The latest instalment of Serie A action saw Juventus pull further clear at the top as they close in on their fifth successive Scudetto triumph.
A red mist descended over Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain as he lost his cool after being given his marching orders in the Partenopei’s defeat to Udinese, which will see him ruled out for a number of games. Roma ran out victorious in the season’s second Derby della Capitale as they humiliated their Eternal City rivals, Lazio.
Meanwhile, the race at the bottom grew even more interesting as several teams fighting for their lives picked up points.
Our Team of the Week will see a 3-4-3 formation deployed.
Do you agree with our selection? Have your say in the comments below or get in touch on Twitter!
Emiliano Viviano – Sampdoria
Had a busy afternoon in keeping La Viola at bay and will feel somewhat aggrieved that he couldn’t keep a clean sheet, though there was little he could do to prevent Josip Ilicic’s opener.
Samir – Hellas Verona
A dream debut for the Brazilian as his powerful header gifted the Mastini a shock win over an out-of-form Bologna. Now just six points from safety, surely Verona can’t climb to survival, can they?
Cristian Molinaro – Torino
As effective with the ball as he was in his defensive duties. Strong and dominating when stopping Mauro Icardi and co., Molinaro started some promising attacks with an impressive passing range and played a key role in Il Toro’s first goal on the night.
Francesco Acerbi – Sassuolo (6 Team of the Week appearances)
Brilliant all season for the Neroverdi, and despite a shaky performance for Italy during the international break, Acerbi looked back to his best as Sassuolo claimed a 3-1 win over Carpi. For good measure, he added his side’s third goal to seal the victory.
Alessandro Florenzi – Roma (6 apps)
The Rome native was as exuberant and energetic as you would expect in the derby, even scoring a delightful volley to add his side’s fourth goal. Celebrating by running to the bench to embrace club icons Daniele De Rossi and Francesco Totti, it’s easy to see Florenzi remaining at the Stadio Olimpico for some time yet.
Marten De Roon – Atalanta (4 apps)
The Dutchman played an integral role until his withdrawal in the 78th minute through injury. Fought tirelessly in the middle of the park and dominated his Rossoneri adversaries. Often contributed in attack, too, and kept a cool head to play the assist for Alejandro Gomez’s decisive strike.
Bruno Fernandes – Udinese
Involved in everything as the Zebrette all but ended Napoli’s title chances. Scored one penalty and missed another before going on to score a brilliant overhead kick later in the game.
Silvan Widmer – Udinese
Playing on the opposite side for the sake of this selection, Widmer dominated his flank and minimised the threat of the Partenopei in a shock win for the Friuli outfit. Won a penalty for his team and supplied the assist for the vital third goal.
Diego Perotti – Roma
The former Genoa playmaker continued his promising start to his Roma career on the most important of stages. Unlucky not to score earlier as his effort came back off the woodwork allowing Edin Dzeko to tap home, before scoring a goal that rather summed up his performance as he drove at the Lazio defence before showing composure to slot the ball into the bottom corner.
Mauricio Pinilla – Atalanta (2 apps)
Yet another chilena for the Chilean. Pinilla was in inspired form as he led the line in an impressive performance, which was capped off by his remarkable overhead kick to level the scores right on half-time. The strike marked his fifth bicycle kick goal in his 15 months at the Bergamaschi.
Suso – Genoa
Probably the weekend’s best performance. The ex-Liverpool and AC Milan man scored three absolutely brilliant goals in an emphatic win for the Grifone. Each a contender for goal of the week, Suso is without doubt the standout player in this XI.
