Prior to heading into the short festive break, there were goals galore in Serie A as 35 league goals were recorded. Crotone’s Junior Messias with his long-range lob gets the plaudits but there were other notable mentions as well.
The results will be remembered for Milan going into the break top of the table and Inter hot on their heels. It makes for quite a reading as Juventus’ shock defeat to Fiorentina made them slip out of top-four. Napoli’s point against Torino was not enough as Roma and Sassuolo got them the Champions League spots.
From cheeky lobs to threaded through balls and some penalty box curlers, everything was on offer in Italian top-flight football. Here are our picks for top-five goals from Round 14.
Joao Pedro vs. Roma
Cagliari gave a good account of themselves in a losing battle at the Stadio Olimpico. The Romans caught them napping with easy goals, while their inability to make their chances count cost them. Despite the 3-2 loss, Joao Pedro continues to solidify his legend in Cagliari colors, scoring the best goal of the game in the five-goal thriller. He controlled the ball on the run, all the while evading Roma defenders. His shot from just out of the box caught Antonio Mirante off-guard and the ball sailed into the back of the net.
Gaetano Letizia vs. Udinese
Gianluca Caprari got Benevento off to a wonderful start. The Italian forward’s long-range effort caught Udinese off-guard, but it was Gaetano Letizia’s goal against the run of play that finished their hopes of an equalizer. It was a brilliant combination play, as Caprari changed roles from scorer to provider, timing his pass with Letizia’s run. The pint-sized forward had free reign to run at Juan Musso in the Zebras’ goal, and the assured custodian had no answer for the fierce shot that was driven at him.
Takehiro Tomiyasu vs. Atalanta
Luis Muriel must have hoped that his two-minute double salvo was enough to earn the points for Atalanta. La Dea should have added more to their tally and it was their failure to do so that cost them the three points on offer. Bologna managed to claw at Atalanta’s lead for their third draw in as many games. It was Riccardo Orsolini’s vision that started Bologna’s comeback. The Italy international released Takehiro Tomiyasu on the overlap, as the defender continued his run into the final third. His lob over Pierluigi Gollini was one that would shame the more established Serie A forwards.
Lorenzo Insigne vs. Torino
Despite Andrea Belotti scoring regularly for Torino, they cannot stop dropping points. The Toro are at the bottom of Serie A points rankings and only have themselves to blame. They should have taken the three points on offer but allowed Napoli to equalize in added time. Lorenzo Insigne continues to summon the spirit of Diego Maradona and he was at it again. Piotr Zielinski’s knockdown allowed him time and space to curl the ball, and he did not disappoint.
Junior Messias vs. Parma
Crotone secured the three points on offer with a scrappy 2-1 win. Parma will rue the mistakes made by Yann Karamoh and the goalkeeping display by Alex Cordaz in the opposition goal. However, the night belonged to Junior Messias who finished with a brace to his name. Arkadiusz Reca found him in front of goal for the first and he finished the job while turning. If his first was a delight, the second one was even better. A chip from outside the box found Luigi Sepe off his lines and the ball slowly but surely went into the back of the net.