Outside90’s Joshua Scarcella casts an eye over the five best individual performances to come from the weekend’s Serie A action.
Samir Handanovic (Atalanta vs Inter Milan)
There is a clear winner for the category of best goalkeeper in the Serie A right now and that is currently Samir Handanovic, who has featured regularly in our list. Even though the Slovenian could not keep a clean sheet, he made five match winning saves and also had plenty of the ball against Atalanta.
It just proves how vital the custodian is to Inter Milan’s success this season and how important he is to their defensive record.
Key Stats
74% Passing Accuracy
39 Touches
Five Saves
Cristian Ansaldi (Genoa vs Palermo)
It was difficult to decide which to pick between Cristian Ansaldi or his teammate Leonardo Pavoletti, both playing fantastic matches over the weekend. However, one could not go past Ansaldi who provided three assists, including both for Pavoletti’s strikes.
This coupled with his defensive duties which were completed in a fantastic manner, including five tackles, makes it easy to see how the Argentinian has been a vital part of Genoa’s starting XI and will continue to be if they are to stay out of the relegation zone.
Key Stats
68% Passing Accuracy
Five Tackles
Three Clearances
Four Key Passes
Three Assists
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Alex Sandro (Udinese vs Juventus)
The Brazilian caught the eye of Massimiliano Allegri after an impressive campaign with Porto last season, namely in the Champions League and although he has needed to fight for his position with Patrice Evra, Alex Sandro has passed with flying colours whenever he gets the nod.
Very much an attacking fullback, Sandro is still able to complete his duties defensively but his main assets are his speed and ball control, enabling him to also be a dangerous winger. He scored his first goal in a Juventus shirt at the weekend, with an Alessandro Del Piero like strike from outside the box.
Key Stats
82% Passing Accuracy
Five Clearances
Three Interceptions
One Shot on Target
One Goal
Paulo Dybala (Udinese vs Juventus)
The man that wears the No.21 is starting to resemble the previous owner of the jersey, Andrea Pirlo. Another sensational free-kick was Dybala’s fourth for the season and gave Juventus an early lead in the match and once he had put away a penalty later in the half the match was all but over.
The most impressive part of Paulo Dybala’s game is the hard work he does off the ball, an area in which his fellow countryman Carlos Tevez was exposed last season.
Key Stats
87% Passing Accuracy
Two Shots on Target
Two Assists
Two Goals
Andrea Belotti (Torino vs Frosinone)
Giampiero Ventura has opted to utilise the 22-year-old more regularly in the past two months and although his efforts have no always resulted in goals, Andrea Belotti makes a consistent contribution to his team.
This week his performance went from consistent to extraordinary, scoring two goals just four minutes apart in the first-half and then setting up Marco Benassi for the sealer late in the match.
Key Stats
76% Passing Accuracy
Five Aerials Won
Two Shots on Target
One Assist
Two Goals
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