Serie A Week 27: Juventus Extend Lead as Roma Fall

Mertens celebrated in a pretty odd way, later dedicating the goal to his dog. Image: CBS Sports

The race for European qualification got a bit more heated as Napoli defeated Roma, narrowing the gap to just two points. There’s only a two point gap between the fourth and seventh placed teams, and the race will continue on most likely until the end of the season.

Mertens Stellar

Dries Mertens notched a brace, performing a rather questionable “peeing” celebration after his first, to guide Napoli past Roma in an important matchup. Strootman got one back, but a miraculous save from Reina ensured they would get all three points. The Belgian has played extremely well since moving to the striker position, and he already has 18 goals on the season.

Inter Rout Cagliari

The match started off calm, neither side able to score. Perisic and Banega scored two goals in quick succession, and Borriello pulled one back just before the half. Cagliari eventually succumbed to the Nerazzuri’s pressure — Perisic, Icardi, and Gagliardini finishing it off. Pioli’s men have refused to give up points this season, and a remarkable turnaround from last year means that Inter will be competing for a Europa League spot.

All Calm in Atalanta

Fiorentina and Atalanta emerged in a stalemate after a hard-fought 0-0 draw. The draw will prove costly for both sides, who need the points for European qualification. Atalanta will take on Inter in another important matchup next week.

Refereeing Troubles

Milan beat Chievo 3-1, notching their third consecutive win, albeit not without controversy. Three penalties were awarded, two of which were more than questionable; those two were both scored, one by De Guzman and the other by Lapadula. Bacca returned to form with two goals, although he did miss a penalty, and he had plenty of chances to extend the lead even further. Milan were somewhat fortunate to win, but they should’ve won by a larger margin given the chances that came their way.

Immobile Heroic Again

Ciro Immobile provided the only two goals of the game. The Italian forward has enjoyed considerable success, scoring 16 goals, much more than he was projected to. The points are crucial for Lazio, who are fighting for a Europa League spot along with four other teams.

Juventus Lose, but not Really

Juventus emerged from Udinese disappointed, but it wasn’t all bad for the Bianconeri. Zapata and Bonucci were the two goalscorers in a surprising result. Although Juventus may have lost, they actually increased their lead atop the table due to Napoli’s win over Roma. They will look to get revenge on Milan next Friday.

Belotti Unstoppable

Il Gallo strikes again. Rispoli scored the first goal of the game for Torino, and it looked as though I Granata would fall again. Belotti had other ideas. In eight minutes, he completed a remarkable hat-trick, extending his lead atop the top scorers list to three. He’s been enjoying phenomenal success this season, and he could leave Torino if the fee is right.

Pescara Fall Once Again

Zeman’s luck has seemed to wear off as Pescara lost to Sampdoria. Bruno Fernandes, Quagliarella, and Schick provided the goals for Sampdoria, and Cerri provided the only goal for struggling Pescara. Pescara are almost certainly going to be relegated, and Zeman will have to pull off a miracle to turn this season around.

Genoa Grab Last-Gasp Win

Two goals in the dying moments of the match meant that Genoa would escape with a win. Ntcham and Hiljemark scored two goals in three minutes away at Empoli. Empoli are struggling, but barring a colossal collapse, they seem safe in the league.

All Square at Crotone

In a pretty uneventful match, Crotone and Sassuolo ended in a 0-0 tie. The result certainly didn’t help Crotone’s chances of escaping relegation as Sassuolo continue to disappoint, failing to replicate the stellar season they had last year.

All Serie A Results, Week 27

Roma vs Napoli 1-2

Sampdoria vs Pescara 3-1

Milan vs Chievo 3-1

Atalanta vs Fiorentina 0-0

Cagliari vs Inter 1-5

Torino vs Palermo 3-1

Empoli vs Genoa 0-2

Udinese vs Juventus 1-1

Crotone vs Sassuolo 0-0

Bologna vs Lazio 0-2