Compared to the thrilling events from Round 3, perhaps the midweek action fell a little bit short. Nevertheless, watching league fixtures between Tuesday and Thursday is always a major plus, and for that we shall be thankful. While half of the fixtures ended in draws (with 1-1 being the most common result) some of the other encounters proved to be one-sided affairs. Yet, we still witnessed a plethora of wonderful strikes all over the peninsula. So let’s recap the action in our own special (AKA twisted) manner, while enlisting the tops and flops from Serie A Round 4.
Top (Player): Nicolò Barella
While the Euro 2020 winner wasn’t at his best during some of the earlier fixtures, Barella’s display in Round 4 served as a stern reminder of his great prowess, even if it came at the expense of Cremonese, who are still searching for their maiden Serie A point.
The 25-year-old was behind’s all three of Inter’s goals. On the first occasion, he led a counter attack with a daring box-to-box run before picking up Edin Dzeko with a clever pass. He also provided the assist for Lautaro Martinez on the third. But surely his most magnificent moment remains his astonishing volley which landed in the top corner.
Top (Player): Paulo Dybala
While Barella was enthralling the crowds at the Giuseppe Meazza, Paulo Dybala was also enjoying a memorable Tuesday night at the Olimpico Stadium. Therefore, it’s only fair to pick them both for the top spot.
The Argentine broke his duck for Roma with a lovely run and strike, before showcasing his massive determination by beating the defender for the rebound to complete his brace.
La Joya could have added a third goal, but instead, he left the pitch in the second period while sharing a laughter with his boss José Mourinho.
Wonderful evening indeed.
Flop: Domenico Berardi’s Luck
Earlier on Tuesday, Sassuolo hosted Milan at the Mapei Stadium in what a dreadful occasion that was for Domenico Berardi. What could have been a memorable occasion for the Neroverdi icon ended up in the worst possible way, as Lady Luck had completely abandoned.
During the first half, the winger could have broke the deadlock from the spot, but Mike Maignan guessed it right (it wasn’t Berardi’s best effort in any case).
However, the winger’s misery reached its climax in the second period when he was brought down by Theo Hernandez while heading towards goal. Berardi left the pitch in tears while assisted by the medical staff after sustaining a painful injury.
And here’s the worst part: While Theo’s reckless challenge would normally result in a red card, the Frenchman escaped punishment thanks to an earlier offside call, meaning that Sassuolo received no remuneration for Mimmo’s misfortunes.
Top (Manager): Gian Piero Gasperini
Round 4 ended with what has recently become a Serie A classic. We’re talking about the dugout battle between Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini and his old Genoa pupil Ivan Juric, now in charge of Torino.
The striking resemblance between the two men’s tactical systems is plain to see on the pitch, with the master and the student adopting similar formations.
Naturally, the Orobici were the favorites to win – although few had foreseen a hattrick from Teun Koompmeiners – but Gasperini’s brilliant tactical work shouldn’t go unnoticed.
The experienced coach has been able to find his team’s balance once again, creating an exciting mixture between the new and the old, putting his side on top of the Serie A table in the process.
Flop (Manager): Luciano Spalletti
For the record, Luciano Spalletti is one of the best managers of his generation, and his abilities should never be put into question. But perhaps the Napoli boss got it slightly wrong when his team hosted Lecce at the Maradona Stadium.
Now surely rotation is a must amidst the over-packed schedule, but the former Roma and Inter manager went over the top with his tinkering, dropping several key players from the starting formation (including Piotr Zielinski, Stanislav Lobotka, Hirving Lozano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
While he tried to repair the situation during the second half, the visitors had gained major confidence following a solid first half, managing to escape with a well-deserved point.
Top (Team): Roma
On the back of three straight defeats, Monza were desperate for a positive midweek result that would pick up the players’ spirit. Unfortunately for the Biancorossi, they came to the wrong place, as they received another beating, this time at the hands of Dybala and company.
The Giallorossi also needed to produce a solid outing following their uninspiring display against Juventus in the weekend, and they did just that, delivering a vibrant team performance.
Now let’s see if they can replicate such displays against the big boys.
Flop (Team): Fiorentina
For one reason or another, Fiorentina looked out of sorts during their visit to the Dacia Arena. While a 1-0 defeat at Udine isn’t exactly a disaster on its own, the hollow performance of the Tuscans poses several questions.
Despite holding 75% of ball possession, the Viola created very little, as their hosts appeared more likely to double their lead.
Perhaps Vincenzo Italiano’s men felt tired following their weekend effort against Napoli, but then again, we’re talking about a team that is set to contend on several fronts after qualifying to the UEFA Conference League.
We expect much more from the Florentines.
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