SERIE A REVIEW Verona hold Napoli, Mourinho's Roma move third as Sassuolo stun Juventus

A review of the latest round of Serie A fixtures from the weekend.

Game Week 30 in the Italian Serie A took place this past weekend, and it is fair to say there were a number of surprises from the weekend. 

Not only was the juggernaut that is Napoli unable to get all three points against Verona, Inter Milan were shocked 0-1 by Monza at home. Without further ado, here is the review of Serie A games from the weekend.

Cremonese 1-0 Empoli

Second from bottom, Cremonense, were able to get a rare win which gave them valuable three points in the battle against relegation as they beat Empoli, courtesy of an early four-minute goal by Cyriel Dessers on Friday.

Desserts controlled a long ball whipped in from deep by right-back, Leonardo Sernicola with ease, before finding the back of Samuele Perisan’s net to score his sixth goal of the season.

Empoli had a chance to equalise in the 24th minute when Roberto Piccoli’s strike from the edge of the area went just over the bar.

Cremonese could have doubled their lead, when Sernicola made a surging run forward, before being set up well by Frank Tsadjout after a swift break by Cremonese, but his shot went inches off target.

Empoli came close to equalising late in the game, but Sebastian Waluklewitz’s header in the 86th minute after a well-taken corner by Razvan Marin could only clatter the post.

Spezia 0-3 Lazio

Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio stormed to second in the table after thumping 10-men Spezia 3-0 on Friday night.

Spezia could have taken the lead in the first minute when Daniele Verde’s no-look cut back found Morroco international Medhi Bourabia, but the midfielder hit the bar.

Bourabia himself, created another chance in the 11th minute, whipping a crose from the edge of the penalty box area, but M’bala Nzola headed it off target.

In the 32nd minute, Lazio won a penalty after Felipe Anderson was fouled into the box by Welsh defender Ethan Ampadu, who was booked in the process. Ciro Immobile executed the penalty well.

Early into the second half, Anderson and Imobile executed a neat move, exchanging passes as they worked the ball into the box before Immobile found Luis Alberto, who immediately looked for Anderson to make it two.

Ampadu would receive his marching orders for a second bookable offense in the 83rd minute, as he clattered into Mattia Zaccagni when attempting to whip a long ball just near the halfway line.

UEFA Champions League quarter-finalists, AC Milan, were unable to get all three points on Saturday Afternoon, as they had to rely on a Tomasso Pobega strike to spare their blushes.

Milan got off to a very horrible start when they conceded just 33 seconds into the game, as Nicola Sansone got on the end of right-back, Stefan Posch’s low cross into the penalty area.

Milan’s appeal for a penalty just five minutes later were quickly refused by the referee after Ante Rebic appeared to be fouled inside the area.

Rebic would then give Milan the opportunity to equalise when he got on the end of an Alessandro Florenzi cross with a header, but keeper Lukasz Skorupski easily saved it.

Bologna had a chance to double their lead in the 35th minute, when Michel Aebischer’s long range effort nearly found the target but could not go in.

Tommaso Pobega would equalise for Milan in the 39th minute when his strike from the edge of the box blasted the back of Skorupski’s net, which was enough to give the visitors a point, which now leaves the reigning champions languishing in fourth place.

Napoli 0-0 Verona

Napoli were unable to take full advantage of Verona on Saturday as they drew 0-0. The Gli Azzurri head coach, Luciano Spalleti, opted to rest some of his key players, including danger wide forward, Krvicha Kvaratshkella, Victor Oshimen, and defensive midfielder Stanislav Lobotka ahead of the Champions League encounter against Milan next Tuesday.

Napoli thought they had gone a goal up in the 19th minute, when a Giacomo Raspadori corner resulted in an own goal by Verona, but the flag went up for offside.

The first real chance for either side came in the 28th minute for Verona, when Kevin Lasagna’s long range left footed strike was well saved by Alex Meret.

In the second half, Giovanni Di Lorenzo could not get on the back of a header from a cross by Andre Zambo-Anguissa in the 55th minute.

Substitute Oshimen could have scored a winner in the 81st minute when his effort from just inside the 18 yard box clattered off the bar.

Verona could have grabbed a precious goal in the dying minutes of the match when Cyril Ngonge was through on goal but he could not find the level of composure to beat Meret.

The result means Verona need three more points to steer clear of the relegation places with eight games to go.

Inter 0-1 Monza

Inter Milan were shocked by a 1-0 loss to 13th-place Monza this weekend, denting their charge for a top four finish ahead of next season’s UEFA Champions League campaign.

Joaquin Correa had the best chance to put the 2021 Serie A winners ahead in the 23rd minute from the edge of the area but Michele Di Gregorio tipped his effort wide.

Monza could have gone ahead in the 38th minute when Armando Izzo’s header went wide above the crossbar.

Romelu Lukaku’s header in the 56th minute was punched away by Di Gregorio, keeping the tie level, but he could have netted again just a minute later, when Monza turned over possession when attempting to play out from the back but his left footed effort sailed wide.

A swift counter attacking break spearheaded by Matteo Pessina by Inter Milan found Dani Motta on the edge of the penalty box area, but he curled the shot wide off the mark using his left foot.

Monza would break the deadlock from a well executed corner-kick routine in the 77th minute when Luca Caldirola headed the ball into the back of Andre Onana’s net.

Leece 1-1 Sampdoria

Leece and Sampdoria were unable to get the better of each other in a relegation six-pointer encounter played at the Ettore Giardinero stadium in Leece yesterday.

Lecce could have gone ahead through Samuel Umtiti, but his header inside the area from a corner sailed wide.

Remi Oudin had the chance to put the hosts ahead, but his belter strike just outside the box sailed wide. Moments later, he could have scored again after a moment of confusion in the Sampdoria penalty box area, but his shot hit the side netting.

Gambian foward Assan Cisse finally ended his five game goal-drought when he put the hosts ahead in the 30th minute with a left-footedcenter strike from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner.

Just before the break, Leece could have been 2 goals to the good after a counter-attacking move by Lecce was hit wide by left-back Antonio Gallo.

In the 71st minute Lecce missed yet another opportunity to extend their lead when Gabriel Strefezza’s cross was intercepted before forward Federico Di Francesco could score.

Sampdoria would equalize in the 74th minute, when substitute Spanish forward Jese Rodriguez gave Sampdoria a fighting chance of survival, as he looped a pass from Manolo Gabiadini following a swift one-two interchange between both players. 1-1 at full time.

Torino 1-1 Salernitana

Torino came into this fixture having won just one of their last five games this season, and they were unable to make it two, following a 1-1 draw with rivals Salernitana in Turin.

Tony Vilhena gave the visitors an early lead in the eighth minute following a left-footed strike from outside the area, making it his fourth league goal of the season.

Salerintana continued to pile waves of attacks on the hosts, and in the 14th minute, could have gone two up when a well worked move into the box found striker Kristof Piatek, but his effort hit the upright.

Torino needed answers to Salerintana’s questions, and could have equalized, were it not for Mexican keeper Guilermo Ochoa denying Nemanja Radonjic’s header.

Antonio Sanabria finally gave Torino the equalizer when he got on the end of Aleksei Miranchuk’s pass following a much improved start to the half by the hosts.

The result means it is now a sixth straight draw for Salerintana who are seven points away from the relegation places.

Sassuolo 1-0 Juventus

Juventus’ problems this season were worsened by a loss to Sassuolo away on Sunday afternoon. Having gone on a streak of four consecutive wins, the run was halted.

Juventus struggled to contain the Sassuolo attack, and in the 19th minute, nearly bulged after Nedim Bajrami shot sailed just wide. In the 25th minute, Davide Fratessi nearly scored from a smart corner kick routine which hit the side netting.

In the second half, Sassuolo continued asking questions and Mattia Perin continued denying them the answers, tipping a Maxi Lopez curler wide. Gregoire Defrel produced a powerful header from the resulting corner, which was denied yet again by Perin.

Juventus continued struggling to contain Sampdoria’s set-pieces, and after being given more problems, Defrel finally scored one, after drilling a low left shot into Perin’s right corner.

Juventus needed to respond, and despite creating chances to equalize, they simply could not find a way past Andrea Consigli’s net. The result means Juvetus continue lying in seventh place on 44 points.

Roma 3-0 Udinese

Jose Mourinho’s Roma stormed into third place following a resounding 3-0 win over Udinese in Rome yesterday.

They could have gone ahead in the 21st minute when Gianluca Mancini attempted a powerful header at goal but was denied by Marco Silvesri.

Roma won a penalty in the 32nd minute which Bryan Cristante hit against the post but was turned back in by 20-year-old midfielder Edoardo Bovate to put the hosts 1-0 up.

Roma could have taken a 2-0 lead when Luca Pellegrini’s freekick was saved by Silvestri just before half-time.

Luca Pellegrini would get on the scoresheet nonetheless in the 54th minute, when he showed composure after controlling Andrea Belotti’s pass in the box before taking a shot that deflected off Silvestri into the net.

Udinese had the chance to reduce the deficit, but Rui Patricio saved Roberto Pereyra’s attempted low drilled shot.

Substitute Tammy Abraham headed an unstoppable header to make it three, after getting on the end of fellow substitute Leonardo Spinazzola’s in-swing cross past a helpless Silvestri.

The result was retribution for Jose Mourinho’s men, following the first leg 4-0 defeat away to Udinese.

Fiorentina vs Atalanta(Takes place Monday 21:45 EAT)