The draw in Turin is more the business of Napoli, attractive despite the absentees (Covid-19 and African Cup of Nations), than Juventus (5th), still three points from the Top 4.

Napoli opened the scoring with Dries Mertens (23rd) but could not resist the hunger for the ball from the returning Federico Chiesa, away from the field since the end of November and scorer on the restart (54th).

The joy of Juventus striker Federico Chiesa after equalizing (1-1) at home against Naples, during the 20th day of Serie A, January 6, 2022 in Turin Marco BERTORELLO AFP

Note that Naples, deprived of five positives in quarantine, has chosen to line up three other players who are also officially placed in quarantine as contact cases.

Milan, also forced to do some experimentation in defense, subdued Roma with a captain Théo Hernandez and a decisive Olivier Giroud, scorer from the penalty spot (8th) then decisive on the second goal of Junior Messias (17th).

French AC Milan striker Olivier Giroud opens the scoring on a penalty kick at home against AS Roma, on Matchday 20 of Serie A, January 6, 2022 at San Siro Miguel Stadium MEDINA AFP

A few decisive stops by Mike Maignan, only beaten on a deflection by Tammy Abraham (40th), two Roman red cards at the end of the match (Karsdorp and Mancini) and a victorious entry by Rafael Leao (goal in the 82nd) ​​did the rest.

Despite a penalty missed in added time by Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

"Confused situation"

Milan provisionally returns to a length of Inter Milan, leader who started this strange day of recovery with a "ghost match" on the lawn of Bologna.

The Nerazzurri warmed up but never came out of the locker room, due to the lack of an opponent: Bologna, affected by eight cases of Covid-19, announced on Wednesday that local health authorities had banned its players from "participating in official sporting events for at least five days ".

Three other clubs - Salernitana, Torino and Udinese - were also blocked by their local authorities and their opponents (Venice, Atalanta and Fiorentina) also waited in vain.

True to a line established last season, the Italian League had kept the program for Matchday 20 unchanged.

It will now be up to sports justice to inflict a defeat on the green carpet to the teams forfeit or to reschedule the matches.

This incredible situation could happen again on Sunday, since the measures applied against Bologna, Torino and Udinese will still be relevant.

"We are witnessing a confused situation. The local health authorities decide independently and we see that Verona is going to La Spezia with ten positive players and other teams are blocked with fewer positive cases", regretted Giuseppe Marotta, managing director of the 'Inter Milan.

- At 13, we play -

To avoid these different choices from one region to another, the Italian League has adopted a new protocol in theory obliging the teams to enter the field, as long as they have twelve field players and a goalkeeper. , drawing on young people if necessary.

The League hoped, in a statement, to be able to "bring the championship to an end, with the hope that the health authorities will not intervene with inconsistent measures which, for the moment, create serious damage to the Italian sports system".

The decisions of the local health authorities are currently required, under a case law born last season after the cancellation of a previous Juventus-Napoli.

The Neapolitans had been sanctioned with a lost match for not having moved, before the meeting was replayed.

If the new peak of contagions in Italy also had repercussions on the tifosi, with a maximum capacity reduced to 50% in the stadiums against 75% at the end of 2021, the results do not necessarily depend on the Covid: Hellas Verona, despite ten positive players, won in La Spezia (2-1) while Lazio Rome, free of cases, had to be content with a disappointing draw at home against Empoli (3-3).

© 2022 AFP