Serie A Highlights

With Serie A back in action the New Year couldn’t have started off in a better fashion, seeing the underdogs do the impossible, Inter hitting fifth gear and some stunning goals that silenced the crowds.

Once again MTNFootball.com takes a look at the five Serie A highlights of Week 17.

Goal Euphoria in Serie A:

Thirty one goals, six braces, and seven penalties were enough to ensure a classy return to the calcio following the Christmas break as Week 17 was met with a big Bang.

In a league that is highly criticized for its lack of goals, the forwards were well on song as they managed to break the thirty goal mark for the fourth time this term.

Siena sting lackluster Lazio:

It was almost too good to be true for the Tuscan minnows as they came into the game as the inevitable underdogs, with victory in the league having eluded them since October 30th, as well as the goals having failed to arrive in 456 minutes of football.  

It was a New Year that certainly marked a new beginning for Guiseppe Sannino’s side as he fielded his best starting pair of Emmanuele Calaio and Mattia Destro.

The duo struck a brace each to win the game 4-0 and to see Lazio fall one point ahead of Inter in fourth spot.

Totti apologizes for being late:

“Scusate il ritardo”, translation: “Sorry for being late.”

This was the shirt that Francesco Totti exposed when he finally broke his goal scoring duck, having not scored since the 31st May 2011, as he did well to cheekily convert two penalty kicks in front of his home fans.

It was one of the longest droughts the Roman captain has had to endure in his career.

Milan become the first winners in Bergamo:

The defending champions became the first team this term to inflict a home defeat on Stefano Colantuono’s Atalanta. With four wins and as many draws at the Atleti Azzurri D’Italia, the Rossoneri extended their undefeated streak to 12 matches, with ten wins and two stalemates.

In addition to the win, Massimiliano Allegri’s men maintain their position on top of the standings while Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his seventh goal in six games, bringing in a grand total of 106 career goals in the Serie A.

It was a befitting yet satirical gesture for his fans who have stuck by him despite his struggle in gaining a good momentum of form.

Cavani receives opposition applause:

“I am happy with the applause and was very moved by that gesture. I have never forgotten these fans.” Edinson Cavani’s comment on the Palermo fans reaction to his goal.

It was a gesture that is like no other in the world of calcio as the former Palermo player struck a stunning curler into the top right corner, to silence the jeers for two seconds before then seeing the whole stadium erupt in applause.

It was a touching gesture that left even the neutrals with goose bumps as the respect for a former player and his current side was shown by even the sternest of Italian fans.