Ramsey is off to Juventus in the summer but his double-act here with Mesut Özil reached heights all-too-rarely seenYou get what you pay for, as the old saying goes. And on this evidence, Aaron Ramsey is worth every penny of the reported £400,000 a week he will receive as a Juventus player over the next four years.More than a few eyebrows were raised in February when it was announced the Wales international would be moving to Serie A in the summer after running down his contract yet against one of Italy’s most respected sides, Ramsey delivered a performance which underlined just how good he can be. Since the deal was confirmed, he has been the driving force in the revival...
A fan was killed before the Inter v Napoli match while Kalidou Koulibaly faced alleged racist abuse from the stands during itIt should have been an occasion to celebrate. For the first time since 1971, a round of Serie A fixtures was being played on 26 December – St Stephen’s Day, to most Italians, though the sporting press seemed eager to embrace the English lexicon of “Boxing Day football”. More than a quarter of a million fans attended games up and down the country, and many were treated to entertaining fare.In Bergamo, Atalanta became only the second team this season to take points off Juventus. Despite falling behind in the second minute, they roared back to lead 2-1 and appeared...
The Egyptian just keeps on keeping on, and does so with a rare lightness, hinting at what may be to come in the next monthsJust past the half hour at a chilly, angsty Anfield Mo Salah was suddenly free in space on the edge of the Napoli box, scampering in on goal in that bouncy style, hair flapping, legs whirring like a cartoon kangaroo. Salah had time to look up, pause and nudge a doomed pass across the six-yard box in the vague direction of Sadio Mané. There was a groan from the stands, but not much of a groan. The one thing they know for sure about Salah around here is that he just keeps on keeping on. Some...
Truth be told, this was a weekend of high drama but only modest consequence for most of Serie AThis was not a good weekend for those Serie A fans who prefer to leave a game early and beat the traffic. Cagliari salvaged a point at home to Roma with a goal in the 95th minute. Fiorentina left it even later away to Sassuolo, Kevin Mirallas dragging them level in the 96th. That was the same minute in which Lazio took a 2-1 lead at home to Sampdoria. Somehow, they finished all square as well.The timing of those goals offers only a glimpse of the drama. Cagliari had trailed 2-0 to Roma as late as the 84th minute. Even after Artur...
The record signing rediscovered some old wing wizardry as the champions won 3-1 amid their best start to a season since 1930For a man who launched an app devoted to football tactics, Massimiliano Allegri does not always sound terribly fond of them. “We can talk for hours about schemes and organisation,” he told La Repubblica in 2014. “But games are won by players. If you have [Leo] Messi you almost start 2-0 up. It’s the same with [Cristiano] Ronaldo.”Little did he know the Portuguese would join him at Juventus. A lot can change in four years, but the victory they shared over Napoli on Saturday suggested Allegri’s assessment might be as valid as ever. Related: The farcical case of Virtus...