Friday night handed a derby delight to Lazio when they swept Roma aside with a 3-0 victory, and Simone Inzaghi’s side is back among the leading pack.
After a stuttering start to the 2020/21 campaign, beset by COVID-19 problems and fixture pile-ups, Lazio climbed to within two points of fourth place in the Serie A league table and back in contention for, at least, a Champions League place.
Winner: Luis Alberto – Lazio
Lazio set about their city rivals with great intensity and Ciro Immobile put I Biancoceleste ahead with just 14 minutes on the clock. But it was a double from attacking midfielder Luis Alberto that settled this derby in an emphatic fashion. The Spain international made it two, midway through the first half, firing home impressively, and he put the game to bed with a clinical finish in the second half.
This was a great day for Alberto, who flopped during his time at Liverpool, but he won the Rome bragging rights for Lazio and that’s a huge deal for their passionate fans.
Losers: Roma
Lazio were contesting their first Scudetto in a decade last season and had their momentum cruelly halted by the pandemic. But on Friday they derailed Roma’s slim 2021 title aspirations with ease, as their opponents offered no fight.
Paulo Fonseca’s team put on a woeful performance in the Rome Derby, registering just a single shot on target. When Brazilian defender Roger Ibanez made a catastrophic error, Immobile pounced and that set the tone for the game, as Lazio stayed on the front foot and Roma let them. This was far from a performance you’d expect from a potential title contender, and to throw one in at a derby is unforgivable.
Winners: Napoli
According to the latest Serie A 2021 betting odds Napoli are fifth favourites to win the Scudetto, ahead of the two Rome clubs, and they put down a real marker on Sunday with a brutal obliteration of Fiorentina, beating La Viola 6-0. Skipper Lorenzo Insigne opened the scoring on five minutes and added a penalty for his brace, as well as an assist for Hirving Lozano. By the time Matteo Politano scored the sixth on 89 minutes, Fiorentina had matched Napoli’s shot count of ten, but crucially only had two on target, neither of which really troubled Napoli keeper David Ospina.
Loser: Cesare Prandelli – Fiorentina
The Viola head coach only returned to Fiorentina in November and his side stunned Juventus with a 3-0 win just before Christmas. But the honeymoon is over for the boss, with just one win in five, a narrow victory against struggling Cagliari; and this hammering will take some recovering from.
Fiorentina had a fair share of the possession but fell well short at either end of the pitch. Prandelli may not be so keen to look at this weekend’s Serie A 2021 highlights …but it’s his job!
Winners: Crotone
The basement club hauled themselves back into contention with a crucial and highly impressive 4-1 win over Benevento as Nigerian forward Simeon Nwankwo scored twice. The three points take Giovani Stroppa’s strugglers on to 12 points, one behind Torino and Parma and two behind Genoa and Cagliari.
But Benevento had much more possession at 60 per cent and won the shot count by 22 to nine, and five to three on target. But they let themselves down in the big moments, including an own goal to add to Crotone’s three.
Losers: Kamil Glik and Marco Sau – Benevento
Back in the top flight for a second stint, Benevento have been going along nicely and sit happily in mid table; they probably fancied this one. But Polish defender Kamil Glik put through his own net with just four minutes on the clock and that gave Crotone belief and their own rearguard defended like tigers.
By the time Benevento striker Marco Sau had been substituted on 65 minutes his side was 4-0 down but he still managed to get a red card from the bench for insulting the referee!
Iago Falque scored a late screamer which was little consolation to his team, in particular Glik and Sau.
So that’s all the action so far folks. Later on Sunday night Inter Milan and Juventus shoot out in a game which might determine who emerges as favourites for the Scudetto this season.
And then on Monday night current leaders AC Milan visit Cagliari in a game they need to win to maintain their challenge from the top, against a side which has lost its last five games.
Asian Handicap betting is the way to play that game and here at SBOTOP we are offering 1.63 on I Rossoneri to win, with the hosts at 5.00 and the draw 3.95.
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