Serie A Roundup, Matchday 28
The 28th round of games in the 2023/24 Serie A season featured exciting matches, unexpected outcomes, and standout performances. Here is a recap of the weekend’s games.
Napoli 1-1 Torino
Napoli’s unbeaten streak reached six matches, but they were unable to secure a win as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Torino at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Despite their efforts, Napoli couldn’t find a way to secure a third consecutive Serie A victory, which they have yet to achieve this season. On the other hand, Torino’s winless streak extended to four league matches after another unsuccessful head-to-head encounter with Napoli, having only won two of their last 13 matches against Napoli.
Sassuolo 1-0 Frosinone
Sassuolo moved closer to avoiding relegation in Serie A by defeating struggling Frosinone at Mapei Stadium. It was only Sassuolo’s second win in 11 home league matches. Frosinone’s response to the home side’s goal was weak, but Sassuolo almost gave away the victory when Gian Marco Ferrari’s foul led to a late penalty for Frosinone. However, Kaio Jorge missed the penalty, securing a crucial three points for Sassuolo. This win puts Sassuolo just two points away from safety in Serie A.
Cagliari 4-2 Salernitana
Cagliari continued their unbeaten streak in Serie A, winning their second consecutive game by defeating Salernitana 4-2 at the Unipol Domus. The loss leaves Salernitana at the bottom of the table without a win in 2024, having drawn two and lost eight matches. Despite their efforts to score more goals, Salernitana had to accept defeat, putting them 11 points behind safety. On the other hand, Cagliari moved up to 15th place, creating a two-point gap from the relegation zone.
Bologna 0-1 Inter Milan
Inter Milan continued their winning streak by securing their 13th consecutive victory across all competitions with a 1-0 win against Bologna at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. This victory has placed them a remarkable 16 points ahead at the top of the Serie A table. On the other hand, Bologna’s six-game winning streak in the league was halted, but they are still having a successful season and are eager to secure UEFA Champions League qualification for the first time.
Genoa 2-3 Monza
In only their second encounter in Serie A, Monza secured their third victory in five away matches by beating Genoa 3-2 at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. Despite Genoa making a strong second-half comeback from a two-goal deficit, they were unable to equalize as Monza held on for the win, moving up to 10th place and opening a six-point gap over their rivals.
Lecce 0-1 Verona
Hellas Verona secured consecutive victories and an away win for the first time since the start of the season, moving ahead of Lecce into 14th place. The win was sealed by Michael Folorunsho’s first-half goal in a 1-0 victory at Stadio Via del Mare. Verona defended resolutely, handing Lecce their fourth defeat without scoring in the last five matches. With three consecutive wins at Stadio Via del Mare, Baroni may wish to face his former team more frequently as they get ready to host AC Milan next week.
AC Milan 1-0 Empoli
AC Milan put on a solid performance to defeat Empoli 1-0 and continue their unbeaten streak against them in Serie A matches to eight. Stefano Pioli’s team successfully held off Empoli’s late attacks to secure their third straight win in all competitions. With this victory, Milan moves up to second place, while Empoli remains one point above the relegation zone in 17th position.
Juventus 2-2 Atalanta
Juventus have only managed to win one of their last seven Serie A matches, as they were unable to secure a victory against Atalanta, resulting in a 2-2 draw. This leaves Juventus without a head-to-head win against Atalanta at the Allianz Stadium since 2018. They are currently one point behind AC Milan in the competition to be the top team after the leading group in Serie A. Meanwhile, Atalanta missed the opportunity to move into the top five as they extended their winless streak in the league to four matches.
Fiorentina 2-2 AS Roma
Diego Llorente scored a dramatic 95th-minute equalizer as Roma fought back twice to secure a 2-2 draw with Fiorentina at Stadio Artemio Franchi. Vincenzo Italiano’s team had a chance to win the game with 10 minutes left when Belotti was fouled in the box by Paredes, but Svilar saved Biraghi’s penalty. This miss proved costly as Roma leveled the score with the final kick of the game. A long ball was nodded on by Evan Ndicka to Llorente, who finished past Terracciano to spark celebrations among the visiting fans. As a result, Roma extended their unbeaten away record to two months, while Fiorentina have only won two of their last 10 Serie A matches.
Lazio 1-2 Udinese
Udinese, who are in danger of relegation, improved their chances of remaining in the top division of Italian football for a 41st season by securing a 2-1 victory over SS Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico. Despite Nehuén Pérez missing a crucial opportunity to score and being later sent off, Udinese managed to hold on for the win, ending a four-match winless streak and easing the pressure on their coach Cioffi. On the other hand, Lazio have now lost five of their last six matches in all competitions.
