Because one Serie A round per week is never enough, the Calcio gods decided to reward us with a midweek encore between Tuesday and Thursday. The action saw the majority of the big boys winning their contests, but it also featured another defeat for José Mourinho’s Roma, a thrilling battle in the capital plus a result that lit up the title race. So let’s recap the most interesting events of the midweek in our Top 5 Stories from Serie A Round 15.
A Long Journey for Roma
In the recent weeks, it appeared that Roma had managed to turn the ugly page that started in the aftermath of their humiliation in Norway. The team was winning again and the confidence level was starting to improve.
Enter Bologna.
The Emilians snatched a goal thanks to an exquisite striker from Svanberg, and managed to hold on in the face of the Roman attacks for the rest of the night, earning an impressive win.
For their part, Mourinho’s men didn’t perform badly, and could have left with something in the bag with a little bit more of luck, but the writing is on the wall for the Giallorossi; this will be a tough and exhausting campaign for the capital side that still requires a great deal of improvements.
A phenom Under the Radar
While some stars are showered with praise wherever they land, others can be unfairly left in the shadows.
However, if you ever feel that you’re being under-appreciated, do it the Mario Pasalic way. Just go out there and put your name on a hattrick (not sure how it can be applicable in your own life though).
The Croatian led the way for Atalanta against Venezia with three goals of his own, raising his tally to seven, which makes him the best scorer amongst Serie A midfielders after round 15.
The former Milan and Chelsea man doesn’t always receive the credit that he deserves, but perhaps his latest exploit will shed some light on his major capabilities.
Mario Pasalic has the most goal contributions (12) out of any midfielder in the Top 5 European leagues this season ⚫️?
SUPER MARIO ? pic.twitter.com/rlGSjW1MP3
— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) November 30, 2021
The Fairytale Lives On
When Genoa hosted Milan at the Luigi Ferraris, all eyes were on Rossoneri legend Andriy Shevchenko who recently took charge at the Grifone.
However, Zlatan Ibrahimovic wasn’t going to let another mortal steal the headlines from below his nose, so he made sure to restore his status as the main attraction 24/7 with a wonderfully-taken freekick.
Nevertheless, even the Sweden giant ended up taking a backseat to Junior Messias and his fairytale story.
The 30-year-old added a brilliant brace that secured a 3-0 win for Stefano Pioli’s men, as he continues to cement himself at one of the biggest clubs in Italy only few years after playing with semi-amateur sides.
An inspiring story indeed.
Inter Have an Ally
Serie A experts have been mentioning a three-horse race for weeks now, and this is exactly what the table suggests after round 15, with only two points separating the Top 3.
But what the observers didn’t expect is that it would be a mid-table side who would light-up the battle at the top.
In the space of just three days, Sassuolo shocked Milan at the San Siro with a 3-1 win, before pulling off a late comeback to earn a 2-2 draw when hosting Napoli.
Thanks to the Neroverdi who derailed their rivals, Inter are now only two points away from the league leaders in what is expected to be an electrifying battle for the Scudetto title.
Take a look at the updated #SerieA? league table after 1️⃣5️⃣ matchdays!
How is your team doing? ? ?#WeAreCalcio pic.twitter.com/4bp6y636TP— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) December 2, 2021
Splendid Chaos at the Capital
Round 15 reserved the best until the very last, as Lazio and Udinese fought from start to finish in what will surely be a contender for the best Serie A match of the season.
Eight goals, three red cards, a second half come-from-behind, a 99th minute equalizer and of course a touchline melee at the end of the match.
What more do we need?!
That's all for Matchday 1️⃣5️⃣! ?
Here are the final results. ⚽️#SerieA? #WeAreCalcio pic.twitter.com/GxXCmEkuG4— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) December 2, 2021