Club Dago is back — the column that brings you the unfiltered take of Gaetano D’Agostino, former midfield maestro and now a sharp observer of Italian and European soccer. In this new edition, D’Agostino breaks down the epic Champions League semifinal between Inter and Barcelona, calling it «the best matchup of the last decade». But his focus quickly shifts to the domestic front: with Serie A entering its decisive phase, the former playmaker guides us through the key battles — Milan vs. Bologna, Juventus vs. Lazio, and a potentially decisive Atalanta vs. Roma — in what he calls «an unprecedented Champions League race». A high-level conversation, full of tactical insight, footballing intelligence, and a touch of vision.
Let’s take a step back before looking ahead to the next Serie A matchday: Inter vs. Barcelona, 4-3 — a match that will go down in Champions League history.
Inter-Barça was the best matchup of this Champions League campaign. Between the first and second legs, those were the two best games I’ve seen in the last ten years. It was a clash that will go down in the record books. Barcelona plays a historic brand of soccer, deeply rooted in its philosophy.
Lamine Yamal is a 17-year-old who simply doesn’t belong to this world of soccer — he plays a different sport entirely. I want to congratulate Inter for their strategy, for their resilience, and for the strength of the group.
But I also blame Barcelona. When they took the lead 3-2 with only a few minutes left, considering they have some of the best passers in the world, Flick should have dropped the defensive line ten meters and managed possession to slow the game down and see it out. That philosophy — the extreme commitment to always attacking and dominating, from the first to the last minute regardless of the score — ended up costing Barça the match.
Credit to Inter, but Barça beat themselves. They weren’t thinking about the Final as the goal; they were obsessed with playing their beautiful football to the very end — in a tie where they conceded seven goals over two legs.
For an ambitious club like Barcelona, conceding seven goals in a Champions League semifinal is not a good look. But they’ve got time, talent, and youth on their side. In one or two years, they could become unbeatable. For now, though, it’s Inter who are heading to the Final.
Serie A’s race for the Champions League resumes tonight with Milan vs. Bologna — although, based on the standings, it seems the most important match for the Rossoneri might actually be the Coppa Italia Final coming up next Wednesday, May 14…
I think Milan-Bologna will be a very open match. Milan may be thinking about the Coppa Italia, but when you play at San Siro, you can’t afford to take any game lightly — especially not against a team like Bologna, or you’ll risk embarrassment. I strongly believe Milan will take the match seriously and go for the win.
It won’t be easy, because Bologna are in good form, but Milan won’t give anything away in terms of attitude or commitment.
Juventus vs. Lazio will be a key head-to-head clash, with both teams sitting on 63 points. Meanwhile, there’s a third team hoping to benefit from any slipups — Ranieri’s surprising Roma, also tied on points in fourth…
Lazio vs. Juventus is a direct battle. Lazio have everything to play for to stay in the race for fourth place.
Juventus, on the other hand, will be hoping to solidify their hold on that fourth spot. It’ll be a toss-up. If it ends in a draw, that would be a huge opportunity for Ranieri’s Roma — though they’ll have their own tough assignment on the road in Bergamo, against Atalanta.
Roma will face the tough task of trying to come away with points — maybe even all three — from Bergamo. If they win, they’ll become a serious contender for the final Champions League spot. We all know it won’t be easy. To me, Atalanta are already in the Champions League, even if the math hasn’t locked in their third-place finish yet. Still, they won’t hold back on intensity or change their identity — one they’ve built over years under Gasperini — even if they haven’t shown their best football during this second half of the season.
It all comes down to Bergamo. We’ve reached the point of no return. If Roma win there — and they can win there — I think there’s a 95% chance they’ll be in next season’s Champions League.
L’articolo Club Dago: «Brilliant Inter in the Champions League, if Roma wins in Bergamo, they’re the favorites for fourth place» proviene da Soccer Made In Italy.
