Outside90’s Joshua Scarcella breaks down the major talking points to come out of Serie A matchday 25.
Milan begin their climb
The pedigree of Rossoneri teams of the past are famous for the multiple league and cup winning titles, as well as the much decorated seven champions league trophies that are currently in the display cabinet. Recent incarnations do not quite resemble the same quality or big names and this is reflected in their finishing position on the table over the last three seasons.
It seems that the luck may finally be turning for the fans of Milan, going from beginning 2015-16 in indifferent fashion and taking up a mid-table position, to now be just two points from fifth and unbeaten in seven matches, including four wins. Some defensive stability and an in-form Carlos Bacca are the main reasons for the turn around, as Sinisa Mihajlovic looks to guide the team back to European competition.
9 – AC Milan have picked 15 points over the last 7 match-days, 9 more than Inter Milan. Comeback.
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) February 15, 2016
Juventus chase down another record
The resurrection of the Bianconeri has been one of the stories of the season, with just one point after the first three matches many would begin to wonder if their dominance would end, if Massimiliano Allergri was in fact the correct choice as replacement for Antonio Conte and whether the summer transfers would be make the squad a stronger one.
A current 15-game winning streak has answered all of those questions in a positive manner, as the Old Lady takes first position on the table for the first time this season after dramatically beating an in-form Napoli. They are now just three matches away from breaking Inter Milan’s Serie A record of 17-consecutive wins, which came during the 2006-07 season.
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Inter Milan on a downward slide
The Nerazzuri went into the Christmas break at the head of the table, with a squad performing some balanced football and a defence resembling what the Serie A is most well known for – ‘catenaccio’.
The New Year has brought anything but a fresh start for Roberto Mancini’s men, two wins in eight matches during 2016 has seen them drop from first to fifth on the table and with their arch rivals Milan just two points behind.
Two red cards for Alex Telles and Geoffrey Kondogbia in their fixture against Fiorentina will leave Mancini short of two important players for their clash against Sampdoria, where three points are a necessity to keep their dreams of a return to Europe on track.
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Lazio’s inconsistent season continues
After starting the season with a bang the fans of I Biancocelesti would be a frustrated bunch, never knowing which team is going to grace the pitch on a weekly basis.
Stefano Pioli’s men will regularly find themselves dominating a match, however, can just as easily show the opposition too much respect and have a lesser influence on the pitch. Much of this is due to the performances of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Lucas Biglia and Daniele Cataldi in midfield. This is an area teams can look to exploit and is much of the reason Lazio find it so difficult to perform consistently.
Supporters would have been pleased with their recent romp of Verona at home, the first time Lazio has scored five goals in a match since August of 2014.
Roulette managerial wheel in Palermo
The team from Sicily have spent the majority of the 2015-16 season struggling, with just seven wins so far and only four points from safety. Their chairman Maurizio Zamparini has made his presence felt accordingly to the poor performances as the club reappointed Giuseppe Iachini, who began as the manager for the current season after their loss at home against Torino.
The appointment becomes the sixth for the season, an astounding number to have over a period of six seasons let alone one, as the chairman does what he can in hope of keeping his team in the top-flight come next campaign.
The merry-go-round of managers has mainly been caused by the clubs selectio of Guillermo Schelotto, who was handed the job without necessary qualifications and subsequently blocked by the FIGC.
Frosinone can see the light
Every Serie A season produces one team who emit an auroa that leaves italian football fans wanting to see the team do well, I Canarini are that team for 2015-16. With six wins on the board, the newcomers have battled hard for every point so far, even taking a share of the spoils away from the Juventus stadium early in the season.
They now find themselves just one win away from escaping the relegation zone and a possible miracle second season in the Serie A. An upcoming fixture against inconsistent Lazio at home could provide the perfect opportunity to leap frog Genoa and into safety.
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