Just in case the weekend course wasn’t enough to quench your appetite for Serie A, our beloved Lega dropped upon us another three days of action-packed Calcio. The “limited edition” midweek action more or less consolidated some of the takeaways collected in previous rounds, as Napoli cemented themselves as a genuine title contender at the expense of a perplexed Milan, while Juventus continue to bleed points against lowly opposition. So let’s recap the most significant action from the solitary midweek round of the season while enlisting the Tops and Flops from Serie A Round 10.
Top (Player): Enrico Del Prato
Enrico Del Prato might not be the tallest defender, but he still managed to beat Federico Gatti in the air to score an early opener at the Allianz Stadium. The Parma captain also isn’t the strongest player from a physical standpoint, but was absolutely unwavering at the back as the Ducali held on to earn a valuable point against Juventus.
The 24-year-old produced a defensive clinic, making one intervention after the other to deny Thiago Motta’s men, including a last-gasp goal clearance to prevent Kenan Yildiz from snatching a winner at the death.
Flop (Player): Dusan Vlahovic
Dusan Vlahovic had a torrid evening against Del Prato and company. He spent his evening isolated from his teammates, and eventually seemed resigned to his fate.
The Serbian also had a clear-cut chance in the first period when Zion Suzuki parried away Weston McKennie’s attempt in his direction, but with the goal at his mercy, he failed to pounce on the rebound, instead sending his shot wide.
To his credit, the 24-year-old has been part of Motta’s starting eleven in every single fixture since the start of the season due to the lack of viable alternatives. So perhaps it’s time for the Juventus manager to come up with a creative solution and give his main striker a well-earned rest.
Top (Coach): Ivan Juric
While it wasn’t the cleanest of displays from tactical and technical perspectives, Ivan Juric deserves the plaudits for weathering the storm that ensued in the aftermath of Sunday’s shocking fall in Florence and producing a well-improved showing at the Stadio Olimpico against his former employers Torino.
Roma had to rely on a scrappy Paulo Dybala goal to earn an invaluable win, but at this point, the Giallorossi don’t have the luxury of worrying about the aesthetics. And besides, the team is at last showing some fighting spirit on the pitch instead of reserving it for dressing-room rows.
While declaring a revival would certainly be premature after a single win, this performance suggests the Juric experiment just might stand a chance at seeing the light.
Flop (Coach): Paulo Fonseca
To be fair, Milan’s display against Napoli wasn’t as abysmal as the final result might suggest. The Rossoneri tried their best to derail the Partenopei train, but while they seemed toothless upfront, Romelu Lukaku and Khvicha Kvaratskehlia were merciless at the other end of the pitch.
So ultimately, this contest was simply decided by the quality of the attacking players. And while Antonio Conte made sure to preserve his best available lineup for this big showdown (as you should), Paulo Fonseca decided to drop Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic to the bench, even when Theo Hernandez and Tijjani Reijnders were already serving bans.
This is the sort of decisions that could return to haunt the Portuguese tactician, and keep in mind that some of his predecessors have lost their jobs for less.
Top (Team): Lazio
Week after week, Marco Baroni is proving himself to be the ideal manager to lead this rebooted squad back to the Champions League. The flourishing Biancocelesti have now won seven out of their last eight outings across competitions, with their only defeat coming against Juventus after being reduced to ten men.
This time, the capital side put Como to the sword with five goals to one. The most fascinating part of this Lazio is how almost every single player is offering his contribution to the cause, while the likes of Taty Castellanos, Nuno Tavares and Matteo Guendouzi are taking their game to the next level.
Flop (Team): Torino
Torino started their campaign on a high note under Paolo Vanoli, but they have certainly lost all steam in recent weeks, especially after losing the influential Duvan Zapata to a season-ending injury.
The Granata gifted Dybala a goal after making a meal out of a simple play at the back, as Karol Linetty and company committed several howlers in the space of a few seconds. And despite having 70 minutes of play to bounce back, they hardly managed to pose a threat, only making four attempts, with just two hitting the target.
Top (Goalkeeper): David De Gea
David De Gea was enjoying a relatively quiet evening in Liguria while his Fiorentina teammates went searching for a goal against the struggling Genoa. The Viola eventually succeeded thanks to Robin Gosens, and this is when the Spanish goalkeeper was called to action.
After finding themselves trailing in the scoreline, the Grifone finally decided to venture into attack, but their attempts were thwarted by the Manchester United legend who produced three jaw-dropping stops to preserve the win.
Flop (Goalkeeper): Mike Maignan
Perhaps he wasn’t the main culprit on either Napoli goal, but an in-form Mike Maignan would have certainly parried away at least one – likely Lukaku’s strike. However, the Frenchman appears to be lacking confidence at the moment.
Top (Youngster): Patrick Dorgu
If it wasn’t for Del Prato, Patrick Dorgu would have certainly been the Top player of the round. The Lecce youngster was simply a menace for Verona who had no clue how to stop him in his tracks. The winger wreaked havoc almost every time he darted forward with the ball in his feet, prompting red cards for both Jackson Tchatchoua and Reda Belhayne which reduced the Gialloblu to nine men.
Oh, and he also happened to score the goal that separated the two sides, earning the Giallorossi a much-coveted victory against a direct relegation foe.
Top (Super-Sub): Lazar Samardzic
While he hasn’t yet cemented himself as a regular starter in Gian Piero Gasperini’s plans, Lazar Samardzic is certainly on the right path, especially if he continues to deliver the goods while coming off the bench.
On a night when Ademola Lookman, Mateo Retegui and Charles De Ketelaere failed to forge a goal between them, it was the young Serbian who emerged as the ultimate hero. The midfielder broke the deadlock with a clinical finish, before providing the assist for fellow substitute Davide Zappacosta to seal Atalanta’s win over Monza.
Top (Match): Venezia vs Udinese
While Udinese were enjoying a two-goal cushion, Venezia were seemingly set for another long night. Yet, Eusebio Di Francisco’s men somehow managed to turn the match upside-down and emerge victorious by three goals to two.
Although they were helped by some decisive incidents (two penalty kicks and a red card), the Venetians certainly deserved the win for the fighting spirit displayed in front of their raucous supporters.
The resonating atmosphere at the small but vibrant Pier Luigi Penzo Stadium was arguably the most thrilling aspect of the contest.
Top (Assist): Lautaro Martinez
The Inter captain reconciled with the net by scoring his team’s third goal against Empoli, but his most formidable contribution on the evening was the simple, yet, splendid backheel that set up Davide Frattesi’s second goal.
Top (Goal): Luca Mazzitelli
Sadly for Luca Mazzitelli, his astonishing effort ended up being a mere consolation goal for Como who suffered a 1-5 beating at the hands of Lazio.
But while he and his teammates may not look back fondly on this strike, it remains one for the highlight reel.
Mazzitelli's powerful shot gives Como a lifeline!✨ #SerieA #Como #LucaMazzitelli pic.twitter.com/9oaPctS0v1
— STARZPLAY | ستارزبلاي (@STARZPlayArabia) October 31, 2024
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