Serie A SRL Round-Up | Juventus and Lazio drop big points, Inter Milan win and much more
A welcome mid-week round of fixtures in the Serie A which meant that the Italian top tier was overflowing with action. The early kick-offs saw Lazio held up by Torino but a shock result in the late games meant that Juventus failed to take advantage with Lecce and Inter walking away as big winners.
Bologna 2-0 Cagliari
Not exactly a game that Cagliari should be losing but the 10th place side did walk into the game with two losses in their last five games. But while Bologna had just the one to their name, nothing should have technically separated the two sides and yet come half time, the hosts were leading. They managed to make the most of their chances in the first half and dominated proceedings, eventually finding the net.
That set up their second-half perfectly and Cagliari failed to change anything even allowing Bologna to double their lead. It was after that the away side managed to find some modicum of control but they struggled to make the most of it with them finding the target with only 2 out of their nine shots. But both sides did manage to create 52 dangerous attacks each although, with a better average minute per attack, Bologna made the most of their chances.
Torino 1-1 SS Lazio
A win and Lazio would have effectively cemented their first league title in what has felt like centuries for the club and yet, they capitulated. Somehow, despite Torino struggling to perform in the first half, Lazio made them look like a much better team. Instead, the league leaders struggled to get off and running but eventually found their groove and never looked back.
They scored in the dying seconds of the first half and walked into the break with what many would call a shock lead. But something changed within the hosts for the second half as they walked out of the gates swinging and handed Lazio the fight of their lives. That proved to hurt the away side and Torino eventually scored twenty minutes from time. It shocked Lazio and they failed to recover, eventually settling for a point.
Genoa 1-1 Juventus
With Lazio capitulating in the early kick-offs, all Juventus needed was a win and they’d be back as front-runners for the Scudetto. But somehow, Genoa proved to be the underdogs and party poopers as they spoilt Maurizio Sarri’s party rather brilliantly. A goal after just four minutes, against the run of play no less, and Juventus struggling to get back on track, ensured that Genoa ended the first half ahead.
While the scoreline above proves that it would change, the hosts put up quite a fight and forced the Old Lady to try every trick they had up their sleeves. It eventually worked with Juventus scoring in the 72nd minute with them struggling to get the winner. While they hoped that would change in added time, Genoa held firm to walk away with a point and a well-deserved draw.
Inter Milan 2-1 Brescia
The third title contender, with both Juventus and Lazio failing to win, this was Inter Milan’s chance to move ahead in the race. The Nerazzurri played at the same time as Juventus played, so they hoped that their rivals would fail to win and they did. But while that was happening at Genoa, the San Siro side made sure of their result in the first half itself.
A dominant defensive performance ensured that Brescia had only three shots on goal but Inter struggled to get their own off. However, they found their groove and managed to score not once but twice before the end of the opening 45. While the away side put up a better fight in the second half, Inter did enough, despite Brescia pulling one back, to walk away with a win. That leaves them one point ahead of Juventus and one behind Lazio, but sitting pretty in second place.
Lecce 4-0 Sampdoria
The shock big winners of the net, especially with the other match ups around the Italian top tier but given their form it wasn’t really a shock. The hosts walked into the game the better side with four wins in their last five, while Sampdoria had managed three losses in the same time frame. That showed up on the field and eventually the scoreline rather quickly with Lecce taking the lead seven minutes into the game.
They never slowed down and by the end of the first half had doubled their lead with Sampdoria struggling to cope. The away side took just four shots on goal and managed to put just one on target, something that would be a theme for them. Things certainly didn’t change in the second half as Lecce added two more and Sampdoria continued to miss the target. Eventually, despite 56 dangerous attacks as compared to Lecce’s 60, Sampdoria’s profligacy hurt them and their chances at a win.
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