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Game of the Week - Bologna vs Inter Milan
There are very few walks of life in which, having been widely judged to have failed in your last job, you could realistically expect to secure a position with greater rewards and a higher profile. However, football has never been known for sailing amiably with the tide of conventional wisdom, and so Rafael Benitez now has an immediate opportunity to restore a reputation that took a terrible hit in his final season as boss at Anfield. He inherits a treble-winning side from Jose Mourinho, and, starting on Monday in Bologna, while replicating the achievements of 'the Special One' last season will be difficult, Benitez will be hopeful that his Nerazaurri side can at least maintain their stranglehold on the league title on the peninsula. After all, a scudetto to his name would be as good a form of rehabilitation as any.
In some ways, being a head coach in Italy will suit Benitez far more than the role of the all-encompassing English manager ever would. While his predecessor has been quick to accredit himself in advance for Inter's achievements this season, it is worth remembering that with Valencia, Benitez turned a side previously seen as a distant second to Spain's established duopoly into La Liga titlists and regular competitors in the latter stages of the Champions League. The 4-2-3-1 formation favoured by Mourinho is of course the preferred tactical setup of Benitez too. He really does have the dice loaded in his favour, and with top personnel already in place, ought to be highly successful. The analysis that a laissez-faires attitude towards that which is not broken has been reflected in a relatively quiet summer of transfer activity for the Nerazurri. McDonald Mariga and Jonathan Biabiany have become permanent additions, but time will tell whether either will make a significant impact this season. With the transfer of Mario Balotelli to Manchester City creating a net income as opposed to an outlay, it could be argued that Benitez has both removed himself from a potential early conflict with a player known for being highly strung, and also left himself the funds for a marquee addition come the January transfer window. Inter have naturally been linked with Liverpool players, most notably Javier Mascherano, who would appear to be a perfect fit for one of the holding midfield berths.
Bologna struggled en route to survival last time but the restructuring of the club and its finances has meant that perhaps a more solid if unspectacular season could be in the offing for them this time. The addition of a new team's worth of new players, albeit mostly at the bargain basement end of the market, should give them the depth to sustain a long season. However, anything above mid-table from the Rossoblu would be a major surprise this term. Bologna may be the home of socialist politics in Italy, but there Franco Colomba does not appear to be man on the brink of starting a revolution. Inter may have to sustain some early pressure, but expect their superior class, as well as the more settled side, to tell as the game goes on. A clear and decisive away win appears by far the most likely outcome here.
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