Simone Inzaghi, honeyed words for Yann Aurel Bisseck

It’s a visibly satisfied Simone Inzaghi who appeared in the press room at the San Siro after his Inter team’s success against Arsenal, 1-0, on the fourth day of the Champions League Phase. It’s especially the defense, which has yet to concede a goal in Europe, that gets compliments from the coach from Piacenza.

“Since I have been coaching Inter, we are the team with the most matches without conceding goals in the Champions League, è a figure of great importance – he said. Today è was a night to remember because we won in front of fans who were able to cheer us on for the entire 90 minutes and beyond. It’s been great to collect their applause”.

Speaking of the individuals, Inzaghi reserved honeyed words for Yann Aurel Bisseck, who confirmed the solidity he had already shown against Young Boys, playing as he did on that occasion as a starter: “For me è a very strong player,” he said, “if he plays a little bit less è because there are other very strong defenders. Forò è one who has done his against Manchester City and Arsenal, he does not have to prove anything to me”.

“Among other things, in the last few days, he had a little physical problem and played bandaged up – added Inzaghi, speaking again about the German defender -. Very good of him not to be conditioned and very good of the doctors and physiotherapists as well: at the end of the first half he was theè with the ice bag, but he told me he would not give up and è he was of his word”.

Champions League, results and standings

Besides the one between Inter and Arsenal, won by the Nerazzurri 1-0 with Calhanoglu’s goal on a penalty kick at 48′ of the first half, Wednesday’s Champions League offered another big match, the one between PSG and Atletico Madrid: Diego Simeone’s men were styati to win, who after equalizing with Molina on 18′ the goal scored on 11′ by Zaire-Emery completed the comeback in extremis, on 93′ thanks to Angel Correa’s goal.

Then Barcelona’s magical moment continued, as it overwhelmed Red Star with a clear 5-2 at home: back-and-forth between Inigo Martinez, in goal on 13′, and Silas, author of the 1-1 on 27′ then è only Barça with Lewandowski scoring on 43′ and 53′ while Raphinha on 55′ and Fermin Lopez on 76′ completed the ‘manita’. The Belgraders’ second goal, scored by Milson at 84’84’, was inconsequential.

Raising its head again, right after the heavy knockout against Barcelona the previous day, Bayern Munich beat Benfica 1-0: Musiala’s decisive goal at 67’s. It goes less well for the other German in the field, Stuttgart, which loses 2-0 at home to Atalanta (in goal Lookman at 52′ and Zaniolo at 88′), while Brest, thanks to Edmilson Fernandes’s goal at 37′ and Kairinen’s own goal at 80′, beats Sparta Prague 2-1 in the Czech capital (Olatunji’s goal at 92′ is not enough).

Important in the lower part of the standings was Salzburg’s 3-1 win at home to Feyenoord: Konaté scored at 47′ of the first half and 58′, before missing a penalty kick at 85′ just before Guindo’s tic-tac-toe and rendering useless the momentary 1-2 goal scored by Hadj Moussa at 81′ minute. Feyenoord also had the evening’s only sent off, Nadje, at 80’80’.

Two other matches had been played in the late afternoon: with a penalty caused by Mings’s blatant ingenuity and scored by Vanaken at 52′, Club Brugge beat Aston Villa 1-0, while Young Boys were not enough to go ahead with Imeri at 27′ against Shakhtar, which on the neutral of Gelsenkirchen passed 2-1 with goals by Zubkov at 31′ and Sudakov at 41′.

This is the standings after four games (there are as many to go before the conclusion of the League Phase): Liverpool 12; Sporting, Monaco, Brest and Inter Milan 10; Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Aston Villa 9; Atalanta 8; Manchester City, Juventus, Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, Celtic and Dinamo Zagreb 7; Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Benfica, Milan, Feyenoord, Club Brugge and Atletico Madrid 6; PSV 5; PSG, Sparta Prague, Stuttgart and Shakhtar 4; Girona and Salzburg 3; Bologna 1; Leipzig, Sturm Graz, Young Boys, Red Star and Slovan Bratislava 0.

Sofia Goggia thrilled by Nicolò Zaniolo’s return to goal

Atalanta’s victory in Stuttgart in the fourth day of the single round of the Champions League è a success that gives several implications, one of which è related to the return to goal of Nicolò Zaniolo: the former Roma player, in the 88th minute, passed with his left-handed shot the opponent goalkeeper Nubel, sealing with his first Atalanta goal, worth 2-0, three very important points.

Among Dea’s best-known supporters is Italian skiing champion Sofia Goggia, for whom Zaniolo’s goal è was special not only because of her football faith: “besides the usual Lookman – wrote the four-time World Cup downhill winner on Instagram – I am so, so, so happy for Zaniolo, given the many difficultiesà due to injuries”.

Sofia Goggia certainly did not è find it difficult to put herself in Zaniolo’s shoes and send him this message indirectly, also because she herself è was hit by a serious injury last February that not only did not allow her to finish the 2023/2024 season but also convinced her to start the following year only in December.

A big fan of Atalanta, Sofia Goggia often refers to her soccer passion on social media: even during the ride that led Atalanta to victory in the Europa League last season, the ski champion had repeatedly posted stories and posts with the Nerazzurri colors and the classic motto “Mola mia”.