Unbeaten, but only Napoli truly earned it
Four Italian clubs in Europe, no defeats and a single win: a night that flatters the record and exposes the finishing.
Napoli are the only Italian side who did the job, and that is the verdict on this week of Champions League football. Against Sturm Graz they scored twice and kept the door shut; elsewhere the flag was carried to a standstill. Juventus came away from Crvena zvezda with a 0-0, all control and no cutting edge, and Inter did the same at Genk. Milan at least gave the crowd a 2-2 with Everton, but a defence that concedes twice at home is not a defence I trust.
Three draws are not defeats, and nobody should pretend otherwise. But a point is only currency if you spend it later. Inter's Nicola Orlandi, who learned his trade in Turin across six seasons and 102 games, will know the standard expected of these nights. Clean sheets are my business, and only one Italian club managed one. The rest must find their aim.