Serie A 2015-16: Team Of The Week – Round 7
Round seven of Serie A action was played out over the weekend and provided us with some thrilling action.
League leaders Fiorentina increased their lead at the top with a 3-0 defeat of Atalanta, while Inter dropped points as they drew against Sampdoria.
Saturday’s matches saw Carpi claim their first ever Serie A win, as they surprisingly beat Torino. Also on Saturday, the first Derby della Scalla of the season ended with Chievo and Hellas Verona sharing the spoils.
Napoli recorded a resounding victory at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, scoring four against AC Milan without response. Strikerless Roma won 4-2 at Palermo, while Juventus returned to winning ways against Bologna despite falling behind.
Elsewhere, Empoli ended Sassuolo’s 11 game unbeaten run, Udinese and Genoa could not be separated and Lazio saw off Frosinone at the Stadio Olimpico.
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.
Etrit Berisha – Lazio
The Lazio shot-stopper was introduced in unexpected fashion as Federico Marchetti was withdrawn through injury but he stepped up in difficult circumstances. Berisha made two brilliant saves in the first half before things quietened down in the second as Lazio claimed a comfortable 2-0 victory.
Lorenzo Tonelli – Empoli
The consistently impressive defender kept Sassuolo’s attack under control throughout. Gregoire Defrel barely got a sniff as Tonelli had him well-monitored for the whole match. Barely putting a foot wrong on the afternoon, he played a key role in ending the Neroverdi’s unbeaten streak.
It is a rarity this season to see a Bianconeri player in the Team of the Week, but victory over Bologna saw normal service resuming at the Juventus Stadium on Sunday. Bonucci was solid defensively and always keen to kickstart attacking moves, displaying quality distribution.
Kalidou Koulibaly – Napoli
The powerful Napoli centre-back kept Carlos Bacca at bay as the Partenopei claimed an emphatic three points away to AC Milan. Though the Rossoneri offered little in attack, Koulibaly dealt with what was needed in an effortless manner.
Borja Valero – Fiorentina (Two Team of the Week appearances)
Fiorentina’s playmaker orchestrated all that was good for the Viola as they thumped Atalanta on Sunday evening. He combined well with Federico Bernardeschi before adding Fiorentina’s second goal of the evening. He was typically composed and commanding in the middle of the park.
Allan – Napoli (Two apps)
Adding his third Serie A goal of the season, Allan appears to be thriving under the guidance of coach Maurizio Sarri. His runs from midfield have been causing problems for defenders all season so far, and he gave a perfect example of how effective they can be as he opened the scoring for Napoli at the San Siro.
Alessandro Florenzi – Roma
Playing further forward than he is used to in recent matches, Florenzi’s performance was as consistent as ever. Combined well with Miralem Pjanic going forward as he assisted his teammate’s goal, before having the favour returned moments later.
Lorenzo Insigne – Napoli (Two apps)
The Neapolitan forward is enjoying the form of his career this season under Sarri, and what’s most notable is his ability to perform in the big matches as we saw on Sunday as well as in the recent defeat of Juventus. Bagging a brace on the night, his second came courtesy of a sublime free-kick.
Federico Bernardeschi – Fiorentina
Received a standing ovation when he was substituted in the second half and was a menace to La Dea’s defence during his time on the pitch. His creative spark was evident as he combined with Valero to assist the Spaniard’s goal.
Ryder Matos – Carpi
Matos will forever be remembered by Biancorossi supporters as the man who handed Carpi their first ever victory in Serie A. He did well to get on the end of a Marco Borriello cross to head home the winner for Giuseppe Sannino’s side.
Gervinho – Roma
Despite being the target of a lot of criticism over the last 12 months, the Ivorian put in a brilliant performance away to Palermo, even directly answering his critics with a superb finish at the end of a meandering run along the edge of the Rosanero box. Gervinho in this form can be a real asset to Rudi Garcia but consistency is required.