This weekend in Calcio, the favorites prevailed while the underdogs failed to deliver a single major upset. Even the dull stalemate in Bergamo between Atalanta and Juventus was somewhat expected. But despite the rather foreseen nature of the events, we were still left in awe by the performances of some individuals. While we won’t be able to dwell on each of them, we’ll try to do justice for as many as we can in the Tops and Flops of Serie A Round 7.
Top (Player): Lautaro Martinez
On another weekend, several other mesmerizing displays would have an undeniable claim for this spot. But in Round 7, there could only be one contender.
Once again, Lautaro Martinez proved himself to be the beating heart of this Inter side. Simone Inzaghi initially kept him on the bench in a bid to restore his energy levels ahead of the Champions League encounter against Benfica. But there ain’t no rest for the wicked.
With the Nerazzurri desperate for a win, the coach unleashed his captain upon the Salernitanians in the hopes of snatching a goal. 27 minutes later, Lautaro had already bagged four.
The 26-year-old made history by becoming the first Serie A player in the modern era to score a super hattrick off the bench.
What a performance!
Top (Player): Riccardo Orsolini
Unfortunately for Riccardo Orsolini, Lautaro’s historic feat meant that he picked the wrong weekend to score a hattrick. Nevertheless, the Bologna winger’s splendid show in the 3-0 win over Empoli was equally impressive. Therefore, we had to go with two Top Player entries.
The former Juventus man hadn’t enjoyed a brilliant start to his season due to some physical problems, but his fabulous three goals in Round 7 suggest that the 26-year-old is now ready to inflict damage upon Serie A defenses.
Top (Coach): Stefano Pioli
Following the Derby della Madonnina defeat, Milan manager Stefano Pioli has been under great scrutiny. But that woeful display aside, his team has been collecting brilliant results while displaying a positive brand of football.
On Saturday, the Rossoneri showcased their superiority over a hapless Lazio side at San Siro. While Rafael Leao was the main star of the show, the coach also deserves some plaudits for the way he’s been rotating his starting lineup while maintaining the same intensity.
Moreover, recreating Yacine Adli as a central midfielder is turning out to be a tactical masterstroke.
Flop (Coach): Claudio Ranieri
To be fair, Cagliari arguably possess one of the weakest starting lineups in Serie A, if not the weakest.
Although it sounds like an absurd statement to make considering the tactician’s career accolades, Claudio Ranieri seems to be out of his depth at the moment, unable to cope with the progressive style of football developed by some of his younger colleagues.
On Monday, the Isolani were on the receiving end of yet another beating, as Fiorentina brushed them aside with three unanswered goals.
Top (Team): Napoli
From the starters to the substitutes, everyone was on song in Napoli’s 4-0 demolition of Lecce at the Via Del Mare. Slowly but surely, Serie A fans are starting to witness glimpses of Luciano Spalletti’s Scudetto-winning squad within Rudi Garcia’s installment.
It shouldn’t be terribly hard since the squad remained mostly intact over the summer.
Flop (Team): Lazio
Not for the first time this season, Lazio failed to show up for a big showdown. We’ve already witnessed this bland version of the Biancocelesti at the Allianz Stadium against Juventus, but the fans were hoping that the midweek win over Torino would burst a new life into their team.
Nevertheless, the capital side was soundly beaten at the hands of Milan at San Siro, while Maurizio Sarri’s post-match comments could only widen the rift between him and the club’s ownership.
Top (Goalkeeper): Ivan Provedel
Milan were only able to topple Lazio by two goals to nil on Saturday. We say “only” because the result could have been an embarrassing one for the Eagles if it wasn’t for the heroics of Ivan Provedel, even if his personal highlight reel didn’t include scoring a goal this time around.
Flop (Goalkeeper): Marco Silvestri
The battle between Udinese and Genoa was one of the most entertaining and competitive of Serie A Round 7. But Marco Silvestri didn’t bask himself in glory during the 2-2 draw.
The Zebrette goalkeeper opted for the difficult pass, so he ended up gifting the Grifone the opening goal. He wasn’t terrible afterwards, but in such razor-tight affairs, these blunders are particularly costly.
Top (Breakout Star): Albert Gudmundsson
Speaking of the 2-2 draw in Udine, Albert Gudmundsson once again cemented himself as arguably the biggest breakout star of the Serie A season, coming away with a superb personal brace. He even scored a third but was later disallowed.
The Icelandic attacking midfielder can dribble past his marker almost at will while harrying the opposition with his extremely dangerous shots.
At his rate, he’ll certainly find himself at a top club by next summer at most.
Flop (Match): Atalanta vs Juventus
Whoever called football the “Beautiful Game” would have reconsidered the moniker after wasting 90+ minutes of his life watching this hollow affair.
At his point, Massimiliano Allegri has fully embraced the dark side, announcing his satisfaction with an away point following a match that saw his team’s xG plummet to 0.17!
The less we say about this one, the better.
Top (Goal): Riccardo Orsolini
The man scored three splendid strikes, but the first was the pick of the bunch. The winger brought the ball forward with a Sombrero before smashing the ball home with a venomous shot.
The perfect portrait.
Top (Assist): Rafael Leao
He might be one of the biggest stars in Serie A, but in Round 7, Rafael Leao was happy to play provider and allow a couple of his teammates to have their moment in the sun. But even when doesn’t score them himself, the Portuguese still winds up stealing the limelight.
He brilliantly picked up Christian Pulisic for the opener, but he’s getting the nod for the assist on Noah Okafor’s goal when he skipped past his marker before setting up his teammate with a casual, yet astonishing backpass.
Top (Fans): Salernitana
The Salernitana Ultras are an amazing bunch. This weekend, they decided to pay tribute to legendary rock band Pink Floyd on the 50th anniversary of the release of their album “The Dark Side of the Moon”.
To honor the iconic band, the Granata Curva Sud uncovered one of the most astonishing choreographies that you’d ever witness at a football stadium.
Simply put, this was a piece of art.
Lo del tifo de la Salernitana ayer celebrando los 50 años del ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ de Pink Floyd
Otra liga 😍 pic.twitter.com/1LyPLELcUp
— Aitor Lagunas (@aitorlagunas) October 1, 2023
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