Anyone who dares to claim that Italian football is boring would surely change his mind if heeded some attention the Serie A this weekend. From the reignition of a 65-year-old dynasty, to thrilling comebacks, as well as tears of agony and the strangest of goals… and even the unlikeliest of friendships between a manager and an eagle. Simply put, this weekend truly had it all. So let’s check out the Top 5 Stories from Serie A Round 6.
The Dynasty Lives On
After a goalless first half at Spezia, Milan needed a savior, and they eventually got one, thanks to a young attacking midfielder who sported a familiar name on the back of his jersey.
Daniel Maldini – son of the legendary Paolo and grandson to the late great Cesare – broke his duck for the Rossoneri, making history in the process, as the the Maldinis became the first family to score goals in Serie A throughout three generations.
Brahim Diaz eventually came off the bench to score the winner for the visitors following Daniele Verde’s equalizer, but make no mistake about it, that Saturday was all about Italian football’s greatest dynasty.
Spezia vs Milan 1-2: Maldini Jr First Goal and Diaz Winner Help Rossoneri https://t.co/DqJ9zoJp7r pic.twitter.com/CLO9e40zoK
— The Cult of Calcio (@cultofcalcio) September 25, 2021
An All-Out Battle
While Premier League fans were perhaps left disappointed on Saturday by another underwhelming one-goal encounter between Chelsea and Manchester City, Serie A fans were enjoying one feast after another in Round 6.
Inter and Atalanta went to battle. Lautaro Martinez opened the scoring with a screamer, but Ruslan Malinovskyi then took over the show, turning the table on the Italian champions, but Edin Dzeko equalized in the second half.
Nonetheless, the drama was far from over, as the Beneamata could have won the match, but Federico Dimarco’s spot kick smashed against the woodwork, and La Dea’s late winner was ruled out by VAR.
That one definitely wasn’t for the weak-hearted.
Inter vs Atalanta 2-2: Spoils shared in dramatic Nerazzurri Derby https://t.co/vC7gEyltt3 pic.twitter.com/vwXOTArzyX
— The Cult of Calcio (@cultofcalcio) September 26, 2021
Destro Scores but Genoa Bottles It
And yet, Calcio wasn’t done yet on Saturday. In front of Genoa’s new owners, Davide Ballardini’s men found themselves trailing by two goals against Hellas Verona.
However, the Grifone didn’t give, and as Domenico Criscito pulled one back and a Mattia Destro turned the result upside-down with a personal brace.
But the the striker’s second goal will remain in the memory, as it came on the back of a swift counter attack, while he was taking a cooling break. Nonetheless, he threw himself back to the action, and scored a spectacular goal, all while holding a bottle of water in his hand.
Nikola Kalinic grabbed a late equalizer for Verona to seal a fair draw, but the thrilling clash will always be remembered for Destro and his now-infamous bottle.
Genoa striker Mattia Destro has just scored a goal vs Hellas Verona… with a bottle of water in his hand ? ?#SerieA @CBSSportsGolazo pic.twitter.com/ZtEx7kV3SI
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 25, 2021
Dybala’s Black and White Outing Breaks Juventus Hearts
If the story of Juventus is written in black and white, then Paulo Dybala only needed 20 minutes in round 6 to embodied it in his own way, as Juventus earned their second hard-fought Serie A win in a row.
The Argentine broke the deadlock against Sampdoria with his trademark left foot finish from the edge of the box, and was ecstatic with his effort. However, his world turned upside down on the 20th minute, as he couldn’t hold back his tears while leaving the pitch with yet another injury setback
La Joya is surely sick and tired of his physical woes, as the Bianconeri fans were left to wonder if their primary star (following Ronaldo’s departure) will ever be able to overcome his recurring injury concerns.
Dybala left the pitch in tears following an injury minutes after giving Juve the lead ?
(via @btsportfootball)pic.twitter.com/HKXG20cCWG
— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 26, 2021
Sarri Lifts the Eagles High
On Sunday, Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio won his first Derby della Capitale at the expense of José Mourinho’s Roma. We can talk about the great performances of Ciro Immobile, Felipe Anderson and company, or Pedro’s historical goal, but let’s focus one the shenanigans that ensued following the final whistle.
Even in defeat, the Special One would always attempt to steal the headlines, and this time, he decided to gather his troops in the middle of the pitch for a team-talk, perhaps in attempt to steal the spotlights away from the Biancocelesti’s celebrations. The charismatic Portuguese might have considered it as a small moral victory.
And yet, Calcio fans were left incredibly amused by an extremely awkward scene, as the no-nonsense Sarri displayed his lighter side by lifting the eagle Olympia (Lazio’s famous mascot) in front of the Curva Nord with a broad smile on his face, subsequently beating Mourinho in his own game.