Napoli bamboozled Fiorentina 6-0 while Crotone claimed the six-pointer against Benevento with a 4-1 win. However, it was at the San Siro where Inter defeated Juventus 2-0 in a title defining fixture. Another week, another round of goal-scoring heroics in Serie A.
While Cristiano Ronaldo and Romelu Lukaku drew blanks, Nicolò Barella stole the show. Milan, on the other hand, had their hopes set on Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and he delivered with a brace to his name. And Crotone profited from Simy’s proficiency in front of goal.
Azzurri coach Roberto Mancini’s task got complicated as his preferred forwards gave a good account of themselves. Lorenzo Insigne was on fire and had Matteo Politano in company. Elsewhere, Ciro Immobile continued his fine form in front of goal but was himself overshadowed by teammate Luiz Alberto. However, Andrea Belotti had another miserable night as his barren run now stretches to six Serie A outings.
There were goals and plenty of them by any standards. Here are the top five goals from Serie A Round 18.
Matteo Politano vs. Fiorentina
The game was already won in the first half, but Napoli continued to pressure La Viola. The Tuscans succumbed to it again in the final minutes, unable to catch their breath the whole night. Fiorentina had no answer to Matteo Politano’s dizzying run as he received the ball from Tiémoué Bakayoko and ran with it hugging the right flank. When he eventually cut inside, the Fiorentina defenders could not stop him and probably did not have the energy to put in a tackle. His dribble was backed by his shot on goal, an excellent effort for which Bartlomiej Dragowski had no answer.
Milos Vulic vs. Benevento
Iaqo Falque’s deflected volley goal was fierce and must have somewhat raised the mood for the Sorcerers. However, it was straight at the goalkeeper and would have been saved had it not been deflected. At the other end of the pitch, Milos Vulic takes the plaudit with his trickery. He showed how a team responds when they are in control, casually leaving two defenders unsure of their actions. His outside the box shot gave Lorenzo Montipò no chance, and the goal highlighted Crotone’s domination on the night.
Luis Alberto vs. Roma
In the battle for Rome, it was Lazio who reigned supreme. Simone Inzaghi’s men put their crosstown rivals to the sword with the Giallorossi doing nothing to help their cause. Paulo Fonseca has to work on Roma’s defensive issues. Meanwhile, Inzaghi must have been pleased with Ciro Immobile, who opened the scoring, but it was Luiz Alberto who would have earned his praise at full time. He was the maestro for the Biancocelesti, pulling strings from the middle of the park and also getting on the scoreboard. The Spaniard finished the game with a brace to his name and showed why he is the in-demand creator across the big five European top leagues.
Nicolò Barella vs. Juventus
The Derby d’Italia saw Inter take on Juventus at the San Siro. The Old Lady were triumphant here a couple of weeks ago but not this time. Antonio Conte’s men were the better side, and they bossed their rivals thanks to a tireless performance from Nicolò Barella. The Italy international ran the length of the pitch, winning the midfield battle and also showcasing his creative talents. He gave the assist for Arturo Vidal’s opener, but it was his own strike that was the talk of town. He ran from his half into opposition territory, getting on the end of Alessandro Bastoni’s pass to give the Nerazzurri a two-goal advantage.
Hirving Lozano vs. Fiorentina
Lorenzo Insigne gave the Partenopei the perfect start with a goal in the fifth minute. However, it was not his best contribution to the game. The pint-sized Italy international received the ball and took it wide. Despite attention from Fiorentina defenders, he kept the ball akin a towering target man before slicing the defense apart with a great pass. Hirving Lozano dived to meet the ball and sunk it into the back of the net.