Following another weekend filled with surprises, perhaps it’s time to acknowledge the current Scudetto race as one the most compelling in decades, as every round produces new unforeseen twists and turns. This time, the three main Scudetto contenders ended the round with three different results. Inter continued their recent revival with another solid win, while Milan played another disappointing stalemate, and finally, Napoli endured a heavy blow by succumbing to a home defeat at the hands of Fiorentina. So let’s review the best and worst performers of the crazy Italian weekend in the tops and flops of Serie A round 32.
Top (Player): Hamed Traorè
What a performance from the young Ivorian!
After starting the season on a relatively slow note, he has been on a absolute menace for oppositions in the second half of the campaign.
On Sunday, the former Empoli man scored a stunning brace that sealed a home victory for Sassuolo at the expense of Atalanta. He was vibrant throughout the match, and was even denied by the post on one occasion
Expect a major auction for this one next summer.
Top (Scorer): Ciro Immobile
And yet, we can’t pass by without mentioning the hattrick hero from round 32, as Ciro Immobile restored the lead at the top of the Serie A goal-scoring charts after bombarding Salvatore Sirigu’s net.
The Azzurri fans were once again left to wonder why the Lazio hitman can’t score against Italy’s foes in the same way that he punishes Italian defenses.
Flop (Players): Milan Attack
For the second weekend in a row, Milan fired blank, as their grasp on the Scudetto race is beginning to loosen.
In the second half, Torino looked like the side who was more likely to score, while the likes of Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao were nowhere to be seen.
The Rossoneri could pay dearly for their current lapse.
Top (Coach): Vincenzo Italiano
Although Napoli entered the Maradona Stadium high on confidence following last weekend’s victory over Atalanta, Fiorentina silenced the stands on three different occasions with a trio of fabulous goals.
Nico Gonzalez, Jonathan Ikoné and Yohan Cabral were all brilliant among others, but it was their manager Vincenzo Italiano who ticked all the right boxes from start to finish.
The former Spezia boss unleashed a solid starting formation, and maintained his 4-3-3 lineup despite leading in the second half, only bolstering his side with a string of courageous changes.
Flop (Coach): Stefano Pioli
We spoke about the misfiring frontline above, but the whole Milan side looked short of ideas. Perhaps Pioli had few options upfront with Zlatan Ibrahimovic expectedly-injury, but surely some tactical tweak could have been done to ignite the formation and produce a bit more chances.
Alas, the Diavolo have chose the worst timing possible for dropping points left and right.
Top (Team): Inter
With Milan and Napoli failing to win on Sunday, Inter continued to build on their Derby d’Italia win to launch themselves back to the top the Serie A table.
Igor Tudor’s Verona might be one of the toughest nuts to crack in the league this season, but Simone Inzaghi’s men only needed one half to do the damage, with Ivan Perisic leading his teammates towards victory by delivering assists to Nicolò Barella and Edin Dzeko.
The Nerazzurri can restore the Serie A lead if they win their postponed meeting against Bologna, and are now the bookmakers’ favorites to retrain the Scudetto title.
Flop (Team): Atalanta
Now surely European commitments and injury problems have take their toll on Atalanta, but Gian Piero Gasperini’s side is beginning to loose its aura with some uncharacteristic disappointing performances.
In round 32, Sassuolo managed to beat La Dea at its own game, but applying overwhelming pressure and launching swift counter attacks. The Oribici failed to respond properly, and the final 2-1 result could have been nastier.
One would struggle to recall the last time Atalanta fell to the 8th place is the Serie A standings.