Napoli extended their unbeaten streak to ten games by winning 3-2 at home over Udinese, however it was Juventus who grabbed the headlines once again for the second week in a row as the Old Lady edged a poor Lazio side 3-0 on Sunday. in the evening. in Turin. Earlier on Saturday, AC Milan lucked out to beat Fiorentina thanks to an own goal, cutting Napoli’s lead to 8 points at the top of the table. Edin Dzeko was in form once again as Inter secured a vital 3-2 win at Atalanta in freefall.
Here are the talking points from this week’s round of matches.
Juventus returns to its best moment
Following their Derby d’Italia triumph over Inter Milan last weekend, Massimiliano Allegri’s side once again dominated the proceedings on Sunday by beating a toothless Lazio 3-0 at home. Moise Kean grabbed a brace for the Bianconeri putting Maurizio Sarri’s side against the sword before Arkadiusz Milik scored from close range to secure all three points.
This was Juventus’ sixth consecutive win as Allegri’s side moved up to third place in the table 2 points behind AC Milan in second place. The vibes seem to have completely changed for the Turin team and it would feel like the World Cup has come at the wrong time for the Turin team. If Allegri somehow manages to integrate the likes of Dusan Vlahovic, Federico Chiesa, Angel Di Mario and Paul Pogba, who is currently recovering from injury, into the starting eleven, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they ride a flurry of titles. in the second half of the season.
Rossoneri secures a vital win
Stefan Pioli’s side kept Napoli within easy reach as the defending champions dropped them too late to somehow pull off a 2-1 victory over Fiorentina. Rafa Leao opened the scoring in the second minute before Fiorentina leveled the match in the 28th minute thanks to a deflected effort from Antonin Barak.
Milan should have been able to record a much more comfortable victory, but Brahim Diaz and Sandro Tonali squandered two golden opportunities for the hosts. Fortunately for the hosts, Nikola Milenkovic deflected the ball into his own goal in added time. There seemed to be a foul in the build-up to the goal, but the referee never whistled as the hosts stole all three points in dramatic fashion.
The air in Naples feels different this year
Napoli secured their 11th successive league win by surviving a late surge from Udinese to secure a 3-2 victory. This temporarily opened up an 11-point lead at the top, but AC Milan reduced it to 8 points following their latest win over Fiorentina. Partenopei led 2-0 after half an hour with goals from Victor Osimhen and Piotr Zielinski. Eljif Elmas later added a third to see Napoli cruise on, but late goals from Udinese substitutes Ilija Nestorovski and Lazar Samardzic ensured a nervy final few minutes for the hosts.
On any other day, Napoli would have lost the lead, but this year it seems like Luciano Spaletti’s side are determined to fight against all odds to take home the Scudetto. Napoli came close to winning the coveted league title several times in recent years but eventually ran out of gas as the Scudetto remains elusive for the southern club. It remains to be seen if Osimhen and company. Finally, the glory years of the once true Diego Maradona of the late eighties can be climbed.
Edin Dzeko in the form of his life
It is a pity that Bosnia and Herzegovina did not qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. With 6 goals and 2 assists in 15 games, Edin Dzeko seems to be in top form. The 36-year-old secured a brace in a 3-2 away win over Atalanta as the Nerazzurri moved into fifth place, 3 behind city rivals AC Mian. Inter host leader Napoi in the first match after the World Cup, which should be a spicy affair.
However, for Atalanta, it was their third loss in a row in the league, culminating in a fourth loss in the last five games. The early signs of promise that Gianpiero Gasperini’s side showed in the opening weeks of the season have quickly faded.
Dybala could be Argentina’s X factor in the World Cup
Paulo Dybala made an instant impact for Roma coming off the bench in his first appearance for the club in over a month. The 28-year-old won a penalty that Andrea Belloti missed against his former club Torino. Just a minute later, Dybala’s thunderous left-footed strike hit the crossbar, but Nemanja Matic finished off a long-range attempt to save the home side’s equaliser. José Mourinho’s team looked mediocre and are currently seventh in the table.
However, Dybala made headlines as he was part of Argentina’s World Cup squad and could be Albiceleste’s secret weapon off the bench in Qatar. He has barely illuminated the stage with the national colors, but this time the story could be different. However, the star southpaw possesses a game-changing ability with his cunning and trickery and his talent has never been doubted. But it remains to be seen if he can produce on the world’s biggest stage.
Photo Credit: IMAGO / Independent Photo Agency
