Round 32 saw another weekend of great action for calcio lovers. The top two of Juventus and Roma both wonn whilst Parma overcame Napoli and Inter were held by Bologna.
Another Ciro Immobile strike helped Torino notch up a victory and Adel Taarabt scored a stunner as the Rossoneri made it three wins in a row.
At the bottom Sassuolo gave themselves a lifeline by beating Atalanta 2-0, ending their six game unbeaten streak in the process.
The formation this week is a 4-4-2 with two of Serie A’s best young starlets up top and some flair and pace on the flanks
As ever please feel free to leave a comment if you disagree with any of the choices made.
Samir Handanovic – Inter (2 Team of The Week appearances)
The Slovenian may not have been performing to quite the same high standards as previous seasons but there have been recent signs of improvement. Showed excellent reactions to deny Lazaros Christodoulopoulos in the build up to Bologna’s equalizer and then made a miraculous double save from Robert Acquafresca in the dying minutes to ensure Inter escaped without defeat.
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- Radu – Lazio
Mattia Cassani – Parma (2 apps)
A solid all round display from the right back. Defended well against the skillful Napoli forwards and attacked when possible. Provded the assist for Marco Parolo to score from, cutting back a ball from the right for the midfielder to place the ball in the net from the edge of the box.
Adil Rami – AC Milan (3 apps)
Had to be at his best as Genoa lay siege to the Milan goal for large periods. Won everything in the air and made a couple of timely last ditch challenges.
Martin Caceres – Juventus
Has slotted in well into the Juventus backline over the past few weeks. Was not overly tested against Livorno but still did everything that was asked of him. Would probably be a regualr starter in most of the other Serie A teams.
Stefan Radu – Lazio (3 apps)
Had a good battle on the flank, keeping the dangerous Manolo Gabbiadini quiet for large periods in the clash with Sampdoria, resulting in the forward being subbed off. Also ventured up the left flank when possible and distributed the ball well.
Nicola Sansone – Sassuolo (2 apps)
The former Bayern Munich youth player continues his good form, which is timely considering the slight loss of form of top scorer Domenico Berardi. Excellent when dribbling with the ball, showing plenty of balance and technical ability. Scored a brace the first of which was a neat finish into the bottom corner and the second a cross-come-shot direct from a free kick.
Radja Nainggolan – Roma (4 apps)
Another dominant performance from the Belgian against Cagliari,his former club. Strong in the challenge, decent in possession and broke forward to support the counter attacks whenever possible. Has slotted in perfectly to fill the void left after Kevin Strootmans injury.
Stefano Sturaro – Genoa (2 apps)
A strong all round perfromance in the match against AC Milan. Pressed high up the pitch when attacking, causing Ricardo Montolivio and Nigel De Jong plenty of problems. Showed nimble footwork at times and defended well too. Still just 21 years old.
Keita Diao – Lazio (4 apps)
One of the few bright spots for Lazio this season. A livewire on the wing whenever he had the ball, beating his markers at will and supplying crosses for the forwards. His pace and dribbling abilities were essential for the team when they were forced to play on the counter after being reduced to ten men.
Mauro Icardi – Inter (2 apps)
Scored a brace and was involved in the build up in the move that resulted in Inter winning (and failing to convert) a penalty. The first goal was a crisp finish on the half volley whilst the second was a stunning finish from long range. Will finally be making headlines for his performances on the pitch rather than off field issues.
Mattia Destro – Roma
Razor sharp finishing from the Giallorossi front man, had three chances and scored three goals, ending up with the first hat trick of his career. Doesn’t have lightning pace but his movement and timing of runs are superb. Only negative was an incident where he was fortunate to escape without a red card after appearing to slap a Cagliari defender.
