This weekend, Serie A delivered some must-see action. From Atalanta’s thrilling 3-2 win in Napoli, to the entertaining battle between Bologna and Fiorentina, and most importantly the stunning Hellas Verona comeback at the expense of Venezia. Throughout all the mayhem, some stars displayed spectacular performances, while others left much to be desired. So let’s take a look at the Tops and Flops from the Serie A round 16.
Top (Player): Giovanni Simeone
While Giacomo Raspadori would have been a worthy pick, and even Nedim Bajrami performed brilliantly for Empoli against Udinese, Giovanni Simeone gets the nod thanks to his brace in the unbelievable Hellas Verona come-from-behind win.
The Argentine bomber is enjoying the best season of his career so far, and on Sunday, he grabbed the equalizer for the Gialloblu with a cheeky chip, before rocking Venezia’s net with a stunning long-range effort.
Flop (Player): Pietro Cecaroni
On the other hand, Venezia’s Pietro Cecaroni might have cost his side the match with a needless dismissal.
While Venezia were still leading 3-1, the defender prevented a goal with a deliberate goal-line handball. Gianluca Caprari ended up scoring the spot kick anyway, and the Venice-based side had to finish the match with 10 men, which was arguably a deciding factor in their eventual defeat.
Top (Manager): Simone Inzaghi
Simone Inzaghi is no longer an experienced rookie, but any young tactician would feel the nerves ahead of an encounter against the legendary José Mourinho.
Now surely the Inter tactician had the better squad at his disposal, but the way the Nerazzurri dominated the match at the heart of the capital was a true work of art.
The champions may have been solid during Antonio Conte’s tenure, but playing attractive football wasn’t a part of their craft.
But with Inzaghi at the helm, things are gradually changing to the better from the viewer’s perspective, and the their second goal against Roma can be a prime example on the matter
Flop (Manager): Roberto D’Aversa
For one reason or another, Roberto D’Aversa is struggling to find his feet at Sampdoria. After two straight wins, the team easily succumbed to defeat when hosting Lazio.
The Blucerchiati were already trailing by three goals at half time, and despite playing with an extra man in the second half, the match ended 3-1 in favor of the visitors.
The former Parma manager is surely standing on thin ice.
Top (Team): Inter
We already mentioned Inzaghi’s impressive work with the reigning champions, but we must also acknowledge the players who have been on a tear lately.
Alessandro Bastoni, Hakan Calhanoglu, Marcelo Brozovic and Ivan Perisic are some of the players who performed admirably against the Romans in Serie A round 16, and yet, no player managed to hug the limelight all by himself.
This is a sign that proves that Inter still possess a wonderful group despite all what was said and done in the summer.
Flop (Team): Genoa
Roma may have been a candidate for this category, but during their visit to the Allianz Stadium, Genoa failed to launch a single shot towards the Juventus goal.
Andriy Shevchenko was surely missing some important players, but this Grifone squad appears to be the weakest in recent memory.
Top (Match): Venezia vs Verona
We already spoke about some of the heroes and villains of this epic battle, but the match itself deserves a mention on its own.
Venezia were shockingly leading their visitors by three unanswered goals at half time, but somehow, Igor Tudor’s men managed to mount a comeback for the history books and win it 4-3.
Absolutely stunning!