✅ Good morning, my friends! Here are the front pages from the Italian newspapers La Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere dello Sport, and Tutto Sport, Thursday 21 September 2023.
La Gazzetta dello Sport, Front Page, Thursday 21 September 2023
Front Page, La Gazzetta dello Sport, Thursday 21 September 2023
👉Champions League, the only Italian success (2-1)
Only Napoli sings
👉 In their first Cup match, they suffered and took risks, but with the substitutions they made it up
The real Inter took care
Inter ended the UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Group D game against Real Sociedad with a draw on Wednesday 20 September 2023 at the Reale Arena in San Sebastian, Spain. After ninety difficult minutes, Inter managed to gain a point starting their European season with a draw. The equalizer goal was scored by Lautaro Martínez. The Nerazzurri are now second equal to the Basques in Group D of the Champions League, behind Salzburg, victorious at Benfica, bottom of the group with 0 points. In the next round, Inzaghi’s team will face the Portuguese at the Meazza.
What a luck! This is not a good start for Inter. Real Sociedad opened the score in the 4th minute. Brais Méndez defeated Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer with a left-footed shot to the bottom right corner.
👉 Real Sociedad 1 – 0 Inter, 4th minute, ⚽️ goal by Brais Méndez for @RealSociedadEN with a left-footed shot to the bottom right corner. https://t.co/D8BDIkN2UC
The game is complicated for Inter. In the 68th minute, Michael Oliver gave a 🟥 red card to Nicolò Barella after a foul on Brais Méndez. However, Referee Oliver consulted the VAR and the decision is NO Red Card.
In the 87th minute, the moment of hope. Argentinean forward Lautaro Martínez equalized for Inter defeating Real Sociedad goalkeeper Álex Remiro with a left footed shot to the top left corner. The assist is by Davide Frattesi.
👉 Real Sociedad 1 – 1 Inter, 87th minute, ⚽️ goal by Lautaro Martínez equalized for @Inter_en with a left footed shot to the top left corner. The assist is by Davide Frattesi. https://t.co/60lZZPShqR
✅ Stats before the game: The only previous meetings between Real Sociedad and Inter took place in the 1979/80 UEFA Cup, with the Italians winning 3-2 on aggregate (3-0 home, 0-2 away). Inter have won just one of their 13 away games against Spanish opposition in the Champions League (D2, L10), with a 5-1 win against Valencia in the 2004/05 group stage. This will be Real Sociedad’s third appearance in the Champions League, having reached the round of 16 in the 2003/04 season and the group stage in 2013/14. After winning their first two Champions League matches in September 2003, Real Sociedad have gone winless in their last 12 matches in the competition (D4, L8).
Real Sociedad have scored just one goal in their last eight Champions League matches, while at home they have not scored in five of their seven matches in the competition (two goals scored in total). After being eliminated in the Champions League group stages in three consecutive seasons between 2018/19 and 2020/21, Inter have reached the knockout stages in the last two editions, reaching the final last season.
🏆👉 Lineup REAL SOCIEDAD(4-3-3): Remiro; Traoré, Zubeldia, Le Normand, Tierney; Merino, Zubimendi, Mendez; Kubo, Oyarzabal, Barrenetxea.
🏆👉 Lineup Inter(3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Asllani, Mkhitaryan, Carlos Augusto; Lautaro, Arnautovic.
Real Sociedad 1 – 1 Inter
Wednesday 20 September 2023
Reale Arena Stadium
San Sebastian, Spain
21:00
Referee: Michael Oliver (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Cook (ENG)
Fourth Official: Andrew Madley (ENG)
VAR: Stuart Attwell (ENG)
AVAR: Ivan Bebek (CRO)
Referee Observer: Tomasz Mikulski (POL)
✅ Here are Real Sociedad vs Inter official starting lineups for the UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Group D on Wednesday 20 September 2023 at the Reale Arena in San Sebastian, Spain at 21:00.
🏆👉 Lineup REAL SOCIEDAD(4-3-3): Remiro; Traoré, Zubeldia, Le Normand, Tierney; Merino, Zubimendi, Mendez; Kubo, Oyarzabal, Barrenetxea.
Real Sociedad – Inter
Wednesday 20 September 2023
Reale Arena Stadium
San Sebastian, Spain
21:00
Referee: Michael Oliver (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Stuart Burt (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Cook (ENG)
Fourth Official: Andrew Madley (ENG)
VAR: Stuart Attwell (ENG)
AVAR: Ivan Bebek (CRO)
Referee Observer: Tomasz Mikulski (POL)
Napoli won the UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Group D game against SC Braga on Wednesday 20 September 2023 at the Estadio Municipal de Braga in Braga, Portugal. Napoli therefore got full 3 points, while Braga remained at 0.
Napoli played better in the first half and produced numerous scoring opportunities, finding the lead only in injury time thanks to a goal from Captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo who, served by a header from Victor Osimhen, sent the left-footed ball under the crossbar. In the second half, the match did not lose intensity but the opportunities dropped drastically, with the Neapolitans resting too much and in the 84th minute they were punished by Braga: Østigård ventured into his own trocar with the ball at his feet but lost the balls under the pressure of the Portuguese team, therefore Zalazar crossed to the center for Bruma who headed the score level. A few minutes later, however, the big moment for Napoli grabbing the victory thanks to an own goal by Niakaté.
Napoli raised their heads and found the right gear after the defeat against Lazio and the draw with Genoa in the championship. Last year, the men then coached by Luciano Spalletti had also had an excellent run in the Champions League, reaching the quarter-finals, then losing against AC Milan led by a wild Leao.
In the next Champions League match on Tuesday 3 October, Napoli will face Real Madrid at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, while Braga will be guests at Union Berlin.
Napoli opened the score in the 45+1 minute just before ending the first half. It is Captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo to defeat SC Braga goalkeeper Matheus with a left-footed shot to the top right corner following a corner conceded by Cristián Borja.
👉 SC Braga 0 – 1 Napoli, 45+1′ minute, ⚽️ goal by Giovanni Di Lorenzo for @en_sscnapoli with a left-footed shot to the top right corner following a corner conceded by Cristián Borja. https://t.co/quEBwr2Wzh
SC Braga equalized in the 84th minute. Bruma defeated Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret with a headed shot to the top left corner. The assist is by Rodrigo Zalazar.
✅ Stats before the game: This is the first competitive match between Braga and Napoli. The Portuguese side have lost their last four matches against Italian opposition in all competitions, most recently twice against Fiorentina in last season’s Conference League. Napoli have won their last two matches against Portuguese opposition, beating Benfica both home and away in the 2016/17 Champions League group stage. They have never won three consecutive matches against Portuguese teams in the past. Braga will be competing in the Champions League for the third time, having exited in the group stages in both 2010/11 and 2012/13. None of Braga’s 12 Champions League matches have ended in draws (W4, L8), the most matches played by a team without a draw in the competition. This will be Napoli’s eighth participation in the Champions League. Last season he reached the quarter-finals, his best performance in the competition.
🏆👉 Lineup Sporting Braga (4-3-3) – Matheus; Victor Gomez, José Fonte, Niakaté, Borja; Carvalho, Horta, Al Musrati; Djalo, Abel Ruiz, Bruma.
🏆👉 Lineup Napoli (4-3-3) – Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Juan Jesus, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski; Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia.
✅ Here are SC Braga vs Napoli official starting lineups for the UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Group D game on Wednesday 20 September 2023 at the Estadio Municipal de Braga in Braga, Portugal at 21:00.
🏆👉 Lineup Sporting Braga (4-3-3) – Matheus; Victor Gomez, José Fonte, Niakaté, Borja; Carvalho, Horta, Al Musrati; Djalo, Abel Ruiz, Bruma.
Subs: Lukas Hornicek, Serdar, André Horta, Paulo Oliveira, Rodrigo Zalazar, Joe Mendes, Adrián Marín, Rony Lopes, Pizzi, Banza, João Moutinho
Coach: Artur Jorge.
🏆👉 Lineup Napoli (4-3-3) – Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Juan Jesus, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski; Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia.
By Anna Italia
