Another championship weekend is behind us. The big match of the round was undoubtedly Milan-Juventus, a game won by the Bianconeri thanks to a goal by former Rossoneri midfielder Manuel Locatelli. But there were other vital matches, starting with Fiorentina-Empoli, a Tuscan derby, which deserves a separate chapter. Victories also for Roma, Napoli, Lazio, Inter and Atalanta. Let’s see what happened:
SURPRISE OF THE WEEK – EMPOLI DEFEAT FIORENTINA
This was a surprising result, certainly the biggest surprise of the weekend. Everyone expected an easy victory for Vincenzo Italiano’s team, continuous and well organised since the beginning of the season.
Instead Aurelio Andreazzoli and his boys brought home the three points by putting in an extraordinary performance. Suffice it to say that Empoli had a goal disallowed (due to a hand-ball) and missed a clear scoring opportunity in the final minutes of the match with Mattia Destro, but they absolutely did not fall away; on the contrary, the result was always in Andreazzoli’s boys’ hands.
Francesco Caputo and Emmanuel Gyasi scored for a surprise Tuscan derby win, moreover at a time when this Fiorentina had been launched in terms of ambition, conviction and a level of football.
Perhaps thanks to this victory and Caputo’s performance Empoli’s season might really start anew. Better late than never.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK – STEPHAN EL SHAARAWY
Certainly he is no longer the young talent capable of impressing with dribbles and technical plays that may sometimes lack an end product, but perhaps it is better this way: Stephan El Shaarawy has grown, he has become a man, he is less fast and explosive than before, but he is a reliable footballer, a man of experience, important for the locker room and important for Jose Mourinho, who can count on him both for the left flank and for a position behind the striker.
Perhaps in today’s day and age at a big club he is better suited to the role of “super-sub” than starter, but the “Pharaoh’s” moment is beautiful, inspiring and it deserves to be told. His name, not only his, has been unfairly (since he is not under investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office) brought up by Fabrizio Corona (perhaps it is wrong to even mention him here), a fact that Stephan seems to have suffered greatly, because his professionalism and values have been questioned.
Unacceptable for such a serious and professional guy. That is why, we don’t want the Monza fans to blame him, it was especially nice that it was he who scored Roma’s winning goal against Monza, a tough and complicated match that Roma managed to unlock only in the 90th minute, when the Monza defence repelled a shot by Sardar Azmoun and Stephan volleyed and sent the ball behind Michele Di Gregorio, the goalkeeper perfect up to that moment.
The tears and emotion at the end of the game say everything about the moment of El Shaarawy, who found his smile again thanks to this goal.
INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES OF THE WEEK – MANUEL LOCATELLI, KHVICHA KVARATSKHELIA
On October 22, 2016, a very young Manuel Locatelli scored Milan’s winning goal against Juventus. On October 22, 2023, the Juventus midfielder scored the goal that allowed Max Allegri and his boys to win at home to AC Milan.
Seven years later the same player in the opposite jersey. An incredible coincidence, but that is what happened with Manuel Locatelli in Milan-Juventus. Aside from the goal, it was a top-notch performance from Manuel, now a leader of the Bianconeri.
Another protagonist of the Serie A weekend was without the slightest doubt Kvaratskhelia, the Napoli star is carrying the team on his shoulders in the absence of Victor Osimhen, who is out for several weeks. The Georgian is, as always, the extra man for Rudi Garcia: against Verona he was the absolute MVP, despite the excellent performance of other teammates such as, for example, Matteo Politano, but Kvicha scored two goals, was a constant threat to the opponents and led every single attempt of the Partenopei trying to find their way to goal.
When Kvaratskhelia is in good condition, when he feels confident, there are few footballers in the world who can stop him, despite the fact that his winning dribble is always the same, a bit like Arjen Robben. Knowing what he will do does not help his opponents, who are always bewildered by his movements and plays.
