Serie A Roundup, Matchday 26
The 26th round of games in the 2023/24 Serie A season featured exciting matches, unexpected outcomes, and impressive displays. Here is a recap of the weekend’s games.
Bologna 2-0 Verona
Bologna continued their unbeaten streak at home against Hellas Verona to eight games with a 2-0 victory, thanks to a strong performance by Giovanni Fabbian. The Rossoblu’s solid defense secured their ninth home win without conceding a goal this season, placing them in the top four. Verona struggled to create chances after falling behind, with only Suslov’s second-half attempt posing a threat. The defeat leaves Marco Baroni’s team in the relegation zone after a six-game winless streak.
Sassuolo 2-3 Empoli
In a crucial match in Serie A, Empoli continued their unbeaten streak to six games with a last-minute goal from Simone Bastoni. This victory moved them five points clear of the relegation zone. Alessio Dioni’s team showed more attacking threat in the second half, equalizing through a penalty after Ardian Ismajli’s foul. Empoli regained the lead with another penalty converted by M’Baye Niang. Sassuolo fought back to level the score with a header from Gianmarco Ferrari. However, Empoli secured the win with Bastoni’s late header, increasing the pressure on Sassuolo.
Salernitana 0-2 Monza
Monza scored two late goals to prevent Guillermo Ochoa and Salernitana from achieving their first clean sheet at home in Serie A this season. The 2-0 loss extended Salernitana’s winless streak at Stadio Arechi to seven games. Liverani, who took over from Filippo Inzaghi, was disappointed with his team’s second consecutive defeat. Salernitana has now conceded the most goals in the league after the 80th minute. Monza’s late comeback secured only their second away victory in head-to-head matches, increasing their lead over the relegation zone to 16 points.
Genoa 2-0 Udinese
Genoa broke a three-game winless streak by defeating Udinese 2-0 at Stadio Luigi Ferraris in Serie A, marking their first top-flight head-to-head victory in 13 matches. Despite the win not changing their position in the standings, Genoa’s 13-point lead over the relegation zone gives them the opportunity to set their sights on a top-half finish. On the other hand, Udinese’s three-match unbeaten run was halted, leaving them dangerously close to the bottom three with only a three-point gap, having secured just three wins in Serie A this season.
Juventus 3-2 Frosinone
Dušan Vlahović scored his 75th Serie A career goal, which ultimately helped Juventus secure a dramatic 3-2 victory over struggling Frosinone, ending their four-match winless streak. Juventus, in second place, remain undefeated against Frosinone with 8 wins and 1 draw in their head-to-head matchups. They are now nine points behind Inter Milan, who still have one game in hand. On the other hand, Frosinone are just three points above the relegation zone and will host US Lecce next Sunday at Stadio Benito Stirpe.
Cagliari 1-1 Napoli
Victor Osimhen scored his 10th goal of the Serie A season for Napoli, almost securing their first away victory in six games. However, a last-minute goal from Zito Luvumbo helped Cagliari come within a point of safety. Despite their efforts, Cagliari’s long wait for a home win against Napoli since 2009 continues. Luvumbo, who had been working hard throughout the game, capitalized on a pass from Alberto Dossena to score the equalizing goal. This result highlights Napoli’s struggles this season, while Cagliari will savor the victory as they continue their battle to avoid relegation, starting with a tough match against Empoli in March.
Lecce 0-4 Inter
Inter Milan extended their lead at the top of the Serie A table to nine points with a 10th consecutive win, highlighted by Lautaro Martínez’s impressive two-goal performance in a 4-0 victory over Lecce at Stadio Via del Mare. The Nerazzurri maintained their unbeaten away record and are now on a 12-match undefeated streak. Despite Lameck Banda and Roberto Piccoli coming close to scoring, Lecce suffered their third consecutive loss without finding the back of the net, winning only one of their last 10 matches under Roberto D’Aversa.
AC Milan 1-1 Atalanta
Atalanta maintained their strong performance against AC Milan at San Siro with a hard-fought 1-1 draw on Sunday, extending their unbeaten league streak to eight matches. This result saw Milan fall further behind the top two teams in Serie A. Despite not gaining ground on fourth-placed Bologna, Atalanta will have the chance to take control with upcoming matches against Inter and Bologna. Milan, who have not lost at San Siro since November, missed an opportunity to close the gap on second-placed Juventus.
AS Roma 3-2 Torino
AS Roma’s new manager, Danielle De Rossi, secured their fifth win in six matches with a remarkable hat-trick from Paulo Dybala in a 3-2 victory. This win narrowed the gap to fourth-placed Bologna to just four points in Serie A. Torino’s hopes were dashed by Dybala’s third goal, despite a late own goal by Dean Huijsen. This defeat marked Torino’s first consecutive losses in the league since October, leaving them in 10th place and diminishing their chances of qualifying for continental competitions next season.
Fiorentina 2-1 Lazio
Fiorentina moved ahead of Lazio to claim seventh place in Serie A by securing a 2-1 victory after falling behind. This win also ended their five-game winless streak against Lazio. Sarri made substitutions in an effort to equalize late in the game, but Lazio was unable to do so. Lazio will now aim to bounce back at home against AC Milan to close the four-point gap with city rivals Roma in sixth place, while Fiorentina will face Torino in their next match on Saturday.