Another weekend of Serie A action has flown by, and it was a very satisfactory one for Inter Milan as they came from behind to beat Roma 4-2 at the Stadio Olimpico.
That result extended their lead at the top of the table to seven points as Juventus suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat against Udinese.
Meanwhile, AC Milan closed to within a point of Massimiliano Allegri’s men with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Napoli, and there were emphatic victories for Atalanta, Bologna and Fiorentina as they chase down a Champions League spot.
At the other end of the table, Salernitana lost 3-1 to Empoli and opted to sack Filippo Inzaghi, replacing him with the experienced Fabio Liverani.
Mail Sport’s Alvise Cagnazzo picks out 10 things we learned from a fascinating weekend in Italy.
Udinese pulled off a shock win against Juventus on Sunday as Massimiliano Allegri’s side fell further adrift in the title race
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Thuram can surpass his World Cup-winning dad
Marcus Thuram is probably Serie A’s best signing of the season, as well as Manchester United’s biggest regret.
He arrived at Inter from Borussia Mönchengladbach and is now the most decisive attacker in the Nerazzurri front line thanks to striking up a blossoming partnership with Lautaro Martinez.
He has scored nine goals – the same as Hakan Calhanoglu – and registered seven assists, exceptional numbers for someone who is experiencing his first year at Inter and in Italy, a much more difficult and tactical championship than the Bundesliga.
Unlike United’s Antony, he is a fundamental player even when he doesn’t score goals, participating in all the team’s offensive actions.
Against Roma, after a first-half full of problems, he became the protagonist in the second half, troubling the Giallorossi defense with vertical runs and sudden changes of pace.
His goal demonstrated expert precision, reminiscent of a peak Filippo Inzaghi, and he played a crucial role in defender Angelino’s own goal which condemned Roma to defeat.
The feeling is that Marcus could have a better career than his highly-decorated father, Lilian, who won the World Cup in 1998 with France, but only time will reveal whether he can surpass Thuram Snr.
Marcus Thuram got on the scoresheet for Inter Milan on Saturday and is enjoying a fine season
Lilian Thuram (second left) won the World Cup with France in 1998, but his son could be an even better player
Ciro Immobile scores his 200th Serie A goal
Ciro Immobile made Serie A history by scoring the 200th goal of his career in the Italian championship in Lazio’s 3-1 win over Cagliari.
His last goal from open play was back in August against Lecce, highlighting the issues he has had in front of goal lately.
But he finally got his 200th goal this weekend and he now sits alongside legends such as Stano Piola, Francesco Totti, Gunnar Nordahl, Giuseppe Meazza, Jose Altafini, Antonio Di Natale and Roberto Baggio.
The victory against Cagliari and the strong performance of the No 17 confirms how Immobile is still a fundamental man for Maurizio Sarri’s team.
His next goal will be to reach that seventh place occupied by Baggio, who scored 205 goals in Serie A.
His 200 goals in 341 games in Serie A is a fine record, with his first and 200th both coming against Cagliari.
He is a charismatic captain and sows panic in the opposing defense with his mere presence in the penalty box.
Immobile is not the same player as 12 months ago but he is still a threat that allows Sarri to play with an effective 4-3-3 system.
Ciro Immobile netted his 200th Serie A goal in Lazio’s win against Cagliari this weekend
Theo Hernandez can do everything
Theo Hernandez’s 28th goal for Milan was a masterpiece and proved to be the difference in his side’s narrow win against Napoli.
In the big match on Sunday evening, Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao combined to confuse Napoli’s back line, with Walter Mazzarri’s side still yet to get to grips with transitioning from a back four to a three-man defence.
This allowed Hernandez to race through a gaping hole and he finished with the class of a centre-forward.
The French full-back knows how to do everything and does it very well, carrying out Stefano Pioli’s tactical instructions perfectly.
He neutralised dangerous winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia after losing him in the opening minutes of the game, and combined effectively with Leao down the left flank.
Davide Calabria’s exit due to injury led to Hernandez taking the armband, and he proceeded to lead his team to an important win.
He is a player who deserves to be a protagonist in a top English club that is playing to win the Champions League, but seems content with living the best phase of his career at Milan.
The love for the club that trusted him when Real Madrid decided to turn their back is immense, and the feeling is that Hernandez could decide to remain a key player for the Rossoneri in Serie A forever.
Theo Hernandez took the captain’s armband and scored the winner for AC Milan against Napoli
Mazzarri can’t work miracles
Zero shots on target in the first 45 minutes and a goal conceded on the counter-attack meant Napoli slumped to another loss against Milan.
They have collected just one point in their last five games, and they haven’t scored away from home since November, a run stretching over 460 minutes.
Napoli have been deprived of their talisman Victor Osimhen over the past month as he made it to the Africa Cup of Nations final with Nigeria, but their statistics against Milan still make for embarrassing reading.
January signings Cyril Ngonge and Leander Dendoncker have also failed to make a positive impact, and manager Walter Mazzarri deserves some sympathy for having limited resources to work with.
The defeat at the San Siro, Napoli’s eighth of the season, worsens their position in the standings and clarifies the tactical and technical limits of the defending champions.
In the second half, Napoli improved and had 60 per cent possession, but could not break down Milan’s stubborn defence.
Napoli have consistently lost against the top sides on the road this season, and if their away form doesn’t improve they may miss out on European football altogether.
Walter Mazzarri’s Napoli are continuing to struggle, with the manager unable to improve their fortunes since taking over
Atalanta’s Flemish flair
Charles De Ketelaere and Teun Koopmeiners are two Flemish playmakers that are making Atalanta one of the most watchable teams in Europe.
The pair demolished Genoa, showing extraordinary technical and physical superiority as Gian Piero Gasperini’s men cruised to a 4-1 win.
If Atalanta decided to sell both of them, they could earn around €100m (£85m). In their respective roles, they are the best in Serie A and are constantly making valuable contributions on the pitch.
Belgium’s De Ketelaere has six goals and six assists in 21 appearances this term, while Dutch midfielder Koopmeiners has nine direct goal involvements to his name in 20 outings.
Juventus have already registered interest in signing Koopmeiners, and it is little surprise given the performances he has produced in recent months.
In the match against Genoa, De Ketelaere and Koopmeiners dismantled Alberto Gilardino’s side with their quality and intensity, crushing their opponents in their own half.
While the agreement with Milan for the permanent purchase of De Ketelaere will be formalised in the next few weeks, staying in Bergamo is now considered impossible for Koopmeiners.
His goal on the weekend was a thing of beauty, as he curled a free-kick into the corner of the net.
De Ketelaere scored a stunner of his own, firing a left-foot volley home, as he silenced the home crowd with one of the best goals of the season.
Charles de Ketelaere (left) scored a stunning volley in Atalanta’s win against Genoa
Teun Koopmeiners also got on the scoresheet for Atalanta with a sublime free-kick
El Shaarawy is back to his best under De Rossi
The arrival of Daniele De Rossi on the Roma bench has allowed Stephan El Shaarawy to blossom again.
His goal against Inter demonstrated his physical and technical abilities, and offered a reminder of why he should be considered one of the best players in Serie A.
As the minutes passed, Inter dominated and the Roma winger, after a brilliant start, collapsed physically and psychologically.
But El Sharaawy has grown immeasurably since Jose Mourinho’s departure and is now an irreplaceable player for Roma.
He has moved ahead of Nicola Zalewski in the pecking order, and unlike the young Polish full-back, El Shaarawy carries out the task of balancing the defensive phase while also providing a threat going forwards.
In the second half of Saturday’s match, Roma were on the back foot, but El Shaarawy stood up and is now one of the leaders in the side alongside defender Gianluca Mancini.
El Shaarawy has won over the Roma fans and the unconditional trust of Daniele De Rossi. He is no longer a selfish player, but one that is willing to put the team ahead of everything else.
Stephan El Shaarawy is flourishing at Roma again under Daniele De Rossi
Belotti is flying again at Fiorentina
In his first match as a starter, Andrea Belotti scored his first goal for Fiorentina in their 5-1 demolition of Frosinone.
The former Torino striker experienced one of the most difficult moments of his career at Roma, becoming reserve for Tammy Abraham and then Romelu Lukaku without ever managing to become the starting centre-forward.
He was a peripheral figure in the squad, but now looks to have a new lease of life in a Fiorentina team that suits his attributes perfectly.
Against Frosinone, Belotti looked back to somewhere near his best with his sharp movement causing problems, and he took his goal well to set Fiorentina on their way to a resounding win.
It seems leaving Roma was the best choice for his career, and he has already become a fundamental presence for Fiorentina and coach Vincenzo Italiano.
He received a warm ovation from the fans when he was substituted in the second half, and could have a big role to play as Fiorentina hunt down a top-four finish.
Andrea Belotti looks to have a new lease of life at Fiorentina after leaving Roma
Salernitana paying the price for relying on ageing stars
Salernitana made the serious mistake of thinking they could repeat their miraculous climb to safety from two years ago with the purchase of international level players who have reached the end of their careers.
Unfortunately in modern football, it is difficult to pick up results when relying on faded stars who had the best years of their careers a decade ago.
Jerome Boateng and Kostas Manolas flourished at Bayern Munich and Roma respectively, but have been worn down by too many injuries and now have obvious limitations.
Guillermo Ochoa and Antonio Candreva are also well over 30 years of age.
Sporting director Walter Sabatini has built an old, poorly assembled and above all poorly managed team.
Filippo Inzaghi was given his marching orders after Friday’s 3-1 home loss against Empoli, and he has consistently failed in Serie A after previous miserable spells at Milan and Bologna.
But his successor, Fabio Liverani, will have a tough task keeping Salernitana up, with the team rock-bottom and seven points from safety.
Salernitana are paying the price for relying on ageing stars like Jerome Boateng (pictured)
Provedel is better than Donnarumma right now
Sooner or later Luciano Spalletti will have to explain why there are goalkeepers with fantastic performances in Serie A who cannot take away Gianluigi Donnarumma’s place as the No 1 of the Italian national team.
Lazio’s Ivan Provedel played one of the best matches of his career against Cagliari, keeping out shots from Gianluca Lapadula, Antoine Makoumbou, Gabriele Zappa, Gianluca Gaetano to help his side take home all three points.
At 29-years-old, Provedel is experiencing the best moment of his career, and has been one of the standout shot-stoppers in Italy’s top flight.
Claudio Lotito’s club are negotiating the goalkeeper’s contract and the agreement for an extension until 2028 is increasingly closer.
Lazio’s Ivan Provedel is in the form of his life at the moment and deserves national team recognition
Davide Nicola ready for another miracle with Empoli
Davide Nicola’s Empoli have taken eight points in four games, and now look capable of staying up after looking doomed to relegation just a few weeks ago.
The 3-1 win against Salernitana was another step in the right direction, and Empoli have now jumped to 16th place, two points above the bottom three.
The excellent start to 2024 has boosted the players’ morale and the choice to buy M’Baye Niang, strongly supported by the coach, was immediately rewarded.
Davide Nicola looks ready to lead Empoli to safety after they appeared doomed just weeks ago
His decisive late penalty on Friday handed Empoli a vital three points, and the team are now playing without the fear that affected them in the opening months of the season before Nicola’s arrival.
Nicola has previously led Crotone and Salernitana to safety when the odds were stacked against them, and he looms ready to do the same at Empoli over the coming months.