Michael Slaughter looks back at last weekend’s Serie A fixtures and highlights a fascinating struggle for the Scudetto that now includes a reborn, retinkered Inter.
After what can only really be described as an abysmal start to the season, current Inter manager Claudio Ranieri has really worked wonders in turning his team’s season around.
It’s really a testament to the tinkerman’ that when he took over, Inter were in the relegation zone, after former coach Gasperini lost 4 of his first 5 games in all competitions this season. After a recent run of 6 wins in 6 games, however, he’s taken the Nerazzuri all the way up to fifth and made them genuine title contenders again.
These title credentials were to be firmly tested this week, but after a 1-0 derby win over fierce rivals AC Milan, Ranieri could well be on his way to completing one of the most remarkable comebacks in recent history. The game was as fiercely contested as you would expect, and had it not been for some dreadful defending from Milan full-back Abate, the game probably would have ended as a draw. Abate swung wildly at an innocuous cross-field ball, leaving an enormous gap which goal fiend Diego Milito exploited with a typically clinical finish. Milan had their chances though, and Robinho wasted a golden chance near the end when the ball simply got stuck between his feet.
The highlight of the game, and possibly nearly goal of the season so far had it come off, was Zlatan’s volleyed back heel, which went agonisingly over and bounced harmlessly on the roof of the net. For people who don’t rate Ibrahimovic – and in England there are certainly a lot of you – I don’t think there is another player in European football, or maybe even world football, who would have the ability and audacity to even attempt the sort skill that he displayed in, lest we forget, probably the biggest game in Italian football and one of the biggest derbies in the world. I know he can be lazy when things aren’t going so well, but when they are, he really is a joy to watch.
But ultimately, it’s a tale of wasted chances for Milan, who really should have got at least a point from this game, but that’s not to take anything away from Inter. They defended solidly, and when they got their chance, Milito took it with aplomb. Amazingly, Ranieri had a 15 point gap to make up over the league leaders when he took over at Inter, it’s now only 6, and considering other results this weekend in Serie A, where none of the top three won, it’d be a brave man to bet against Inter running Juve, Milan and Udinese all the way this season.
Amazingly, Ranieri had a 15 point gap to make up over the league leaders when he took over at Inter, it’s now only 6.
As previously mentioned, elsewhere in Serie A, Juventus and Udinese both failed to capitalise on Milan’s loss as they were both held to draws by lesser opposition.
Juve took an early lead against Cagliari, after a wonderful flowing move carved the Isolani defence open after 7 minutes, and was slotted into an empty net by Mirko Vucinic. It looked as though it was going to be plain sailing for the league leaders afterwards, but early in the second half, Cagliari struck back after Andrea Cossu hammered the ball from the edge of the box past Buffon after a poor clearance from Bonucci. Juventus had their chances to win it, but the Isolani held firm, in particular goalkeeper Agazzi who pulled off some tremendous saves towards the end, to get a well-earned point.
Third place Udinese also looked to be reasonably comfortable against mid-table opposition when they took a 13th minute lead against Genoa when defender Ferronetti powerfully headed home from a corner. But after half time, the wonderfully nicknamed Genoa (Il vecchio Balordo, or the ‘old fools’, in case you were wondering) fought back with three goals to put a dent in Udinese’s title charge.
First, Swedish defender Granqvist tapped in from close range after Udinese goalkeeper Handovic fumbled a free-kick he really should have dealt with. It was struck reasonably hard, but nonetheless, you’d be disappointed with your Sunday league keeper simply gifting a goal away like that, let alone a team looking to win a major European league. Then a minute later, Genoa were in the lead after persistent work from Kévin Constant on the wing, led to Bosko Jankovic volleying in from the Guinean’s cross. Rodrigo Palacio then did further damage to the equally great nicknamed little zebras when he slotted home in the 71st minute after some more poor defending from Joel Ekstrand. The ball seemed to bounce of the back Ekstrand’s head right into the path of the onrushing Palacio, who was then clean through on goal. He finished neatly, putting Genoa in a really strong position with just under 20 minutes left.
Udinese were given hope when Genoa centre back Rossi gave away a penalty and got himself sent off, and when Di Natale smashed the ball into the bottom left corner, the game was poised for a tense finish. 10 man Genoa held out though, as an excellent, end to end game of football came to a close.
Overall then, things are as tight as ever at the top of Serie A, with Juventus leading Milan by just a point, with Udinese just another two points further back. With a resurgent Inter fast gaining ground on the top four and Lazio bouncing back from their four goal mauling at the hands of lowly Siena last week to beat Atalanta 2-0, the Scudetto really could be going anywhere this season.
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| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Juventus | 18 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 17 | 38 |
| 2 | AC Milan | 18 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 21 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 12 | 20 | 37 |
| 3 | Udinese | 18 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 35 |
| 4 | Lazio | 18 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 33 |
| 5 | Inter Milan | 18 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 32 |
| 6 | Napoli | 18 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 7 | 13 | 28 |
| 7 | Roma | 17 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 27 |
| 8 | Genoa | 18 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 20 | -7 | 24 |
| 9 | Chievo | 18 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 16 | -6 | 23 |
| 10 | Cagliari | 18 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 11 | -2 | 22 |
| 11 | Catania | 17 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 19 | -5 | 22 |
| 12 | Parma | 18 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 20 | -8 | 22 |
| 13 | Fiorentina | 18 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 21 |
| 14 | Palermo | 18 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 14 | -5 | 21 |
| 15 | Atalanta | 18 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 16 | 0 | 20 |
| 16 | Bologna | 18 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 12 | -8 | 19 |
| 17 | Siena | 18 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 18 |
| 18 | Cesena | 18 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 16 | -13 | 15 |
| 19 | Lecce | 18 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 18 | -16 | 12 |
| 20 | Novara | 18 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 19 | -17 | 12 |
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