Outside90’s Joshua Scarcella breaks down the biggest talking points to come out of Serie A matchday 20.
Gianluigi Buffon racks up 250 wins
At the ripe age of 37, the captain of the Bianconeri has very much been the evergreen goalkeeper of the Serie A and despite his constant doubters, he has risen above to prove exactly why his name will be written in the history books as not only a legend of the club, but arguably one of the best ever.
Juventus’ 4-0 win over a poor Udinese outfit capped-off Buffon’s 250th win in a black and white shirt and he marked the occasion with a trademark goalline save during the second-half. There is no player more deserving of an honour such as this, his wealth of experience makes for a fantastic leader both on and off the pitch, proved by the fact he reached this record in an incredible 442 Serie A matches.
Buffon has won 250 Serie A games with Juventus. Legend pic.twitter.com/gkH35RZdtB
— Juvefc.com (@juvefcdotcom) January 17, 2016
Luciano Spalletti ships Gervinho out
A midweek board meeting in Rome brought to conclusion what all fans had been hoping for a number of weeks. Two wins in 10 Serie A matches and a drop from first position on the table to fifth was enough motivation for James Pallotta and Italo Zanzi to thank Rudi Garcia for his services and then show him the door. His successor was to be Luciano Spalletti, who returns to the club after spending just over four seasons at Zenit St. Petersburg.
An immediate change in personnel has hit the squad, with the clubs current leading goal scorer Gervinho looking to head to China after his disapproval in the boards decision to sack Garcia. It would be a huge blow to the Giallorossi who are struggling for centre-forward options, with Edin Dzeko having a quiet season and Mohammed Salah battling inconsistency.
Verona continue to struggle
A familiar story played out at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday afternoon, as Roma and Verona were unable to be separated and the home side enjoying the majority of possession. This result leaves Verona one match past the halfway point in the season and still without a win.
It will be an unwelcome record if the campaign continues to pan out in this manner, as no team in the thirty eight team era has walked away from the season with less than three wins (Treviso in 2005-06 season). Even more disappointing would be the end to the career of Luca Toni without being able to enjoy a win in his last season, announcing his retirement some weeks ago.
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Same old Kevin-Prince
An announcement during the July transfer window that Kevin-Prince Boateng was back training with Milan and was looking to be added to the squad on a free transfer during January may have come as a bit of a shock to most Rossoneri fans. The Ghanian spent two relatively unsuccessful seasons at Schalke and left the club on poor terms, a similar storyline to his poor attitude during the 2014 FIFA World Cup which ultimately resulted in suspension and removal from the country’s camp.
Milan is somewhat a sanctuary for Boateng, however, arguably producing his best professional performances with the club during his first spell and this form seems to have continued with the 28-year-old scoring in his first game back to ensure three points against a tough Fiorentina side.
Kevin Prince-Boateng's last two goals for AC Milan have come 872 days apart. pic.twitter.com/VcQ7TuolWi
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) January 17, 2016
Nicola Leali guards a hot net
It is fair to say the initiation into Serie A has not been an easy one for Frosinone and even though I Canarini have the worst defensive record in the league so far, conceding 45 goals, the amount could well be much higher if it were not for the on-loan Juventus youngster Nicola Leali.
The team concede 21 shots on average per match, the most out of any team in the top European leagues, while Leali has made 72 saves for the season – the third most out of any goal keeper in the league. It will be a tough battle for Frosinone to remain in the top-flight next season, but one man that help make it happen is definitely Leali.
Free-flowing football a rare thing for Gli Azzuri
Italian football is infamous for an ingrained tactical style of play, as well as having a defensive mindset, which has become less prevalent in recent years. One result of slow build up play is the opposition becoming increasingly frustrated and losing focus for a split second.
Empoli find themselves on the receiving end of these challenges on a regular basis with an average of 19 fouls for per match, again another Italian team with the top statistic in this category. The brunt of these are felt by the midfield duo of Riccardo Saponara and Mario Rui, with two and three fouls on average per match respectively.
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