Game week 37 of this Serie A season was not the most exciting round of action we have seen this campaign, but fortunately has still provided us with a few talking points.
Roma clinched Champions League football for next season with a late winner in the Derby della Capitale against bitter rivals Lazio, courtesy of a goal from the unlikely source of Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.
AC Milan and Stephan El Shaarawy shocked the peninsula as they claimed a 3-0 victory over Torino, Juventus comfortably saw off Napoli, while Sampdoria stumbled as they looked to chase European football for next season with a disappointing but flattering 1-1 draw away to Empoli.
Meanwhile, Inter fell to defeat at the hands of Genoa and Fiorentina saw off Palermo with a 3-2 victory.
As is custom in the last few weeks, our Team of the Week for Round 37 will see a 3-4-3 formation deployed.
Gianluigi Buffon – Juventus (3 Team of the Week appearances)
The veteran goalkeeper showed us once again why retirement still seems some way off as he handed in a performance that he would have been proud of a decade ago. He denied Lorenzo Insigne from the penalty spot and went on to be called into action to make four more unlikely saves to keep the Partenopei at bay and ensure the Old Lady left with the points in tact.
Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa – Roma (3 apps)
Though it was by no means a stellar performance from Roma in the derby, the Frenchman was one of the Giallorossi’s better defensive players in the tense atmosphere and popped up late on to become an unlikely derby hero. Can you really begrudge the man who won his side the Derby della Capitale and secured Champions League football for his club in doing so a place in the TOTW?
Dario Dainelli – Chievo (4 apps)
The Flying Donkeys have been certain of their Serie A status for next season for quite some time now, so it was understandable to think that when they went a goal behind to Atalanta that they may struggle to find the motivation to come back. However, they did come back an secured a late point. Dainelli was an integral part of earning this point and had he not tamed the threat of Maxi Moralez, Richmond Boakye and Alejandro Gomez, the Nerazzurri would have been out of sight long before big Sergio Pellissier had the chance to equalise
Daniele Rugani – Empoli (4 apps)
Empoli had an easier job on their hands than they might have anticipated against a lacklustre and seemingly unmotivated Sampdoria side which saw Samuel Eto’o demoted to the bench. The young defender highlighted his promise with a composed display, looking more like he had the head of a veteran centre-back with each passing minute. This, combined with the legs of a 20-year-old will be a combination that excites fans of the two Azzurri – both Empoli and the Italian national side.
Marco Van Ginkel – AC Milan (2 apps)
The on-loan Chelsea midfielder added another impressive performance this week as he appeared to want to take centre stage and take ownership of the game. He sprayed some brilliant cross-field passes and was always keen to support the attacking players as the team looked to press on and add to their advantage, even when they went down to ten men.
Luca Cigarini – Atalanta
The former Napoli man put in a performance that the Atalanta supporters have seen far to rarely from him this season as he appeared to be close to his best. The Italian dictated the play as he loves to do, much like another wearer of a number 21 shirt. He showcased his superb range of passing throughout the game and called all the shots for the Orobici.
Antonio Nocerino – Parma
The midfielder put in the type of performance you associated him with back in his best season at AC Milan. He tirelessly ran around the pitch and was a real driving force in everything the Gialloblu looked to do. Nocerino got the goal his performance deserved as he put Parma ahead.
Josip Ilicic – Fiorentina (2 apps)
The Slovenian managed to earn applause from fans who booed him throughout the game with a superb goal for the Viola as he turned out against his former club. Ilicic has hit form just too late to have a real impact on Fiorentina’s season and the Firenze people will be hopeful this late season resurgence can carry through to next year.
Stephan El Shaarawy – AC Milan (3 apps)
This week saw a new El Shaarawy as he failed to get up and down the flanks as you would expect, but instead saw an extra focus on his attacking play and the Rossoneri reaped the rewards of this. The youngster scored twice for the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza side before being substituted just moments after scoring his second.
Luca Toni – Hellas Verona (5 apps)
The evergreen striker was at it again as he continued his push to be crowned Capocannoniere for the 2014-15 season. Toni makes it impossible to talk about him without mentioning that he is in fact 37-years-old but his goals show no signs of drying up as he is enjoying one of the most fruitful spells of his career at Verona. The veteran hit a late brace as he came alive when you would expect him to fade in the dying embers of the game to deny Parma a win in their last Serie A game at the Stadio Ennio Tardini for the foreseeable future.
Alejandro Gomez – Atalanta
The 27-year-old is finally beginning to show the kind of form La Dea will have expected of him when they secured his services before the season commenced and he continued to shine with another great performance. The Argentine showed form reminiscent of his Catania days as he buzzed around in typical energetic fashion and was unlucky not to open the scoring in the first half as he rattled the bar after mazing his way through a body of players. He did get his name on the scoresheet later on in the afternoon.
