It was an eventful midweek round of Serie A games, with plenty of thrills and spills in the Italian top-flight.
Leaders Napoli were victorious again, with Lecce, Torino, Fiorentina, Inter Milan and Lazio also on the winning side as Spezia and Udinese, Roma and Sassuolo and Cremonese and AC Milan played out draws.
Hirving Lozano made the difference for Napoli, while young goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi proved his credentials in denying the Rossoneri and Juventus veteran Leonardo Bonucci is struggling for form.
Below, Sportsmail’s man in Italy Alvise Cagnazzo rounds up 10 things we learned from the latest fixtures in Italy.
Napoli continue to dominate the start of the season in Serie A after winning against Empoli
1 – LOZANO MAKING AN IMPACT
Napoli’s Hirving Lozano succeeded where Roma’s Lorenzo Pellegrini and Atalanta’s Teun Koopmeiners had failed: score the first penalty of the Serie A season past Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
It took 69 minutes for leaders Napoli to break down the heroic resistance of Empoli, who resisted waves of the hosts’ attack and defended their goal with brilliant resilience.
Eventually, Lozano – one of the most criticised players this season – finally scored and radically changed the game. Shortly before the Qatar World Cup later this month, the Mexican winger has finally rediscovered his courage and tactical discipline.
Boss Luciano Spalletti does not consider him irreplacable, or perhaps even capable of playing 30-40 games this campaign, but could become a similar figure to Juan Cuadrado under Massimiliano Allegri at Juventus for the Tuscan coach.
He runs, he fights and above all he forces mistakes, pressuring opposition defender Sebastiano Luperto to make an error, resulting in a second yellow and, therefore, a red card.
Lozano flashed like a lightning bolt across the Diego Armando Maradona stadium and proved Spalletti has the magic touch with his substitutes.
While Inter Milan’s Simone Inzaghi has sometimes let games slip away with his substitutes, Spalletti often turns things around with his changes – even if the replacements only get 10 minutes on the pitch.
Hirving Lozano may have turned his form around for the league leaders after Empoli display
2 – UDINESE FADING FAST
In Italy, very often people run too much and think too little. And in the case of Udinese, they burst out of the blocks at the start of the Serie A race but have slowed down significantly in recent weeks.
Andrea Sottil is doubtless an excellent coach but the playing squad available to him has never been excellent.
After a stratospheric start to the season, seeming to mimic the rise of Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta to the top of the table, the wheels are now coming off for the Friulians.
A 1-1 draw at struggling Spezia demonstrates the lack of mental strength. Udinese had papered over the cracks of their technical limitations by playing with great enthusiasm at the start of the campaign but those weaknesses are clear now.
Beto and Gerard Deulofeu are a formidable striking partnership but behind them there is a sizeable technical void that threatens to undo all the good work from the beginning of the season.
Spezia managed 21 shots on goal to 10 from Sottil’s side. Hardly figures worthy of a team aiming to challenge for the European spots.
Momentum is draining out of their season second by second and if they keep this up, they will suffer against plenty of other teams too.
Udinese are on a slump having made an excellent start to Serie A, drawing again at Spezia
3 – CARNESECCHI IS A TOP PROSPECT
Young goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi has returned to action with Cremonese with exceptional results after almost six months out with a career-stopping shoulder operation.
The 22-year-old, on loan from Atalanta, has become one of the best young stoppers in Europe, with above average mental strength compared to his peers, and proved that against title challengers AC Milan, keeping the Rossoneri to a 0-0 draw.
Along with Gianluigi Donnarumma and Guglielmo Vicario, there will also be room in the Italian national team’s goalkeeping slots in future for the player considered by Juventus to replace Wojciech Szczesny.
At 6’3′, his stature and performances are reminiscent of former Fiorentina, Inter Milan and Italy goalkeeper Francesco Toldo. To make that definitive step up to the highest level, however, he needs to achieve greater consistency of performance.
Playing in a small team simply aiming to stay in Serie A is difficult for a ‘keeper and certainly handicaps Carnesecchi, but if he impresses at Cremonese a top club could move for him next summer.
He must stay focused on his current club and try to ignore transfer rumours – but his future looks bright.
Cremonese goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi has bounced back after a shoulder operation
4 – ORIGI AND DE KETELAERE FAIL TO FIRE
AC Milan lost two precious points in the fight for the Scudetto against Cremonese and fault lies above all with two recent signings who have flopped: Divock Origi and Charles De Ketelaere, who could crush the club’s hopes for the title.
After 14 rounds of fixtures, Napoli are eight points clear of Milan in third and the Rossoneri seem to have splashed the cash on the wrong players this summer.
Belgian forward Origi is too slow for Stefano Pioli’s style of play and seems to really struggle with the pressing of Italian sides.
He had a knack for scoring important goals in the Premier League but has never been capable of scoring 20 goals in a season and that scares Milan fans.
When forward Rafael Leao misses out, the whole team suffers and whoever replaces him in attack can’t seem to replicate his impact.
At least Origi was free! De Ketelaere cost £35million after almost two months of negotiations and while his talent is not in question, some in Italy feel he is too shy and unassuming to win a league in which aggression is a fundamental quality.
Divock Origi had a goal ruled out against Cremonese for AC Milan due to an offside call
5 – FINALLY ABRAHAM NETS AGAIN
There were fears Roma’s Tammy Abraham had lost his magic touch in front of goal, but a late header against Sassuolo earned his side a 1-1 draw.
The goal was not enough for three points but it was important for the Englishman to recover trust with manager Jose Mourinho, his team-mates and above all with fans who had booed him in the last few games.
He had not scored in the league since September 12 against Empoli and his strike broke a 60-day duck that lasted too long for a striker with the ambition to be a key protagonist for Roma.
Sassuolo’s Mapei Stadium is a tricky place to go and despite Abraham’s effort, the result leaves Roma outside the European qualification spots and at risk of missing out on their targets for the season.
His future is still a big question mark: the former Chelsea star needs to prove he is still a top player after a fine first season, otherwise Roma could put him up for sale and try their luck with a different striker.
New signing Andrea Belotti has disappointed too and this perhaps suggests a general issue with the team’s attack. Mourinho must try to solve this problem – and fast.
Tammy Abraham was back on the scoresheet for Roma as they drew with Sassuolo
6 – BONUCCI AND SANDRO RUNNING ON FUMES
Seeing Leonardo Bonucci and Alex Sandro in such difficulty is a serious blow for Juventus fans.
Both players have written beautiful chapters in the recent history of the club but today are the main causes of the team’s tactical and technical problems.
At 36 and 32 respectively, they are no longer top players and their mistakes have cost Allegri’s side five-six points in Serie A.
Bonucci always seems tired, hands on hips, cannot run with the same speed or intensity and fouls too readily when he realises he is out of position.
Alex Sandro, who was sent off after bringing down Kevin Lasagna in full flight, proves the Brazilian has now lost the basic technical characteristics to remain a top-class full-back.
His contract expires in June 2023 and will most likely not be renewed, with Juve now forced to look for a successor and save the money on Sandro’s salary.
With Bonucci, on the other hand, the Old Lady might have to wait a few more months to see how he copes.
Both will be replaced in future but at the moment, Federico Gatti and Filip Kostic, who could be used in the role of an attacking full-back like AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez, seem ready to step in for the two ageing generals.
Juventus Leonardo Bonucci appears to be struggling at Juventus as his years advance
7 – KEAN IS A LUCKY BOY
Juventus overtook Inter, Roma and Atalanta thanks to Moise Kean’s awkward and lucky shot and now the club are close enough to European competition so as to smell it because of their young striker.
Kean is no George Weah but his role as full-time third-choice striker seems perfect for him. Dusan Vlahovic’s adductor issues and Angel Di Maria’s fitness have handed him an opportunity to continue playing despite poor recent performances.
On a technical level he seems raw and unpolished and often struggles when in control of the ball but he evidently has luck on his side and does know how to find the net.
Two goals, albeit decisive ones, in 12 games are not many but they came in just 440 minutes of league action.
In the new year, Kean starts the second half of the season and potentially final spell of his Juve career, with a decision coming about whether to buy the striker from Everton.
Beating a well-drilled Verona side under Salvatore Bocchetti shows some credit must go to the Vercelli-born youngster, who seems to finally have started working with real seriousness and attention.
Moise Kean is playing a strong supportive role as a back up striker at Juventus this term
8 – LUKA ROMERO IS A RECORD BREAKER
The little magician Luka Romero scored his first goal in Serie A, confirming him as a great investment for Lazio.
After a year at Lazio, Romero – a modern winger who can also play in attacking midfield – has become key to the club to the point of being one of the Serie A breakouts of the season.
Against Monza he was dynamic, causing problems with his running and exploiting an error from Monza goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio to score his first ever goal in Italy and become the first ever player born in 2004 to score in the Italian top flight.
Despite being just 5ft 4ins and 61 kg, the former Malaga starlet has good stamina as well as the technique and dribbling speed of a top player.
Maurizio Sarri has always paid great attention to his career and his signing shows how much Lazio sporting director Tare has always followed the Tuscan coach’s suggestions.
Now Lazio just need to fight off interested clubs…
Luka Romero has emerged as a key player for Lazio and could now interest Europe’s top sides
9 – DIMARCO CAN STEP UP FOR ITALY
He may not have the height and strength of Cristian Chivu, he may not have the magic left foot of Roberto Carlos and perhaps not even Robin Gosens’ killer instinct yet Inter’s Federico Dimarco is today one of the best left-backs in Serie A.
His goal against Bologna was a mix of intelligence and technical quality and it is a clear message for Gosens that he has now become the reserve at wing back.
Three goals in 15 league appearances is a great return and Dimarco’s great concentration on the pitch has become a great asset. He is the right man in the right place for his manager’s 3-5-2 system and a perfect standard bearer for Inzaghi.
The former Verona defender is capable of becoming first-choice at a top club thanks to his commitment every week in training, with the diminutive star possessing a powerful and precise shot and one of the best crossers in the division.
After progressing through the Inter youth system and then being farmed out on loan to Sion, Parma and Verona his career now resembles a fairy tale with a happy ending. Now he is back home and has no intention of leaving the San Siro.
In the national team, the absence of strong competitors in his role – other than perhaps Roma’s Leonardo Spinazzola – could soon open the doors to a starting position in Roberto Mancini’s team.
Inter Milan’s Federico Dimarco is emerging as one of the best left-backs in Serie A
10 – WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH ATALANTA?
Atalanta continue to lose points in the standings and the 2-1 defeat against Lecce has led to a crisis in the locker room.
Gasperini had been good at hiding the structural problems of a team constructed with little logic during the summer transfer market and the development of centre backs Giorgio Scalvini and Caleb Okoli had increased optimism.
The team’s Intensity, physical strength and a great ability to attack spaces even with a slightly tweaked in-game system had deluded fans who today are forced to observe a team tired and confused for the first time in their recent history.
Atalanta now lie sixth and are at risk of missing out on the European spots.
Duvan Zapata’s goal was his first strike in the league of the season but it was not enough to guarantee Gasperini’s team the three points necessary for a return to winning way.
Striker Luis Muriel’s injury halved the force of the attack and Ruslan Malinovskyi’s dismissal complicated the balance in the changing room.
Atalanta continue to lose points in the standings after a 2-1 defeat by Lecce
