Tops and Flops of Serie A Round 34: Calhanoglu Celebrates in Style, Pioli Sinks Deeper

Extra Top (Player): Ademola Lookman

Due to the elevated number of brilliant outings, we allowed ourselves to make an extra pick in this category. Following his superb cameo in the Coppa Italia semi-final in midweek, Ademola Lookman got the nod this weekend against Empoli, and he was simply unplayable.

The Nigerian was behind the play that won Atalanta the penalty kick, resulting in the first goal of the match, before finding the back of the net with an astonishing solo effort. He could have surely added more to his tally.

With Lookman and Gianluca Scamacca hitting their stride at the ideal time, La Dea can certainly dream about silverware.

Flop (Player): Denzel Dumfries

After receiving a red card for his brawl with Theo Hernandez last round, Denzel Dumfries was suspended this weekend. But despite missing out on the action, he still found a way to make himself a protagonist, albeit in the most ill-advised way possible.

During Inter’s open-bus tour, the Dutchman thought it would be hilarious to pick up a banner from the crowd depicting Theo (yes him again) in a controversial and derogatory fashion, thus blemishing an otherwise glorious day for the club, and prompting an investigation from the FIGC prosecutor.

No matchday ban can stop Denzel.

Top (Manager): Alberto Gilardino

This season eight clubs have been embroiled in a playoff scrap, but surprisingly, the newly-promoted Genoa isn’t one of them. This is because the Grifone, in addition to boasting a solid squad, have a rising mastermind in the dugout, one that has been somewhat overlooked this season.

Although he doesn’t play champagne football, Alberto Gilardino found the perfect balance within his team, and continues to prove himself to be a savvy tactician almost every week. This time around, he orchestrated his team’s 3-0 rooting of Cagliari who couldn’t match Genoa’s pace and tenacity.

Flop (Manager): Stefano Pioli

Where shall we begin? Stefano Pioli’s weekend started with a controversial pre-match press conference, where he aimed a dig at Inter, saying they only won two league titles in the last four years despite having the best squad in Italy.

Afterwards, his team failed to produce a single shot on goal against Juventus, mainly relying on the unexpected heroics of Marco Sportiello to escape with a point he hardly deserved. Finally, he tried to pass his team’s miserable display as a decent one, which further infuriated the fanbase.

Has the writing on the wall ever been any clearer?

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Top (Team): Fiorentina

In earnest, Riccardo Sottil arguably deserved an individual mention for a magnificent outing that saw him score a fabulous goal and produce two beautiful assists. However, Fiorentina as a whole were almost perfect in their 5-1 beatdown of the sorry Sassuolo.

Arthur Melo pulled the strings in the middle of the park and forged two assists, Antonin Barak scored one and assisted another, while Nico Gonzalez bagged a brace off the bench.

Not a bad way to put the Coppa Italia elimination in the rearview mirror and warm up for a Conference League semi-final.

Flop (Team): Sassuolo

If this team gets relegated (which appears to be an increasingly plausible scenario at the moment), they can hardly have any reasons to complain, as their fighting spirit has clearly evaded them.

Yes, surviving without the injured Domenico Berardi was always going to be a daunting mission, but Sassuolo could at least try rather than play dead for the majority of their matches.

Top (Goalkeeper): Marco Sportiello

When Mike Maignan picked up a knock during the pre-match warm-up, this spelled doom for Milan who were already without three key defenders (Theo, Calabria and Tomori) for the clash against Juventus.

Yet, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as the second-fiddle goalkeeper pulled off a series of saves to deny the likes of Dusan Vlahovic, Filip Kostic, Danilo and Arkadiusz Milik.

This was certainly a well-earned clean sheet.

Top (Match): Napoli vs Roma

The Derby del Sole hardly disappoints, and this edition was no exception. While the first half was rather lukewarm, the encounter came to life in the second period, with back-and-forth action that saw both sides take the lead at some point, only to settle for a 2-2 draw which felt like a just result.

Flop (Match): Juventus vs Milan

Once upon a time, this was by far the most prestigious fixture in Serie A. Nevertheless, this edition showcased the state of decay that the two sides are enduring despite Max Allegri and Stefano Pioli’s best attempts to mask it with their honeyed words.

Juventus at least had their attempts on goal, but they never truly went full throttle against a defensively-depleted Milan side. As for the Rossoneri, zero shots on goal illustrate a mentally broken team.

Top (Moment): Tammy Abraham & Evan Ndicka Combine

After missing the bulk of the season due to a horrific injury suffered in the final round of the previous campaign, Tammy Abraham scored his first goal in almost a year, snatching an equalizer that stunned the Neapolitan crowds at the Maradona who were preparing to celebrate a win following Victor Osimhen’s penalty.

Moreover, it was Evan Ndicka who headed the assist for Abraham, in an almost surreal scene given how the German left us all terrified when he collapsed on the pitch following chest pains a couple of weeks ago.

Regardless of one’s allegiance, seeing these two men combined to score was truly a heartwarming moment for a football fan.

Top (Super-Sub): Mattia Zaccagni

Although Nico Gonzalez scored twice for Fiorentina following his introduction, that match was already sealed at that point. On the other hand, Mattia Zaccagni marked his return from injury by scoring a valuable winner for Lazio against his former employers Verona with a clever finish from a tight angle.

Perhaps it’s not his most prosperous season, but the winger remains an instrumental player for the capital side.

Flop (Not-So-Super-Sub): Renato Sanches

Just when we thought Renato Sanches’ season could not get any worse, it turned out we were wrong. Roma coach Daniele De Rossi decided to thrust the Portuguese in for a change, but was probably quick to regret it.

The former Bayern Munich man almost handed the win to Napoli by kicking Khvicha Kvaratshelia inside the box, allowing Osimhen to score what would have been the winner if it wasn’t for Abraham’s late equalizer.

Top (Goal): Nikola Krstovic

Some might give the nod to Alexis Saelemaekers for his astonishing freekick, while others would claim he was attempting a cross.

Regardless of the Belgian’s intentions, Lecce striker Nikola Ksrtovic smashed a screamer that had both the power and aesthetics to earn the recognition in our book.

The Kosovan thought he had claimed the winner in the 91st minute, but Monza captain Matteo Pessina salvaged a point for the visitors in the 96th minute.