Another round of Serie A went by, with Napoli and Juventus taking advantage of Inter‘s draw and widening the gap from the other teams.
Paulo Dybala gave Juve the three points against Roma, and a spectacular 4-2 win at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris saw Napoli extend their lead at the top. Fiorentina are also back to winning ways, whilst Inter lost the third spot as they dropped points late on against Carpi. To check up on the rest of the week’s action, check out our weekly roundup piece.
Our Team of the Week will see a basic 3-5-2 formation deployed.
Do you agree with our selection? Have your say in the comments below!
Stefano Sorrentino – Palermo (5 Team of the Week appearances)
It’s true, Palermo dominated from beginning to end. But if the Rosanero easily thrashed Udinese, it is also because Sorrentino gave the visitors no chance to get back in the game, with at least three crucial saves in the second half.
Andrea Barzagli – Juventus (2 apps)
The rock is back in its place in defence, and Juventus managed to control Roma’s attack without any issues. The Giallorossi might not be at their prime, but the likes of Edin Dzeko and Mohamed Salah could have created some problems. Absolutely nullified by Barzagli.
Gonzalo Rodriguez – Fiorentina (2 apps)
Ciro Immobile didn’t even seem on the pitch in Florence, as Rodriguez calmly kept his position and let very few chances reach the Torino attack. On top of that, a classic header from a corner made 2-0 and secured the three points for Fiorentina.
Daniele Gastaldello – Bologna
It isn’t easy to travel to Sassuolo and come away with a clean sheet. Bologna managed it, and a lot of the hard work was done at the back to stop Domenico Berardi and Nicola Sansone. Gastaldello led the defensive line and was crucial in limiting the attacks.
Emanuele Giaccherini – Bologna (4 apps)
Antonio Conte will be taking note: Giaccherini is really back to his best. The consistency he showed in the 90 minutes in Sassuolo was incredible, chasing opponents in defence and giving quality to his attack. And, of course, the beautiful opening goal that led the way to Bologna’s win.
Marek Hamsik – Napoli (4 apps)
What a goal that was. Precisely in the greatest moment of difficulty of Napoli against Sampdoria, having conceded after going 2-0 up, captain Hamsik solved Napoli’s problems with a wonder goal, to be added to all the usual hard work and the quality he gives to the Partenopei’s game.
Oscar Hiljemark – Palermo (2 apps)
He is everywhere on the pitch and was the MVP in Palermo’s 4-1 win over Udinese. He inspired his teammates throughout, provided the smart assist for the 1-0, and found his personal joy with the Rosanero’s second goal.
Franco Vazquez – Palermo
Finally the player we admired last season. The real playmaker of Palermo as he inspired the Rosanero’s attacks, with the icing on the cake of the splendid assist for Hiljemark’s goal.
Antonio Candreva – Lazio (3 apps)
Simply unstoppable. It seemed like he had decided that Lazio were going to win against Chievo and they eventually did, thanks to two goals by Candreva himself. His spirit made a difference, together with his usual quality.
Paulo Dybala – Juventus (5 apps)
It was going to be either him or Gonzalo Higuain in this week’s team, but the young Juventus striker made it because his goal was a mixture of power and pure class, and most importantly was decisive in giving Juventus the three points in a crucial game, in which he was also the advanced playmaker of the Bianconeri.
Kevin Lasagna – Carpi
The magical goal that made it 1-1 at the San Siro against Inter in the dying minutes is reason enough for him to be included, since only two years ago he played in the Italian fourth division. “It is a dream, I will pay dinner to all my mates,” he said at the end, showing all the joy of a genuine person, who simply scored a goal at the Scala del Calcio.
