The top two sides in Serie A commenced 2020 in emphatic fashion with Juventus thrashing Cagliari 4-0 and Inter winning 3-1 away to Napoli.
European rivals Atalanta destroyed Parma 5-0 while Roma lost 2-0 at home to Torino and AC Milan drew 0-0 against Sampdoria.
Genoa and Fiorentina have both got new coaches. The Grifone got a controversial victory against Sassuolo whereas the Gigliati drew against Bologna.
Here is the Serie A Team of the Week for Round 18, deployed in the usual 3-4-3 formation. Let us know your thoughts!
Salvatore Sirigu – Torino (4 Team of the Week appearances)
Was not overawed by the Roma attacks and made many fine saves. His reflex save from a Lorenzo Pellegrini shot in the second half was arguably the standout.
Julian Chabot – Sampdoria
The former Groningen defender had his Serie A breakthrough against AC Milan, playing with the assurance of a veteran. His tackle on Suso in the first half was a particular highlight.
Nicolas Nkoulou – Torino
Rarely beaten at the back and did not allow Edin Dzeko to take any threatening shots on target.
Domenico Criscito – Genoa
Converted the penalty to open the scoring against Sassuolo and he dispossessed Domenico Berardi to start the counterattack which resulted in the winning goal.
Robin Gosens – Atalanta (2 apps)
Scored the third goal and then provided the cross from the left-wing for Ilicic to score the fourth.
Marco Benassi – Fiorentina
Helped his team out defensively but the longing memory from this performance was his outstanding volley to open the scoring.
Tomas Rincon – Torino
Worked tirelessly in midfield, often to help the team defensively. Supplied Andrea Belotti with the pass to score the opening goal against Roma.
Alejandro Gomez – Atalanta (6 apps)
Another sparkling performance from the Dea captain. Scored the first goal with a long-range shot and assisted for Remo Freuler.
Josip Ilicic – Atalanta (4 apps)
Forced a save out of Parma goalkeeper Luigi Sepe, was involved in the Gosens goal, and then added two excellent strikes to seal the win.
Romelu Lukaku – Inter (3 apps)
Utilised his strength and pace to best effect. Ran riot against Napoli, scoring two goals in the first half.
Cristiano Ronaldo – Juventus (2 apps)
After a scoreless first half, the Portuguese stole the show in the second half for the Bianconeri. Scored a hat-trick and supplied an assist for Gonzalo Higuain.
