In the absence of top showdowns, the Italian big boys took the opportunity to collect three points during the weekend. With the exception of Atalanta’s home defeat to Lecce, the results were mostly expected, while the action varied between entertaining affairs and scrappy showings. So let’s identify the best and worst performers from the weekend in the Tops and Flops from Serie A Round 23.
Top (Player): Ciro Immobile
Truth be told, there was a lack of stellar performances throughout the matchday. We certainly witnessed some impressive displays, but no one truly caught the eye with an impeccable outing.
Therefore, a clinical finish plus a well-taken spot kick were enough for Ciro Immobile to get the recognition as the best player from Serie A Round 23. The Lazio captain led his team toward a timely victory in Salerno with an unanswered brace to keep the capital side on track in the heated Top four battle.
Flop (Player): Leandro Paredes
When you have a recently-crowned world champion patrolling your midfield, you would surely expect a bit more than what Leandro Paredes has been offering since his arrival at Juventus.
The PSG loanee only lasted for one miserable half at the Alberto Picco Stadium before being hauled off by Massimiliano Allegri.
Top (Manager): Stefano Pioli
Perhaps Marco Baroni deserved the nod in this section, but let’s give some credit to Stefano Pioli who is slowly but surely turning the tide in Milan’s favor following a disastrous start to 2023.
The manager’s tactical shuffle is finally working, and even his rotation is paying dividends, as evidenced by Junior Messias’ winner against Monza.
So while the likes of Juventus and Inter had failed to emerge victorious at the U-Power Stadium, Pioli found a way to tame Raffaele Palladino’s men, which isn’t an easy task based on what we’ve seen this season.
Flop (Manager): Luciano Spalletti
Luciano Spalletti is enjoying the best season of his long managerial career. His team is riding a long winning streak and has a healthy 15-point on top of the Serie A table after Round 23.
So how did the Tuscan tactician land in the Flop section?
Well, the coach decided to maintain his star players in the starting lineup against Sassuolo and keep them on the pitch even when the encounter had already been settled in his favor.
This call spectacularly backfired when Victor Osimhen sustained a knock in the final minutes, at a time when he had no business being on the pitch, with a Champions League encounter looming on the horizon.
Luckily, it seems that the Nigerian should be able to shake off his slight injury concern, but Spalletti’s stubborn decision remains unjustified, especially in the presence of a superb backup in the form of Giovanni Simeone.
Top (Team): Lecce
While entering the pitch on Sunday, Lecce were among the biggest underdogs of round 23, but in less than two hours, they produced the biggest upset of the whole Serie A weekend, defeating their hosts Atalanta in Bergamo.
The Southerners are one of the major Dark Horses of the campaign, and their ability to collect points while relying on various goal-scorers has been remarkable.
Flop (Team): Atalanta
Kudos to Rasmus Hojlund who kept believing until the end, chasing Wladimiro Falcone to pull off a consolation goal out of nothing. But even with the Lecce goalkeeper gifting La Dea a goal, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men still left the pitch empty-handed.
On their day, the Orobici can be the most devastating force in Serie A, but their inability to produce results on a consistent basis remains their Achilles Heel.
Top (Match): Inter vs Udinese
While the result might suggest a commanding win for the home side, this was actually an incredibly intriguing affair that could have gone either way.
With the scoreboard showing 1-1, Isaac Success wasted a glorious chance in front of Samir Handanovic’s goal (remember him?), and his side immediately paid the price by conceding a fabulous goal on a swift counter attack courtesy of Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
There’s nothing more intoxicating than thrilling end-to-end action.
Flop (Match): Spezia vs Juventus
On the contrary, this one was mostly a snoozefest that only Massimiliano Allegri would appreciate, especially if his side comes out on top. The first 30 minutes in particular were hard to watch, with neither side able to forge together a series of decent passes.
Thankfully, Angel Di Maria’s introduction added some rhythm for the second half, but it will still go down as a cagey and forgettable affair.
Top (Goalkeeper): Mattia Perin
Even when Juventus had a two-goal cushion, Mattia Perin’s services were still required to maintain a clean sheet. Despite playing second fiddle to Wojciech Szczesny, the Italian remains in great shape, as showcased by his superb save on Spezia’s Emmanuel Gyasi.
Top (Goal): Riccardo Orsolini
There are several worthy candidates for this spot, including an unbelievable solo effort from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia… but enough about extraterrestrials.
Riccardo Orsolini’s scorcher happened to be the 90th-minute winner for Bologna against Sampdoria, which naturally gives it an extra flavor.
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