Serie A Top Five, Round 14: Atalanta duo reign supreme
Atalanta remain one of the most enjoyable attacking outfits in Europe and they gave Brescia a lesson at the weekend, with Josip Ilicic running proceedings. His pinpoint cross allowed team-mate Mario Pasalic to flick home and he sealed the win late on, running the full length of the field to coolly slide into the corner. Ilicic completed five dribbles and his 108 touches was the second highest total of the round. His massive 54 passes into the final third also proved to be the incisive difference.
Pasalic provided able attacking support to Ilicic in the contest, nodding into the net from close range to get the ball rolling before his looping effort from an Ilicic corner rebounded back off the post. Not to be denied, he showed skill to backheel Ilicic's low cross into the net. He also completed 55 of his 63 passes and made nine recoveries in a dynamic midfield display.
Martinez and Romelu Lukaku are becoming a devastating attacking duo and it was the turn of the Argentine to take centre stage against SPAL. His driving run into space allowed him to clip home the opener off the inside of the post, and then his brilliant movement into the space brought the second from a Antonio Candreva cross. He was only denied his treble by a superb late save and after some transfer disasters in recent years, Lautaro is looking to be brilliant business by Inter.
Monday night's manic match between Cagliari and Sampdoria produced two brilliant displays, and Joao Pedro's two goals in three minutes flipped the match on its head. His first is a neat flick back across the keeper and into the corner, then the second saw him get across the defender to scoop into the net. He dragged his side back into the match and set the scene for their last-minute winner.
The 36-year-old put everything into the contest and will be devastated to be on the losing side. After blasting home an early penalty he slid in Gaston Ramirez to restore the lead then opened the advantage to 3-1, scoring a magnificent volley to seemingly end the contest. His defenders couldn't give him the backing he deserved, unfortunately, as they succumbed to a 4-3 defeat.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Sergei Milinkovic-Savic (8.5) produced a superb midfield display in Lazio's confident 3-0 win over Udinese.
ROUND TO FORGET
Brescia's defenders made life all too easy for Atalanta's attacking players throughout.