Another weekend of Serie A action has flown by and Inter Milan have taken a step closer to the title after beating Salernitana to tighten their grip on top spot.
The result extended their imperious lead over Juventus to nine points, with the Old Lady made to settle for a share of the spoils after their 2-2 draw with Verona.
AC Milan, meanwhile, stumbled to a surprise 4-2 defeat by Monza after last-gasp goals from Warren Bondo and Lorenzo Colombo secured the turnaround.
Atalanta remain in pole position for the final Champions League spot and comfortably dispatched Sassuolo 3-0 to ward off fifth-placed Bologna.
Here, Mail Sport’s ALVISE CAGNAZZO has picked out 10 things we learned…
Inter Milan took a giant stride closer to the Serie A title after beating Salernitana 4-0
Rivals AC Milan stumbled to a shock defeat by Monza, all but ending their Scudetto dream
Your browser does not support iframes.
MARTINEZ AND THURAM DOVETAIL
At the moment there is no stronger tandem in Serie A than Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram. The two Inter forwards are in perfect harmony and have fired the club to first place in the standings.
The Argentine centre forward scored his 20th goal in just 22 games against Salernitana and also chalked up an assist, while Thuram has netted an impressive 10 goals in his first season in the Italian top-flight.
Together, they have scored half of Inter’s goals in the league, showcasing their extraordinary impact on their side’s all-round game.
As reported by DAZN, the data from their victory against Salernitana is majestic: 73 per cent of possession, 26 total shots towards the Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, 18 corner kicks and only one shot conceded at the other end.
Martinez became the third player in the history of Inter to score at least 20 goals in Serie A in three consecutive seasons.
This team is so strong that it has already seemingly won the Scudetto in February. Now the mission is to go as far as possible in the Champions League.
Lautaro Martinez (right) and Marcus Thuram (left) are the deadliest partnership in the division
JUVENTUS PLAY EMBARRASSING FOOTBALL
Juventus and Massimiliano Allegri received a football lesson from a team that sold six starters and chose to buy three redundant players from foreign teams in the last minutes of the winter transfer window.
According to Opta, Juventus were ahead against Verona for just 60 seconds out of 180 minutes, between the first match and the return game.
The Old Lady, built to win, failed in yet another match and have collected two points from four matches against an opponent much closer to relegation than to salvation.
Allegri made all the wrong choices, proving fearful, excessively cautious and all too grateful towards the most experienced players of his squad.
Juventus played without ideas and, for a club built with the goal of winning the Scudetto, were embarrassing. Indeed, their tactical plan changed three times.
Damningly, the side struggles to recover in matches. On the 44 occasions they have trailed, they have only clinched seven victories in the last two-and-a-half seasons.
Allegri and his players have also failed to win a trophy in over 1000 days.
Juventus play embarrassing football under Max Allegri and were taught a lesson by Verona
MILAN TAUGHT A LESSON
A 45-minute blackout sank AC Milan and prevented them from overtaking Juventus in the standings. This opened a wound that may prove difficult to heal.
Monza gave Milan a football lesson in their surprise 4-2 victory, having played with order, discipline and a system that exploited their opponents’ limitations.
Defender Malick Thiaw endured the worst game of his career by committing a stupid foul and gifting away a penalty to Monza that changed the course of the match. He returned to the backline after an 82-day absence and appeared rusty and clumsy.
Stefano Pioli was guilty of committing a sin of pride after leaving Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giroud on the bench. These rotations didn’t work, rendering their away trip a nightmare for the manager and his players.
For the first time in Serie A, Monza scored four goals. They won numerous defensive duels in the middle of the pitch against more experienced players at the top level and used their intelligence in handling the game after Luka Jovic’s sending-off.
Pioli must now reflect on his mistakes, with his fading title dream all but over.
A 45-minute blackout from AC Milan prevented them from leapfrogging Juventus in the table
CARNESECCHI SOLID BETWEEN THE STICKS
Marco Carnesecchi is one of the best goalkeepers in Serie A. Once again, Atalanta made the best signing of all the young Italian goalkeepers over the summer.
After a very timid start, Carnesecchi won his duel with fellow goalkeeper Juan Musso to become Gian Piero Gasperini’s first-choice stopper.
Against Sassuolo, he was a non-paying spectator for most of the match. However, after saving Andrea Pinamonti’s double penalty he proved to be truly extraordinary.
Such a strong stopper not only allows teams to avoid goals but also helps them chalk up more points. His miraculous save from Matheus Henrique just yards out underlined his agility and capped off a perfect match.
He may have been born in 2000 but he has experience of a veteran. Together with Lazio’s Ivan Provedel, he is the best goalkeeper in Serie A.
Marco Carnesecchi delivered a superb performance in Atalanta’s 3-0 win against Sassuolo
HUIJSEN READY TO OUST SANDRO
Dean Huijsen scored a wonderful goal in Roma’s victory against Frosinone. He is a defender that has a feel for goals and in the wider attacking phase, is exceptional.
He does make mistakes defensively, having gifted the ball away in dangerous positions, and his side will have to be wary this does not lead to them shipping more.
But Huijsen’s qualities are evident and now the hard work to work on the defensive side of his game is underway, especially in light of Roma’s tweaked set-up.
Bizarrely, he was booed throughout the match after rejecting Frosinone’s advances during the summer. He enjoyed the last laugh, though, after scoring a superb goal.
He now has two goals to his name and is making a memorable impact in Italy.
Dean Huijsen scored a superb goal for Roma and is making a memorable impact in Italy
WHY IS NGONGE A BENCH WARMER?
The question on the lips of Napoli supporters is why Cyril Ngonge is forced to make his impacts from the substitutes’ bench – and this debate will only heighten after he scored a brilliant last-gasp goal in his side’s 1-1 draw with Genoa.
His impact turned the lights back on at a club drifting toward mediocrity and allowed the crowd to experience a brief glimmer of hope moments before the final whistle. Somehow, they remain in contention to secure a spot in Europe for next season.
Ngonge has the enthusiasm and carefreeness of someone who until a few months ago played at Verona. Today, he brings liveliness to Napoli’s attack.
Overall, the side are now the opposite of beautiful and they are continuing to suffer against every type of opponent. With this in mind, leaving Ngonge out is madness.
Against Genoa, albeit for a matter of minutes, he played better than Giovanni Simeone and Matteo Politano, proving that he deserves greater consideration.
Cyril Ngonge rescued a dramatic point for Napoli against Genoa after coming off the bench
BOLOGNA NO LONGER CINDERELLA
An important and historic club, Bologna are a force to be reckoned with this year. They possess serious technical ability and are a perfect match for boss Thiago Motta.
Their 2-1 victory against Lazio was a test of their strength, which they passed. Today, they play the best football in Italy, even better than that of leaders Inter Milan.
They have chalked up 45 points, scoring 37 goals and conceded just 23. In short, they are exceptional and are no longer the Cinderella of Italian football.
Under Motta, Bologna have progressed from ninth in the table to fighting for the Champions League – and this journey has been made possible with simple football.
With four consecutive wins under their belt, they never cease to amaze.
Bologna are a force to be reckoned with and their victory over Lazio was a test of strength
PASALIC CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED
He scores, runs, fights and clambers back to his feet like Robocop after a big tackle.
Mario Pasalic is the one-man show in Atalanta’s midfield and his eye-catching performances allow even captain Marten de Roon to rest easy on the bench. Indeed, he does everything and does it very, very well indeed.
Atalanta supporters have been thrilled by his showings. He may be aged 29, but Pasalic has the face of a mischievous child, just like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. But this youthfulness is contrasted by his vast years of playing experience.
The credit to this rebirth belongs to Gian Piero Gasperini.
Pasalic has added true value to Atalanta’s side and Gasperini displayed great patience in waiting for him and then betting on his quality at crucial moments.
His work against Sassuolo was an authentic masterpiece and he could have added to his tally of one goal, with two opportunities to chalk up a brace wasted.
Former Chelsea man Mario Pasalic is perhaps Serie A’s most underrated midfielder
GENOA’S STANDOUT SCOUTS
After Albert Gudmundosson, who has attracted attention from many of the best clubs dotted across the continent, there is Morten Frendrup.
Genoa’s talent scouts have confirmed themselves as the best in Italian football and after discovering the Icelandic elf, they managed to also find and enhance a young Danish midfielder who scored his first goal in Serie A against Napoli.
Frendrup is a modern player, capable of running through the centre and intelligently reading the tactical movements of his teammates. Today, stood at the very heart of their best moves, he is one of Genoa’s most important players.
He runs and fights and kicks tirelessly with his left foot and right.
Speaking to DAZN, Genoa coach Alberto Gilardino praised his growth.
‘Frendrup is improving game after game,’ he said. ‘He runs and recovers a lot of balls, he also scored a good goal. He had a great championship and he can still improve a lot by playing alongside the many excellent players in midfield.’
It’s difficult to understand what his real role is because the former Brondby star plays everywhere, both in attack and defense. He is among the very few true box to box midfielders in the Italian top-flight and can already be considered a top player.
Genoa midfielder Morten Frendrup is one of the club’s most important players this season
BELLANOVA GIVES TORINO HOPE
After a lengthy scoring drought dating back to February 2020, Raoul Bellanova finally found the net in Torino’s crucial 2-0 victory against Lecce.
His goal was his first for the club and his first since his spell at Cagliari.
He looked to become a key player during his loan spell at Inter Milan but, after spending a season on the bench, went out in search of regular first-team football.
After a lengthy scoring drought, Raoul Bellanova scored for Torino in their win against Lecce
Against Lecce, he enjoyed one of his finest games in Serie A. Despite playing at right back, he drifted from box to box and caused his opponents countless headaches.
In the second half, he became an added attack and scored a beautiful goal from outside the area that broke the deadlock and ultimately proved to be decisive.