Michel Sakr, Author at The Cult of Calcio

Juventus are trying to come to terms with two of their own, Federico Chiesa and Wojciech Szczesny, before diving head-first into the transfer market.

Juventus Player Ratings vs Napoli: Chiesa and Szczesny Late Heroics Not Enough

March 3, 2024 Michel Sakr Italian Football, Juventus, Napoli, Player Ratings, Serie A

Federico Chiesa restored parity late in the second half, but the Partenopei took the lead once more when Giacomo Raspadori pounced on the rebound when Wojciech Szczesny denied Victor Osimhen from the spot. So here are our player ratings for Juventus who suffered a harsh 1-2 defeat at the hands of Napoli despite a courageous effort.

A Career Apocalypse – The Exceptional Rise and Brutal Fall of Paul Pogba

March 2, 2024 Michel Sakr Italian Football, Juventus, Serie A, Tactical Trends

For a footballer, a lengthy ban is a devastating blow they may or may not recover from, mostly depending on age and desire. But in Pogba's case, it is slightly different. Rather than being a sudden blast that halted his momentum, this one felt like the final nail in the coffin, succeeding other similarly calamitous occurrences.

Paulo Dybala is improving and is likely to be present against Empoli after the break. He didn’t leave for international duties

Tops and Flops of Serie A Round 26: Astonishing Dybala, Unstoppable Inter

February 28, 2024 Michel Sakr AC Milan, Atalanta, Fiorentina, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Juventus, Lazio, Napoli, Roma, Serie A, Tactical Trends

While Inter continue to march towards an inevitable Scudetto triumph, their supposed challengers are still faltering, putting a premature end to a title race that peaked way too early. So let's recap the most captivating action of Serie A Round 26 in our latest edition of the Tops and Flops series.

Juventus Player Ratings vs Frosinone: Rugani the Unlikely Hero

February 25, 2024 Michel Sakr Frosinone, Italian Football, Juventus, Player Ratings, Serie A

The visitors managed to frustrate the Old Lady, but a 95th-minute winner from Daniele Rugani put a timely end to the club's four-match winless run. So here are our ratings for player Juventus who just avoided another disappointment with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Frosinone.

Simone Inzaghi rotates his men routinely, but that’s rarely the case for three stars, Hakan Calhanoglu, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Lautaro Martinez.

Why Inzaghi Is the Main Catalyst in the Superb Inter Campaign

February 25, 2024 Michel Sakr Inter Milan, Italian Football, Juventus, Napoli, Serie A, Tactical Trends

Even though we're still in February, we can already tell which clubs made the right decision in the summer, and which ones got it spectacularly wrong. When the dust settled, it was quite obvious that Inter acted wisely when deciding to entrust Simone Inzaghi with the mission to guide the team in the long run.

Napoli Player Ratings vs Barcelona: Osimhen Replies to Lewandowski

February 21, 2024 Michel Sakr Barcelona, Champions League, International Football, Italian Football, Napoli, Player Ratings, Serie A

The encounter came to life after the interval, with Robert Lewandowski drawing first blood. Nevertheless, Victor Osimhen marked his return to the Partenopei lineup with the all-important equalizer, leaving the tie up for grabs ahead of the second leg. So here are our player ratings for Napoli who registered a 1-1 draw against Barcelona.

Stefano Pioli and Simone Inzaghi aren’t very demanding on the transfer market, but their managements surely take their opinions into serious consideration.

Tops and Flops of Serie A Round 25: Proficient Inzaghi, Perplexing Pioli

February 20, 2024 Michel Sakr AC Milan, Atalanta, Fiorentina, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Juventus, Lazio, Roma, Serie A, Tactical Trends

The matchday began with Inter making light work of Salernitana, before rounding off with a historic defeat for Milan at U-Power Stadium. So let's recap the events while identifying the best and worst performers from Serie A Round 25 in our latest edition of the Tops and Flops series.

Roma Player Ratings vs Frosinone: Huijsen Stunner Silences the Stirpe

February 18, 2024 Michel Sakr Frosinone, Italian Football, Player Ratings, Roma, Serie A

Dean Huijsen broke the deadlock in favor of the visitors with an absolute pearler. This strike took the wind out of the hosts' sails, and they ended up conceding another two goals in the second half. So here are our player ratings for Roma who secured a Derby win over Frosinone with a rather flattering 3-0 score.

Inter overcame another hurdle on the way to the Scudetto as they inflicted Daniele De Rossi his first loss since he took the reigns of Roma

Tops and Flops of Serie A Round 24: Lukaku Fails to Sting Inter

February 13, 2024 Michel Sakr AC Milan, Atalanta, Fiorentina, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Juventus, Lazio, Napoli, Roma, Serie A, Tactical Trends

While Inter consolidated their status as the ultimate Scudetto favorites with an exciting win at the Olimpico, the race for fourth place remains both thrilling and mystifying. So let's look back on the most interesting events of Serie A Round 24 while picking up the Tops and Flops.

Juventus Player Ratings vs Udinese: Chiesa Fails to Impress

February 12, 2024 Michel Sakr Italian Football, Juventus, Player Ratings, Serie A, Udinese

Lautaro Gianetti pounced on some scrappy defending to poach his maiden Serie A goal in the 25th minute, and it proved to be the only difference between the two sides. So here are our player ratings for Juventus who have all but surrendered the Scudetto title to Inter with a 0-1 defeat at the hands of Udinese.

Giovanni Simeone is unhappy with the limited game time he has had with Rudi Garcia and Walter Mazzarri this season but will not leave soon.

Napoli Player Ratings vs Milan: Simeone Can’t Fill Osimhen’s Shoes

February 11, 2024 Michel Sakr AC Milan, Italian Football, Napoli, Player Ratings, Serie A

Although the visitors had a promising start, it was the hosts who took the lead through Theo Hernandez in the 25th minute. Walter Mazzarri tried to mix things up by altering the formation, but the result remained intact. So here are our player ratings for Napoli who suffered a 0-1 defeat at the hands of Milan.

Gülesin scored 36 Serie A goals for Palermo and Lazio between 1950 to 1953. However, that record has been broken by Calhanoglu over for Milan and Inter.

The Best Regista in the World? How Inter Avenged Pirlo’s Exit by Snatching Calhanoglu

February 10, 2024 Michel Sakr AC Milan, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Serie A, Tactical Trends

When it comes to football rivalries, the showdown between Milan and Inter is one of the most fascinating of all. Despite calling the Fashion Capital of the World their home, the city of Milano is hardly large enough to host the combined glamor of the two European giants.

Author: Michel Sakr