Five Reasons You Should Solely Be Watching Calcio This Weekend
Most Serie A weekends feature a handful of decent games, a few that may seem promising, and maybe one or two truly mouth-watering clashes. Match Day Thirty-One, however, offers no less than three games that appear ever-s- tantalizing on paper, as well as one that will likely germinate goals galore. Two trios of attacking prowess, the slide of a once-great side, and the ponderings of reciprocation are just three of the characteristics that make this weekend worth watching.
The Inevitable: The Milan Derby
A game perhaps best defined by numbers: first against second; Inter two points behind Milan, facing off in a game worth three points (aren’t they all?); a battle to prevent the former from winning their sixth consecutive scudetto, as the latter look to win their first in seven years. AC Milan against Inter Milan: an enormous game only slightly deflated by the absence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s nose and ego. It will truly be a duel between a threesome of offenses: the Nerrazzurri’s rampant Samuel Eto, magisterial Wesley Sneijder, and efficacious Giampaolo Pazzini against the Rossoneri’s emerging Pato, divine Antonio Cassano, and rampaging Robinho. All of the hype, all of the pressure, and all of media coverage has been focused solely on this match. The one that could decide the scudetto in ninety minutes.
Champions League Defining Matches
Two games in particular will shape the race for the top four places, other than the aforementioned derby. Napoli host Lazio in the early game Sunday: a particularly fitting time, as both sides are rising to greater heights than they have been in years. Should Lazio win, the Aquile will throw themselves back into the hunt for Europe’s top flight competition, and move to within two points of Walter Mazzarri’s side. If Napoli emerge victorious, they could move up to second or joint-first, depending on who wins the Milan Derby. Roma-Juventus, the battle of two teams with good wingers (Milos Krasic vs Mirko Vucinic) versus awful fullbacks (John Arne Riise and Marco Cassetti vs… any of Juventus’ fullbacks), will also be massively influential in the race for Europe. Anything but a Roma win will likely keep I Lupi out of the Champions’ League next season; I Bianconeri are already out of it, in all probability, but Gigi Del Neri’s men always play for pride. The team must collectively raise their performance as Giorgio Chiellini looks to be out for a month, and Alessandro Del Piero remains a doubt to play in the match as well.
Sampdoria’s Slide: Sustainable?
Il Doria find themselves just three points and two spots above the drop, and must travel away to Chievo this weekend. That is, the same Chievo that have only allowed eleven goals at home- as little as Milan and Udinese, tied for second lowest besides Napoli. The Flying Donkey have flown under the radar in terms of defensive solidarity, but some statistics are still asinine: the side have only notched twelve times at home in fifteen games, but did manage to put two past Bari away before the break. Can Sampdoria actually be relegated? Games like this will decide.
Parma will buy Sebastian Giovinco; Can He Repay Them?
General Manager Pietro Leonardi is wasting no time in letting fans know that Seba won’t return to Juventus next season: the club fully intends to buy the other half of his co-ownership. His form for Parma has been decent, good enough to earn an Azzurri call-up (though perhaps that had more to do with Mario Balotelli’s absence rather than Giovinco’s form). He did manage to notch an assist for the National Team, but has not scored for Parma since a two-nil home victory over Catania ten matchdays ago. With the club fully behind the player, will he be able to shine and dazzle once again?
Udinese-Lecce
The league’s most potent attack versus the most porous defense. The winner of this is all but determined; the more interesting aspect is whether Udinese can put more past Lecce than they did Palermo (Seven scintillating strikes). More need not be said; much like a Barcelona match, viewers should watch not for the outcome, but for the scoreline.
