Saturday
Serie A, Week 4 review: Both Roma and Napoli continue to impress
Napoli held on for their first away victory against Milan since the times of Diego Maradona, while Roma easily beat Lazio in the Derby. Inter destroyed Sassuolo, Fiorentina dispensed with Atalanta and Juve inched past Verona to round out the top.
Chievo Verona 2-1 Udinese
Udinese may be off to a slow start in Serie A, but they were certainly on top of things in this match, with Maicosuel scoring in the first minute. Unfortunately for the zebrette, Chievo put in two before the half was up, then proceeded to sit back and soak up the visitors’ pressure. That’s Udi’s second loss of the season, leaving them in 14th.
After a horrible showing in last week's derby, Sampdoria came to play on Saturday, although it took until nearly the last minute for the visitors to score. Manolo Gabbiadini equalized for Samp in the 89th minute, Cagliari pulled back in front two minutes later through Daniele Conti, and then Gabbiadini equalized once more, moments before the whistle blew.
Happened.
Sunday
Sassuolo 0-7 Inter Milan
Also happened. Sassuolo...are bad. Really bad.
Tears from Federico Balzaretti. A red card for Andre Dias after just three minutes on the pitch. A late penalty. Yep, this was a derby alright. And Roma stay top.
Atalanta 0-2 Fiorentina
It wasn't a particularly wonderful performance by the visitors, but considering Fiorentina's significant injuries, the victory was much more important than the manner in which it came about. Vincenzo Montella will be thrilled, however, with Giuseppe Rossi's fourth goal of the season.
Toro record a second win, perhaps trying to notch as many early on as possible to avoid the drop. Danilo D'Ambrosio scored in the second minute, but Cesare Natali had equalized by the 30th. But Bologna lost the plot just before the halftime whistle, with Francesco Della Rocca bringing down Omar El Kaddouri. Alessio Cerci converted the penalty, but Natali made the mistake of arguing after the whistle, earning him a red card and ensuring there was no chance for a Bologna comeback.
Well, here’s a shocker. These two sides have scored just three goals between them all season, so a goalless draw was probably a safe bet. That leaves both sides in the relegation zone; Parma with two points, Catania with one. Same as the number of goals each have scored, come to think of it.
Verona drew first blood in Turin, but Fabrizio Cacciatore's opener was canceled out after just four minutes, when Carlos Tévez finally pulled his shots from the stratosphere and put one in the back of the net. Five minutes later, Fernando Llorente put in the winner, his first goal in a Juventus shirt. The hosts proceeded to do a lot of nothing for the second half, but the papers will be kept busy writing about this new twist in Antonio Conte's relationship with Llorente.
It was a nervy finish, but for the first time in 27 years, Napoli managed to beat Milan at the San Siro. It'd be impossible to sum up the drama in just a few sentences, so let's just go with this: Napoli goals from Miguel Britos and Gonzalo Higuaín. Mario Balotelli penalty shout waved off. Mario Balotelli penalty shout waved...on? Pepe Reina saves Mario Balotelli penalty, ending the forward's conversion streak at 21. Mario Balotelli hits crossbar. Mario Balotelli finally scores in injury time, after which every Napoli fan simultaneously held their breath and hyperventilated. Mario Balotelli receives red card after the whistle blows.
End scene.
More in Soccer:
See More:
