In a weekend that saw the majority of the top sides struggling against supposedly-weaker opposition, the reigning champions emerged as the ultimate winners. After 17 rounds, Inter find themselves in the lead thanks to recent slipups from Milan and Napoli. Therefore, the Nerazzurri will surely feature in our Tops and Flops of Serie A Round 17.
However, we must also recognize the impressive efforts displayed by other clubs. So let’s see who made the cut.
Top (Player): Domenico Berardi
After pulling off a 2-1 come-from-behind in over Lazio, Sassuolo are officially the big boys hunters.
The Neroverdi have already beaten Juventus and Milan this season and shared the spoils with Napoli.
However, the latest win at the expense of the capital side was only made possible thanks to the brilliance of their talisman, Domenico Berardi.
The Italy international scored a marvelous goal and his neat footwork set up the winner for Giacomo Raspadori.
Top (Manager): Aurelio Andreazzoli
Sassuolo weren’t the only side to register an upset win in round 17, as Serie A dark horses Empoli shocked Napoli at the Maradona Stadium.
However, the Tuscans didn’t snatch the win, but it was a rather convincing display from start to finish.
Now surely the Southerners are enduring a major injury crisis, but Aurelio Andreazzoli deserves all the credit for the progressive and courageous performances we’re seeing from the Serie B champions since the start of the campaign
Flop (Manager):Maurizio Sarri
We talked about Sassuolo’s almost-impeccable performance against Lazio, but it’s time to admit that Maurizio Sarri is beginning to lose the plot at his new club.
Now the absence of Sergey Milinkovic-Savic and Luis Alberto surely didn’t help their case, but the Biancocelesti now seem to be a team lacking ideas and depending on individual brilliance rather than a cohesive unit, which goes against the very the essence of Sarri-ball.
Top (Team): Inter
While we chose Berardi as our top player for round 17, the likes of Lautaro Martinez, Nicolò Barella and Hakan Calhanoglu all had their claims as they led Inter towards a 4-0 routing at the expense of Cagliari, and snatching the Serie A lead from their crosstown rivals.
With such a large result and with so many players putting on exquisite displays, the Nerazzurri make for an easy pick in this category.
Flop (Team): Genoa
For the first time in the Andriy Shevchenko era, Genoa managed to grab a goal. That’s one strike in five matches for those of you who are counting.
But unfortunately for the Grifone, Mattia Destro’s header proved to be a mere consolation goal in what was one of the club’s most important fixtures of the seasons, the Derby della Lanterna.
Despite all the difficulties that Sampdoria are facing at the moment, they still managed to comprehensively beat their city rivals in 3-1 result.
The derby was expected to lit a fire within the Genoa players, but it appears that the team is set to endure yet another relegation dogfight until the last stages of the campaign.
Top (Goal): Alexis Sanchez
We’ve seen some decent goals in Serie A round 17, but we’ll give the nod to Alexis Sanchez and his wonderful volley following an incredible piece of magic from Barella.