What a rollercoaster of a weekend that was! In the two battles between the Milanese and the Romans, the northern city came out on top, as the epic Scudetto battle between of the crosstown rivals lives on. Elsewhere, Empoli completely turned the table on Napoli in the final 10 minutes, while Salernitana shocked the world by beating Fiorentina as they continue to tease an extraordinary escape. So here are the best and worst performers of the weekend in our tops and flops of Serie A round 34.
Top (Player): Luis Muriel
What a masterful performance from the Colombian from start to finish. He single-handedly brought down Venezia, playing a direct role in all three Atalanta goals.
His brilliant run towards the box instigated Mario Pasalic’ opener, he provided his compatriot Duvan Zapata with a tap-in following a sublime assist, before deservingly putting his name on the scoresheet. The 31-year-old was also unlucky to see his shot hitting the post.
That was the type of displays needed to reignite La Dea’s fading European hopes.
Top (Player): Sasa Lukic
In such an eventful Serie A weekend, we can find some extra space to heap praise over another top performer form round 34.
Perhaps the encounter between Torino and Spezia went under the radar due its minimal significance, but Sasa Lukic still managed to light up the contest with a vibrant display.
The Serbian brilliantly converted from the spot before completing his brace with a stunning strike all while architecting the play in the middle of the park.
Flop (Tactic): Ball-Playing Goalkeepers
Following Alex Meret’s blunder which culminated in Napoli’s shocking defeat at Empoli (and subsequently ending what remained of their Scudetto hopes), it’s easy to blame the custodian for the outcome.
However, the Italian goalkeeper isn’t the first (see Donnarumma, Szczesny…) nor the last to fall into the trap and concede a goal after failing to properly clear the ball.
At some point, coaches have to admit that they’re asking too much from their shot-stoppers whose main job is to defend the goal rather than starting attacks.
As the cliché goes: Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
Top (Coach): Davide Nicola
In Italian football, there has always been managers who are considered as experts in avoiding relegation, and Davide Nicola has officially inherited this rocky throne.
The 49-year-old has already guided Crotone towards a miraculous escape in 2017 after spending the entire in the bottom three. Last season, he salvaged Torino after taking over from Marco Giampaolo in January.
So could he pull off another jaw-dropping escape at Salernitana?
The southerners have been described as a side that has one foot is Serie B since the start of the season. But suddenly, the Granata are now 18th in the Serie A standings after round 34, and are riding a three-match winning streak.
During Sunday’s match, Nicola even took off his shoe, throwing it angrily to the ground in a bizarre attempt to motivate his players.
It worked after all, as Salernitana managed to hold on to their lead. So who are we to question the man’s unusual maneuvers.
Salernitana manager Davide Nicola took off his shoe and threw it in anger at his team's defending ?
Amazing. pic.twitter.com/LIa72UmLhL
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 24, 2022
Flop (Coach): José Mourinho
The good news for José Mourinho: He’s still vastly popular among Inter supporters who were singing his name during the match against Roma.
The bad news for José Mourinho: The Inter players showed his side no mercy, practically ending the match early after scoring thrice in 50 minutes.
Following the clash, the Special One said he’s proud of his players who gave it their all, but perhaps he could have made a slightly better job at setting up his team.
With Bryan Cristante unavailable, Henrikh Mkhitaryan was deployed in a deeper role (apparently, the Portuguese doesn’t like Jordan Veretout one bit) which may have allowed Inter to overrun the Giallorossi’s light midfield.
Top (Team): Inter
That being said, the reigning champions were on another level. Simone Inzaghi’s men looked focused, determined and absolutely clinical in front of goal.
Marcelo Brozovic ran the show for the Nerazzurri, but his teammates were all solid and composed, as they continue their march towards the Scudetto title.