After Thursday European football actions, the final four teams of the Europa League and the Europa Conference League have been revealed. Following the success of the two Milan teams, Juventus, AS Roma, and Fiorentina booked their tickets to the Semifinals of their respective competition. It feels like years since Serie A teams found this much success in European club football tournaments. A break-out year for Italian teams adds a new-found spice for the fans to enjoy.
AC Milan
AC Milan was the first Serie A team to secure a spot in the Champions League Semifinals as they beat rival Napoli 2-1 on aggregate. I Rossoneri marched through their Group Stage, then defeated Tottenham en route to this success. The rise of Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez to world-class levels and the experience of Olivier Giroud and Simon Kjaer in the locker room really help Stefano Pioli’s squad fly high.
Inter Milan
An incredible journey by Inter to the Champions League Semifinals this year is the result of resiliency. Being drawn into a challenging group stage, they made it out over current La Liga leader Barcelona before advancing past two Portuguese powerhouses in Porto and Benfica. Tactically, Simone Inzaghi’s I Nerazzurri isn’t the most finessed, but they are very gritty.
Juventus
There have been a lot of rumors and troubles circulating Juventus this season. One of the direct results is their falling to the Europa League after failing to qualify for the Champions League knockouts. But it seems like this has been a blessing in disguise for Juventus as they cruise their way to the Semifinals and are currently the favorites for the title.
AS Roma
Jose Mourinho, this man is undoubtedly one of the most prolific coaches of all time. After winning the Europa Conference League last year, Mourinho’s AS Roma is still flying high in this year’s Europa League. A massive comeback in extra time against Eredivisie leader Feyenoord cemented I Giallorossi‘s position in European competitions.
Fiorentina
Fiorentina’s road to the Europa Conference League Semifinals was a fun ride of emotions. After easily defeating Braga and Sivasspor in previous rounds, they face Polish side Lech Poznan in the Quarterfinals. Despite leading by three goals after the first leg, the shaky defense lost the advantage. But the efforts in the final 15 minutes helped the Serie A team to capture two much-needed goals to advance.
What contributed to Serie A teams’ success?
After Ronaldo departed from Juventus, Serie A teams had little success outside the domestic league because they lacked star players. But the quality of players in these teams is very decent. AC Milan possesses some of the world’s most prominent young stars in Leao, Theo, and Maignan. Inter has Lautaro Martinez, Bastoni, and Barella. Juventus has veterans like Di Maria and Bonucci and young stars like Vlahovic. Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma improves their quality with Dybala joining Pellegrini and Tammy Abraham. Fiorentina also has Luka Jovic or Sofyan Amrabat to their name.
Another determining factor is the lighter Serie A pressure. In the past few years, the race for the Scudetto has also gone down to the wire. Napoli dominates the domestic league this year, giving teams more space to breathe in European competitions.
This surprise hit from Serie A teams marks a good trajectory for the league. And it’s not over, as after the Derby della Madonnina, one of the Milan teams will be in the Champions League Finals. Let’s hope for the success of Juventus, AS Roma, and Fiorentina in their campaigns.
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