Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus celebrates scoring with team mates after scoring against Parma Calcio on December 19, 2020
Serie A is starting to outline the title race favourites as AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus set the pace and Roma and Napoli falter in their response. Elsewhere there were important victories for Benevento and Sampdoria and draws between Cagliari-Udinese, Fiorentina-Verona and Torino-Bologna.
Penalties apiece in Fiorentina and Hellas Verona draw, Sampdoria cruise past Crotone and Juve put four past Parma
Saturday’s opening game was at the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Firenze where Fiorentina took on Verona. The two teams both needed a win to improve their position in the table but ended up cancelling each other out with a penalty per side.
In the eighth minute, a contact between Antonio Barreca and Eddie Salcedo was sanctioned by the referee. Miguel Veloso stepped up and proved he has ice in his veins to give Verona the lead. Only 10 minutes later, Fiorentina found the equaliser thanks to Dusan Vlahovic, who converted the penalty he won himself.
In Genova, Sampdoria reported an easy win by 3-1 which left Crotone alone at the bottom of the table. In the 26th minute, Mikkel Damsgaard gave Sampdoria the lead after a precise assist from Jakub Jankto. In the 36th minute, the Blucerchiati doubled their advantage through an inspired Jankto who reacted to a deflected shot to place a finish past Giuseppe Cuomo. At the end of the first half, there was still time for another goal. Albin Ekdal committed a foul on Arkadiusz Reca in box and the referee was under no illusions to give Crotone a penalty. Simy Nwankwo stepped up and his goal gave Crotone hope before the break. In the second half, veteran striker Fabio Quagliarella extended Sampdoria’s two goal advantage with his sixth goal of the season and 92nd in Sampdoria colours.
In the last game of the day, Juventus slipped Parma a poker at the Tardini Stadium.
Despite the result, the Crociati played well, and Juraj Kucka went close to scoring the opener, but Gianluigi Buffon denied his attempt. However, Dejan Kulusevski didn’t miss the chance to hurt his ex-team and netted the first goal of the match in the 27th minute. Three minutes later, Cristiano Ronaldo doubled the lead with a perfect header that didn’t leave any chances for Luigi Sepe. After the break, Ronaldo doubled his tally to take his season’s tally to 12 before Alvaro Morata made it four.
Alvaro Morata celebrates Juventus’ fourth goal against Parma Calcio in the Serie A on December 19, 2020
Honours even between Torino and Bologna, Milan create goal scoring history against Sassuolo and Inter in expected win over Spezia
Torino are trying hard to stop the rot but nothing seems to work. In the lunchtime match, the Granata and Bologna drew 1-1. After a goalless first half, the home team took the lead in the 69th minute through a Simone Verdi freekick but huge blame has to fall on Angelo Da Costa whose failed save with his foot inadvertently ended up in his own net. In the 78th minute, the away side found a way past Vanja Milinkovic-Savic when Roberto Soriano latched onto Emanuel Vignato’s expert through-ball to nutmeg Milinkovic-Savic and give Bologna a precious away point.
Achraf Hakimi celebrates scoring the opening goal after Spezia Calcio in the Serie A on December 20, 2020
The afternoon matches saw two important wins for Milan and Inter who overcame Sassuolo and Spezia respectively. It was all-out-attack from the Rossoneri as Rafael Leao scored the fastest goal in Serie A history after six seconds after a flowing team move right from kick-off. Alexis Saelemaekers doubled Milan’s advantage after 26 minutes as the league leaders looked comfortable at the break. Sassuolo grabbed a consolation through Domenico Berardi but it was all too late for the home side.
Inter had a similar script with the only difference that all the goals were scored in the second half. Achraf Hakimi inaugurated the scoreboard before Romelu Lukaku made it two from the penalty spot with his 11th of the season. Spezia’s Roberto Piccoli scored in the 94th minute to half the arrears but Inter took the three points to stay in touch with local rivals Milan.
Cagliari and Udinese share a point and Benevento create more misery for Genoa
The agonistic match-up between Cagliari and Udinese was far from a classic as the sides shared a 1-1 draw at the Sardegna Arena. Cagliari’s Charalampos Lykogiannis scored the first goal with a perfect free-kick in the 27th minute before Udinese found the equaliser in the 57th minute through Kevin Lasagne.
Benevento plunged Genoa into further trouble by beating them 2-0. The Ligurians are in a really difficult position as they occupy the second bottom. Roberto Insigne and a Marco Sau penalty secured the win for Benevento and gave them three important points.
Atalanta put Roma’s defence to the sword and Lazio find their way against Napoli
Atalanta came from behind to outclass Roma with an impressive attacking display at the Atleti Azzurri d’Italia stadium to win 4-1. The Giallorossi took the lead after three minutes through Edin Dzeko’s fifth goal of the season and seemed to be in perfect control of the game.
Gian Piero Gasperini introduced Josip Ilicic at half-time which sparked Atalanta into life and it was all downhill for Roma after that. In the 59th minute, Duvan Zapata latched onto a Ilicic through ball to powerfully equalise in off the crossbar before Robin Gosens nodded home from a tantalising Ilicic cross in the 70th minute to put the home side in front. Roma looked shell shocked after Atalanta’s response and the home side took full advantage two minutes later when Roma midfielder Jordan Veretout gifted Luis Muriel the third. In the 89th minute, Ilicic capped off his wondrous second half display with a fine solo effort as he cut in from the right, jinked past two defenders and left Antonio Mirante frozen on his line with a placed finish.
Finally, Lazio revived their league campaign with an excellent team performance to beat podium chasers Napoli 2-0. After a poor run of form, the Biancocelesti were able to impose their style to defeat the Azzurri. Ciro Immobile scored the opener with a beautiful header in the ninth minute before Luis Alberto put the game to bed in the second half with a ‘snooker shot’ past David Ospina.
All the results
Fiorentina 1 – 1 Hellas Verona
19′ Vlahovic (p) 8′ Veloso (p)
Sampdoria 3 – 1 Crotone
26′ Damsgard 45’+1 Simy
36′ Jankto
65′ Quagliarella
Parma 0 – 4 Juventus
23′ Kulusevski
26′ Ronaldo
48′ Ronaldo
85′ Morata
Torino 1 – 1 Bologna
69′ Verdi 78′ Soriano
Cagliari 1 – 1 Udinese
27′ Lykogiannis 57′ Lasagna
Benevento 2 – 0 Genoa
57′ Insigne
89′ Sau (p)
Sassuolo 1 – 2 Milan
89′ Berardi 1′ Leao
26′ Saelemaekers
Inter 2 – 1 Spezia
51′ Hakimi 94′ Piccolo
71′ Lukaku (p)
Atalanta 4 – 1 Roma
59′ Zapata 3′ Dzeko
70′ Gosens
72′ Muriel
85′ Ilicic
Lazio 2 – 0 Napoli
9′ Immobile
56′ Luis Alberto
