s tenure – surely the team has shown it doesn’t back him and the fans certainly don’t – tonight the players gamble with Juve’s present and future.
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and a 36yr old canna isn't?
