Champions League: only Inter in top 8, Juve at crossroads | OneFootball

The second matchday of the Champions League group stage redraws the European landscape and highlights the difficulties of Italian football.

Champions League, only Inter in the Top 8, Napoli and Atalanta restart, Juventus already at a crossroads

The only Italian team among the top eight in the overall standings is Cristian Chivu’s Inter, capable of keeping pace with the continent’s giants. Napoli and Atalanta can breathe again after their first victories, while Juventus remains in a precarious balance: the margin for error is already minimal.

Inter, iron defense and a perfect score

Inter confirms itself as one of the protagonists of this Champions League. Two wins in two matches (against Ajax and Slavia Prague) place the Nerazzurri in fourth place, behind only Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain.

One fact stands out: Inter is the only team among the top four that has not yet conceded a goal. Their goal difference (+5) keeps them ahead of more renowned clubs, even with a less prolific attack than their rivals.

Chivu has built a solid team, alternating rotation and defensive compactness without losing its identity. Now comes the most delicate part of the journey: Union Saint-Gilloise and Kairat offer the opportunity to secure qualification before a high-level quartet of matches against Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Borussia Dortmund.

Juventus, costly draws and Real Madrid on the horizon

Juventus is not taking off. Two consecutive draws – against Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal – relegate them to 23rd place in the overall standings. Six goals scored, just as many conceded: a balance that is not enough in such a competitive group.

The last-minute draw in Spain, conceded in the 90th minute against Villarreal, weighs especially on a psychological level. “Nothing is compromised,” the Juventus camp insists, but the next match is already a turning point: the clash with Real Madrid, scheduled for the third matchday, risks determining Allegri’s team’s European fate.

After the Blancos, the schedule includes Sporting, Bodo Glimt, Pafos, Benfica, and Monaco. Almost all must-win games, because in such a balanced group, details – goal difference and head-to-head results – will make the difference.

Napoli and Atalanta: first encouraging responses

After opening defeats, respectively against Manchester City and PSG, Napoli and Atalanta found some breathing room on the second matchday.

Napoli: the 2-1 win over Sporting, signed by Hojlund and built on flashes from De Bruyne, restores confidence to the Italian champions. Di Lorenzo’s red card in Manchester had complicated their debut, but the reaction against the Portuguese side shows that Conte’s team has the strength to compete. Now the schedule is favorable: PSV, Eintracht, Qarabag, Benfica, Copenhagen, and finally Chelsea at the Maradona. An accessible path until the decisive head-to-head with the Blues.

Atalanta: the comeback win against Bruges, after the fall in Paris, puts Gasperini’s team back on track. Three points that don’t change their position (22nd), but could serve as a springboard for a group in which nothing is decided yet.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.