In the penultimate weekend of Serie A, all eyes were on the San Siro, as Milan had to overcome the rough Atalanta hurdle on their path towards glory. Luckily for the Rossoneri faithful, it was mission accomplished for Stefano Pioli and his men. But a few hours later, Inter maintained their slight hope of retaining the Scudetto title by sealing a 3-1 victory in Sardinian to set up a historic final day showdown. So let’s recap the best and worst performers of the Italian weekend in out Tops and Flops from Serie A round 37.
Top (Player): Lautaro Martinez
Following Milan’s crucial win over Atalanta, the morale at the Inter camp probably hit an all-time low. After all the Nerazzurri saw themselves one step away from succumbing their Scudetto title.
However, one man was adamant on putting an inspiring show in Sardinia, and for the second week in a row, Lautaro Martinez is our top player of the round, as he guided Simone Inzaghi’s men towards an away win, ensuring that the reigning champions don’t offer the trophy to their crosstown rivals on a silver plate.
The Argentine looked like a man possessed, scoring yet another personal brace, while coming close to adding more to his tally.
Top (Goalkeeper): Guglielmo Vicario
What an absolutely stunning display between the sticks for one of the finest goalkeepers in Serie A this season. Even though Empoli had little to play for, the Emilians were adamant on avoiding defeat on their final outing in front of their home supporters, and their goalkeeper led the charge with a string of jaw-dropping saves.
The Italian custodian repeatedly denied the desperate Salernitana players, and crowned his fabulous performance by denying Diego Perotti from the spot right before the final whistle.
If the Granata eventually fail to avoid relegation, they will surely curse Vicario’s name for years to come.
Flop (Manager): Gian Piero Gasperini
When the official formations were announced, it was plain to see that Atalanta were adopting a cautious approach in their away fixture against Milan. While the contest had great implications regarding the Scudetto battle, La Dea also had to win to boost their hopes of securing a European spot next season.
Nevertheless, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side looked like a shadow of the team that used to act as the bogeyman at the San Siro Stadium. Instead of opening up the play and hurt the Diavolo in the spaces, the experienced manager flooded his lineup with hard-working midfielders while leaving the likes of Duvan Zapata, Jeremie Boga and Ruslan Malinovskyi on the bench.
The situation doesn’t look too bright at Bergamo.
Top (Manager): Stefano Pioli
On the opposite side, Stefano Pioli also adopted a somewhat conservative approach from the get-go, with Rade Krunic and Alexis Saelemaekers once again in the first lineup.
Nonetheless, the former Lazio and Fiorentina tactician realized the importance of grabbing a victory, and decided to reenergize his side early in the second half, and the introduction of Junior Messias immediately paid dividends with the Brazilian providing the assist for Rafael Leao’s opener.
While a more timid manager would have gunned for a draw that kept him on top of the table, Pioli found the courage to play a more progressive type of football in the second half, and has been rewarded for it.
Flop (Team): Genoa
With their back against the wall, we expected a bit more from Genoa at the Maradona Stadium, but the Grifone looked like they didn’t want spoil Lorenzo Insigne’s farewell party.
The southerners scored thrice against the hapless Ligurians who barely caused a threat and now need a miracle to avoid relegation.
Top (Team): Sassuolo
With Bologna and Sassuolo both sailing in the safe midtable waters, the Emilian derby had very little significance. Nevertheless, one team decided to show up and put up a magical display away from home.
Gianluca Scamacca displayed his prowess once more for his suitors by grabbing a personal brace, while a magnificent Domenico Berardi provided him with an assist while scoring an absolutely fantastic bicycle kick.