Serie A: Winners and Losers from Matchday 10

Serie A has served up a great gameweek of football with there being plenty of goals, ill-discipline and some last-minute action. 30 goals were scored and as many as 5 red cards were  given. Here are the winners and losers of the gameweek:

Winner: Lukaku and Martinez Strike Partnership in Serie A

Inter Milan are second in Serie A, a point behind the juggernaut that is Juventus after 10 matchdays. They have lost just the one game against Juventus. The reason behind Inter being only a point behind Juventus is because of the understanding that has struck up between Lukaku and Martinez. Lukaku and Martinez have scored a combined 12 goals and assisted 1 goal between them. They have contributed to a whopping 55% of their team’s total goals. Being loved has brought the best out of Lukaku and Martinez is showing his potential truly this season.

In the game against Brescia, where they were outshot by Brescia, they needed clinical finishing from Lukaku and Martinez to score from their only 2 shots on target to pull them through. First, Martinez scored in the 23rd minute with a speculative shot from distance which took a ludicrous deflection off the defender to hoodwink Brescia goalkeeper Alfonso to hit the back of the net. Then, Inter had to weather a storm in terms of shots with Balotelli having a bunch of gilt-edged chances which were saved by Handanovic. Lukaku then added an important 2nd goal in the 63rd minute with a great curling effort from outside the box. Inter conceded later on but had done just enough to secure the 3 points at that point.

Inter next play away to Bologna at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara where they face a dangerous Bologna team who have been a tough proposition at home and are at present at 11th position on the table.

Loser: Napoli slipping down Serie A

Napoli have endured an up and down Serie A season so far. They have suffered from inconsistencies on both sides of the pitch. Hirving Lozano has not had a great start to his Napoli career.

In their last 5 Serie A games, they’ve had 3 draws which has potentially derailed their chances of competing with Juventus for the Scudetto. Napoli drew 2-2 against Atalanta at home. They took the lead twice only for Atalanta to equalise within a few minutes after they took the lead. The 2nd equaliser of Atalanta was admittedly very dodgy but, from the way they gave up after that, it truly is a worrying sign. They are now in 6th place on 18 points same as Cagliari but ahead on goal difference. One positive has been the goal-scoring form of Arkadiusz Milik who has taken some very good chances in his stride.

They next face an in-form Roma away at the Stadio Olimpico, in what should the game of matchday 11.

Winner: Juventus

Juventus have been unbeaten through the first 10 matchdays of the ongoing Serie A season. They have just dropped points in 2 games against Fiorentina and Lecce. They’re looking like a well-oiled team at the moment. They’ve been great at grinding out results this season which has helped them stay a point ahead of an Inter side which has had a flying start to the season. They were able to rescue a 2-1 win against Genoa with a 96th minute penalty winner from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo had a goal ruled out for offside by VAR just minutes before. This game was an open and feisty game with both teams having great chances to score. Leonardo Bonucci scored a booming header off a corner in the 36th minute to give Juve the lead. Genoa responded 5 minutes before the break as Christian Kouame speculative shot went past Buffon. Both teams had ample chances to take the lead in the 2nd half but couldn’t take advantage of them. Indiscipline struck both sides in the 2nd half as the game turned ragged.

Juventus next face Torino away at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino in the Turin Derby. This should be a real feisty affair with Torino looking to recover from a terrible shellacking away at Lazio.

Winner: Ciro Immobile- Unstoppable in Serie A

Ciro Immobile is in the form of his life this Serie A season having scored 12 goals and provided 4 assists so far. He has scored 3 braces in the last 4 gameweeks. He has also earned 3 Man of the Match awards thus far. Though he scores penalties, Immobile has genuinely been a game-changer for them, coming up with decisive and match-winning performances to pull Lazio’s fat out of the fire. He has dovetailed with Joaquin Correa very well, latching onto Correa’s through balls with ease.

He’s on course to win the Capocannoniere, which is awarded to the Serie A top goalscorer every season. Lazio next face AC Milan away at the San Siro.

Winner: AC Milan?

AC Milan got their first win under new manager Stefano Pioli to rise up to the lofty heights of 10th on 13 points. Milan at the moment 5 points off the European places. They won 1-0 against SPAL at the San Siro with Suso scoring the match-winner.

This was a dour game with Milan having tons of possession against a dire SPAL side. This releases some pressure on Milan as they have endured a terrible start to the season, having had to fire Marco Giampaolo after just 8 games. Giampaolo was a fish out of water at Milan chopping and changing his formation and tactics after every bad result. Milan will be hoping this result starts a run of good results.

They next face an inform Ciro Immobile-inspired Lazio at home, which they would be hoping to get a result out of to prove this win was not a false dawn.