Fans of European football all around the globe had their eyes set on the big Derby della Madonnina clash. Inter came out as the big winners in courtesy of their terrifying striking duo of Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez, as they managed to break away at the top of the table by putting four points between them and their fallen city rivals.
Elsewhere, Atalanta added to Napoli’s woes with a 4-2 victory, whilst Roma wasted a chance to maintain third spot in a goalless draw against Benevento. So here are our Top 3 Stories of Serie A round 23.
Cagliari Take an Unpleasant Lesson from Torino
Saying that Cagliari are currently in the midst of a tough season would be a major understatement. After their round 23 defeat at the hands of Torino, the Sardinians find themselves laying in the 18th spot in the Serie A table, five points away from safety.
Three years ago, Eusebio Di Francesco led Roma to a historic Champions League Semi Final after a stunning come from behind win against Barcelona. Unfortunately for the former Sassuolo man, he was sacked in the following year by the capital side, before once again being discharged by Sampdoria after a horrendous start of the season.
Therefore, a third sacking in a row for the 51-year-old is undoubtedly a massive blow for his once-promising career. Nevertheless, Cagliari had very few options at the moment as they seem to have looked at their recent opponents for advice.
Torino had also started the season with another manager who likes to play progressive football. However, Marco Giampaolo had left the club at the bottom of the table, until a relegation dog-fight expert in Davide Nicola picked them up in the standings.
Thus, the Sardinians took note and announced the sacking of Di Francesco in the afternoon, replacing him with former SPAL coach Leonardo Semplici.
BREAKING: Di Francesco is no longer the coach of Cagliari anymore ?
Cagliari sit in 18th place picking up just 5 points in their past 16 Serie A games ? pic.twitter.com/DD66IW16Jf
— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) February 22, 2021
Its Inter’s Scudetto to Lose After Empathic Derby Win
After putting on a dominating display against Juventus last month, Inter outstretched their muscles once again by shrugging aside their city rivals in a direct Scudetto showdown. This win in Round 23 puts Antonio Conte’s men four points ahead Milan who are currently second in the Serie A table.
Although the Rossoneri had previously been leading the standings with an even bigger gap, their position on top had never been as convincing as the Nerazzurri’s.
The Beneamata currently possess an almost fully-available squad, which includes one of the best striking pair in the world in Lukaku and Lautaro, whilst also rediscovering the forms of the likes of Christian Eriksen, Ivan Perisic and Milan Skriniar.
Inter can only blame themselves if they fail to secure their long-awaited Scudetto title.
9 – #Inter have won 9+ of their first 11 home seasonal games in a single top-flight campaign for the first time since 2009/10, when they lifted the Scudetto for the last time. Shape.#InterLazio pic.twitter.com/iGNK6mUJIv
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) February 14, 2021
Atalanta Proved That Napoli Troubles Are Far from Over
Gennaro Gattuso was reportedly one loss away from being sacked by Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis prior to the club’s encounter against Juventus last weekend.
Although an unlikely victory against the Bianconeri had bought the former Milan hardman additional time at the helm of the Partenopei, several problems still reside within the team.
In Round 23, Atalanta exposed Napoli’s troubles with a big 4-2 win. The Southerners had previously lost the first leg of the Europa League Round of 32 away at Granada on Thursday.
Therefore, Gattuso should find solutions soon enough, before his patron decides to wield the axe.
Atalanta sent a warning to @realmadriden by putting four past Napoli today ?https://t.co/pqy8gjXiF4 pic.twitter.com/IXHe4ICvH6
— MARCA in English (@MARCAinENGLISH) February 21, 2021