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Week 11 in Serie A brought a busy 10-day stretch of Calcio that saw 30 games contested to a close, with tired legs and fatigued minds characterising the final moments of the latest round’s encounters.
Roma’s prolific winning streak to open the season at last came to a close one game short of Tottenham’s European big five leagues record courtesy of a youth product of their own, whilst Milan and Lazio slipped deeper into crisis in the headlines of the match day gone by.
1. Roma’s streak comes to an end
Rudi Garcia’s men failed to win for the first time under his direction as they conceded for just the second time this campaign, having played 743 minutes since Parma’s Jonathan Biabiany netted a header against them on September 16.
Roma academy graduate Alessio Cerci did the business for Torino on the day in notching a 63rd minute equaliser to force the club of his youth to settle for a point.
The Giallorossi’s run was ended with Garcia forced to change his centre back pairing for the first time this term as Leandro Castan was suspended, leaving veteran Nicolas Burdisso to slot in alongside Mehdi Benatia after the two usual starters had played every minute available through the opening 10 games.
Benatia, the number one ranked player in Serie A with a Squawka Performance Score of 478, faces a ban himself for the capital outfit’s upcoming tilt with Sassuolo due to yellow card accumulation as Garcia’s side have begun to be affected by inevitable absences that will test their mettle.
2. Polar opposites of efficiency at San Siro
Milan’s disastrous start to 2013-14 reached a new low with Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Fiorentina, leaving the Rossoneri in the throes of the club’s worst opening overture since 1981-82, a term that ended bitterly with relegation.
Massimiliano Allegri’s team took 17 shots throughout the 90 minutes, but failed to hit the target even a single time in scenes of utter madness.
The Viola, on the other hand, had just four attempts on goal of their own, but managed to net twice in a display of efficiency that stood in stark contrast to the futility of their opponents’ efforts.
Not to be forgotten amongst Milan’s inability to locate the frame of the goal is the famed San Siro outfit’s poor defensive record, as they’ve now conceded 19 times through 11 matches and rank 17th in Serie A in terms of Squawka Defence Score with a figure of 246.
3. Sassuolo defend by any means necessary
Proceedings were wide open at Marassi on Sunday as Sampdoria welcomed their fellow relegation candidates to Genoa for what turned out to be a shootout of epic proportions.
Equally desperate for three points, the two sides carved each other apart constantly and left plenty of open spaces, yet it was Sassuolo that emerged the victor due in part to an all-or-nothing mentality at the back.
The Neroverdi indeed leaked a trio of goals on the afternoon but hoofed the ball to safety whenever the opportunity even slightly presented itself, racking up an incredible 61 clearances en route to a 4-3 triumph.
4. Chievo shockingly impotent
The Flying Donkeys may have finally nicked a point after six losses on the bounce against Bologna on Monday evening, but the enduring offensive difficulties of the Italian championship’s bottom side don’t bode well going forward in the fight against the drop.
Marcelo Estigarribia’s 2nd minute corner was the only key pass made by Chievo as the Verona outfit played out a goalless draw on the road, highlighting the club’s continuing lack of any sort of cutting edge.
Along with languishing at the foot of the table in Serie A, Giuseppe Sannino’s men also have the dubious honour of possessing the worst Squawka Attack Score in the league by quite some distance at 473 after finishing with a negative tally in this regard for the third time this season opposite the Rossoblu.
If Chievo still have any hopes of remaining in the top flight beyond the current campaign, somebody in the squad will need to step up immediately to supply strikers Cyril Thereau and Alberto Paloschi.
5. Perin and profligacy put off Lazio
Mattia Perin’s saves
Remembered mostly for an incomprehensively brilliant 14-save performance against Fiorentina last season during his time at Pescara, Mattia Perin did his part to condemn Lazio to their fourth domestic defeat on Sunday, whilst the Aquile took care of the rest themselves.
The 20-year-old shot stopper made three crucial saves to deny Miroslav Klose and Antonio Candreva, and added three punches and a catch to keep the Biancocelesti off of the scoresheet for his Genoa.
Outside of the youngster’s exploits, Lazio couldn’t find a way through on 17 total shots, and have now hit the back of the net only four times in their last six games between Serie A and the Europa League.
The capital club will need to find a way to recover their scoring form if they are to keep pace with the pack chasing European qualification, as they now sit seven points adrift of fifth place on 15 points.
