It has been a strange weekend in Serie A, and it is time to have a look at the three most noteworthy takeaways from matchday three. From Inter’s thoroughly disappointing showing at the Stadio Olimpico to Napoli’s blunt draw at Artemio Franchi, here are the three talking points from the recently completed Serie A weekend.
#3 Simone Inzaghi Is Not a Man for the Big Occasion
As evidenced by last season’s defeat in the Derby della Madonnina that eventually clutched the Scudetto away from the Inter hands, Simone Inzaghi cannot handle the pressure in high-octane fixtures.
While the Nerazzurri look ruthless in league matches against so-called ‘small teams,’ Inzaghi’s conservative approach in high-profile contests continues to pose a problem for their Serie A title bid.
After utterly outclassing Spezia 3-0 on matchday two, Inter took a trip to the Stadio Olimpico to clash against Lazio in high spirits but ended up being thumped by Maurizio Sarri’s men.
A 3-1 full-time score in the capital best illustrates the way last season’s Serie A runners-up performed on Friday, spending most of the match chasing shadows.
Except for the opening five minutes of the second half, Inter looked clueless on the pitch, allowing Lazio to build up from the back without pressure while failing to construct anything meaningful when in possession.
If Inzaghi is to better last season’s second-place finish in Serie A, these are the kind of fixtures where he has to showcase his managerial prowess.
#2 Juventus: A Team with No Identity
Juventus’ back-to-back fourth-place finishes over the past two Serie A seasons were not just a stroke of bad luck as it seems, but a sorry state of affairs in Turin.
A 3-0 thrashing of Sassuolo on the opening weekend tricked many Bianconeri fans into believing Massimiliano Allegri is on his way to re-establish Juventus as genuine Scudetto contenders.
However, the next two league matches have brought Dusan Vlahovic & Co back down to the earth, showing Allegri’s overly-defensive approach cannot guarantee success anymore.
Known for his conservative view of the game, the former Milan boss has often defended his cowardice by saying ‘the big clubs do not concede many goals.’
While that’s true, the big clubs also score plenty, and Juventus are not one of them anymore. With all due respect to Allegri, you cannot rely on Vlahovic to solve all your problems, week in, week out.
After being held to a scoreless stalemate to a lowly Sampdoria last time out, Juve found the net only two minutes into their mouth-watering meeting with Roma, only to draw 1-1 in the end.
Once again, Allegri’s unrealistic idea that a one-goal lead is enough to win you all three points came back to haunt his side when Tammy Abraham drew the Giallorossi level midway through the second half.
Juventus looked clueless in the remainder of the game, failing to attempt a single shot on target in over 20 minutes, suggesting they are miles away from being Scudetto material.
#1 Charles De Ketelaere: Definition of a Generational Talent
If Charles De Ketelaere’s first-ever Serie A start is anything to go by, the Belgian whizz-kid is a phenomenal talent that may not last long at San Siro.
After showing glimpses of his prodigious potential in a cameo appearance against Udinese on the opening weekend, the 21-year-old lifted the San Siro crowd off their feet on multiple occasions this Saturday.
Stefano Pioli’s side eased past Bologna 2-0 as Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud opened their seasonal accounts, but De Ketelaere ran the show with his quick-thinking passes and dazzling footwork.
Not since the glory days of Ricardo Kaka and Andrea Pirlo had Milan had such an exciting midfielder in their ranks, explaining why Paolo Maldini was so desperate to take him away from Club Brugge this summer.
De Ketelaere’s vision and pinpoint passing were off the charts at San Siro this weekend. Too bad Pierre Kalulu missed from point-blank range to deny the youngster his first assist in Serie A.
And what an assist it would have been! The left-footed playmaker chipped the ball over Bologna’s backline to set the Frenchman up face-to-face with Lucasz Skorupski, but the Rossoblu shot-stopper prevailed.
It’s fair to assume De Ketelaere could be one of the reasons to sell out San Siro from now on.